MUMBAI: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has issued a global Request For Information (RFI) as it readies itself to expand audience measurement to the digital space.

After gathering this information, BARC India will issue a subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) that is realistic in its scope.

The television ratings measurement body aims to measure all forms of online video advertising, including ad breaks in live streams, pre-roll and mid-roll videos, and targeted/addressable advertising linked to the content on broadcaster sites or social media or any other website/apps.

“At BARC India, our aim is to continually evolve in a way that suits the ever changing content viewing habits. After rolling out the television viewership measurement in the country, we are now ready to take the next leap, that of measuring digital viewing,” said BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.   

In the RFI, applicants have been asked to outline how their offerings work, the types of video, devices and platforms the company is able to measure and the level of detail. The RFI must also highlight whether the approach requires third party action.

This comes after television becoming a cross-platform medium, available through a variety of distribution systems, including broadcast, IP, mobile networks and a growing number of connected screens through, which audio-visual content is consumed.   

The RFIs will facilitate understanding of the capabilities of online video advertising and content measurement techniques with regards to panel and census measurement across video types, devices and platforms.