Skip to main content

Watching shows on Hulu and YouTube TV will now count toward Nielsen ratings

On Tuesday, Nielsen announced it will begin measuring viewership data for eligible programming on Hulu’s live-TV service and YouTube TV.

Hulu and YouTube TV’s new ratings will be part of Nielsen’s Digital In TV ratings that track viewership for eligible programs through mobile and desktop devices. Nielsen will track live viewership for programming on Hulu’s live-TV service and YouTube TV as well as viewership for three days and seven days after the live airing. The digital viewing data of live, on-demand, and DVR for eligible shows will be combined with the shows’ linear TV viewership data.

Recommended Videos

A show streaming on the two online platforms is eligible to be tracked by Nielsen if the show and its commercials match what airs on broadcast and cable TV. So, do not expect to see how many people are binging The Handmaid’s Tale, since it only streams on Hulu. That also means your re-run marathons of Parks and Recreation will not be measured, as well.

Including Hulu and YouTube TV in the Nielsen ratings is a testament to how important live TV has been to both companies already. “We built YouTube TV to bring the most popular ‘must watch’ TV to today’s video streaming audiences and we’re already seeing that live TV represents the majority of time spent watching on the service,” said Heather Moosnick, Director of Content Partnerships for YouTube TV in a press release.

Nielsen has been trying to crack the code to measuring viewership for nonlinear streaming services such Netflix for nearly as long as the services have been popular. At the end of 2014, Nielsen was reportedly set to measure the viewership on Netflix by analyzing audio from each episodes being watched on desktop computers. TV studios would provide audio files for their TV shows and Nielsen’s software would track how often the show was watched within Nielsen’s panel of 40,000 U.S. homes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Three years later, Nielsen revealed Netflix show Orange Is the New Black‘s season 4 premiere attracted 6.7 million people in the U.S. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings called Nielsen’s initiative “not very relevant” due to the fact “there’s so much viewing that happens on a mobile phone or an iPad that [Nielsen won’t] capture.” Then again, Hastings also believes broadcast TV will be dead by 2030, so he may not be the most impartial person to ask about the validity of TV ratings.

Keith Nelson Jr.
Former Staff Writer, Entertainment
Keith Nelson Jr is a music/tech journalist making big pictures by connecting dots. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he…
The 25 best YouTube videos for kids (April 2025)
Mark Rober balancing on top of a moving train in a YouTube video.

Trying to find a good video for your little ones to watch on YouTube can be a challenge. Even if you limit the search to YouTube Kids, there's so much out there. How can you determine what's good and what isn't, what has educational value and what doesn't, and what will have your kids pressing play over and over so you can take that quick rush shower or finish up dinner?
When it comes to older kids like teens, YouTube is an even more challenging subject. How can you ensure they're watching valuable content if you allow them to watch? Let's be real: most tweens and teens will watch brain-rot content, gameplay videos, and silly content from their favorite YouTubers. We can help you sneak in some valuable, educational, and insightful content. Here, we have compiled the 25 best YouTube videos for kids, with options ranging from videos for babies and toddlers to coming-of-age videos for older kids.

Head Shoulders Knees And Toes + More Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs | NuNu Tv
NuNu TV - Nursery Rhymes
Best for Ages 1-5
Head Shoulders Knees And Toes + More Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs | NuNu Tv
As babies grow into toddlers, they explore the world around them and learn things like colors, numbers, letters, body parts, and objects. “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes” is a popular tune that all kids learn at some point. This video walks little ones through this with an engaging animated guide. The characters point to each body part, repeating it over and over to help toddlers learn as they mimic the movements and try to say the words.
Halfway through the video, it switches to a new scene with additional nursery rhymes, including the longtime favorite of kids, "Baby Shark" (doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo). At under five minutes long, it’s a video your toddlers will probably want to play again and again.

Read more
10 great free sci-fi movies you should stream right now
Thomas Jane in the The Mist movie

Good news for viewers everywhere — tons of great sci-fi movies are streaming completely for free! There is plenty of free content on services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and Peacock's no-cost option. In recent years, the free content has improved because major companies are investing in free streaming services.
This is especially great news for sci-fi fans since many fantastic new and classic sci-fi films have made their way to these free streamers. Whether you want a big box office hit, an award-winning indie film, or a legendary cult classic, you can find them there for free. Here are 10 of the best sci-fi movies you can stream right now without paying a dime.

We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
The Mist (2007)

Read more
3 underrated shows on Hulu you need to watch in February 2025
A man stands in front of a bed.

Hulu is always at its best when the broadcast networks are in season. It's also the only major streamer that gets the current seasons of Fox and ABC's original programming, in addition to its own original shows, and series from around the world.

That means there's almost always something good to watch on Hulu, as well as a lot of series that fall through the cracks. This is why we've put together a list of the three underrated shows on Hulu that you need to watch in February. Between an animated comedy from Fox, an ABC News true crime docuseries, and an action thriller based on the Jason Bourne franchise, you'll have plenty of binge options before we head into March.

Read more