Netflix, HBO Max, Viaplay: the streaming services are popping up likemushrooms. Nevertheless, ‘old-fashioned’ television is still winning outagainst these new competitors, Stichting KijkOnderzoek (SKO) informed NU.nlwhen asked. The streaming services are keeping their figures scrupulouslysecret for the time being, but SKO’s new measurement system is going to changethat.
“It is no longer of this time. Why don’t they reveal Ziggo’s figures? Theremust be something. The mafia is behind it. Yes, I really think so,” Gordonsaid in 2020 when his new program with Patty Brard didn’t do as well as heexpected.
The following often applies to program makers: if the viewing figures are bad,the system is no good. The measurements are outdated or everyone is suddenlywatching via streaming services. It is also often said that a program(afterwards) is viewed much better via Videoland, KIJK or NPO Start.
It is difficult to determine whether a program has really done better via astreaming service. To date, Netflix, HBO Max and Videoland rarely disclose howmany people have watched a series through them.
Netflix is finally going to share numbers
After years of waiting, that is finally about to change. Although things arenot going as fast as in the United Kingdom, the measurement system there isahead of the rest of the world. The Broadcasters Audience Research Board(BARB) recently announced that Netflix has joined its audience survey. Thestreaming service has always been selective with such information in the past,but now thinks it is time for independent measurements. There are also newsystems for this in the Netherlands.
SKO director Sjoerd Pennekamp understands the need for development. “We’reredefining the television landscape,” he says. “Netflix now offers asubscription with advertising and Disney will soon do the same. At such atime, advertisers would like to know how a streaming service compares tocommercial channels or the STER.”
To be able to measure those figures, old techniques need an update. SKO istherefore updating its research. In the new panel, the members not onlyreceive a special box that measures what they look at. “They now have a routermeter for that,” says Pennekamp. “We can use this to see whether they watchNetflix, Videoland or Prime. That way you can see how channels and streamingservices relate to each other.”
And guess what? Streaming services are not nearly as dominant as thought.”From our provisional figures, we can already see that Netflix is not thelargest channel in the Netherlands,” says Pennekamp. “Large channels of NPO,RTL and Talpa are still above it. We expect to be able to publish such figuresin the course of 2023, so that you can compare everything properly.”
The viewing figures of the Linda de Mol series Five Live are not high, butaccording to SBS, the series is still widely viewed afterwards.
Photo: Roy Beusker
No more excuses for bad grades
In a response to NU.nl, Paul Hek, manager of audience research at the NPO,says it is good that a more complete insight into modern media behavior cansoon be provided. “That is good for understanding the viewing behavior of ouraudience at the public broadcaster, but also for the entire market in theNetherlands. The European market is also watching with great interest thedevelopments of viewing research in the Netherlands. If the NMO (NationalMedia Research, which includes SKO, ed.) really starts, the Netherlands is atthe forefront of media research.”
Looking online is therefore sometimes used as an excuse for disappointingfigures. A program maker can easily say that his fans do not watch regularbroadcasts, without those figures being publicly available. With the newviewing survey, that is about to change. “Broadcasters themselves also want toknow where their viewers are,” says Pennekamp. “Some programs really attract alot more audience online.”
The mystery surrounding broadcasts on streaming services does not reallydisappear completely. The new measurement system provides insight into whereviewers go, but not yet which programs they watch there. When asked by NU.nlwhat Netflix’s considerations are for not sharing this information, thestreaming service does not want to respond. An answer is also not forthcomingfrom HBO Max and Amazon Prime. For the time being, it remains (partly) a guesswhether a program really works with those providers.