UK’s Barb to begin measuring video-sharing audience metrics

Barb, the UK audience measurement organisation, has announced plans to expand its metrics to include fit-for-TV content on video-sharing platforms.

This decision follows an industry consultation led by Barb in autumn 2022. Execs from across the UK TV and advertising industries took part to establish a consensus on the type of content on video-sharing platforms that should be part of Barb’s audience measurement.

The consultation led to an industry-wide consensus in the UK on the value of content that’s produced to quality standards, with content that meets these benchmarks accepted as fit for TV.  Barb already measures broadcaster content on YouTube with the collaboration of the broadcasters and is committed to extending these existing capabilities.

In light of these findings, Barb has committed to expanding its reporting of audiences to include fit-for-TV content on video-sharing platforms. It is also exploring ways of reporting all content on video-sharing platforms that is produced in line with industry-accepted standards of brand safety.

In recognition of these developments, Barb has also changed its company name to Barb Audiences Ltd. A decision that it said “reflects its heritage of over 40 years of continuous innovation and its ambition to continue extending the industry’s standard measurement across TV companies, VOD streamers and video-sharing platforms.”

Justin Sampson, chief executive, Barb, said: “Our new brand positioning builds both on our heritage of continuous innovation and our forward-looking approach to measure viewing behaviour that isn’t constrained by devices, distribution platform or business model.”