In a significant move towards more comprehensive television audience measurement, the Foxtel Group and OzTAM have announced that viewership of Kayo Sports, Foxtel’s sports streaming service, will now be integrated into OzTAM’s Video Player Measurement (VPM) service.
The addition of Kayo Sports data into OzTAM’s VPM service is the latest advancement in the ongoing integration of Foxtel Group’s streaming services, which also include Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now. This move aims to provide a more accurate representation of Foxtel Group’s steadily increasing streaming audience.
Mark Frain, CEO of Foxtel Media, voiced his enthusiasm for the development. He highlighted that more than two-thirds of Foxtel’s 4.6 million subscribers are now streaming customers, with Kayo Sports contributing to this with its 1.3 million subscribers.
Frain cited the availability of Australia’s most popular sports and Foxtel Group’s exclusive rights as significant factors behind Kayo Sports’ rapid growth since its launch in 2018. He noted that the number of Kayo Sports subscribers has increased by 10% in the past year, crediting the return of popular winter sports, including AFL, NRL, Supercars, F1, and netball.
“Working closely with OzTAM, we are pleased that Kayo Sports’ audience will now be included in the VPM collection service, delivering an accurate representation of the strong growth we have seen in our digital subscribers and viewership across all platforms,” Frain said.
OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer also hailed the integration as a significant step forward for both organisations, suggesting it brings Kayo Sports closer to inclusion in the VOZ Total TV database.
Starting from Q2 2023, Kayo Sports data will be part of OzTAM’s VPM service. In addition, OzTAM is collaborating with Foxtel Group to incorporate Kayo Sports data into the VPM reports on OzTAM’s website.
Foxtel Group, with the inclusion of Kayo Sports data, now accounts for over half of commercial BVOD viewing. Twenty-nine out of the top 30 BVOD programs in May were Foxtel Group offerings, signifying the group’s dominance.
Moreover, the Foxtel Group has seen a significant increase in its total streaming audience for the NRL and AFL during the start of the winter sports season, up 13% and 15% year-on-year respectively.
Frain also pointed out the critical role of a robust audience measurement system in television advertising, welcoming OzTAM’s full capture of their growing digital sports audiences.
Moving forward, OzTAM’s VPM reporting service will exclusively report viewership for Foxtel Group’s internet-delivered services in homes without set-top boxes.
