Barb to Report on TV Viewing of 200 YouTube Channels

UK ad currency Barb is to measure viewing of YouTube where it takes place on TV sets - a world first according to the body, which announced the move alongside research partner Kantar Media this week.

While Barb has reported on YouTube content that's distributed by TV companies since 2021 - for example Channel 4 and ITV have deals to put out hundreds of hours of their programming on YouTube - the organisation will now work YouTube ad planning services firm SeeViews to select 200 YouTube channels to become part of its daily audience reporting. Selection will be based initially on viewing volumes, with table stakes of meeting industry standards for brand safety, and channels will be categorised by content creator. The launch follows the completion of a successful proof-of-concept pilot run by Kantar Media in November '24, and results will be included in daily audience data in the third quarter of this year.

Kantar Media will use audio-matching automatic content recognition (ACR) to identify when any of the 200 channels is being watched by Barb panel members on TV sets, with URL detection via panel homes' installed router meters to confirm YouTube as the source. The research firm also uses ACR for measurement of linear channels and VOD streamers.

Barb CEO Justin Sampson (pictured) says the innovations follow an industry consultation which revealed a buy-side consensus on 'the need for transparent reporting of content with contextual indicators of quality'. He comments: 'Our new data on the content people are watching on YouTube will meet several needs across our industry. Advertisers and media agencies are looking for more insight into the most-watched editorial environments on YouTube, while programme-makers use our data to inform the commissioning process. We also anticipate the data will be of interest to those working in industry regulation'. Lucy Bristowe, CEO UK and Western Europe at Kantar Media, says YouTube viewing on the TV set increased by 31% in the UK in 2024, and the new initiative will help to understand this growth within the context of an increasingly fragmented viewing landscape'.

Barb data shows that in-home, WiFi-based YouTube viewing in 2024 was for the first time more likely to be on a TV set (41%) than any other platform, with smartphones second on 31%.

Web sites: www.barb.co.uk and www.kantarmedia.com .