Paramount Global and Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data, and analytics, have entered into a new, multi-year agreement, effective immediately. This expanded partnership includes comprehensive measurement across all Paramount platforms, including national and local broadcast, all cable networks, and streaming services such as Paramount+ and Pluto TV. As part of the deal, Paramount has licensed several new Nielsen services, including Advanced Audiences, Big Data + Panel, Ad-Supported Streaming Platform Ratings, Nielsen ONE Ads for Connected Television, and an expanded national out-of-home offering to better inform advertising, programming, and licensing strategies.
The announcement was made today by Karthik Rao, CEO of Nielsen, and George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Co-CEO of Paramount Global.
“We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leadership continues to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment,” said Karthik Rao, CEO of Nielsen. “Our trusted data reveals how Paramount’s content and advertising strategies are thriving across every platform, across all ages and demographics. As Paramount evolves into a next-generation media company, we’re proud to play a critical role in their success, and we believe this partnership will benefit everyone: Nielsen, Paramount, and our joint advertising partners.”
“Paramount and Nielsen are committed to addressing television’s multiplatform future for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Co-CEO of Paramount Global. “Karthik and his team continue to meet the needs of our marketplace across all our platforms, and we are excited to reinforce and invigorate our partnership with Nielsen. Paramount Global’s recent ratings successes are just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to shape the future of media together.”
Paramount’s Recent Ratings Milestones
Paramount has recently achieved several key ratings milestones. CBS’ broadcast of the AFC Championship Game on January 26 reached an impressive 57.7 million viewers, setting a record as the largest overall conference championship in 15 years. CBS also dominated the NFL regular season in 2024, with three of the top five NFL games in October, the highest-rated game in November (27.5 million viewers), and two of the top five games in a competitive December.
As the broadcast season progressed, CBS reaffirmed its leadership in broadcast dramas, continuing to build on its legacy of successful franchises. Tracker, which returned for its second season, was the top-rated drama in October (11.3 million average viewers), November (11.6 million), and December (10.8 million). The season’s breakout hit, Matlock, earned strong viewership, consistently ranking second behind Tracker throughout the fall. Other top-rated CBS drama series included FBI, Elsbeth, NCIS, and the farewell season of Blue Bloods—all of which made the top 10 in viewership every month this fall.
In Q4 2024, CBS dramas collectively accumulated over 50 trillion viewing minutes, an astonishing total equivalent to nearly 100,000 years of viewing, surpassing all other broadcast networks in the U.S.
Paramount+ Sees Major Success in 2024
Paramount+ also achieved notable success in 2024 with original series such as Lioness, Tulsa King, and Landman. The latter became the platform’s first show to surpass one billion minutes of viewing in a single week. All three series simultaneously appeared in the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 during multiple weeks this fall, another milestone for the streaming service.
Paramount also saw success from its multi-platform strategy. In 2024, the most-watched new dramas across both broadcast and streaming platforms were Tracker, with 26.07 billion minutes viewed (across CBS, Paramount+, and Hulu), and Elsbeth, with 14.94 billion minutes viewed (across CBS and Paramount+).
Through this strengthened partnership with Nielsen, Paramount is well-positioned to continue driving success across its broad portfolio of platforms, while leveraging Nielsen’s cutting-edge audience measurement and analytics to refine its content and advertising strategies in an increasingly complex, multiplatform media landscape.