What People Watch: Reach
Barb’s latest data shows YouTube’s monthly reach can appear larger than the BBC depending on the definition used. Using the industry‑standard 3‑minute threshold, YouTube topped the BBC on TV sets in Q4 2025, but the BBC reclaimed the lead when the bar was raised to 15 minutes of continuous viewing. When reach is measured across four screens, YouTube jumps to second place, outpacing the BBC by 13 million viewers. The piece underscores that metric selection dramatically alters audience rankings and informs advertising decisions.
Barb Appoints Caroline Baxter as CEO
Barb, the UK’s joint‑industry audience measurement body, announced Caroline Baxter as its new chief executive. Baxter, who joined Barb in 2022 and was promoted to COO in 2024, will steer the firm through a new wave of innovation for linear,...
Pre-Campaign Planning in Barb Ads Hub
Barb has added pre‑campaign planning to Barb Ads Hub, turning it into a single platform for UK advertising buyers and sellers to forecast and evaluate campaigns across linear and VOD services. The new planner, previously called Advanced Campaign Hub, merges...
Unfiltered Media Podcast
Barb CEO Justin Sampson appeared on the Unfiltered Media podcast on 25 February 2026 to examine mounting pressures on traditional media measurement currencies. He explained how fragmented consumption across streaming, social and gaming platforms is eroding legacy TV‑rating models. Sampson...
What People Watched in 2025
Barb released its 2025 viewing habits report, detailing how UK audiences consumed TV across live, on‑demand and streaming platforms. Live viewing still represented 45% of TV‑set activity in December, while on‑demand accounted for 38% of total viewing. Freeview, Sky and...
VideoWeek Article
Barb contributed to VideoWeek’s February 2026 piece outlining Europe’s TV Joint‑Innovation Centers (JICs) focus areas. The report highlights a surge in cross‑channel collaboration, new data partnership models, and advanced analytics integration across broadcasters. JICs are deploying AI‑driven tools and cloud...