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PEOPLE/ARTS Thursday 19 OcTOber 2017
Nielsen says it will report on who’s watching streamed shows

By DAVID BAUDER When Netflix made eight
AP Television Writer episodes of its series “Mar-
NEW YORK (AP) — The vel’s The Defenders” avail-
Nielsen company, which able on the same day in
has long measured viewer- August, all of them land-
ship of television programs, ed among the 20 most-
now says it has a way to watched television pro-
collect and widely spread grams for the week among
details about how many viewers in the prized 18-to-
people watch program- 49-year-old demographic,
ming produced by stream- Nielsen said. The remake
ing services like Netflix and “Fuller House” has also had
Amazon. strong numbers.
Nielsen announced its new The research company will
service on Wednesday be able to measure the im-
and said that eight televi- pact of binge-watching,
sion networks and studios, too.
including ABC and NBC, When a company like
have subscribed to it. Netflix releases a season’s
Even with Hulu’s “The worth of episodes on a
Handmaid’s Tale” winning single day, that show’s fans
an Emmy for best drama watch an average of four
last month, the number and a half episodes in a
of people who actually day, Nielsen said. In this Sept. 17, 2017 file photo, Ann Dowd, from left, winner of outstanding supporting actress in
watch the program has People will also learn de- a drama series, Elisabeth Moss, winner of outstanding lead actress in a drama series, and Alexis
remained a mystery. Since mographic information on Bledel, winner of outstanding guest actress in a drama for “The Handmaid’s Tale” pose in the press
2014, Nielsen has been a show’s audience, like room at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
able to count viewership which programs are more Associated Press
of streamed programs but appealing to young peo-
reported it only to the com- ple.
panies that stream them. A Netflix representative
The companies, led by in- declined comment on the
dustry behemoth Netflix, new service.
have largely kept that in- So far, Nielsen says it can
formation a secret. only measure streaming
Now, Nielsen will be able viewership on television,
to measure viewership and not on mobile devices.
of streamed programs Nielsen, in recent years, has
through an audio signature begun systematically mea-
that does not require any suring how many people
action by the programmers watch regular television
to activate it, said Brian shows on a time-delayed
Fuhrer, Nielsen’s senior vice basis, instead of on the
president of product lead- same night they are broad-
ership. cast.
Clients like ABC and NBC That gives a fuller view of
will be able to know how the rapidly changing ways
many people are watch- in which experience TV,
ing “House of Cards,” for and the streaming num-
example, and have no bers will make that picture
reason to keep that infor- even clearer.
mation private. The numbers are eagerly
“When people start analyz- sought by advertisers who
ing this, they’re going to be want to know how many
quite surprised at the size people are being exposed
of the audience these pro- to their products.
grams are commanding,” The extent to which Nielsen
Fuhrer said. will make this information
Between 12 and 13 percent available to the public is
of television consumption unknown, or if the compa-
now consists of streamed ny will incorporate the fig-
programs, he said. Half of ures in its weekly release of
that are shows on Netflix. top programs.q