For digital media, audience evaluation is performed as a result of transmitter-receiver interaction similar to a lottery game. The transmitter provides receivers with a preliminary audience estimate and a “winning” number, both placed in control packets multiplexed with a media stream. Each receiver generates a random number within a range of numbers proportional to the audience estimate and if the winning number is generated, the receiver sends a “claim” back to the transmitter over a return path. The transmitter increases or decreases the audience estimate placed in control packets if the number of “winners” is statistically greater or lesser than theoretically predicted for correct estimates until the number of winners becomes as predicted. Reducing the volume of data transmitted over the return path and keeping the volume independent from audience size, the system prevents the return pass capacity overload and provides an accurate measurement of any audience no matter how large or small it is.