The release of the new viewing data marks the third phase of Project Dovetail, Barb’s audited cross-device viewing measurement. The previous phase, launched in September 2018, focused on the number of people watching programmes across four screens: TV, tablet, PC and smartphone.

The new data provides channel and PC/tablet reach, share and time spent viewing data based on Barb’s new definition of total TV, total three-screen viewing, which takes place within a rolling four-week period and includes: timeshift viewing on TV sets up to 28 days after broadcast; pre-broadcast and non-linear programming; viewing on tablets and PCs; and viewing in households without a TV set but with broadband.

The figures are reported daily across TV sets, tablets and PCs, and are available via existing data-processing tools. Barb has also added a weekly viewing summary report to its website.

Additionally, a new content ID system, launched on 1^st January to link linear and online content across platforms, will lead to more accurate demographic profiles for viewing data on non-TV devices, Barb said.

Justin Sampson, chief executive at Barb, said: “We began reporting census-level data for BVOD programmes in 2015, and then launched multiple-screen programme ratings in 2018. Now we are delivering unduplicated reach and time spent viewing across TV sets, tablets and PCs.”

The final stage of the Project Dovetail initiative, focusing on advertising campaign performance across linear and broadcast video on-demand (BVOD) formats, is expected to launch in the first half of 2021. While it is in development, Barb will offer a beta campaign planning tool to project incremental reach of BVOD services. Sampson said: “We expect this to be ready for user testing in late March.”