Nielsen Reveals First-Ever LGBTQ Household Ratings (EXCLUSIVE)

For the first time, Nielsen will expand its reporting capabilities to identify same-gender spouses and partners and their households’ TV viewing habits, Variety has learned exclusively.

Nielsen worked in partnership with the LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD to determine the best approaches for reflecting LGBTQ inclusion and representation in its industry-leading panels, including evaluating recruiting and classification techniques that help better identify same-gender spouses and unmarried partner households to participate in Nielsen’s nationally representative panel.

Variety has also obtained a breakdown of the top Live+7 numbers for same-gender spouse/unmarried partner homes for premiere week, which began on Sept. 24. As seen below, the revival of “Murphy Brown” was the top draw among the LGBTQ audience. Just under 14% of same gender spouses or unmarried partners with a TV tuned into the series within a week of its premiere on CBS, or about 340,000 people. The full breakdown can be seen below.

“We are at the highest levels ever reported for LGBTQ inclusion on television, and its important that we know American audiences are connecting with these characters and shows,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “We appreciate Nielsen’s commitment to ensuring that LGBTQ people wherever they live and consume television are being counted– and that those numbers are being reported. GLAAD is proud to work alongside them as they continue to expand and enhance their capabilities.”

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The industry will now be able to research data for these market breaks and demographics to further understand the viewing behavior of a same gender spouse or partner household.

“As the media marketplace continues to evolve, our clients are increasingly looking to better understand consumers of all types to effectively reach new and unique audiences,” said Brian Fuhrer, senior vice president of product leadership at Nielsen. “This translates directly into why diversity and inclusion is a business imperative for Nielsen and why we will continue to invest in ways to ensure our world-class TV panel reflects the true diversity of the consumer landscape. This enhancement will help both programmers and marketers gain LGBTQ audience insights and provide the industry with better understand the compelling opportunity these consumers represent.”