Nielsen rating

noun

1. an estimate of the total number of viewers for a particular television program, expressed as a percentage of the total number of viewers whose television sets are on at the time and based on a monitoring of the sets of a preselected sample of viewers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nielsen rating¹

First recorded in 1960–65; after the A.C. Nielsen Co., its originator

Example Sentences

At that point, their season total Nielsen rating of 0.68 in the Seattle-Tacoma market ranked in the bottom third of 23 measured U.S.-based teams.

From Seattle Times

That remains highest-rated game in basketball history with a 24.1 Nielsen rating, which is an estimated 35.1 million viewers.

From Washington Post

The Series finished with a 6.1 Nielsen rating and 17 share.

From Washington Times

The Series finished with a 6.1 Nielsen rating and 17 share.

From Seattle Times

“But baseball’s TV producer, Bowie Kuhn, demanded that the show must go on. Bowie Kuhn was more interested in a Nielsen rating than in championship conditions, a betrayal of his commissioner’s responsibility.”

From Washington Post