NEWS7 June 2012
CHINA — The Chinese government has approved a joint venture between Rentrak and Sinomonitor, named Sinotrak, making it the first company to hold a license to deliver census-level TV viewing information.
The Sinotrak system is built on the same set-top-box data collection and analysis platform as Rentrak’s US-based TV Essentials service and over time it will be able to measure viewing for all 1,815 TV stations accessed through the 155 million digital set-top boxes in use throughout China.
However, the first phase of the joint venture will only measure linear TV channels – not time-shifted and on-demand viewing.
Michael Wen, CEO of Sinomonitor, said: “China, as the biggest TV market in the world and the engine for global growth, needs a 21st century measurement for TV viewing.”