• by Joe Mandese , Yesterday

Nielsen, which currently is struggling to readjust upwards of a year's worth of data that will be used as the basis of this year's upfront advertising negotiations, this morning released a "2026 upfront planning guide" comprised of problematic legacy data its clients -- and industry ratings watchdog the Media Rating Council -- have asked it to adjust for actual upfront planning and buying.

Compared with other industry upfront planning guides -- or even "Upfront/NewFront" planning guides that Nielsen has issued in 2024 and 2025, this one is pretty thin -- just three pages excluding its front and back covers, and two of them are snapshots on sports viewing and an NBA seasons analysis specifically.

The one page that focuses on overall TV viewing zeroes in on adults 18-49 specifically, and indicates the share of ad-supported TV viewing going to streaming is much more significant for the demo (66.7%) than Nielsen reported for total viewers two years of age and older (45.6%) reported in its most recent ad-supported Gauge (both representing fourth-quarter 2025 data).

"Nielsen compiled the series to give advertisers and agencies the insights and applicable takeaways they need to make the most of this year’s upfront marketplace," reads Nielsen's press release issued with the guide, noting: "In the process, Nielsen also for the first time reported on demographic information surrounding two of today’s fastest-growing streaming sectors: free ad supported streaming (FAST) and AVOD (advertising video on demand)." (See below.)