News & Views

Barb launches API to give clients direct access to viewing data

31 January 2023

Barb has today beta launched an API, to give its clients more flexibility in how they access Barb viewing data and to enable them to integrate it into their own tools and systems.

Barb’s API includes three types of linear viewing data: programme audiences, advertising spots and impacts by time segments. These data can be analysed for all Barb-reported linear channels daily by region and demographic and are enriched with programme and commercial metadata provided by Barb and Clearcast.

The API includes data from January 2020 and will be updated daily in line with Barb’s usual data delivery schedules.

Barb plans to build on the API over 2023. This includes developing the current set-up and adding more data, potentially including viewing on PCs, tablets, and smartphones and non-linear viewing on BVOD, S/AVOD and video-sharing services.

Jim Jarrett, Barb’s Head of Research Operations, said:

“The Barb API is an innovative solution that has been developed in direct response to the demand from our clients for quick, easy and flexible access to and manipulation of our viewing data via modern software tools.

We hope that many of our clients will use the API and give us feedback, so that we can build on and improve it over the course of the next year.”

The beta API is free to access for Barb underwriters and clients with a full licence. Those interested in gaining access should contact Jim Jarrett: jim.jarrett@barb.co.uk

The beta API was developed by Blue Hat Associates based on a specification produced by Barb and Coppelia Machine Learning & Analytics.