BARB Restructures Over Night Ratings Service

TV ratings body, BARB, has announced plans to enhance its overnight ratings service in anticipation of incorporating playback viewing undertaken through the Sky+ box.

The advent and growth of ‘paused’ and playback viewing may mean that viewing on the day of transmission is increasingly offset from the actual live transmission.

Bjarne Thelin, BARB chief executive, said: “By introducing playback figures BARB is adapting to flexible viewing opportunities that are starting to develop.”

Viewing On Same Day As Live (VOSDAL) figures will now incorporate this same day playback viewing within the overnight audiences. For example, if a viewer decides to playback a drama at a different time to its scheduled slot, but on the same day, this viewing will be included in the overnight ratings for that drama.

BARB’s live figures will still be available, and seven-day consolidated figures will remain unchanged. However, the same-day playback VOSDAL figures will provide a sensible means of accessing audience data on the day after transmission.

Thelin added: “We are currently working with data processors to help determine the best means of delivering this new service, and hope it will become available in the third quarter of this year.”

BARB has worked hard to increase the value of its data in recent months. At the end of last year BARB announced the first results of its lifestyle survey, revealing that 19% of 25-34 year olds spend over £100 on CD’s and tapes and that around 25% of adults shop online, with 25-44 year olds being the most frequent shoppers. It also found that 4% of all adults had spent more than £100 on computer games in the last year, with 10% of 16-24 year olds spending more (see First Results From BARB’s Lifestyle Survey Published).

The new information will allow TV and advertising groups to identify behaviour patterns and motivation of potential consumers and target their campaigns more specifically.

The lifestyle study covers general interests and leisure activities, holidays and travel, cars, newspaper readership and radio listening, home and money, computers and the internet and business expenses.

BARB: www.barb.co.uk

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