CSM Media Research, Kantar Media win HK TV measurement

CSM Media Research and Kantar Media have been awarded the television audience measurement (TAM) contract for Hong Kong for 2018 through 2023, following an open tender called in early 2016, which three agencies participated in.

The tender and the contract are extended by the Hong Kong TAM Founding Subscribers Committee, an official industry body formed by 11 media-agency members of the HK4As to appoint the TAM provider. 

Under the new tender, CSM and Kantar will provide a single view of TV viewing across all devices for content transmitted over:

• All existing and future terrestrial and non-terrestrial free, satellite and pay-TV channels
• OTT media boxes/services
• Blu-ray and game consoles
• TV and video content streamed or accessed over the internet through various devices, via CSM's focal meter technology.

Kantar's people meter technology will also capture live, time-shift and catch-up services up to seven days, while its home router meter and on-device measurement technology will measure viewing in and out of the home. Technolgy partner comScore's streaming tags will identify the content and commercials. Meanwhile, sample size will be increased by 25 percent to cover 1,000 households. 

The current tender, held by Nielsen, covers extended screen measurement that includes internet viewing of TV programmes within the television ratings. 

Speaking to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Ray Wong, CEO of PHD, said demand for such cross-platform measurement is high.

"The current measurement does not allow us to see how many of the audience have migrated to digital, and to see whether the buying is right according to the ratings of the shows, for campaign by campaign," Wong said. 

He added that the measurement technology will be reviewed three years after the commencement of the new tender, while the samples will be changed every six months. 

"By measuring viewership on devices, we will be able to prevent any overlap between linear and non-linear viewing," said Wong. 

Nick Burfitt, APAC managing director of Kantar Media, said that contrary to popular belief, overall television viewership is not actually falling. "Clearly it is fragmenting, moving across devices," he said. "So this service is the recognition of the need to measure all viewing occassions.”