Methods and apparatus to estimate demographics of a household

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to estimate demographics of a household are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics for non-panelist households includes calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on a first demographic distribution of a first tuning event of a household and a second demographic distribution of a second tuning event of the household. The household is a non-panelist household. The example method also includes, based on the first demographic constraint average, determining a first likelihood of the household being associated with a first demographic constraint. The example method also includes, based on the second demographic constraint average, determining a second likelihood of the household being associated with a second demographic constraint. The example method also includes estimating a household characteristic of the household based on the first likelihood and the second likelihood.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
 calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on (i) first panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a first media event of a non-panelist household and (ii) second panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a second media event of the non-panelist household;   based on the first demographic distribution average, and further based on a first probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a first demographic constraint, determining a first likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the first demographic constraint;   based on the second demographic distribution average, and further based on a second probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a second demographic constraint, determining a second likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the second demographic constraint; and   estimating a household characteristic of the non-panelist household based on the first likelihood score and the second likelihood score.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first panelist demographic distribution data identifies a plurality of demographic constraints, including the first demographic constraint and the second demographic constraint, and, for each demographic constraint, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the first media event, and   the second panelist demographic distribution data identifies, for each demographic constraint of the plurality of demographic constraints, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 calculating the first demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the second media event; and   calculating the second demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with the first demographic constraint and the second probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with the second demographic constraint are based on consumption data collected from panelist household, the consumption data corresponding to media events that occurred at the same time as the first media event and the second media event.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with the first demographic constraint and the second probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with the second demographic constraint are based on consumption data collected from panelist household, the consumption data corresponding to media events that occurred irrespective of times at which the first media event and the second media event occurred and irrespective of broadcast channels to which the first media event and the second media event correspond.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first panelist demographic distribution data and the first media event correspond to a first time period, and   the second panelist demographic distribution data and the second media event correspond to a second time period, different from the first time period.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first media event corresponds to a first broadcast channel, and   the second media event corresponds to a second broadcast channel, different from the first broadcast channel.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a set-top box of the non-panelist household, data comprising the first media event and the second media event.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining the first likelihood score comprises dividing the first demographic distribution average by the first probability, and   determining the second likelihood score comprises dividing the second demographic distribution average by the second probability.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the household characteristic of the non-panelist household is representative of at least one of a member of the non-panelist household, a number of members of the non-panelist household, demographics of members of the non-panelist household, or a number of televisions in the non-panelist household. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of operations comprising:
 calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on (i) first panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a first media event of a non-panelist household and (ii) second panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a second media event of the non-panelist household;   based on the first demographic distribution average, and further based on a first probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a first demographic constraint, determining a first likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the first demographic constraint;   based on the second demographic distribution average, and further based on a second probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a second demographic constraint, determining a second likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the second demographic constraint; and   estimating a household characteristic of the non-panelist household based on the first likelihood score and the second likelihood score.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first panelist demographic distribution data identifies a plurality of demographic constraints, including the first demographic constraint and the second demographic constraint, and, for each demographic constraint, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the first media event, and   the second panelist demographic distribution data identifies, for each demographic constraint of the plurality of demographic constraints, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein:
 calculating the first demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the second media event; and   calculating the second demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first panelist demographic distribution data and the first media event correspond to a first time period, and   the second panelist demographic distribution data and the second media event correspond to a second time period, different from the first time period.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, from a set-top box of the non-panelist household, data comprising the first media event and the second media event.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein:
 determining the first likelihood score comprises dividing the first demographic distribution average by the first probability, and   determining the second likelihood score comprises dividing the second demographic distribution average by the second probability.   
     
     
         17 . A computing system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause performance of operations comprising:
 calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on (i) first panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a first media event of a non-panelist household and (ii) second panelist demographic distribution data corresponding to a second media event of the non-panelist household; 
 based on the first demographic distribution average, and further based on a first probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a first demographic constraint, determining a first likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the first demographic constraint; 
 based on the second demographic distribution average, and further based on a second probability that a panelist that viewed the first media event is associated with a second demographic constraint, determining a second likelihood score of the non-panelist household being associated with the second demographic constraint; and 
 estimating a household characteristic of the non-panelist household based on the first likelihood score and the second likelihood score. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the first panelist demographic distribution data identifies a plurality of demographic constraints, including the first demographic constraint and the second demographic constraint, and, for each demographic constraint, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the first media event, and   the second panelist demographic distribution data identifies, for each demographic constraint of the plurality of demographic constraints, a percentage of panelists associated with that demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 calculating the first demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the first demographic constraint that viewed the second media event; and   calculating the second demographic constraint average comprises calculating an average of the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the first media event and the percentage of panelists associated with the second demographic constraint that viewed the second media event.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, from a set-top box of the non-panelist household, data comprising the first media event and the second media event.