Virtual Australia (VOZ), heralded as an accurate picture of total TV viewing, combining broadcast content watched on all screens, anytime, anywhere in one data set, has launched daily overnight viewing data.
The debut of daily next-day overnight VOZ data marks the start of a transition period for the industry to become accustomed to the VOZ data and be ready to transact. The goal is for VOZ to become trading currency in calendar year 2024.
Broadcast TV and BVOD audiences are now delivered in one dataset, nationally, so program and campaign performance can be planned and post-analysed by individual markets right up to a national level.
For media agencies and advertisers, VOZ provides insights into cross-platform, broadcast TV and BVOD reach and frequency, revealing for the first time the incremental audience watching only on BVOD.
For broadcasters, VOZ offers a more complete understanding of program content performance, regardless of platform or device.
OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said the entire industry is converging for the start of daily Overnight VOZ data production.
“We firmly believe that seeing the true picture of television performance requires a Total Television view, and VOZ reveals the Total TV picture, powering TV planning, buying and post analysis in our rapidly changing viewing landscape," said Peiffer.
“We are proud of VOZ – a world-class all-screen measurement service that has been conceived, designed and developed in Australia, reflecting its distinct geography and population characteristics.
“We would like to acknowledge the collaborative approach and input from the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) over the past 18 months and also appreciate the enthusiasm from the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), and the constructive dialogue we've held with media auditors.
“Third-party software suppliers (TPSS), who are building the analytical software to process OzTAM data, have made tremendous strides in building the tools needed to handle the latest iteration of VOZ.
“We also extend thanks to the broadcasters, to Regional TAM, and to Nielsen, who are constructing VOZ to OzTAM’s and the broadcasters’ specification."
Seven West Media CEO James Warburton said the launch of overnight VOZ data is a critically important step in demonstrating the reach and power of national total TV and its leading role in informing and entertaining all Australians and delivering strong results for marketers.
“For too long, the TV industry has focused on its smallest audience – overnight linear broadcast viewers – and failed to clearly highlight the fact that total TV is much more than overnight ratings," said Warburton.
"The rise and rise of BVOD is a game changer for the TV industry and the new VOZ data accurately reflects how many people are engaging with our industry.
“I’d like to thank OzTAM, Nielsen, the Media Federation of Australia and the Independent Media Agencies of Australia on the launch of this innovative, world-leading total TV currency.”
Nine chief sales officer Michael Stephenson said the launch of VOZ is a significant development.
“VOZ measures the reach that BVOD adds to terrestrial TV and proves that Total TV remains the most effective way to build reach at speed and it measures co-viewing for the very first time," said Stephenson.
“We are one of the first countries in the world to launch a cross platform measurement service and our product is more advanced than any other market in the world. Australia is leading the world and our entire industry should be very proud.
“The development of VOZ has been a complex task. I congratulate the teams at OzTAM and Nielsen for their efforts that provides our industry a world class, future facing, cross-platform measurement system.”
Rod Prosser, chief sales officer at Paramount Australia and New Zealand, parent company of Network 10, said the broadcaster is delighted VOZ Total TV data has officially launched and it can now start to see a complete picture of audience viewing trends across the country.
"As the youngest network, we've been an early adopter of VOZ as our audiences are digital natives who consume content across multiple screens, devices and times that suit their lifestyle," said Prosser.
"We know our live stream and BVOD audiences on our digital platform, 10 Play, regularly increase our total viewers by more than 20% in our key programs so we're thrilled to have the industry now see the true picture and value of these leaned-in audiences.
"We also recognise the complexity behind collecting this information and the persistence OzTAM has demonstrated to ensure data integrity. We thank them for their continued efforts to deliver a world-first Total TV audience reporting system that sets a new international standard in accuracy and timeliness."
All current OzTAM broadcast TV (TAM) and BVOD (VPM) data and reporting will continue to be delivered to data subscribers into 2024. Top line VOZ Overnight Total TV viewing reports are posted to VirtualOz.com.au about 1pm daily from today.
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