SAG-AFTRA has renewed its agreement with Nielsen, extending its use of the company’s streaming content measurement services. The labor union, which represents more than 160,000 media and entertainment professionals, first partnered with Nielsen to independently measure U.S. viewership data for original streaming programming.
The deal centers on Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings service. The dataset allows SAG-AFTRA to analyze program performance across multiple streaming platforms. According to the union, this information has become a key resource in tracking and enforcing the streaming bonus provisions included in the 2023 TV/Theatrical Contract.
“As an independent arbiter of viewership for the best TV and movies in the world, we’re thrilled to continue the partnership,” said Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao. “We provide the most accurate, trusted, and accredited streaming data for our clients.”
SAG-AFTRA officials have said that Nielsen’s measurement helps supplement the first-party data received directly from streaming services. This combined approach gives the union a clearer, more objective picture of how content is performing.
“With the pace of change in our industry and the additional metrics we are now tracking, having the Nielsen streaming data to underpin the first-party data we receive has been both essential and highly effective,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Nielsen’s data provides a consistent methodology for measuring performance across different platforms. SAG-AFTRA says that consistency has helped strengthen its forecasting and analysis as the industry continues to evolve.
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