Modern Marketing attended the Broadcast Research Council’s (BRC’s) exclusive pre-launch session of South Africa’s Total Video Measurement (TVM) programme on 15 October. The BRC appointed GfK (an NIQ company) to design and deploy the country’s new TVM service, aligning the market’s currency with the way South Africans actually watch television and video today. The event marked the official signing between the BRC and GfK.
‘Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in our country’s audience measurement journey. This is more than a ceremonial signing in every sense – it’s a turning point. It’s also a reset, one that acknowledges where we’ve come from and boldly defines where we’re headed,’ said Gary Whitaker, CEO of the BRC.
‘Today we begin the transition from television audience measurement to total video measurement. From a static picture to dynamic view. From one platform to every screen. This is not simply a technical upgrade. It is the unlocking of a 360-degree understanding of how audiences engage with video content wherever, whenever, and however they choose. Through the partnership we formalised today, the BRC will deliver a new era of measurement: robust, inclusive, and future-ready for our broadcasters.’
‘It means greater visibility of audiences across platforms for our advertisers and agencies. It also means deeper insights and more accountable investment decisions. And for the industry as a whole, it means restoring trust in our measurement currency, ensuring it reflects how South Africans actually live, view and connect.’
‘Today’s signing is a symbolic start. But it’s also a reminder that the work ahead will define us. Implementing total video measurement will require cooperation, adaptation, and above all, courage. Courage to embrace change, to trust the data, and to let go of old habits – to build a future that reflects all audiences across all screens and all stories.’
‘So as we put pen to paper today, let us remember this is more than a contract. It’s a commitment to progress, to inclusivity, to innovation, and to truth in measurement. For over 35 years, we’ve measured what was watched. Now we will measure who’s watching, where they’re watching, and how they’re watching. This is the future of audience measurement in South Africa. And it begins right here, right now,’ concluded Whitaker.
What the industry will get, in phases:
Phase 1: A completely new TV currency service feeding into daily TV trading. The market will have a clear, shared, and trusted daily TV currency that reflects today’s viewing reality for Broadcast, and connected-TV usage, for broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers. The phase 1 data will be provided to the market by Jan 1st 2027.
Phase 2: Bring broadcaster on-demand and streaming into everyday planning. Broadcaster video-on-demand and streaming is incorporated so planners and brands can see and manage the combined impact of live and online viewing. Goal is to have Phase 2 completed by end of 2027.
Phase 3: Complete the Total Video picture by end-2027. A unified, all-screens service provides one view of audiences across traditional television and digital video — helping brands invest with certainty and enabling broadcasters to protect value in a converged market. Full delivery will complete during 2028.
The BRC is working closely with its existing Television Audience Measurement Survey (TAMS)-provider, Nielsen, to coordinate an orderly transition. Nielsen will continue to deliver data until Phase 1 launches on Jan 1st 2027. By that avoiding any television data blackout prior to and during the handover, ensuring continuity for the industry throughout. The BRC wants to thank Nielsen for the important service provided to the South African industry for the last 38 years.
Zak Haeri, Managing Director for South Africa at NIQ, said, ‘We believe that South Africa deserves innovative solutions. This country is unique and that’s one of the things that makes our job really interesting because we love doing research and finding facts about things, and there’s no market like South Africa, so it’s fantastic to be able to implement these innovative industry-leading solutions in the country.’
‘Change is a constant. Businesses are constantly innovating and creating new technologies, and consumers are changing. They respond in different ways. They pick up new habits and those habits continuously evolve. We measure what products are being sold in South Africa across many different categories, and what consumers are consuming within households. Now we’re also going to be measuring how people engage with media across TV and radio.’
‘We’re really grateful for this opportunity and we’re truly committed to this partnership as well as to the South African market. We’re marrying global expertise and local know-how to create something that’s unique to the market.’
