Foxtel's total audience measurement solution, developed in partnership with Kantar Media, is unaffected by the latter's proposed US$1 billion sale to H.I.G. Capital.
Foxtel Media's chief sales officer, Nev Hasan, said the company continues to enjoy a strong partnership with Kantar Media.
"We do not foresee any impacts on our collaboration and are excited to see how the company progresses from here," he told AdNews.
In 2023, Foxtel Media announced it had selected Kantar Media to deliver its own new audience measurement service for its , ingesting data collected from 4.8 million subscribers’ set top boxes using return path data technology.
Foxtel accesses the data using the AdvantEdge software from Kantar Media’s TechEdge software unit. The solution incorporates data validation, processing, demographic mapping, capping (adjusting long viewing sessions into realistic viewing levels) and quality control.
That decision resulted in a messy split with OzTAM, Australia’s official television measurement body, with OzTAM saying the introduction of a Foxtel-only audience measurement system posed the risk of confusion in the market and the move was "a step backward by not working together as a total video industry".
In response, Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain hit back, first telling the audience of the Future of TV Advertising conference that the industry should be getting better technology-wise - saying around 40% of Foxtel's viewer data registered as zero under OzTAM's measurement system - before telling the audience at last year's Upfronts event that the media player had attempted "many times over the last two years to find solutions with OZTam to address inaccuracies with the panel".
Hasan said that since it was launched at the end of last year, the total audience measurement solution is providing a much clearer picture of Foxtel's viewership than previously.
"In the first week of implementation, we recorded no zero spots for the 25-54 demographic, whereas OzTAM’s measurement in December showed nearly 50%," he said.
"Our summer of cricket is also seeing a notable increase in audience numbers. Our solution has shown a 28% year-on-year uplift in the first two weeks of implementation across the Aus vs India Test Series, the BBL, and the Women’s Ashes."
Hasan said that this is just the beginning of what Foxtel is experiencing with its new measurement solution.
"As we progress through the year with a fantastic content lineup, we’ll be sharing even more insights and updating the market on how we’re fine-tuning things for even more accurate results," he told AdNews.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.