Agreement aims to improve the level of accuracy of TV viewership data in the UAE
twofour54 joined ‘tview,’ the first of its kind television audience measurement system in the Arab World. The agreement with tview aims to improve the level of accuracy of TV viewership data in the UAE and to further develop the UAE’s media industry by providing accurate and transparent data about television viewership. Broadcasters and media agencies and advertising spenders can benefit from the results, as the data provided will support the improvement of TV programming, scheduling and advertising.
‘tview’ features a system which provides accurate and reliable data on TV viewership around the clock. The data collected reflects the demographic information of viewers over the age of four years old and includes nationality, gender, location, and socio-economic status. All data collected is confidential and used solely for research purposes.
H.E Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of twofour54, said: “This important project is in line with twofour54’s objective of developing the region’s media industry through setting up new standards for providing television content which is reflective of the viewers’ needs. The project will also establish an interactive relationship between viewers and broadcasters, allowing viewers to influence the content delivered to them. This initiative will also provide accurate representation of viewers and the true value of the advertisements, which eventually leads to developing an industry based on clear professional and marketing standards.”
The data collected will be used commercially to further develop the media industry, with research results contributing to broadcasters, media agencies and advertising spenders providing enhanced services which reflect the TV viewing needs of specific audiences, including quality and schedule of programmes and advertisements.
Christopher O’Hearn, General Manager of EMMC said: “Electronic audience measurement is the default system in more than 60 countries around the world. By introducing it to the UAE tview allows broadcasters and advertisers to make like-for-like comparison of their return on investment and ultimately will lead to significant growth in what is generally agreed to be an undervalued market.”
The data is collected by monitoring the viewing habits of selected audiences which represent the entire TV viewing audience across the UAE population. Results reflect an accurate representation of viewing habits for watching specific television programmes and stations, contributing to the development of a deeper understanding of viewing habits. This research covers more than 80 of the most popular UAE and regional channels, including local, free-to-air, and encrypted channels.
The quality and reliability of the data is constantly reviewed by EMMC and the system provider Kantar Media, which operates similar systems in the UK, China, India and many other countries. In addition it is subject to external audit by an independent body, which was a key factor in twofour54’s agreement to join the project and it is hoped will lead to widespread acceptance throughout the broadcast and advertising sector.
‘tview’ is an initiative by the Emirates Media Measurement Company (EMMC), which is a joint venture established by the National Media Council (NMC) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). NMC chairs the Emirates Media Measurement Company and is backed by shareholders including Abu Dhabi Media, Sharjah Media Corporation, Rotana Media, Etisalat, and also supported by du.