FremantleMedia’s German production arm, UFA, will be responsible for building and managing the new UFA Medienexperten (media experts) panel, which began recruiting members in February.

In the UK, the iCount panel is managed by Ipsos Mori and is made up of around 3,000 members, and a spokesman said that the firm would be looking to recruit a similar number of respondents in Germany.

Shailesh Patel (pictured), FremantleMedia’s head of research said: “The flexible nature of our panels allow us to gather consumer feedback on any topic, be it key brands, ongoing storylines, format, characters, etc; and launching a second panel in Germany will allow us to gain valuable insights from our international audiences and build on the success we’ve enjoyed with iCount.”

FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen added: “We have successfully used this unique feedback to inform decisions we’ve made within the business over the past year, and we’re very pleased to be extending the concept to audiences in Germany.”

The firm says it will look to establish similar panels in the US and Australia at some point in the future.