LONDON: The Media Rating Company announced the release of “cutting-edge data” for the month of Ramadan, a significant period for broadcast channels and advertisers.
This data is particularly crucial during the first five days of the holy month, as it offers insights into viewer percentages for all TV programs and drama series, said MRC in a press release on Thursday.
The information should allow advertisers to craft better-targeted campaigns focused on the most-watched programs.
“We are proud to issue accurate and real-time data from within the Kingdom, which supports and contributes to the development of the advertising sector,” said MRC chief Bandar Anwar Al-Mashhadi.
“We are proud of our role in transferring knowledge from a global company such as Nelson to national cadres,” he added.
The Television Audience Measurement project was announced in December 2021 and officially set in motion in February with the aim of revolutionizing television broadcasting service providers, digital publishers, media agencies, and various advertising entities by delivering invaluable public consumption data for the media.
Overseen by MRC, the TAM project has installed digital meters in 2,360 homes across 24 Saudi cities, encompassing a diverse array of population groups, including Saudis, Arab residents, and non-Arab residents.
A staggering 1,979 of these households met TAM’s quality control and validation standards within the Kingdom.
The results indicate that the 2,360 participating households serve as a representative sample of 4.5 million households, or 8,296 individuals, which translates to 20.3 million people in the Kingdom.
In its first year, the study cast a wide net, measuring 150 channels while simultaneously monitoring and tracking 50 channels. Data on live TV consumption was meticulously collected daily, over seven days.
“The Saudi TAM system has already proven to be a game-changer in achieving the media infrastructure goals outlined in the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030,” said Abdullatif Mohammed Al-Abdullatif, CEO of the Audiovisual Media Commission.
He continued: “Viewing data in Saudi Arabia has reached new heights of credibility and accuracy thanks to cutting-edge technologies.
“The system acts as a catalyst for investors both within and outside the Kingdom by offering a treasure trove of media consumption data across a myriad of formats. This paves the way for a meteoric rise in national digital entertainment and media production.”
This public-private partnership seeks to attract diverse global digital content companies.