Barb has announced it is in the final planning stages for the launch of audience figures for streaming and video-sharing platforms, as well as new content ratings for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
The UK TV audience measurement company has also appointed Kantar, the current holder of Barb’s audience measurement contract, to install new TV metering tech into its UK homes panel.
While announcing a set of long-term research deals today, Justin Sampson, Barb’s chief executive, added: “[W]e are now in the final stages of planning the launch of audience figures for [streaming video-on-demand] and video-sharing platforms.
“As well as reporting aggregate-level viewing to these streaming services, we will report content ratings for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.”
Cross-platform measurement is a key demand from advertisers that have been pushing media owners to give them an industry-wide view of audiences as consumers watch more video on streaming platforms and YouTube, whose viewing numbers are not independently measured like linear television.
ITV and Channel 4 have agreed to take part in Sky’s in-house cross-measurement tool CFlight, but the UK’s biggest broadcasters have insisted they remain committed to Barb, whose data is included in CFlight.
Kantar’s new research tech will enable the sample to increase from 5,150 homes to 7,000, which is the largest-ever increase in reporting sample since Barb was launched in 1981.
TV viewers that make up the Barb survey will be given a new tablet device, which features Kantar’s new meter and is also designed to motivate panel members to participate in ongoing research.
