Rakuten TV’s streaming audiences are now being independently measured by Barb, the UK’s joint industry measurement system for TV.
“Standardised measurement is key to unlocking the full value of FAST for advertisers,” declared Stuart Keith, VP global ad strategy & partnerships at Rakuten TV Enterprise, the B2B arm of Rakuten TV, which has signed up with Barb.
Rakuten TV is a pan-European streamer reaching 150m households. It is largely ad-supported and focuses heavily on FAST.
It says the Barb collaboration “marks a significant step in validating our audience and reinforces our commitment to transparency and measurable performance in an increasingly fragmented TV landscape.”
Initial Barb data shows Rakuten TV reaches approximately 2m individuals in the UK.
Rakuten TV has shared some other key insights from Barb measurement weeks 2-5, 2026, including 11% incremental reach against the UK’s five best-known ‘terrestrial’ TV channels: BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
Incremental reach against these five channels is 27% among 16–24-year-olds and 17% for 25–34s.
[All data based on Barb Panel 750 Online Multiple Screens Network, 3-minute threshold.]
Keith (pictured) says: “Partnering with Barb is an active choice to be fully transparent with the market.
“In an increasingly fragmented TV environment, advertisers require clarity and consistency. By aligning with Barb, we’re speaking the same measurement language as the wider industry while clearly demonstrating the unique value we can bring through incremental audience reach.”
