OzTAM ready for 2024 launch of TV viewing tool

VOZ has been in development since May 2023 and will provide national, de-duplicated audience estimates with co-viewing and demographics across all broadcast television and full broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) coverage.

When established, VOZ will bring together broadcast viewing of more than 20,000 people every day from a representative panel of homes across Australia, plus more than 16 million connective devices.

The tool is in its third and final stage of industry adoption, OzTAM said, with media agencies beginning to embed the VOZ system into their systems and workflows to allow full operation next year.

The first phase saw the release of daily next-day overnight VOZ data, delivery of the quarter hour audience files (QHFs) on which broadcasters and media agencies transact and publication of Total TV programme ranking and audience reach reports.

The second phase made sure that third-party software suppliers, which are building the analytical software needed to process the VOZ dataset, can achieve VOZ gold standard accreditation.

In parallel, for more than 18 months OzTAM has been working with the Media Federation of Australia to incorporate media agency needs in the construction and deployment of VOZ and the software required to use VOZ data.

Karen Halligan, chief executive at OzTAM, said: “Australia is the only country in the world that has a product like VOZ, with fully integrated linear and BVOD measurement for both content and commercials. VOZ Total TV, that has been conceived, developed and built in Australia, delivers the clearest picture of viewing on all screen types than has ever been possible.

“Bringing VOZ Total TV to market has been a complex and technically challenging proposition, and there is genuine excitement in the industry that we have reached the final stage of this journey.”

Chair of OzTAM’s Technical Board and Seven West Media director of research and insights Craig Johnson said: “As we progress the industry transition to VOZ as trading currency, we’ve taken care to ensure VOZ addresses critical industry needs.

“We are all looking forward to the industry moving towards VOZ becoming Australia’s official Total TV currency and leading the world in the most sophisticated Total TV audience measurement.”