Prime Video: First standardized audience measurement by a streaming giant
International streaming services have so far not participated in standardized audience measurement in this country. This is changing with Amazon Prime Video.
(Image: Olya Detry/Shutterstock.com)
The AGF Videoforschung, responsible for measuring audience ratings, will introduce an “active measurement” of viewer numbers for a major streaming provider for the first time and make them comparable. The organization explains that a portion of Amazon's Prime Video will be subjected to “certified, comparable, and neutral measurement.” Initially, only the ad-financed parts of the streaming offering will be evaluated, but the data is expected to be significantly better than the previously available data from so-called passive measurement. Only now can it be evaluated, specifically what is watched for how long. “This allows for differentiated statements to be made about the usage of individual series, films, and other content,” explains AGF.
For the measurement of viewer numbers in traditional linear television, there have been proven methods for decades. These allow the reach and success of programs of various formats to be determined. This is not the case with streaming services, even though they have gained enormous importance. They use their methods to determine viewer numbers. The US streaming giants have shown no interest in comparability with other services. This has changed with the introduction of ad-financed offerings, as advertising clients require reliable figures for decisions on where to place ads. Offerings from German providers such as RTL, ARD, and ZDF have long been measured by AGF.
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“The cooperation shows that even large global players respect local market conditions and are willing to contribute to a common measurement system,” says the Chairwoman of the Management Board of AGF, Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf. The step is a strong sign of trust, cooperation, and standardization. AGF Videoforschung is thus also the first industry association worldwide to integrate an international streaming service into its standardized measurement system via server-to-server technology. It is scheduled to start in November. Due to the different methodology, the results from the new active measurement may differ from those from the passive measurement.
(mho)
