BARB Begins Multiscreen Programme Reach Reporting

In the UK, television audience measurement body BARB has begun reporting of unduplicated programme reach and time spent viewing figures across multiple screens.

BARB (the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) provides official viewing figures for UK television audiences, collecting observational data on how people watch TV programmes on different devices from a nationally representative panel. It also collects census-level data for viewing on tablets, PCs and smartphones using software embedded in broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) services by BARB-reported channels.

The new figures are reported on a daily basis across three screens (TV sets, tablets and PCs), and are available through existing data processing tools and bureaux. BARB's web site features a new weekly viewing summary report, providing channel and PC/tablet reach, share and time spent viewing data based on its new definition of total TV, total three-screen viewing, that takes place within a rolling four-week period. Weekly data based on the previous total TV definition, C7 (consolidated seven-day) TV set viewing, are reported alongside for continuity.

The new data benefits from the recent launch of a new content ID system, in which linear and online content are linked across platforms; episodes are linked to programmes; programme titles are standardised; and all programmes are independently assigned with a genre.

This is the third deliverable from the four-stage Project Dovetail multiple-screen audience reporting initiative - the fourth phase will focus on the performance of ad campaigns across linear and BVOD formats. CEO Justin Sampson (pictured) comments: 'We began reporting census-level data for BVOD programmes in 2015, and then launched multiple-screen programme ratings in 2018. Now we are delivering unduplicated reach and time spent viewing across TV sets, tablets and PCs'.

Web site: www.barb.co.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.