Barb has launched the Barb Data Hub, a new cloud-based platform for storing, processing and distributing its viewing data to the UK TV and advertising industry.
The system centralises all calculations used to create Barb’s DB2 daily viewing files, effectively codifying large parts of Barb’s methodology in a standardised and reusable way. Barb says this will cut duplication of effort among users and improve consistency of data outputs.
Several of Barb’s newer initiatives are being built directly into the Hub. Prototypes for Barb Panel Plus, which extends the use of big datasets alongside panel data, are already integrated. The forthcoming Barb Ads Hub, an analytics system to support full-cycle campaign optimisation, will also sit within the platform when it launches in January 2026, as will the third phase of Barb’s API, due next year.
Clients will continue to access viewing data via existing routes, including flat files from an sftp site, Barb’s API and through data-processing bureaux as part of the Barb Trusted Data Delivery Network. Additional ways of interacting with the Data Hub’s database and codebase are planned over time.
“The Barb Data Hub sits at the core of our new data-distribution strategy, which seeks to offer our clients greater choice, ease of use and flexibility in how they access our trusted viewing data,” said Caroline Baxter, Barb’s chief operating officer. “The Data Hub will continue to evolve as we integrate our other initiatives into it, making it a comprehensive Barb data warehouse.”
The platform has been set up, developed and is operated by global media advisor MediaSense, with Snowflake providing the underlying cloud data infrastructure.
