UKTV joins BARB board

This comes as UKTV – the commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive – joins the industry-wide group of companies responsible for delivering independent TV viewing figures.

Barb reports viewing up to four weeks after linear broadcast for more than 330 channels; it also reports viewing for non-linear programmes and dynamically inserted advertising.

UKTV operates 10 channel brands across a range of genres. UKTV Play also features in Barb’s TV Player Report, the first joint-industry audited measurement of online TV viewing.

Nigel Sharrocks, chairman of BARB, said: “For 35 years Barb has been delivering gold standard audience measurement for the industry that owns us. An independent currency is paramount for programme makers and advertisers to justify return on their investments. We’re delighted to welcome UKTV and look forward to its contribution to our service development.”

Darren Childs, chief executive of UKTV, said: “The television industry is going through an unprecedented change and robust audience measurement has never been more important. We are looking forward to working with the BARB board to ensure measurement remains fit for purpose and we all continue to benefit from a single currency in the VOD and OTT world.”