Nielsen’s New “Big Data + Panel” System Changes How Wrestling Ratings Are Measured – If you noticed lower television ratings for your favorite wrestling shows, it might not be because fewer people are watching.
Nielsen has officially rolled out a new audience measurement system that fundamentally changes how TV ratings are calculated — and the impact is already being felt across all live programming, including professional wrestling.
The company’s new hybrid model, called “Big Data + Panel TV,” combines traditional panel-based data with advanced tracking from millions of devices. Nielsen now gathers audience information not only from its selected viewing panels but also from cable and satellite set-top boxes, as well as smart TVs across 45 million households and 75 million devices. These devices include platforms such as Comcast, Dish, DIRECTV, Roku, and Vizio.
Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao described the change as a major evolution in television analytics. “The accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement,” Rao stated. “I believe Big Data + Panel gives the industry the most accurate measurement in the history of TV. We’re grateful to our clients for helping us innovate once again.”
Previously, Nielsen relied solely on a smaller, panel-based system, where selected households manually reported their viewing habits. This older approach often led to certain audiences — particularly wrestling fans — being “overrepresented.” Wrestling audiences tend to switch channels more often than fans of other sports, meaning the old system didn’t always capture that fluctuation accurately. Under the new method, each channel flip is tracked, and a viewer temporarily tuning away is now considered a “loss.”
Additionally, co-viewing — such as fans watching together in homes, bars, or gyms — is now less likely to be counted, which will make wrestling ratings appear lower even if the number of people watching hasn’t actually dropped.
While this new approach may initially seem to hurt wrestling programs in the ratings, it offers a major advantage for advertisers and networks. It prevents small groups of superfans from inflating numbers and provides a more precise view of how shows perform minute by minute. Ultimately, this system gives a clearer, more accurate snapshot of how wrestling stacks up against other forms of live entertainment.
Nielsen’s New “Big Data + Panel” System Changes How Wrestling Ratings Are Measured
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