Rakuten TV Joins Barb UK for Standardized Audience Measurement

Rakuten TV Enterprise has officially signed with Barb, the UK's television audience measurement body, to provide independent verification of its viewing figures.

By adopting the same methodology used for major broadcasters and platforms like Netflix, Rakuten TV aims to offer advertisers greater transparency and a standardized way to measure incremental reach. Initial data from early 2026 indicates that the platform reaches approximately 2 million people in the UK, with a significant portion of its audience—particularly younger viewers—increasingly unreachable through traditional linear television. This move reinforces the growing legitimacy of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) as a key component of the modern media landscape.
 
Owned by Rakuten Group, the European streamer will now have its audiences independently measured using Barb's methodology - the same standard applied to broadcasters and major SVOD and BVOD streaming platforms such as Netflix and ITVX.
 
This enables advertisers to assess Rakuten TV's audiences using a well-recognised and established data measurement, providing greater consistency and confidence in media investment and a clearer view of incremental reach - particularly among younger and harder-to-reach audiences.
 
Rakuten TV operates primarily in the ad-supported space, with a strong focus on FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV), which is one of the fastest-growing segments in the European market.
 
Initial Barb data (W2–5 2026) shows Rakuten TV reaching approximately 2 million individuals in the UK, positioning them as one of the most popularly viewed hybrid platforms in the UK.
 
Rakuten TV's move to join Barb reflects a broader industry shift, as ad-supported streaming platforms seek standardised measurement to compete more effectively for brand budgets, reinforcing FAST's role as a bridge between linear TV and on-demand streaming.
 
A Transparent, Digital-First Approach to Measurement
By opting into Barb measurement, Rakuten TV, which operates in over 43 European territories reaching more than 150M households, joins a group of platforms that have chosen independent verification to provide advertisers with consistent, comparable data. This proactive decision reinforces Rakuten TV's position as a transparent, digital-first platform bridging the gap between traditional TV and programmatic advertising, while setting a new benchmark for measurement within the FAST ecosystem.
 
Stuart Keith, VP Global Ad Strategy & Partnerships at Rakuten TV Enterprise said: "Partnering with Barb is an active choice to be fully transparent with the market. In an increasingly fragmented TV environment, advertisers require clarity and consistency. By aligning with Barb, we're speaking the same measurement language as the wider industry while clearly demonstrating the unique value we can bring through incremental audience reach. This is about more than measurement. It's about trust, giving advertisers confidence in both the scale of our audiences and our ability to reach viewers that other platforms aren't."
 
He added: "As FAST continues to grow within the mainstream TV ecosystem, standardised measurement is key to unlocking its full value for advertisers. We're proud to be a leading player among FAST/hybrid platforms in adopting Barb, as it complements our existing audience analytics and enables partners to make smarter, more effective media investment decisions."
 
Incremental Reach Highlights
Barb data shows Rakuten TV delivers meaningful incremental audiences across the TV and streaming landscape- unlocking audiences that are otherwise inaccessible:
 
• 54.6% of Rakuten TV viewers are not present on any other FAST platform
• Reaching cord-cutters at scale: 11% of viewers did not watch content from BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 or Channel 5 during the same four-week period, making them entirely unreachable via these linear TV channels, representing a crucial opportunity for advertisers on connected TV platforms. Among younger audiences, this rises to 27% of 16–24s and 17% of 25–34s
 
For advertisers, this positions Rakuten TV as a complementary, and truly valuable, platform delivering net-new audiences rather than duplicated impressions.
 
A Unique Audience in a Fragmented Landscape
Rakuten TV attracts a distinct mix of light linear viewers, cord-cutters, and "cord-nevers" - audiences increasingly absent from traditional broadcast strategies. Barb data highlights its ability to deliver a unique and incremental audience segment that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.
 
As a leading FAST/hybrid platform, Rakuten TV combines a free, accessible viewing environment with digital-first, programmatic capabilities, playing a key role in the evolution of TV. Its integration with Barb reinforces a commitment to transparent, standardised measurement, positioning the platform to help advertisers navigate the ongoing shift of TV budgets into digital channels.
 
By aligning with a Joint Industry Currency (JIC), Rakuten TV is contributing to more consistent, standardised measurement in a fragmented streaming landscape.

www.rakuten.tv