Five Year Roll-Out for Nielsen KSA Viewing Measure

Saudi Arabian ad currency body MRC (Media Rating Company) has announced a schedule for the roll-out of its television and video audience measure, in partnership with Nielsen.

According to a five-year plan announced by Bandar Al Mashhadi, CEO of MRC, the KSA TV and Video Audience Measurement (TAM) service - licensed by Saudi Arabia's General Commission for Audio Visual (GCAM) and Advertising Industry Board - will go live in July next year with coverage of streaming services and other digital devices. The plan allows for the addition of gaming measurement by November next year, media data for consumption on a number of other devices by July 2023, radio audience by January 2024 and print a year later. For the first time in the region, the service will include measurement of the fast-growing OTT viewing market.

Al Mashhadi says the solution 'will contribute to the growth of a dynamic media and broadcast sector in Saudi Arabia in line with the goals of Vision 2030. Audience behaviours are evolving rapidly as the Kingdom continues its remarkable transformation, making it more important than ever to introduce robust TV measurement technology. We are proud to partner with Nielsen to gain a deeper understanding of Saudi viewers' preferences and deliver accurate data that will help to drive effective, highly targeted campaigns'.

Sarah Messer, MD Nielsen Media MENAP, says the company will select 2,000 sample households representative of the Kingdom's 35m population, and will include expatriates from its 24 cities. Nielsen has established an office in the country and is said to be working closely with the General Authority for Statistics (GA Stats) on the selection of households, in which the firm's 'Nanometers' will be installed, capturing data from up to eight people each. Messer says the key metrics will be live, VOSDAL (viewed on the same day as live) and TSV +7 (time-shifted viewing within seven days)'.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .