BARB launches three-screen audience measurement

UK audience measurement outfit BARB has started to report unduplicated programme reach and time spent viewing figures across multiple screens, marking the implementation of the third part of its four-stage Project Dovetail initiative.

The new figures are reported on a daily basis across TV sets, tablets and PCs and are available through existing data-processing tools and bureaux.

BARB’s website features a new weekly viewing summary report that provides channel and PC/tablet reach, share and time spent viewing data based on its new definition of total TV, three-screen viewing within a rolling four-week period. Weekly data based on the previous definition of ‘total TV’, consolidated seven-day TV set viewing, are reported alongside for continuity.

BARB customers and data-processing bureaux can access daily respondent-level data within a new cross-platform panel viewing file, allowing analysis of unduplicated multiple-screen programme reach and time spent viewing. Users can conduct programme reach analyses for PCs and tablets, and incremental programme reach analyses for these devices over TV sets, according to BARB.

The latest move by BARB to extend what it measures follows the launch of a new content ID system that links linear and online content across platforms. According to the research outfit, episodes are consistently linked to programmes, programme titles are standardised, and all programmes are independently assigned with a genre, helping to generate more accurate demographic profiles for viewing on non-TV devices.

 “Today’s launch marks the third phase of Project Dovetail, which meets the industry’s need for a trusted multiple-screen viewing currency. 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 PC,” said Justin Sampson, BARB’s chief executive.

“The fourth phase focuses on the performance of advertising campaigns across linear and BVOD formats. While we ensure these reach and frequency data meet the standards expected of BARB, the industry will have a beta campaign planning tool that projects the incremental reach delivered by BVOD services. We expect this to be ready for user testing in late March.”