Hong Kong – now TV, Hong Kong’s largest pay TV provider, CSM Media Research (CSM), China’s TV and radio audience measurement company, and Kantar Media (Kantar Media), also measures television audience, have jointly announced the introduction of Hong Kong’s first television audience measurement using Return-Path-Data (RPD) technology for tracking viewership of content on now TV’s television, online and OTT platforms. The Return-Path Rating Service (RPR) will be the first cross-platform viewership measurement by using RPD in Hong Kong based on automated system-captured data.

now TV viewers have over the years embraced a multi-channel, multi-platform viewing behaviour. Viewers not only enjoy now TV’s offering of over 180 channels on a broadcast and on-demand viewing basis, they also consume this content in and out of home via now TV’s companion apps. RPR Service is designed to accurately monitor, reflect, and aggregate such varied content consumption behaviour amongst viewers today.

RPR Serivce utilises data that is automatically captured by the system on a second-by-second basis, enabling more accurate monitoring of viewership across different platforms. When panellists view now TV content in-home, via set-top-boxes, or on the go with now TV’s companion apps, the cross-platform viewing data will be automatically captured by now TV’s network, without the need for any additional equipment being installed at the customers’ premises, or customer initiation.

To deliver accuracy and to enable more detailed customer segmentation, a large panel of 2,000 samples representative of now TV’s customer demographics is used for the projection of the lifestyle and consumption pattern of now TV’s 1.2 million-strong subscriber base. The demographics of the individual members of the recruited households were recorded at the panel-recruitment stage. Powered by Kantar Media’s RPD technology, CSM will analyse system-captured data with Kantar Media’s proprietarily developed Probability of Individual Viewing (PIV) algorithm. The PIV algorithm is a statistic projection model for projecting eyeballs with RPD, basing on an array of variables of proven statistically significant correlation. Kantar Media has applied the PIV algorithm in the tracking of viewership in many other RPD services.

Variables and attributes commonly used by advertisers, media agencies and advertising agencies in monitoring viewership will be adopted in the reporting of the RPR, including Gross Rating Points (GRP), Target Audience Rating Points (TARPs) and Cost Per Rating Point (CPRP), Reach and Frequency.

Loke Kheng Tham, PCCW’s Executive Vice President of Pay TV, said, “The RPR Service will more accurately reflect the aggregate viewership of now TV content across different platforms, be it in or out of home on a broadcast or on-demand basis. The large sample size of 2,000 along with automated data capturing on a second-by-second basis facilitates more accurate viewership projection, and hence more cost efficient media planning, as well as more sophisticated customer segmentation, for media agencies and advertisers.”

Nick Burfitt, Global Director, Kantar Media Audiences, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with now TV and our local team in CSM to bring the benefits of RPD to the Hong Kong market. Our experience working with pay-TV operators worldwide over the last decade to deploy services utilising our best-in-class technology will ensure that advertisers, agencies and content producers gain real and useful insights into the viewing habits of now TV subscribers.”

Vincent Lam, Managing Director, CSM Media Research Hong Kong, said, “We are answering the needs for robust data and new ways of targeting audiences across different platforms. Big samples and precise ratings by second are now available for sophisticated analysis of advertising campaign impact for both big and small channels.”

Kantar Media’s worldwide experiences in setting up RPD services including U.S., Malaysia, UK, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Germany have enabled service providers to gain insights of subscriber viewing habits across various multimedia services and devices. The service also helps advertisers and media agencies utilise their advertising budget effectively to reach their target customers.

With RPR Service, now TV aims to better service its advertisers, and advertising and media agencies by offering pre-buy and post-buy analysis that is supported by a more accurate projection of the aggregate viewership of now TV’s content. RPR Service reports will be available for pre-buy and post-buy analysis, on effectiveness of advertising campaigns launched on now TV, starting the first quarter of next year.