BRC TVM ESTABLISHMENT SURVEY 2026 LAUNCH WEBINAR

Business-focused summary (BRC TVM Establishment Survey 2026 Launch)

Purpose & why this survey matters (TVM currency + panel operations)

• The BRC TVM Establishment Survey 2026 is positioned as the foundation (“currency”) for Total Video Measurement (TVM).
• It also supports recruitment into the new TVM panel, described as accelerating.
• Operating principle: future establishment work should be media-type specific (e.g., TV/video), rather than trying to cover all media types at once—because of market fragmentation and the need for depth and respondent comfort.

TVM linkage (from the webinar)

• Establishment Survey → sizes/profiles the eligible universe for measurement → enables TVM panel measurement representativeness and recruiting.

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Research design & quality control (methodology playbook)

Karen (research methodology) describes a redesigned survey with a “rigor-first” approach built on three pillars:

• Gold standard methodology
• Execution + multi-layer QC
• Stakeholder involvement (global best practices + local experts + technical committee + broadcaster/agency participation)

Timeline / project process

• January 2025: journey begins with technical committee discussions on market needs and challenges.
• April 2025: qualitative study to understand how people describe TV/video viewing across generations.
• August 2025: pilot phase (questionnaire tested in field).
• September 2025 → 1 March 2026: main fieldwork
• Data testing/scrutiny with test group + technical committee ahead of launch.

Sampling & field execution (operational specifics)

• Sample size: 15,378+ interviews (respondents) age 15+, across South Africa.
• Universe: respondents from households with the right viewing/energy conditions (profiled later for TVM eligibility).
• Sampling approach: random sampling
• Enumeration Areas (EAs): 5,000 EAs via GTI sample frame
• Interviews per EA: 3 interviews per EA (deliberately lower to increase geographic coverage/representativeness)
• Data collection: CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) with devices + reference materials (e.g., brand/channel examples) to reduce respondent errors.

Interviewer QA / control layers

Described as 5–6 layers, including:

• GPS + geofencing (questionnaire access only at selected locations)
• Timestamps + route mapping for travel/visit auditing
• External field checks (no anomalies found)
• Photos of satellite dishes/antennas and viewing devices/channels received
• Covert recordings to validate understanding and interviewing quality
  • consent noted for photos
  • recordings used for question comprehension checks

Weighting & representativeness (how outputs become “panel-ready”)

Post-fieldwork, weighting matches the South African population by:

• Province
• Population group
• Age group
• Gender

Reported weighting efficiency:

• 68% respondent-level weighting efficiency
• 77% household-level weighting efficiency

Output:

• representative dataset with household-level and personal-level variables.

Dataset structure (what teams can do with it)

• Household-level variables: location, household composition, infrastructure (TV signal type, internet type, number of smart TVs/decoders, backup power, energy supply).
• Personal-level variables: demographics (gender/age/education/income), devices used, viewing/broadcast groups, and time spent.

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Key findings: “The table” narrative (what South Africa watches and how)

Sana (Ask Africa) reports findings as direct survey results (not modeled estimates), emphasizing:

• “We asked, we didn’t model” (numbers reflect respondents; not trend projections)
• Whole country coverage (not only easy-to-reach markets)
• Two levels measured per home: individual viewing + household availability
• “Let it surprise us”: keep data even when it challenges assumptions

Core business-relevant KPIs / metrics cited

TV/video reach & viewing

• 68% of South Africans watch TV/video in the last 7 days
• Of those:
  • 71% watch ≥ 2 hours on a weekday
  • 86% watch on the TV set (rather than laptop/phone as the primary device)

What content categories dominate

• 47%: News + movies
• 41%: Sport (“standing order”)
• Soap/telenovelas shift by geography:
  • 59% rural vs 39% metro

How multi-screen/video platforms compete

• Streaming reach: 48% in the last 7 days
• Social media reach: 63%
• Broadcaster reach vs streaming: broadcaster services show outreach alongside strong streaming (streaming notably strong, but not portrayed as universally dominant)

Shared viewing behavior:

• Broadcaster viewers: ~60% watch with other people at home
• Streaming: 37% watch with others ⇒ implies ~62% watch alone (as stated in narrative)

Connection & device access (measurement constraints)

• 79% of homes have access to TV/video streaming in some form; 21% have neither.
• Streaming-only: 17%
• Multi-access (more than one way): 31%
• 52% of homes have no streaming access

Internet availability:

• 60% of homes have internet; 40% do not
• 39% rely on mobile data; fiber is a minority
• 92% own a working mobile phone, but only 51% can reach a streaming service on it

Streaming “why” + behavior

Among streaming users:

• 44% pay for own schedule
• 30% pay for variety
• 18% pay to avoid advertising
• Only 9% cite exclusive content

Streaming viewing mode:

• 69% of streaming use is on mobile
• 48% on TV set
• 85% stream only at home
• 62% watch streaming mostly alone

Social media vs TV positioning

• 70% of television viewers also watch social media
• 45% of people who watch no TV still use social media
• Stated preference:
  • 39% prefer social media
  • 41% prefer traditional TV
• Usage rationale: social media is chosen for variety/constant novelty, not duration

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Risk factors affecting audience availability (“dark night”: power/signal/money)

Sana highlights “blockers” that alter where viewing can happen—important for both measurement validity and commercial planning.

