TelevisaUnivision, Nielsen Squabble Over Single Household That Appears to Skew Spanish-TV Ratings (EXCLUSIVE)

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In the heart of rural southeastern U.S., one house is causing tension to escalate between Nielsen and a major Spanish-broadcasting network, whose viewership it monitors.

TelevisaUnivision executives are frustrated by an anomaly in Nielsen’s method of counting Spanish-TV audience viewership, which they believe unfairly inflates the ratings for competitor Telemundo among younger male viewers watching news programs and other content.

However, these individuals claim that the elevators (i.e., the audience ratings) are influenced by Nielsen’s dependence on a single household where five Spanish-speaking residents only receive Telemundo’s channels, not TelevisaUnivision’s stations. As a result, Nielsen’s assumption based on this home’s behavior has led to inaccurate audience projections that TelevisaUnivision suspects could adversely affect its position during the “upfront” market, where U.S. media companies attempt to pre-sell most of their advertising space before the next programming cycle begins.

Donna Speciale, president of U.S. advertising sales and marketing at TelevisaUnivision, stated during an interview that it is inappropriate for them to delay addressing the current data anomaly. She emphasized that their slow response could have significant consequences for our business.

As a dedicated movie critic, I’m always attentive to your valuable feedback, maintaining an ongoing dialogue with you. Rest assured, I firmly believe in our panel and the methodology we employ. Your insights are not taken lightly; they are given the utmost seriousness. We remain committed to delving deeper into this situation, striving for continuous improvement and a more enriching experience for all.

The market for Spanish-language TV is one of the most vibrant sectors in the media industry, despite a general trend of viewers moving away from traditional TV towards streaming services. The growing Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. is significant, and audiences of Univision and Telemundo are considered crucial demographics whose preferences can impact election results. Over the recent years, Speciale has been actively pursuing new advertising contracts from Madison Avenue, particularly advertisers who have not heavily invested in Spanish media.

The split occurs at a time when Nielsen aims to demonstrate its dependability following a challenging phase. Last week, the measurement titan received accreditation from the Media Rating Council, an industry watchdog, for a novel “Panel + Big Data” service. This service will integrate audience engagement with cable, satellite, and smart TV systems across 45 million households and 75 million devices. Nielsen considers this innovation as the foundation for “currency” during discussions between media platforms and advertisers. Additionally, it has been granted accreditation to utilize first-party data from various media sources in determining its ratings.

The schism happens when Nielsen is trying to show its trustworthiness post a tough period. Last week, the measurement leader got approval from the Media Rating Council, an industry observer, for a fresh “Panel + Big Data” solution. This service combines audience activities with cable, satellite, and smart TV systems across 45 million households and 75 million devices. Nielsen regards this development as the foundation for “currency” during talks between media channels and advertisers. Furthermore, it has been given approval to leverage first-party data from various media outlets in rating calculations.)

Despite this, many media executives continue to express reservations towards Nielsen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about Nielsen underreporting audiences led to a suspension of its national ratings accreditation for several months, which has since been reinstated. For instance, Paramount Global opted not to renew its deal with the measurement firm last year, pointing to expenses and the presence of other measurement providers that could address the challenge of quantifying audiences moving towards streaming platforms. Paramount now relies on VideoAmp, a competitor of Nielsen, and several other industry peers have also formed partnerships with this company.

The disagreement between TelevisaUnivision and Nielsen is unexpected, as Speciale previously supported Nielsen’s initiatives to integrate new data into their system. “I’ve been the one advocating loudly” for adopting this technology, the executive states.

It was around the beginning of the year when TelevisaUnivision began noticing inconsistencies in their ratings. What caught their attention were significant increases in young male audiences for Telemundo, particularly during news broadcasts. When they enquired further, they discovered that this spike in ratings could be attributed to a single household located in the southeastern United States. Upon closer inspection, it was found that the residents of this rural home are limited to over-the-air TV as their only source of television.

Upon further investigation by TelevisaUnivision, executives were given guarantees that Nielsen would exclude the house from their study panel to analyze the discrepancies. After a weekend, it became evident that the house was influencing ratings, as TelevisaUnivision’s coverage of the presidential inauguration showed improved rankings. However, Nielsen subsequently informed TelevisaUnivision that they would be reinstating the house into their audience panel.

As a concerned movie critic, I discretely pointed out an inconsistency in their data to them privately. I had no intention of bringing this matter up publicly. I urged them to scrutinize this issue, and they acknowledged that there was something amiss. They agreed to remove it, but then surprisingly chose to reinstate it. My primary concern lies with the timing, as they claim they require more time to rectify the problem. However, we simply don’t have the luxury of waiting.

Telemundo, which is part of NBCUniversal, declined to comment.

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2025-01-28 20:17