Nielsen Delays ‘Gauge’ Report Further, Following Streamer Backlash, Citing Need for Data Updates (EXCLUSIVE)

Nielsen said it will delay even further the release of its popular “Gauge,” a monthly snapshot of viewing across linear and digital screens after some clients became alarmed by a downturn in streaming audiences following a decision by the measurement giant to add new data to its mix.

“While we planned to share February’s The Gauge and Media Distributor Gauge on March 24, we will be pushing the delivery of both reports back,” said Peter Naylor, Nielsen’s chief client officer, in a letter issued Friday and reviewed by Variety. “We will not be making any methodological changes for The February Gauge and will be releasing it in April with the same methodology that we used for January.”

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At issue was the implementation earlier this year of new data that shows how U.S. households connect to and consume TV, use video-capable digital devices, and interact with and share streaming media and ecommerce accounts. The research, known as DASH, is a syndicated study fielded in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, a polling firm. Nielsen had previously informed clients that its use of the data could result in a one-time expansion of the number of households, or “universe,” watching cable and broadcast TV, and a potential diminution of the overall audience watching streaming.

Nielsen will pause release of “The Gauge” in March “minimize trend breaks,’ Naylor said. “We will be pushing Gauge methodology updates to the start of the fall season, aligning with the additional promised improvements to our currency products.” Nielsen understand “that there are diverging opinions on this among our broad client base, but we believe this is the best and least disruptive path for the industry.”

Nielsen’s Gauge has become a new highlight of the industry’s never-ending battle to count up audiences who have splintered across dozens of screens and different viewing behaviors. But the behind-the-scenes push and pull over the next release shows Nielsen having to cater to a new generation of customers — companies like Amazon, Roku and Netflix — that can be just as challenging as traditional clients like CBS, Fox and NBC.

The next Gauge was expected to reveal a lift for cable and broadcast viewing, driven in part by the new DASH data but also by attention being paid in recent weeks to the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, both telecast and streamed via NBC and Peacock. That rise in traditional TV is not expected to continue over the longer term, Nielsen has indicated, but streaming’s expansion is.

When Nielsen first started releasing “Gauge” data updates, it did so as a way to showcase its measurement abilities as streaming was on the rise. But the company never saw it as a data set that would be used by media or streaming companies to set policy.

“Because The Gauge is not a product, we did not provide as much impact data in advance. We regret this.” said Naylor, in the letter. The company intends to continue to improve its data methodologies, which in recent months has been augmented by so called “Big Data” that reflects interaction captured via smart TVs. “The goal is to better align The Gauge with these changes over the long term, as seamlessly as possible. We will be walking your teams through that in more detail,” Naylor said.