Observed Signal · Sep 18, 2026 · Announcement · Source: DWDL · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
AGF Unveils 2028 Hybrid TV Viewing Measurement Revolution
At the AGF Forum in Frankfurt, AGF Videoforschung announced a comprehensive 'System-Upgrade' for TV and video audience measurement, launching in January 2028. The new hybrid model integrates HbbTV return-path data from over 1.7 million devices (expanding to 3.4 million, with potential for up to eight million) with the traditional AGF panel. The system includes five components: HbbTV data integration, standalone CTV reporting with co-viewing, a virtual panel of 800,000 synthetic cases, a new digital data model, and crossmedia campaign measurement for deduplicated net reach. 2027 serves as a transition year. CEO Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf warned that new EU data protection plans could endanger cross-platform reach measurement, despite efforts to reduce bureaucracy. The upgrade aims to better reflect market fragmentation and address zero-ratings.
Major update to German TV measurement infrastructure, impacting ad targeting and campaign measurement for all market participants.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- AGF Videoforschung announced a comprehensive 'System-Upgrade' for TV and video audience measurement at the AGF Forum in Frankfurt, launching January 2028.
- The system integrates HbbTV return-path data from over 1.7 million devices (expanding to 3.4 million, with potential for up to eight million) with the traditional AGF panel.
- Five components: HbbTV data integration, standalone CTV reporting, virtual panel of 800,000 synthetic cases, digital data model, and crossmedia campaign measurement.
- CEO Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf warned that new EU data protection plans could endanger cross-platform reach measurement.
- 2027 is the transition and test year, with full rollout planned for January 2028.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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AGF extends HbbTV proof-of-concept for TV measurement
Germany’s AGF Videoforschung has extended a proof-of-concept to integrate HbbTV and set‑top‑box usage data into TV audience measurement, a project first announced in May 2025. The test — which ingests data from Sky set‑top boxes and HbbTV devices via a partnership with TV Insight and requires active viewer consent — aims to reduce zero ratings and stabilise measurement in fragmented viewing. AGF reports having consent from over 17 million devices and plans further tests throughout 2026 with parallel tracks toward production. Austria’s AGTT has already included HbbTV usage data (over 1.1 million HbbTV devices) alongside a representative panel since September 2024. AGF CEO Kerstin Niederauer‑Kopf says the hybrid approach is likely the biggest change to TV measurement but expects mainly more stability rather than substantial uplifts in reach metrics.
AGF launches monthly TV‑to‑streaming convergence hitlist
AGF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung) issues two monthly public outputs — a Top‑50 'TV‑convergence' ranking and a platform performance overview — typically published around the 25th of the following month. The Top‑50 makes linear and streaming viewing comparable: linear includes three‑day time‑shift, streaming is attributed from 14 days before to 13 days after broadcast, and convergence is calculated 21 days post‑airing; the list is ranked by streaming viewing share and excludes streaming‑only programs and platforms not measured by AGF (e.g., Netflix). The platform overview reports usage volume, cumulative monthly net reach and average daily net reach for AGF‑measured services (examples: RTL+, Joyn, ARD/ZDF, Prime Video). AGF published its first TV‑convergence data for July 2026: RTL soaps dominated (Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten occupied ranks 1–23 with a convergent average ~2.01M), while ARD/ZDF platform offerings ranked ahead of Prime Video.
Europe's TV JICs Gear Up for 2026 Measurement Revolution
Five major European TV Joint Industry Committees (JICs) outlined measurement priorities for 2026 focused on cross‑platform convergence, data integration and new product launches. The UK’s Barb launched a cloud-based Data Hub and Barb Ads Hub, is developing an API (phase three) with RSMB, and prototyping Panel Plus to fuse device and panel data. Germany’s AGF is standardising converged measurement, integrating streaming via Nielsen server‑to‑server technology (Amazon Prime Video added in Nov 2025) and incorporating return‑path data. Italy’s Auditel is promoting CUSV as a campaign‑encoding standard and plans a Total Campaign solution in H2 2026. The Netherlands’ NMO absorbed BRO Next and will launch Video Totaal and NMO Crossmedia. Sweden’s MMS will switch to Kantar Media and deploy a tag‑agnostic measurement model on 1 Jan 2027. Across markets the emphasis is comparability, lower barriers for digital players and expanded cross‑media campaign measurement.
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