The BBC is to launch a new audience measurement system that will run alongside the existing ‘overnight’ method of gathering data. Live Plus 7 will record the total audience across all platforms adding viewing from the BBC iPlayer as well as live, recordings, narrative repeats and HD.
The data will be consolidated for seven days after its original transmission, the same period traditionally used by BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) for video playback. From the New Year the BBC will start publishing some of the data in much the same format as used by its monthly iPlayer statistics.
“We know viewing habits are changing and we’re changing with them,” said Jana Bennett, Director, BBC Vision. “As our content becomes available in more ways than ever before, traditional methods of overnight measurement are now just one part of the picture. The new Live Plus 7 system will allow us to look at the total impact of a show and use this insight to continue creating the programmes our audiences want to see.”
Although BARB remains the gold standard for data collection, and is owned and supported by all the UK’s major broadcasters, individual organizations have begun to collect and publish their own data. Sky launched its SkyView panel in 2003, and now collects data from 33,000 Sky digital boxes, including 7,000 TNS World panelists.