Barb gives Kantar Media Dovetail Fusion contract

Dovetail Fusion looks at total reach of programmes and advertising campaigns across TV sets, personal computers and tablets. 

Kantar Media has been awarded the contract based on its prototype submission that was completed in the summer of 2016. The fusion methodology was guided by viewing data Barb has been collecting from software meters that are installed on its panel members’ tablets and personal computers.

The award of the contract builds on the successful launch of the TV Player Report – a joint-industry, fully-audited measure of online viewing in the UK – which first appeared in September 2015. It provides census-level viewing information from more than 30 TV player platforms used to watch television content on personal computers, tablets and smartphones.

Both Kantar Media and Nielsen were commissioned to develop a prototype of their proposed solution for Dovetail Fusion in 2015. The proof of concepts were assessed by Barb last year and Kantar Media’s prototype was chosen to be commissioned into a full operational system.

The planned launch is March 2018.  Barb will start a roadshow in the second quarter of 2017 to help customers understand the new developments.

Justin Sampson, chief executive of Barb, said: "Dovetail Fusion will deliver the cross-platform viewing currency that our customers want. The daily challenges of delivering television audience measurement require a sophisticated methodology and the prototype development phase has been a critical part of the due diligence that’s necessary for Barb to meet the exacting standards that are expected of us."