Matt Ross, chief analytics officer at SVoD viewing measurement company Digital i, explains why broadcasters and streamers continue to need timely and insightful audience data
By Contributor
Published: January 6, 2025 Updated: January 7, 2025
Matt Ross, chief analytics officer at SVoD viewing measurement company Digital i, explains why broadcasters and streamers continue to need timely and insightful audience data
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Analysts have predicted that 2025 will bring an end to the global commissioning slump, as well as a return to higher programming spend.
This is great news for the market, not to mention audiences, but the feeling all round is that we are not out of the weeds just yet. Quality over quantity will remain a watchword for many international companies and returnable series with broad appeal will only continue to grow in value in the coming months.
Matt Ross So it remains vital for broadcasters and streamers to make the right choices when commissioning, renewing and acquiring shows.
Keeping up with the times Digital i has been around for more than 20 years, originally founded in 2003 by maths teacher turned data wizard, Ali Vahdati.
A licensed Barb bureau, Digital i started out as a firm focused on tracking and reporting on UK linear viewing figures, but as the industry has evolved, so have we.
Today, Digital i monitors audience data for global streaming services Netflix, Disney+, Amazon's Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery's Max in almost 20 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia and much of Europe and Latin America.
We draw audience samples from curated opt-in panels around the world, with members remunerated for the information they provide. Data is then gathered passively through our privacy-compliant applications and parsed by our SoDA system and in-house experts.
Because we have one unified panel we can follow a single viewer's journey between different services, gathering deep household demographic data, which is comparable across all our measured regions and platforms.
This is how we know that 52 per cent of Disney+ viewership was for kids' content last year, or can share insights into how Netflix viewers in the UK are increasingly consuming local licensed content made five years ago or more.
Best use case scenarios Our data is used in a variety of ways, with our clients including commissioners, producers and distributors from around the world.
For example, we can work with content licensing departments to find out how well specific shows are performing - valuable intel ahead of their next renewal negotiation with a buyer - and spot emerging opportunities into which countries to sell.
We can also advise those same buyers as to which titles have been performing well, and among which demographics, or report on trends and viewing habits that might impact their commissioning strategy, globally or in specific territories.
At a more granular level, we can advise on launch strategies, analysing how day-one full season drops are consumed compared to titles released weekly or stripped.
Navigating evolving waters Digital i has ambitious plans to continue to grow, whether that is reporting on more services in more countries, or by improving our processes and offering.
We have started to dip our toes into the AI waters, already using the tech to speed up our development and research projects. Machine learning has also become an important tool in data quality checks and advanced statistical modelling.
Perhaps the most exciting potential use would be insight detection - we would be interested to see if AI is able to more efficiently spot emerging content trends in our data.
However, we see AI as a tool to further enhance our service, not as a replacement for the human expertise that Digital i has to offer.
In the competitive years ahead, broadcasters and streamers will continue to need timely and insightful audience data, while rights holders and talent will need to understand the value of their assets more than ever before.
Digital i will keep growing and will be there to help them navigate the evolving waters.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Matt Ross, chief analytics officer at SVoD viewing measurement company Digital i, explains why broadcasters and streamers continue to need timely and insightful audience data
