Comcast’s NBCUniversal Calls for Better Audience Measurement

Some 70 percent of views garnered by NBC’s “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon occur online and aren’t counted in traditional TV ratings, said Steve Burke, chief executive of Comcast’s NBCUniversal, underscoring the pressures facing TV networks across the board. Burke added his voice to the chorus of media executives calling for measurement to improve as major television networks experience ratings declines.

Fallon’s show releases video clips from each night on YouTube, and many clips have gone viral as people shared them on social media. Burke said the majority of those views aren’t monetized by NBCU, Comcast’s entertainment arm. "I think there clearly is room for improvement,” Burke said. “That is not going to last forever.” Despite Burke’s comments about Fallon’s show, the broadcast-TV segment that houses NBC reported relatively better results, buoyed by strong ratings in 2014 at NBC. Revenue at the segment grew 4.8 percent, and operating cash flow rose to $230 million, from $140 million in the year-ago quarter.