MetaBroadcast wins three-year TAM Ireland contract for programme data harmonisation

MetaBroadcast secured a three-year contract from TAM Ireland to operate a programme data harmonisation system. The deal, announced today, establishes a collaboration between MetaBroadcast and Gracenote, Nielsen's content data division, to deliver enhanced television audience measurement capabilities to the Irish market.

TAM Ireland, the Joint Industry Committee representing Irish broadcasters and advertising agencies, awarded the contract to implement an ID mapping solution designed to improve data quality and provide better understanding of television viewership at programme genre levels. According to the announcement, the collaboration will enhance accuracy of combined data files by providing access to enriched Gracenote programme metadata, including customer-specific genres and unique content identifiers.

The timing coincides with broader transformation occurring across television measurement globally. Nielsen ended its legacy TV ratings system in January 2025, transitioning from panel-only measurement to a combined Big Data + Panel approach that incorporates viewing data from 45 million households and 75 million devices.

Summary

Who: TAM Ireland (Television Audience Measurement Ireland CLG), MetaBroadcast, and Nielsen's Gracenote division. TAM Ireland represents Irish broadcasters including RTÉ, Virgin Media Television, TG4, Channel 4, Sky Media Ireland, and Paramount, plus major media buying agencies Core, WPP, Dentsu, Havas, and Omnicom Media Group.

What: A three-year contract for operating a programme data harmonisation system using MetaBroadcast's Atlas cloud-based platform and Gracenote's content metadata to provide enhanced audience measurement through ID mapping solutions.

When: The contract was announced on July 9, 2025, establishing a three-year partnership duration.

Where: The contract serves the Irish television and advertising market, with MetaBroadcast headquartered in London and Gracenote operating as Nielsen's content data business unit.

Why: To improve data quality and understanding of television viewership at programme genre levels by reducing data duplication, enhancing operational efficiency, and providing more accurate combined data files with enriched metadata including customer-specific genres and unique content identifiers.

Technical implementation and stakeholder reach

MetaBroadcast will deploy its Atlas cloud-based active data platform to handle scalable, time-sensitive data ingestion, mapping, and matching processes. The system aims to reduce data duplication while improving operational efficiency for TAM Ireland's stakeholder network.

The industry body serves major Irish broadcasters including RTÉ, Virgin Media Television, TG4, Channel 4, Sky Media Ireland, and Paramount. Media buying agencies Core, WPP, Dentsu, Havas, and Omnicom Media Group also participate in TAM Ireland's measurement framework.

"MetaBroadcast is delighted that TAM Ireland has recognised the value of the robust metadata management capabilities of Atlas, our cloud-based active data platform, and best-in-class Gracenote program metadata," said Jamie Mackinlay, CEO of MetaBroadcast. "Scalable, time-sensitive data ingest, mapping, and matching are key to reducing data duplication and improving operational efficiency that will help TAM Ireland better serve their stakeholders."

The technical architecture combines MetaBroadcast's data management expertise with Gracenote's extensive metadata library. Gracenote has aggregated, normalized and enriched programme metadata covering more than 40 million titles across 260 streaming catalogs in 35 languages spanning 80 countries.

Industry context and measurement challenges

The contract addresses critical challenges facing television audience measurement as viewing patterns fragment across multiple platforms and devices. Industry research indicates that audience measurement has become weaponized by digital gatekeepers, with major platforms resisting independent measurement while preferring to "grade their own homework."

Joint Industry Committees traditionally serve as neutral arbiters in audience measurement, developing impartial benchmarks for advertising performance across different media channels. TAM Ireland's selection of MetaBroadcast and Gracenote reflects the ongoing need for independent measurement solutions that can provide transparency across fragmented viewing environments.

"Gracenote's programme metadata and IDs plus MetaBroadcast's advanced data platform give TAM Ireland unprecedented insight into content viewership at a granular level," said Tim Cutting, Chief Revenue Officer at Gracenote. "We're pleased to expand our work with MetaBroadcast which will help TAM Ireland deliver the best possible solutions to Irish broadcasters and marketers."

