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Media Measurement

Media Measurement

About

The Singapore Television Audience Measurement (SG-TAM) is Singapore’s first independent, single-source TV audience measurement solution that provides viewership data across different screens, devices and platforms.

SG-TAM enables the optimisation and targeting of TV content as well as more effective advertising campaigns. It also allows local media industry players to keep pace with the trend of media convergence, growth of the digital broadcast sphere, and evolving TV consumption habits in Singapore. SG-TAM provides industry stakeholders, such as local broadcasters, international channels, advertising agencies and media planners, with timely insights on consumers’ preferences for decision-making and enables the creation of quality and engaging content for consumers.

GfK, an established source of market data, is commissioned by IMDA to operate and manage SG-TAM. Combining market research and data science expertise, GfK has been delivering comprehensive analysis of TV and digital audiences, consumption insights, and local market intelligence to support IMDA and the industry's data needs.

Following a call for innovative solutions on IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform in 2021, IMDA and GfK successfully conducted trials to enhance measurement capabilities. New features include the expansion of viewership insights across Smart TVs, Social Media and Over-The-Top Platforms (e.g. Netflix). The enhanced SG-TAM is being deployed in phases starting from April 2024.

How SG-TAM benefits you

Industry

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Advertisers:
Access to a single-source, multi-platform television audience measurement allows advertisers to effectively plan better-targeted campaigns and achieve their ROIs.

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Broadcasters and distributors:
Increased accessibility to timely viewership data allows them to acquire and schedule programmes that suit the viewers’ preferences.

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Content creators:
A deeper understanding of viewers’ preferences and viewership trends enables the development and delivery of more tailored content to the viewers.

Consumers

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With SG-TAM, industry players can keep up with consumers’ changing lifestyles and viewing preferences. Consumers can enjoy better quality and more engaging content at home and on-the-go.

Viewership data available on SG-TAM

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TV viewership consumption

SG-TAM measures 24/7 viewership consumption for up to 200 Free-To-Air and Pay TV channels. It captures both live viewing as well as time-shifted (catch up) viewing for up to 28 days. The data can be further segmented for analysis by programme titles, genres, time of the day, viewer demographics and other usage variables.

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OTT content viewership consumption

Apart from broadcast TV channels on FTA and Pay TV, SG-TAM also measures viewership on top OTT streaming apps via Smart TV and digital devices. Similar to TV viewership data, OTT viewership data can also be further segmented for analysis, such as by programme titles and viewer demographics.

How does the TV measurement system work?

SG-TAM data can be accessed via a software application (for full data access) or reports (for processed data).

An icon that shows a door-to-door survey covering 10,000 Singapore households for the recruitment of 1,200-panel households of SG-TAM panel

1. ESTABLISHMENT SURVEY

  • A door-to-door survey covering selected Singapore households, known as the Establishment Survey, is conducted for the recruitment of TV panel households.
  • This survey is conducted biannually to capture emerging viewership trends and changes in socio-demographic profiles. This ensures that the panel remains current and reflective of viewership preferences, while providing a steady flow of eligible households to maintain the panel.
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2. RECRUITMENT

  • Eligible households are randomly selected and invited to join the SG-TAM TV panel.
  • A nationally representative panel of 1,200 households forms the core TV panel while 2,000 individuals (recruited as much as possible from the core TV panel) form the digital panel. This recruitment process ensures an integrated single-source approach.
 Random recruitment 
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Household installation

3. INSTALLATION

  • For TV audience measurement, a metering device is connected to panel households’ TV sets. Each household member is assigned a designated button on a remote control to register their presence when they are watching TV programmes. Additional buttons are available on the remote control for guests to register their presence in front of the TVs.
  • For digital measurement, a software metering application is installed on PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The software works passively to collect media and internet usage behavior.
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4. PANEL MANAGEMENT

  • A panel management team regularly engages the panel members to provide latest updates on SG-TAM, provide technical assistance, conduct regular training, and ensure compliance from panel members.
  • This ensures high quality and reliability of viewership data collected through SG-TAM.
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An icon shows the quality data production for measuring viewership based on actual viewing behaviour, in line with IMDA's content standards

5. DATA PRODUCTION AND QUALITY

  • Viewership is measured from the actual viewing behaviour of all members of the panel. All media viewing and internet usage data are aggregated and presented anonymously in the reports.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

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What is SG-TAM?

