Nielsen delays The Gauge after methodology adjustment
March 16, 2026
Nielsen’s next The Gauge report – a monthly snapshot of all broadcast, cable and streaming consumption in the US – has been delayed by a week (to March 24th) as a result of an adjustment in the methodology used by the audience measurement specialist.
The next Gauge report will incorporate DASH universe estimates from the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), which are accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC). The MRC’s TV committee strongly pushed the adoption of the new estimates, according to Nielsen.
A Nielsen spokesperson told Advanced-Television: “The ARF’s DASH universe estimates are accredited by the MRC. The MRC TV Committee, made up of more than 80 Nielsen clients, overwhelmingly drove Nielsen’s swift adoption of DASH. Over the course of several months, we communicated this change to our clients through product notifications, webinars and MRC meetings before it was implemented at the end of January. We believe that this change more accurately reflects the TV landscape. When we began our standard monthly Gauge previews with clients this week, some clients requested additional data around DASH implementation. We will be providing them with that information. As a result, we are delaying the release of The Gauge one week to coincide with The Media Distributor Gauge release on March 24th. We believe this will enable a smoother transition and give clients and the industry a better holistic view of February viewing.”
In the short term, Nielsen said it expects to see a lift for cable and broadcast viewing as a result of the new methodology. But the long term trends will still hold for cable, broadcast and streaming. Streaming is still expected to grow, as long term trends have indicated.
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