The implementation occurs as streaming services continue capturing larger shares of television viewing time. Nielsen reported streaming achieved a record 40.3% share of total TV usage in June 2024, surpassing cable television's previous dominance.

MetaBroadcast's technical capabilities

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, MetaBroadcast has established extensive infrastructure for metadata management. The company has ingested metadata from over 150 different sources, serving more than 70 broadcasters and 310 channels while managing over 140 million content records and billions of transactions.

The Atlas platform provides active data management capabilities designed to handle the complexity of modern television ecosystems. The system processes multiple metadata formats and sources, enabling standardization across diverse content catalogs and broadcasting environments.

MetaBroadcast's selection demonstrates TAM Ireland's focus on proven metadata management capabilities. The three-year contract duration provides stability for implementing comprehensive data harmonisation across the Irish television measurement ecosystem.

Gracenote's role in content identification

Gracenote brings content identification and metadata enrichment capabilities essential for accurate audience measurement. The company's technology enables advanced content navigation and discovery while delivering analytics that simplify complex business decisions for content creators and distributors.

The collaboration leverages Gracenote's global database of entertainment metadata, which includes detailed information about television programmes, movies, music, and sports content. This comprehensive approach ensures consistent identification and categorization of content across different broadcasting and streaming platforms.

According to Gracenote, their technology helps individuals connect easily to preferred content while providing powerful analytics for business decision-making. The integration with MetaBroadcast's Atlas platform aims to deliver these capabilities specifically for Irish market requirements.

Market implications for advertising measurement

The contract reflects broader industry recognition of metadata quality's importance in audience measurement accuracy. Recent partnerships between Nielsen and other technology providers demonstrate the growing need for sophisticated measurement solutions that can track audiences across linear television, connected TV, and digital platforms.

TAM Ireland's investment in enhanced data harmonisation capabilities positions the organization to provide more granular insights into viewing patterns and programme performance. This improved measurement foundation supports better-informed advertising allocation decisions and more accurate pricing models for Irish broadcasters and media agencies.

The timing aligns with global trends toward more comprehensive audience measurement. Nielsen has expanded measurement partnerships across multiple markets, introducing new capabilities for measuring audiences across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.

Technical implementation timeline

The three-year contract provides TAM Ireland with sustained access to MetaBroadcast's Atlas platform and Gracenote's metadata services. Implementation will focus on establishing consistent data ingestion, mapping, and matching processes across all participating broadcasters and content providers.

MetaBroadcast will coordinate technical integration with existing TAM Ireland systems while ensuring compatibility with stakeholder requirements. The harmonisation system must accommodate various metadata formats and content identification standards used across the Irish television industry.

Gracenote's contribution includes ongoing metadata enrichment and content identification services. This ensures that newly launched programmes and content updates receive appropriate categorization and identification within the measurement framework.

Industry measurement transformation

The announcement occurs during significant transformation in television audience measurement methodologies. Nielsen's transition away from panel-only measurement reflects industry-wide recognition that traditional approaches cannot adequately capture contemporary viewing behaviors.

TAM Ireland's investment in enhanced data harmonisation demonstrates commitment to maintaining measurement accuracy despite increasing complexity in content distribution and consumption patterns. The collaboration with MetaBroadcast and Gracenote provides access to proven technologies for addressing these measurement challenges.

The contract establishes a foundation for future measurement enhancements as the Irish television industry continues adapting to changing viewer preferences and technological developments. MetaBroadcast's three-year commitment ensures sustained support for TAM Ireland's evolving measurement requirements.

Timeline

• • July 9, 2025: TAM Ireland announces three-year contract award to MetaBroadcast and Nielsen's Gracenote for programme data harmonisation system
• January 2025: Nielsen ends legacy TV ratings system, transitioning to Big Data + Panel approach
• February 2025: Industry research exposes digital gatekeepers' weaponization of audience measurement opacity
• April 2025: ReachTV integrates with Nielsen ONE Ads for airport advertising measurement
• June 2024: Streaming captures record 40.3% share of total TV viewing time
• August 2024: Nielsen and Innovid announce partnership for cross-media ad measurement