Netflix signs up with BARB to reveal streaming viewership numbers

New Delhi, Oct 13

Netflix has collaborated with the UK TV rating agency BARB to reveal how many people are watching its streaming shows and movies.

From the second week of November, BARB will publicly report the monthly reach and share of viewing for broadcaster groups and subscription video on-demand (SVOD)/advertising-based video on-demand (AVOD) services which account for more than 0.5 per cent of total identified viewing.

It will measure Netflix's daily streaming numbers as well as report on its monthly reach and share of total identified viewing.

"Back in 2019, at the RTS conference in Cambridge, I welcomed the idea of Netflix audiences being measured independently. We've kept in touch with BARB since then and are pleased to make a commitment to its trusted measurement of how people watch television in the UK," said Reed Hastings, Co-CEO of Netflix.

Justin Sampson, Chief Executive of BARB, said that the audience measurement continuously adapts to accommodate the new platforms and devices that are being used by people to watch their favourite television shows.

"We took a big step forward last year when we started reporting audiences to streaming services. Netflix's commitment to BARB sends a clear signal that what we're doing is valuable to new and established players in the market," he said.

Netflix has nearly 221 million subscribers worldwide.

For viewing from November 1, BARB will report Netflix viewing every day at both a service and a programme level to its clients.

According to BARB, the average daily viewing time to broadcasters' services was 159 minutes in September 2022, and the average for SVOD/AVOD services was 36 minutes per day.