YouTube criticised after pulling out of UK TV audience measurement

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Mark SweneyJanuary 28, 2026 at 03:49 PM

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medium article 3 min

YouTube has withdrawn from the UK's TV audience measurement system (Barb), prompting criticism from the TV and advertising industries. YouTube's owner, Google, sent legal "cease and desist" letters to Barb and Kantar Media, its research partner, citing a breach of its terms of service regarding data access. This decision halts the comparison of YouTube viewership with traditional broadcasters like the BBC, Sky, and ITV. Industry figures express disappointment, highlighting the importance of transparent cross-media measurement and YouTube's previous efforts to align itself with TV advertising standards. The move comes after YouTube began allowing viewership of 200 of its channels on TV sets to be included in viewer measurements alongside broadcasters.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Thinkbox 40% Simon Michaelides 40% ITV ×250% BBC ×250% Sky ×250% Channel 4 ×250% Lindsey Clay 50% Netflix ×260% Kantar Media 60% Google ×270% Barb ×380% YouTube ×1090%

Keywords

youtube 100% audience measurement 90% tv viewership 80% barb 80% advertising revenues 70% tv industry 70% streaming services 60% data access 60% cross-media measurement 50% terms of service 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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youtube audience measurement tv viewership barb advertising revenues tv industry streaming services data access cross-media measurement terms of service

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