BARB to roll-out web TV viewing meter

BARB will take a major step towards the measurement of television viewing on PCs, laptops and tablet devices with the initial rollout of a web TV viewing meter in 100 BARB panel homes during the second half of 2011.

The initial step will monitor the data production process and the impact of the meter in participating homes.

BARB aims to then extend use of the new meter in up to 1,100 homes on the BARB panel during 2012 with an estimated 2,500 people participating in this measurement process. This will be done in a staged approach to ensure that the standards and quality of the core BARB service are not jeopardised and to review the suitability to continue.

Bjarne Thelin, chief executive of BARB, said: “The rollout of the web TV meter demonstrates our long-standing commitment to the development of TV audience measurement.

“We will continually consider and verify the web TV measurement technique so that we can confirm the appropriateness of this approach for BARB. Following this initial stage we’ll evaluate the value of proceeding further and with the industry we will assess how this data can best be utilised and applied.

“The prospect of a measurement which enables web-TV viewing to be examined alongside television set viewing, from a single source, will have a number of applications. It’s likely that the greatest initial learnings will come from data aggregated over time.”

The rollout of the software to homes on the BARB panel follows a test project which took place across one year up to May 2011. The test project identified developments to improve the viability of the web TV software meter and its application. BARB anticipates further developments to the meter during the course of this rollout.

BARB will utilise software meter technology from Kantar Media, research supplier for the core BARB service.