Concrete loss/churn-like conditions (proxy for viewing drop)

• Load shedding / power loss

  • 69% of homes lose viewing during load shedding
  • Middle-income group: 75%
  • <6% have backup power (solar/inverter/generator/battery combined)
  • 74% buy electricity in advance (can run out)
  • Key message: “Seven in 10 homes lose the screen when power goes.”

• Signal reliability / digital transition barriers

  • 57% have never heard of analog switch-off
  • 9% have not yet switched off due to decoder affordability
  • 13% already switched off due to affordability issues

• Internet affordability / availability

  • 23% have no internet

• Fallback behavior

  • 14% stream until data runs out, then fall back to broadcast TV

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Audience segmentation & decision-making (who “buys” attention)

Sana quantifies household control and viewing negotiation—useful for sales targeting and media planning.

• 52% decide for themselves what’s on the main screen
• 28% decide together (nearly one-third negotiate)

Channel/program selection behavior:

• 23% browse the guide
• 16% follow a platform suggestion (algorithm-like recommendations)

Shared screen behavior (commercial implication):

• 61% share the screen on a broadcaster
• 38% do when streaming

Household profile attributes:

• 77% black South Africans
• 76% age 15–49
• 56% earn around 4,000/month
• SEM supergroup M: 41%
• Half live outside metros
• 61% of household population is outside metros (stated as household geography profile)

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Implications for Total Video Measurement (TVM universe sizing + eligibility rules)

Hurín (BRC segment) translates story into TVM operational requirements.

TVM “eligible universe” definition (what households can be measured)

Households are eligible if they have:

• Stable electricity (not only mains—also other stable energy systems)
• At least one working device: TV, computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone
• The device is connected to a TV signal or internet signal

Eligible universe size (critical KPI)

• 86% of homes are part of the TVM universe
• Represents ~16 million households
• The establishment survey is used to profile and weight this group to keep TVM panels representative.

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Data access & operational next steps

• Release date: 7 September
• Where: available on Teler (appears as “Telmo” in subtitles; intended platform name may be “Teler”)
• Access requires a license with Teler/Telmo
• No separate BRC agreement required for access
• Training sessions (open):
  • 16 September
  • 23 September
  • 30 September
• Where to find documentation: BRC website (dedicated tab + technical documentation)
• Questions: officebr.org.za
• Bespoke analysis/deep dives: Ask Africa offers quoted additional runs (not free)

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Extracted frameworks / playbooks referenced

• Three-pillar research methodology framework (Karen)

  • Gold standard methodology
  • Execution + multi-layer QC
  • Stakeholder involvement (global + local + technical committee)

• Fieldwork QC “multi-layer assurance” process

  • GPS/geofencing + timestamps/routes auditing
  • external field checks
  • photo validation (satellite/antennas/screens/channels)
  • covert recording checks for question comprehension

• TVM eligibility “universe sizing” framework

  • stable electricity + working devices + connectivity (TV signal or internet)

• Media-type focus strategy

  • “Go deep in one media type” due to fragmentation and need for depth/comfort

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Concrete, actionable recommendations implied by the findings

• Plan for “shared attention” differently by platform

  • Broadcaster TV is more often shared (~60% with others)
  • Streaming is often solo (~62% alone)

• Prioritize distribution/availability constraints

  • High viewing loss during power events (69%) and low backup power (<6%) means measurement and media delivery must model interruption risk.
  • Treat internet access as a constraint: 60% have internet; 39% rely on mobile data.

• Align GTM messaging with buyer motivations

  • Leading paid streaming reason: schedule control (44%) rather than exclusives (9%)

• Segment audience strategy by decision dynamics

  • In ~28% of homes, decisions are negotiated—impacting creative strategy, guide vs algorithm discoverability, and buy-side planning.

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Presenters / sources

• Gary (host/intro; survey importance, TV/video focus, TVM implications)
• Karen Shut (research methodology and QC; sampling design and weighting)
• Sana Fury / Sana Farie / Sana Fury (Ask Africa) (findings story and interpretation)
• GTI (sample frame provider mentioned in methodology)
• Ask Africa (consulting agency leading the project; fieldwork training)
• Ariana Nedling (named in stakeholder involvement)
• BRC / Broadcast Research Council (implied organizing body)
• SABC / DSTV (broadcaster groups referenced in findings)