BARB has released its first set of audience ratings for
digital-only homes. But, while advertisers and TV sales houses have been
crying out for the figures, observers are sceptical about the
research.
The figures are drawn from 148 BSkyB homes over one week ending 7
November, and the data, available to BARB subscribers only, hit desks
last week.
The results were taken from a BSkyB probe that can identify which
channel the viewer is watching. Overall figures for that week pointed to
a growth in viewing in digital homes over and above cable, satellite and
analogue homes.
Although Channel 5’s share dropped significantly from 6.1 per cent in
all homes to 2.7 per cent in Sky Digital homes, the station remains
untroubled.
David Harrison, business development sales manager at Channel 5, said:
’This is fantastically early data made up of early adopters from only
148 Sky Digital homes. Although it is interesting and useful, you can’t
take the figures at face value yet, as the research methods need to be
more robust. Anyone who pays too much attention to one week’s figures
will end up with an inaccurate picture that will look totally different
next week.’
Channel 4’s audience share figures also dropped significantly, from a
total audience viewing share of 10.6 per cent, to 5.9 per cent in Sky
Digital homes. But media agency sources said it was no revelation that
within digital homes, digital is viewed over and above analogue.
ITV’s audience share was 26.8 per cent in Sky Digital homes, dropping
from 31.9 per cent in all homes. But BBC 2’s viewing figures were up
from 6.5 per cent in multichannel homes to 7.2 per cent in Sky digital
homes.
BBC 1’s viewing dropped from 26.8 per cent in all homes to 18.2 per cent
in those with Sky Digital.
Tony Wearn, research director at BARB, said: ’It’s reliable data for
those 148 homes and a good enough estimate of the Sky Digital universe,
but the picture is not an overview of the multichannel environment.’
BARB confirmed that it was in talks with ONdigital and forecasts to be
in ONdigital homes between April and June 2000. It also expects to add
another five to ten homes per week to build its digital-only audience
ratings.
But media agency sources said it was too early to trust the new digital
measurement figures until they were wider reaching and monthly reports
became available.
