Atmedia, a sales house representing thematic television channels, is launching a new series of interviews under their expert talks brand, featuring leading professionals from the television and media industry. The first conversation brings together Michaela Suráková, Atmedia’s Managing Director, and Wojciech Kowalczyk, an expert on the Polish television market, deputy director of advertising and marketing department of the public broadcaster TVP and co-owner of ScreenLovers, video and advertising branch service.
The latest edition of the Expert Talks interview series turns the spotlight on the out-of-home TV audience measurement – a subject that has recently gained traction across the Czech media landscape. In April, the Association of Television Organisations (ATO) awarded the contract for implementing out-of-home measurement to the ResSolution Group, which submitted its bid in collaboration with technology partner DCore Software. The goal of this mobile-based measurement initiative is to capture TV viewership that occurs beyond the main household – whether in second homes, restaurants, or public viewing venues – offering a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary viewing habits.
At the start of the conversation, W. Kowalczyk provides insight into the relatively well-developed television viewership measurement system in Poland. ‘The system has evolved over time, initially incorporating time-shifted viewing, followed by the measurement of streaming services and out-of-home viewership. An additional aspect covers the measurement of addressable TV advertising and the concept of so-called total video.’ While in the Czech Republic, the official TV currency accounts for live and time-shifted viewing up to three days after broadcast, in Poland, it covers live and time-shifted viewing within two days, along with the out-of-home viewership. The measurement is conducted by two companies – Nielsen and Gemius. Gemius is responsible for the out-of-home TV viewership data, which is subsequently provided to Nielsen for final aggregation with the peoplemeter data.
So how does the out-of-home TV viewership measurement work in practice? The panel consists of 2,300 to 2,800 respondents who are provided with a mobile phone containing an app that uses audio-matching technology. This technology captures surrounding sounds and subsequently identifies the content being viewed. Out-of-home viewership is defined as any viewing recorded at least 500 meters away from the respondent’s place of residence, regardless of the device used – whether it’s a TV, mobile phone, or tablet. The measurement includes all TV channels included in Nielsen’s peoplemeter measurement. ‘This was one of the primary market requirements,’ states W. Kowalczyk.
How does the TV audience measurement process work in Poland?
The system is quite similar to that in the Czech Republic – the measurement is carried out by Nielsen, which has been active in Poland since the early 1990s. The panel now consists of 9,100 individuals, representing 3,500 households. There are more than 200 TV channels being included in the measurement project. The measurement itself is done through peoplemeters in households and incorporates audio-matching technology – comparing audio signals to identify the content being viewed.
The system has evolved over time, initially incorporating time-shifted viewing, which is now common also in the Czech Republic. In Poland, it goes even further, also measuring viewership of streaming services as well as out-of-home viewership. A distinct feature is the ‘Reconciliation DAI’, which focuses on measuring addressable TV advertising. Additionally, Nielsen offers ‘total video’ data – a unique set of insights that reveal the audience share not only for TV channels but also for platforms like Google, Meta, TikTok, Netflix, and others.
It is, therefore, a comprehensive system that includes live and time-shifted viewing, out-of-home viewership, and viewership of streaming service. But how does it work in practice? To my knowledge, in Poland, the audience measurement is not carried out through a JIC (Joint Industry Committee).
That’s correct – in Poland, there is no JIC that owns the viewership measurement project and commissions it to Nielsen. However, since 2019, the MOC (Media Owner Committee) has been operating, which is an association of TV channels, but not of media agencies. The Polish market is also unique in that two parallel peoplemeter systems have always existed – one run by Nielsen and the other by Gemius – meaning two independent players. And although there is no JIC, both companies consult key changes with TV channels and media agencies and strive to take into account the needs of the entire market.
How does this work for TV groups? Do they have the freedom to choose which system to use, or does the market stick to a single system?
At present, only Nielsen measures traditional TV viewership. Gemius offers valuable data for analysing and understanding the TV and video market, but it does not provide GRPs. As a result, Poland operates with a single measurement currency.
So how is this currency defined in precise terms? When an advertiser buys TV advertising, what do they actually pay for?
This currency covers live viewership, including VOSDAL (Viewed On the Same Day), which refers to time-shifted viewing on the same day, along with time-shifted viewing up to two days post-broadcast. It also incorporates out-of-home viewership.
So, the out-of-home viewership is being measured by Gemius, isn’t it?
Yes, exactly.
And what is the definition of out-of-home TV viewership?
The definition has evolved over time, but initially, it referred to viewership measured outside the home, specifically at least 200 meters away. If it was less than 200 meters, it was counted as in-home viewership. The home was defined as the place where the viewer spends most of the day.
Since then, the definition has been slightly adjusted. The home is now defined the same way as Nielsen does – based on the viewer’s declaration. The distance threshold has also been increased to 500 meters. This change came about following an audit by the French company CESP, which recommended standardising the definition of the home across all parts of the project.
How large is the out-of-home measurement panel?
Gemius’ panel for out-of-home measurement consists of between 2,300 and 2,800 individuals each month, with an average of 2,500 participants. Since it’s based on individuals rather than households, the household data is not provided.
Why does the number of participants fluctuate from month to month?
This is due to the rotation and replacement of panellists – it’s a dynamic panel that is constantly being refreshed.
How does the measurement work in practice? Is it done through a mobile app that monitors surrounding sound?
Yes – Gemius provides each panellist with a mobile phone, into which they insert their SIM card. While they can install any apps they like, it’s essential that they use the phone as their primary device. The app then monitors ambient sound and uses the audio-matching technology to identify the content being viewed.
Do all of the over 200 TV channels participate in the out-of-home audience measurement?
Indeed, Gemius covers all the channels measured by Nielsen – as this was one of the primary market requirements.
Who then combines this data?
Nielsen. Gemius supplies its data to Nielsen, which then merges it with its own data.
On the Czech market, TV viewership measurements include viewers aged 4 and above. How is this handled in Poland?
Nielsen measures viewership for audience aged 4 and above, while Gemius covers the age range of 7 to 79.
Does this cover the entire population, or just TV population?
It applies to the whole population, which is nearly identical to the TV population.
How about the devices? Is it limited to TVs, or do mobiles and tablets come into play as well?
Not everything can be captured due to the audio-matching technology. For example, if someone watches their favourite show or channel with headphones on or with the sound muted, it won’t be recorded. However, there are no restrictions when it comes to devices. Whether it’s a fan zone watching a football match between Poland and the Czech Republic, a TV at a friend’s house, a mobile, or a tablet – everything contributes to out-of-home viewing. What matters isn’t the type of device but whether there’s sound present at the time.
In the coming weeks, stay tuned for more parts of the interview with W. Kowalczyk, where we’ll explore topic such as:
– The impact of incorporating out-of-home measurement on overall TV viewership and TV channels.
– The response of TV advertisers to the extended TV audience measurement.