Understanding audiences has become more complex than ever. While data from audience measurement solutions is critical for businesses to understand and reach their consumers, the media industry has become so overly complicated and full of new technology that it can be difficult to keep up.
Why we need a new approach to measuring audiences
In the past, understanding who watched what was relatively simple. A small, representative panel could accurately reflect the nation’s viewing habits because there were only a few channels and limited ways to watch. You could literally count your favourite programmes on one hand – and still have a thumb left for the remote
Today, the picture is far more complex. Audiences move between broadcast, streaming, mobile, and social platforms – often within a single day. Measuring them requires new tools that can capture both the who and the where. That’s why modern measurement relies on two key ingredients: people-based panels and digital data – each powerful on its own, but far stronger together.
That’s where hybrid measurement comes in.
What is hybrid measurement?
To understand hybrid measurement, we first need to know the two building blocks it brings together: panels and digital data.
- Panels: carefully recruited groups of real people, nationally representative, that reveal who is watching, on which devices, and with whom – all with rich demographic data at its core. Think of them as the “human truth” behind the numbers. They’re also the foundation that keeps measurement transparent, comparable, and privacy-compliant.
- Digital data: large-scale information on what is being watched on every device. For video, there is a wide variety of data sources including streaming services, social platforms, Connected TVs, set-top boxes and more. If it plays video, it’s probably feeding data somewhere.
Each has strengths and limits. Panels give ground truth, but not scale. Digital data gives scale, but not a people base.
Hybrid measurement combines them, giving both at once, to create a complete, people-based view of media use.
How hybrid measurement works
There’s no single recipe for hybrid measurement. Each market and client has different needs and different types of data available. But there are two main ways to bring it all together: fusion and calibration.
- Fusion combines two data sources to create something new and richer. For example, large-scale data from Connected TVs or streaming platforms can be combined with people-based panel data. When both datasets are high quality and complementary, you get a complete, joined-up view of audiences. Think of it like fitting two puzzle pieces together – suddenly, the picture makes sense.
- Calibration uses the panel as a guide to adjust big digital datasets. By aligning the larger dataset to the panel, it scales results to match the real audience, fills gaps, and improves accuracy.
Together, fusion and calibration give a single, trusted view of audiences. By grounding digital data in real, people-based insight, hybrid measurement closes blind spots, builds confidence, and provides a stronger foundation for decision-making.
Hybrid measurement in action
Netherlands: NMO’s cross-media vision combines our TV panel and BVOD data with other media sources, working with Ipsos for true deduplication and a more comprehensive view of audiences across channels.
Norway: We merge two complementary panels – in-home and out-of-home – and integrate BVOD data for content and advertising ratings. The result is a single, daily picture of broadcast and streaming audiences, in and out of the home.
UK: We partner with Barb to combine panel data with BVOD player data using calibration, giving a single view of broadcast consumption across screens. Barb’s next step – fusing set-top-box and Connected TV data with the panel – will provide even more precise TV ratings.
Brazil: Our Cross-Media Planner fuses and calibrates panel data with YouTube data, providing a next-gen planning tool to agencies and advertisers grounded by a single-source panel.
Spain: We fuse Connected TV data with our panel to improve TV measurement precision. With DAZN, we combine its first-party data with our panel to move from device-based metrics to real people, giving a deeper view of DAZN’s audience.
UK & US: For the Origin and Aquila programmes, we integrate panel data with ad exposure from digital platforms in a privacy-first way. This provides post-campaign results and gives brands a clearer picture of their reach and impact.
Each example shows the same story: when you combine people-based panels with digital data, you gain clarity, confidence, and the most reliable view of your audience.
Why it you should care
The way people watch has changed forever. Hybrid measurement is the way forward. Because if you can’t see the full picture, you’re only guessing. And in today’s media economy, guessing is expensive.
Why care? Because better measurement leads to better data – and better data drives faster growth. Hybrid measurement gives the clarity to plan, invest, and innovate with confidence.