OzTAM increases number of TV panel homes by 50% as Nielsen’s contract is extended
TV audience metric OzTAM has announced it will increase the number of homes in its television audience measurement panels by 50%.
Currently there are 3,500 homes in its 5 city metro panel and 1,400 in its subscription TV panel but the move to expand the data group the industry metric is based on will see this rise to 5,250 homes and its STV panel to 2,120 by the start of 2017.
The move comes as OzTAM also confirmed it had re-signed with Nielsen in a new three-year agreement that runs through to 2020.
Peiffer pleased to re-signed with Nielsen.
Congratulations. Great move.
This will also be a great test and lesson for the naysayers who believe you must have massive samples or even a census.
So I will make you a bet. That when the expanded panels (+50%) go live in 2017, that you will barely notice any change in the macro level of usage and viewing. The station shares will barely move. News ratings etc will look basically the same. The Top Ten won’t suddenly hold surprises.
The improvements (and the ‘value’) will be felt more among lower rated programmes, some of the more niche STV channels, secondary channels, late night programming, some of daytime, smaller demos etc. These improvements will be around greater stability and less volatility (i.e. better predictability for buying and post-analysis). It will also increase the usability of this data for integration and fusing with other video data and other media measurement.
We’re another step closer to robust cross-media measurement. Well done to all concerned.