Barb awarded Clearcast a contract to deliver interim overnight commercial spot logs in December 2023, following a competitive tender process, with the logs delivered in partnership with AdSignal.

AdSignal monitors Barb-reported commercial channels’ live broadcasts and matches the advertisements aired with Clearcast’s advertising library to help Barb to produce interim overnight reports of ratings for commercial spots.

Barb already produces overnight programme logs to generate interim programme ratings, which are then updated after eight days when the broadcasters provide their own data.

The interim ratings are available through the Barb API and data bureaux.

Jim Jarrett, head of research operations at Barb, said: “Overnight commercial spot ratings give media agencies and advertisers earlier insight into how their campaigns are performing.

“This meets the long-standing demand from our clients to make TV ad campaign reporting more accountable, responsive and time sensitive.”

Dan Flynn, deputy research director at the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, added: “Agencies have long been asking for a single file which gives an earlier and more accurate picture of commercial audiences.

“This development is a welcome step in modernising trading systems and will mean that TV campaign performance can be assessed sooner than ever before.”