Netflix Signs Up to OzTAM Audience Ratings

Netflix has become the first global streaming service to have its audience in Australia independently measured and reported via ad currency body OzTAM.

Initial reporting will be via the latter's new total video report Streamscape, which combines SVOD viewing - measured by Streaming TV Meters (STVM) across people meter panel homes - with broadcast TV and BVOD viewing.

OzTAm says STVMs, which are reportedly installed in more than 4,600 homes to date, capture all streamed viewing activity across connected TVs, smartphones, tablets and computers. Streamscape will allow agencies and marketers to compare viewing across FTA broadcast TV, BVOD and SVOD platforms in a standardised format.

A planned second phase of integration will see OzTAM's measurement assets and Netflix's ad tier census data brought together to enhance VOZ Total TV currency data, with the eventual aim of showing streaming data alongside traditional broadcaster data within audience planning and optimisation tools.

OzTAM CEO Karen Halligan (pictured) says, 'We're delighted to welcome Netflix to the OzTAM family. The Netflix partnership is a meaningful step towards unified, Total Video measurement. We look forward to delivering rich, accurate, and actionable audience insights to the industry as we continue to build towards converged trading, no matter which screen content is consumed on, or who it is delivered by. We would like to extend an invitation to other streaming services in the Australian market to join this measurement initiative and be part of a collaborative and future-facing approach to audience measurement in Australia.' Reports suggest talks are already ongoing with a number of other streamers.

According to Heidi Monro, Senior Manager of Ad Sales at Netflix ANZ, 'Netflix has led the streaming entertainment industry on viewing transparency for a number of years now, including our Top 10 Weekly lists and Engagement Reports, but we think now is the time to go further in Australia. We're pleased to be partnering with OzTAM to make a commitment to its trusted measurement of how people watch television in Australia.'

Initially a reluctant reporter of viewing figures, Netflix in the last few years has joined the Barb audit in the UK, followed by independent ratings systems in countries including the US, Mexico, Poland, France and Germany.

Web sites: www.virtualoz.com.au and www.vozstreaming.com.au , not to mention www.netflix.com .