The Singapore TV Audience Measurement (SG-TAM) is the official source of television audience measurement in Singapore. It is an integrated TV audience measurement system that provides the viewership of TV content, such as Free-To-Air TV and Pay TV channels, shown across traditional and digital platforms (e.g. Smart TVs and mobile devices). SG-TAM aims to help media industry players keep pace with the trend of media convergence, growth of the digital broadcast sphere and evolving TV consumption habits in Singapore. GfK Asia Pte Ltd (GfK) is commissioned by IMDA to operate and manage SG-TAM.

What does SG-TAM measure?

SG-TAM measures 24/7 viewership consumption across free-to-air TV, Pay TV and digital platforms. This includes up to 200 FTA and Pay TV channels, as well as top OTT content on streaming apps and social media platforms. Data from live viewing, time-shifted viewing and Video-on-Demand are also captured. This valuable data can be further segmented for analysis by channels, programmes, genres, platforms, demographics, times of the day, and other variables.

What is the size of the panel?

A nationally representative panel of 1,200 households forms the core TV panel while 2,000 individuals (recruited as much as possible from the core 1,200 households) form the digital panel. The recruitment of the digital panel from the core TV panel ensures an integrated single-source approach.

Can I apply to be part of the TV panel?

No. All panel TV households are randomly selected based on the findings from the Establishment Survey. Panel controls are put in place to ensure that all households have an equal chance to be selected as a TV panel household and the TV panel households are always nationally representative.

What is the SG-TAM Establishment Survey (ES) and the sample size for the survey?

The ES is conducted as part of the initial phase of panel recruitment. It is a door-to-door survey covering a representative sample of 3,000 Singapore households, where panel households (TV and digital panel) are drawn from. Eligible households are subsequently invited to participate on the SG-TAM panel.

The ES is conducted biannually to capture emerging viewership trends and changes in socio-demographic profile. This ensures that the panel remains current and reflective of viewership preferences, and provides a steady flow of eligible households to maintain the panel.

What is the SG-TAM data used for?

With access to audience consumption data across a full range of media platforms, industry players such as content makers, media owners, advertisers and media planners will be better equipped to make decisions about the content that works best across different platforms and multiple devices. Singaporeans too can look forward to higher quality shows that engage and entertain them, and where such content can best reach them.

How about data privacy?

All data collected will be in strict compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012. Participation is strictly on a voluntary basis when a household is randomly selected. GfK, an established source of market data, works closely with IMDA on operating and managing SG-TAM and will never pass on this personal information to IMDA or any other parties. GfK will protect the confidentiality and integrity of information, including the personal particulars of the panel members. The data available to IMDA and the end users in the media industry will always be aggregated and can never be used to identify the television consumption of a specific household or individual.

How is SG-TAM similar or different as compared to other international standards of measurement?

Many developed markets are experimenting with the measurement of online video content and are beginning to add certain elements of such a measurement to traditional television ratings. The result is a hybrid TV audience measurement service that uses multiple panels for the various content platforms. In Singapore, SG-TAM will measure different media and integrate the data obtained to provide cross-platform information on the Singapore market. SG-TAM also considers Singapore’s unique and dynamic market, factoring in racial diversities, changing television consumption habits, high technological sophistication and device penetration rate.

Is Singapore the first country in the world to develop a national TAM system?

Many other countries have a national TAM system, e.g. BARB in the UK and OzTAM in Australia. However, they are primarily led by industry stakeholders such as broadcasters, research and advertising agencies, rather than the government. Singapore is the first country to develop a single-source, multi-platform TAM system that is commissioned by the government.

How many TV channels are reported in SG-TAM?

Up to 200 Free-To-Air TV and Pay TV channels are reported in SG-TAM.

Besides TV viewership data, what other types of data are available in SG-TAM?

With the newly enhanced measurement features, SG-TAM will be able to measure user consumption at both platform and content levels on commonly used OTT and social media applications for both Smart TVs and mobile devices.

How do broadcasters request for measurement of channels that are currently outside SG-TAM’s list?

SG-TAM subscribers will be able to request additional channels to be measured. Please contact GfK at SG-TAMClientSupport@gfk.com for further information.

How do we get access to SG-TAM data?

Please contact GfK at SG-TAMClientSupport@gfk.com for more information on subscription to SG-TAM data.

Contact

For more information about SG-TAM, please contact GfK at SG-TAMClientSupport@gfk.com, or IMDA at SG-TAM@imda.gov.sg.

LAST UPDATED: 25 SEP 2024

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