[Apple Pan Dowdy]

I’ve never understood exactly how they know how many people are watching a show

[OldDeckHand]

'I’ve never understood exactly how they know how many people are watching a show"

They (usually the Nielsen company) have monitoring devices installed in a certain number of homes. They measure what those homes are watching relative to what the other monitored homes are watching - assuming they've sampled the right "mix" of people, they can fairly accurately extrapolate from those measurements what the wider American audiences are watching.

[Salamander]

While you’re watching your TV, your TV is watching you.

[scary, innit?]....===8^O

[Textide]

I’ve always thought a cable company could tell exactly how many people were streaming which channel through their boxes at any given time. Don’t know how DirectTV (satellite) or bunny ears would work without phone polling or willing participation though.

[WHBates]

Well, if they are basing that on the cable audience, those with boxes, they know exactly how many TV are tuned in and extrapolate the approximate number of people watching. Of course many of these might be dogs and cats home alone. LOL

[Grams A]

I have Direct TV and a message appeared on my screen last week that my batteries in my remote needed to be changed. It refused to operate unless I did as instructed. So if they know this, I am quite sure they know what programs I am watching - NCIS, CSI, FOX, golf and NASCAR. Not too interesting a subject. But was pretty upsetting to have that happen. Would suspect that they keep count on everything. Wonder who all they share the info with.