The NFL remains the undisputed king of American television, drawing audiences that dwarf virtually every other form of programming in an era dominated by streaming and fragmented media consumption. Live sports, particularly NFL games, are one of the few remaining forces capable of commanding massive, simultaneous viewership across broadcast, cable, and digital platforms. This dominance isn't just anecdotal—it's backed by Nielsen data, which shows the league consistently claiming the vast majority of the year's top-rated programs.
In 2024, the NFL regular season averaged 17.5 million viewers per game across its five broadcast partners (CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video), a slight 2.2% dip from 2023's 17.9 million but still far exceeding any non-sports content. For context, this average outpaces the viewership of major non-sports events like the Oscars or election night coverage by multiples.
Despite relying on Nielsen for official ratings—the "currency" of TV deals worth over $10 billion annually—the NFL has grown increasingly vocal about perceived shortcomings in the company's evolving methodologies. As TV shifts to streaming and multi-device viewing, the league argues Nielsen's tools fail to capture the full picture, potentially costing broadcasters ad revenue and undervaluing rights negotiations.
This tension escalated publicly in September 2025, NFL Chief Data & Analytics Officer Paul Ballew accused Nielsen of missing "millions of viewers" weekly, especially for high-stakes events like the Super Bowl or Thanksgiving games. He highlighted "co-viewing" (multiple people watching one screen, common for NFL parties) as a major blind spot, where Nielsen's panel-based sampling underrepresents group dynamics.
The NFL isn't ditching Nielsen—it's the industry standard—but it's testing rivals like VideoAmp (used with ESPN and Paramount for NFL tracking) and Comscore for better cross-platform accuracy, including streaming and OOH. Ballew serves on Nielsen's quality advisory board, praising steps like Big Data as "positive," but emphasized the need for deeper co-viewing analysis. Critics like the Video Advertising Bureau have called Nielsen's updates "yellow caution tape" territory, echoing broader industry frustration.