TelevisaUnivision at Odds with Nielsen Over Audience Measurement Discrepancies
A rural home in the southeastern U.S. has become the focal point of a growing dispute between Nielsen and TelevisaUnivision, a Spanish-language broadcasting giant, regarding audience measurement accuracy.
TelevisaUnivision executives are expressing frustration over Nielsen’s methodology, which they claim is favoring rival network Telemundo by providing inflated estimates of young male viewership for their programming. This discrepancy, they argue, is attributed to a single household where five Spanish-speaking residents only have access to Telemundo’s stations, not TelevisaUnivision’s.
TelevisaUnivision is concerned that these inaccurate audience estimates could impact their business prospects, especially as they approach the upcoming upfront market where media companies negotiate commercial inventory deals for the next programming cycle.
Donna Speciale, president of U.S. advertising sales and marketing at TelevisaUnivision, expressed her dissatisfaction with Nielsen’s handling of the situation, stating, “For them to not act on the anomaly right now of this data is unacceptable. They are not acting quickly and that has huge ramifications for our business.”
Nielsen responded to the criticism by stating, “We are aware of the clientâs feedback and we are in direct, continuous communication with them. Nielsen stands by its panel and methodology. We also take feedback very seriously. We are committed to continuing to research the situation.”
The disagreement comes at a crucial time for Spanish-language TV, a thriving sector in the media market. With the U.S. Spanish-speaking population growing, networks like Univision and Telemundo play a significant role in influencing political campaigns and attracting advertisers.
Amidst this conflict, Nielsen has been striving to enhance its credibility following past challenges. The measurement giant recently obtained accreditation for its new “Panel + Big Data” offering, which aims to provide more comprehensive audience insights. Despite these efforts, some media companies remain skeptical of Nielsen’s methodology, with Paramount Global opting for alternative measurement vendors.
The rift between TelevisaUnivision and Nielsen is particularly noteworthy as Speciale had previously advocated for incorporating new data into Nielsen’s panel. However, discrepancies in ratings emerged earlier this year, prompting TelevisaUnivision to raise concerns about the accuracy of Nielsen’s audience measurement.
After identifying a rural home as the source of the ratings anomaly, TelevisaUnivision requested its removal from the panel for further analysis. While Nielsen initially complied, they later reinstated the home, leading to continued discrepancies in ratings.
Speciale emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “My issue is really the timing because they’re not saying they’re not changing it, but they’re saying they need time. And I’m sorry, we don’t have time.” Telemundo, the network benefiting from the inflated ratings, declined to comment on the matter.
