Virtual Australia: “Future of TV is linear and BVoD”
February 25, 2021
The latest insights from Virtual Australia (VOZ) – the foundation of Australia’s forthcoming Total TV reporting standard – confirm that television is now an everywhere, multi-device medium. That means advertisers looking to tap TV’s full power need to consider the complete array of TV assets across channels, screens and platforms.
Speaking at the Future of TV Advertising Sydney forum, OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer shared top line test data from VOZ, the new all-screen, cross-platform Total TV planning and reporting database.
OzTAM, Regional TAM and Nielsen are working towards commencing daily VOZ data delivery to subscribing clients in June.
Peiffer said: “The latest VOZ test data illustrates the extent to which TV has become a multi-device, everywhere medium, and why advertisers need a strategic presence across all assets in the TV ecosystem. This is where VOZ comes to the fore, as the only service in this market that can deliver Total TV measurement, with demographic profiles, across all screens and devices nationally. VOZ data clearly shows the future of TV is linear + BVoD, (Broadcaster VoD) and enables us to track how the Total TV marketplace continues to evolve.”
The latest VOZ test data reveals:
o Total TV (linear + BVoD) delivered a national average audience of over 2.4 million people daily in 2020.
o BVoD consumption has grown 39 per cent year-on-year, with approximately 80 per cent of Australians using a BVoD service over the past 12 months.
o BVoD adds approximately 5 per cent to the linear TV audience, and more for younger demographics: + 13.9 per cent to people aged 18-24; +10.4 per cent for 25-39s; +8.8 per cent for 0-17s.
o 66 per cent of the Total TV audience is under 65 years-old. The median age of the BVoD audience is 41, which is 16 years younger than linear TV audience.
o Across all major demographics, the majority of BVoD viewing takes place on the largest screen.
Peiffer noted extensive progress had been made on VOZ development in calendar 2020.
OzTAM and Nielsen built the tools needed to deliver initial VOZ test data to subscribers – including dashboards and a web-access reach & frequency portal.
Meanwhile, third party software suppliers (TPSS) have made great strides in developing analytical software that will allow clients to interrogate the VOZ database. These VOZ collection, fusion and production processes had to be built from the ground up.
Peiffer continued: “VOZ was more complex than we ever could have imagined. We leveraged all the datasets we have – OzTAM and Regional TAM linear TV ratings, streaming TV metres, and BVoD – and created a representative modelled universe of over 25 million Australians to bring it all together. We began delivering daily test data in December and are taking broadcaster and TPSS feedback on board. Now we are working to refine the VOZ methodology to ensure VOZ estimates closely align with the established TV and BVoD currencies across the board. Our target is to deliver daily VOZ data to subscribing clients in June.”
VOZ is the foundation of Australia’s forthcoming national Total TV reporting standard. VOZ brings together broadcaster content viewed on TV sets (linear TV) and connected devices (BVoD) to provide all-screen, cross-platform planning and reporting for Australia’s television industry.
VOZ has also been built to allow the industry to agree a common set of audience groups or segments in future that reflect buying behaviour and support planning and post-analysis beyond standard age/sex demographics.