Fast affiliate-based nationals for Sunday 4.25.2021 will not be available at the normal time (Monday 8am PT / 11am ET). The revised delivery time is approximately 11am PT / 2pm ET.
Audiences for major events that are live to all time zones (such as Super Bowl, AFC or NFC Championship, Olympics, Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes) are substantially under-counted in the fast affiliate nationals, which do not include West Coast viewing from 5-8pm PT. This three-hour embargo gives the broadcast networks and Nielsen time to assemble more accurate time zone-adjusted audience estimates without the low, unadjusted numbers circulating.
Theoretically, the fast affiliate-based nationals could be re-programmed ahead of time to handle live events. Each network’s default setting would be the standard broadcast feed (measuring viewing of the network’s affiliates from 8-11pm ET, 7-10pm CT, 7-10pm MT and 8-11pm PT). If a network airs a live event, however, that network’s setting on that day only could be toggled to a live feed (measuring viewing of the network’s affiliates from 8-11pm ET, 7-10pm CT, 6-9pm MT and 5-8pm PT). Two fixed settings would enable nearly-accurate initial numbers at the normal 8am PT delivery time every day, no matter the feed condition. To our knowledge, this solution has not been attempted. Until then, this kind of embargo will be standard following high-profile live television events.
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