German TV ratings to track IPTV

Germany’s national TV ratings measurement association Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (AGF) will commence measuring the TV consumption of IPTV households this month, RapidTVNews reports.

After cable, satellite and DTT, the fourth TV reception method will be integrated into Germany’s data collection system which determines broadcasters’ official TV ratings.

AGF will use a new system called “Audiomatching” for IPTV: The measurement set-top-box installed in panel households will recognise from the TV audio sound which channel a viewer has selected. The AGF database currently contains 280 channels which can be traced following a minimum watching time of 2 seconds.

With a share of 3.1percent, IPTV is currently the smallest TV reception method in Germany. The largest IPTV operator is Deutsche Telekom followed by Vodafone TV.

AGF wants to use the “Audiomatching” method to add further IP-based reception methods to its TV ratings measuring system at a later stage, for example the broadcasters’ catch-up portals.