MMS to Offer Online TV Viewing Measure

Swedish television research specialist MMS plans to offer unified measurement of web-based TV from some of the country's major broadcasters, through a partnership with Dutch web analytics provider Nedstat.

MMS has been measuring and analyzing the consumption of television and motion picture viewing since its launch in 1993. The firm conducts measurements of TV viewing in Sweden through a panel of 1200 households, while also developing new methods for measuring the moving image on other platforms.

The firm's partner Nedstat recently helped sports broadcasting network Eurosport introduce a new system to measure mobile Internet and mobile consumption, through its Sitestat and Stream Sense software, which measures the broadcaster's network of 10 local language web sites; its mobile platform, and its online TV service.

In an interview with online publication Broadband TV News, MMS CEO Pontus Bergdahl said that while The Netherlands already collects data about online viewing habits from Dutch broadcasters, the Swedish system once fully operational will be more sophisticated.

'There is no lack of measurement, in fact there is almost an excess as every site has its own server, and the server has its own measurement, not to mention third party suppliers,' Bergdahl told the publication. 'However, with each of the leading broadcasters collecting separate data, comparison has been problematic.'

Web sites: www.mms.se and www.nedstat.com .