MBC Media Solutions (MMS) announced the adoption of ‘KSA TAM’, a newly introduced TV and streaming audience measurement system, during an event held in Riyadh yesterday.
The adoption was revealed in light of the decision by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Media Regulation to establish KSA TAM as the official national benchmark for audience measurement in the Kingdom.
KSA TAM is a sophisticated data integration solution that provides an accurate and comprehensive view of audience behavior across screens. It tracks granular audience engagement, providing a holistic view of content consumption patterns and allows for post-campaign evaluation, offering insights into audience behavior and demographics, which enhances understanding of TV consumption.
Developed by the Media Rating Company (MRC), KSA TAM delivers advertisers in-depth insights into TV consumption and campaign performance, offering a precise and comprehensive view of audience behavior that empowers brands to make informed decisions.
As of May 2024, KSA TAM measures in-home viewings on TV sets by tracking 9,250 individuals in 2,150 reported households, representing 16.8 million individuals aged 4 years+ across all cities with a population of 80,000 and above. Covering 150 TV channels that are measured per second and reported on a minute-by-minute basis, with a full comprehensive view across 50 TV channels.
Ahmed Al Sahhaf, CEO of MMS revealed at the event that MMS will adopt KSA TAM, starting January 1st, 2025, to provide accurate insights across MBC GROUP, Saudi Sports Company (SSC), and Al Arabiya News Channel.
He said that incorporating KSA TAM marks a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia’s media and advertising landscape. He added that this sophisticated measurement tool equips advertisers with unparalleled data accuracy and transparency, enabling them to maximize MMS’s platform for highly targeted and impactful campaigns.
Hani Ghorayeb, Chief Revenue Officer, said that KSA TAM offers a multitude of benefits that enhance audience measurement and advertising strategies, translating into significant commercial advantages.
He added that it generates precise unduplicated reach and frequency metrics, tracks program engagement, micro-switching, and ad exposure, allowing for more accurate audience targeting. This advanced tool facilitates quicker, informed decision-making, paving the way for future multi-screen tracking.
Nadim Samara, Chief Commercial Officer at MMS, demonstrated the capabilities and functionality of KSA TAM in his presentation.
He highlighted that KSA TAM breaks down viewing data by time periods (regular, access, prime and special dayparts), and tracks ad performance by analyzing how many people viewed each spot and for how long. It ranks programs and channels based on audience share and viewership, calculating the number of unique viewers and their exposure frequency.
This helps advertisers optimize media plans by providing insights into reach, frequency, CPM, GRP, and cost per GRP – amongst other key parameters. It also enables post-campaign analysis to evaluate ad effectiveness, offering detailed reports on audience share and program rankings. Reflecting the more natural viewing behavior of the audience across both TV and digital platforms, it also allows for the creation of more holistic, cross-platform media strategies that are content-first.
The event also featured a series of compelling panel discussions, beginning with the session titled ‘A Holistic View of Consumption Patterns & Audience Behavior,’ where distinguished speakers shared their perspectives on how KSA TAM is transforming data accuracy and reliability. This panel included Eng. Bandar AlMashhadi, CEO of MRC; Alan Azar, Regional Managing Director of CX, Data and Tech at GroupM; and Samer Dada, Partner & Managing Director at AlixPartners. Together, they explored the game-changing impact of KSA TAM on understanding audience dynamics and viewing behaviors with unprecedented precision.
Another highlight was the session ‘Using Measurement to Make Informed Decisions,’ which brought together industry leaders to discuss the strategic advantages of KSA TAM. Panelists Amine Sadik, Middle East Marketing Operations Director at P&G; Elda Choucair, CEO of Omnicom Media Group; Mohammed Jifri, CMO of HungerStation; and Mohammad Abaalkheil, Vice President of Corporate Relations at STC, delved into how KSA TAM empowers stakeholders across sectors with actionable data insights, enabling more effective media strategies and driving impactful, data-driven decisions.”
The event was attended by industry leaders and partners who will have a significant role in this new milestone that marks a significant step in enhancing the media infrastructure of the Kingdom.