User blog comment:Paul.rea/Teen Wolf News 091014/@comment-6607991-20140912151502/@comment-4091815-20140912152537

There are plans to widen the net of nielsen - but as of right now, only the network knows how much of the shift is due to alternate viewing methods.

The ratings are mostly used by advertisers to determine how muhc they are willing to pay for a commerical during a certain show.

Sponsor rates for online video are tremendously lower than what one would pay within the broadcast show itself. A show like Teen Wolf couldn't survive on online ad dollars alone.