The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) has confirmed that Total Video Measurement (TVM), South Africa’s new industry currency for video audiences, will launch on 1 January 2027. This new industry currency will bring television and online video audiences together in a single measurement system.
TVM will replace the Television Audience Measurement Survey (TAMS), bringing linear television, time-shifted viewing, connected TV and online video into a single daily measurement system.
The move reflects a fundamental change in how South Africans consume video. Audiences are increasingly moving between traditional television, connected TV services and online platforms, making it more important for broadcasters, agencies and advertisers to have a consistent view of total video consumption.
Following the BRC’s 2026 Establishment Survey, the organisation has confirmed that television and online measurement will launch together. There will be no interim TV-only phase and no back-trending against TAMS data.
“The question is no longer whether we measure online video but rather how we measure the whole picture reliably, on one panel, under one rulebook. TVM does exactly that, and it does it in one move on 1 January 2027”, says Gary Whitaker, Chief Executive Officer of the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa.
One measurement system, two reporting levels
TVM will provide the market with two levels of reporting within the same dataset.
Broadcaster Total TV will extend the current television currency to include connected TV viewing and broadcaster-owned content viewed across devices.
Total Video will add platform-level online viewing on personal devices, including broadcaster video-on-demand services, subscription and other streaming services, and certified social video.
This will allow the industry to assess broadcaster audiences and the wider online video market using a common measurement framework.
TVM will be produced according to the BRC’s Mandatory Calculation and Reporting Rules. Any software supplier that meets the BRC’s certification requirements will be able to provide the data, allowing broadcasters, agencies and advertisers to continue working with their preferred technology partners.
Real data available before launch
The BRC will begin releasing real TVM test data from end-October 2026, after broadcaster scrutiny has taken place, giving the industry more than two months to prepare for the transition.
Broadcasters, agencies and advertisers will be able to use the data to test their systems, update planning and trading processes, retrain teams and familiarise themselves with the new currency before it becomes the official industry standard.
Whitaker says the preparation period is intended to give the market practical experience rather than requiring businesses to work from technical specifications alone.
“Giving broadcasters, agencies and advertisers genuine test data more than two months before go-live means teams can retrain, recalibrate their systems and validate their outputs against real numbers well ahead of trading on the new currency.”
The BRC is encouraging industry participants to engage with their software providers ahead of October and confirm their plans for supporting TVM.
Measuring audiences across screens
At launch, TVM will measure linear television, time-shifted viewing, connected TV and online video viewed on personal devices.
Broadcaster streaming on the big screen will be measured and credited to the relevant broadcaster if within the time shift window, other viewing to broadcaster content and non-broadcaster platforms such as Netflix and YouTube will be reported at platform level.
A further upgrade is planned for mid-2027, introducing programme and episode level reporting for broadcaster digital platforms. This will use the same underlying measurement system rather than creating a new currency.
The BRC says this approach is intended to provide continuity for the market as TVM develops.
A new starting point for video measurement
The launch of TVM represents a significant change in the way video audiences will be measured and understood in South Africa.
The BRC’s Establishment Survey has confirmed the growing role of connected television and online video in audience behaviour. Measuring television in isolation would therefore provide a less complete picture of how consumers are accessing video content.
Rather than extend linear television measurement only for another measurement cycle and introduce online video at a later stage, the BRC has chosen a single transition to TVM.
On 1 January 2027, TAMS will be discontinued and TVM will become the country’s industry currency for viewing audiences.
The BRC will remain responsible for the underlying research, panel, measurement systems, daily currency, reporting rules and software certification. Commercial services such as AdIntel, go-to-market services and buy- or sell-side trading tools will remain outside the BRC’s role.
Further information on TVM, including its methodology, reporting rules and certified software vendors, is available from the BRC.