Advanced Television

MPs: “Streamers should share ratings data”

March 25, 2021

MPs say streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video should be obliged to provide viewing data on British-made shows to UK broadcasters and Ofcom.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS), has said that UK broadcasters have a right to know how shows that they commissioned are performing on streaming platforms.

The comments came in a report on the future of UK public service broadcasting (PSB), by the DCMS Committee. “Streaming services should be required to share top line viewing data – at the very least, the number of viewers – for PSB content they host with Ofcom and the relevant PSBs to enable full analysis of PSB reach,” said the committee.

Netflix, however, has previously said “We do not believe that sharing top line viewer data about PSB-originated content with Ofcom and the relevant the PSB would be commercially sensitive […] Streaming services are an important ‘second window’ for PSB content but without viewer data, it is difficult to fully assess the reach of PSBs.”

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