YouTube Faces Backlash After Withdrawing from UK TV Audience Ratings
YouTube has come under fire from the television and advertising industries following its decision to suspend participation in a crucial measurement system that compares viewership on the platform with other streaming services and traditional broadcasters.
Legal Action and Industry Response
Google, the owner of YouTube, has issued cease and desist letters to Barb, the organisation responsible for publishing UK industry-standard audience figures, and its research partner Kantar Media. This move blocks access to data that attributes viewing sessions to specific content creators, with YouTube citing a breach of its terms of service as the reason.
The decision is particularly notable as it comes just months after YouTube began allowing viewership data from 200 of its channels on television sets to be included in Barb's measurements, alongside major broadcasters like the BBC, Sky, ITV, and Channel 4.
Criticism from Industry Leaders
Lindsey Clay, chief executive of Thinkbox, a TV body owned by ITV, Sky, Channel 4, and UKTV, expressed frustration, stating: "It does seem odd that YouTube has spent so much effort trying to convince advertisers that they are TV, and so gain the benefits of that reputation, but the moment there's some TV-like scrutiny they go legal to avoid it. If they want to be treated like TV they need to be transparent."
Simon Michaelides, director general of ISBA, which represents UK advertisers, added: "Barb plays a significant role in the UK's measurement ecosystem, enhanced by its collaboration with YouTube. It is therefore disappointing that this service has been halted. Cross-media measurement is inherently complex and brings challenges that we acknowledge. But we would hope for the benefit of advertisers that a resolution can be found."
Context and Viewership Trends
YouTube generates nearly $2 billion in advertising revenues from content viewed in the UK, according to eMarketer. The platform's initial move to be measured alongside traditional TV companies, similar to rival Netflix, was seen as a strategy to attract more advertisers when announced last February.
Recent Barb figures for December revealed that YouTube's viewership in the UK on TVs, smartphones, and tablets surpassed the BBC's combined channels for the first time. However, these figures are based on a minimum of three minutes of viewing, which benefits YouTube's short-form content, whereas most broadcasters focus on 15-minute viewing as more representative of longer shows.
YouTube's Position and Alternative Measurements
Google has stated that it does not believe the Barb measurement service accurately represents YouTube viewership. A YouTube spokesperson explained: "YouTube has a long track record of providing access to third parties for research and reporting, and all third parties must respect the necessary terms of service and policies when using our application programming interfaces. While the vast majority of our partners, companies and creators adhere to these guidelines, we will take action when these terms are violated, as was the case here."
In the UK, YouTube's viewership is also tracked by other companies such as Ipsos/Iris, while advertising metrics are measured by firms including Nielsen, ISBA's Origin, and AudienceProject. A Kantar spokesperson confirmed: "We can confirm that the measurement service is paused per Barb's recent announcement. We will not be commenting on confidential client discussions further at this time." Barb declined to comment on the matter.
Broader Implications
This development highlights ongoing tensions between digital platforms and traditional media over transparency and measurement standards. As YouTube continues to grow its audience, with TVs now the main device for viewing its content in the US and the platform becoming the UK's second most watched media service behind the BBC last year, the industry awaits potential resolutions to ensure fair and accurate cross-media comparisons.
