Kantar Media, a world leader in audience measurement, has signed an agreement with ARMA, the Romanian industry body for TV measurement, that will see the continued provision of broadcast TV ratings to the market, the company announced in a press release. The new contract, which will run until the end of 2027, extends Kantar Media’s partnership with the Romanian TV industry, having run the service consecutively since 2012. The contract was formally signed at an industry event in Bucharest.

The new contract represents continuity and expansion as ARMA has approved a technology refresh with the deployment of Kantar Media’s People Meter 7 to the existing 1,430 household gross panel. A step-change in TV set metering, People Meter 7 includes a personalized user interface to increase engagement and enhance panel management. Currently being deployed in the UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Chile, Georgia, Israel, it uses a touch-screen tablet to measure linear and on-demand viewing on TV, ensuring continuous data capture through Kantar Media’s advanced audio-matching technology, i33. The industry-leading solution offers more granular reporting and delivers a complete picture of TV viewing in the home.

In addition, Kantar Media has been commissioned to deliver a pilot project, fulfilling ARMA’s long-term plan towards cross-platform measurement. A subset of the panel will be equipped with Kantar Media’s Focal Meter - the most widely used router meter in the world – to measure streaming viewing activity. With a growing interest in on-demand viewing, the results of this pilot will deliver a more integrated view of viewing behaviors across platforms.

“Kantar Media responded with a strong solution, ensuring our members can understand the full range of linear and on-demand services viewers can choose from. The latest TV set technology, will deliver a refined analysis of consumption of the audiovisual media which will enable more targeted planning, scheduling, and evaluation of content.” Said Lucia Antal, President of ARMA.

Mesut Sakal, Managing Director Turkey and CEE, Kantar Media, added: “Today’s announcement will see Kantar Media extend its commitment to the Romanian media industry and enable ARMA to deliver on their strategy to unlock audiences and drive growth. We are looking forward to continuing to provide its members with a future-ready service that delivers a comprehensive measure of what people watch and ensures the industry can continue to make fully informed planning and buying decisions across viewing forms.”