MRC Selects Ipsos to Lead Unified TV and Video Measurement in Saudi Arabia

Media Rating Company (MRC) has appointed Ipsos in MENA to deliver Saudi Arabia’s first unified audience measurement currency for television and digital video. The appointment follows an evaluation involving industry stakeholders and marks a step towards a more comprehensive measurement framework for the Kingdom’s evolving media landscape.

Announced on November 12, 2026, the new Integrated Video Audience Measurement (IVAM) service is targeted for launch in the second half of 2027. The service will combine individual-level panel measurement, digital viewing intelligence and large-scale datasets to measure audiences across television and video platforms.

MRC owns the initiative, while Ipsos will lead its implementation alongside technology partners RealityMine and Fifty5Blue.

The integrated service is designed to provide a unified view of audience behaviour across different viewing environments and platforms. By bringing together multiple measurement technologies, the initiative aims to offer media stakeholders more comprehensive insights into how audiences consume television and digital video content.

MRC Highlights Need for Evolving Audience Measurement

Eng. Bandar AlMashhadi, CEO of MRC, said Saudi Arabia’s media landscape is evolving rapidly, making it important for measurement capabilities to keep pace with changing audience behaviour.

He said: “Saudi Arabia’s media landscape, under the supervision of the Ministry of Media, is evolving at an extraordinary pace. Audiences have more choice than ever before in what they watch, how they watch and where they engage with content. As an industry, our measurement capabilities must evolve just as quickly.

At MRC, our ambition is to advance audience measurement through a robust, transparent and future-ready currency that reflects the realities of today’s viewing behaviour while anticipating the needs of tomorrow. This new generation of Integrated Video Audience Measurement establishes an essential foundation for the media industry as a whole in the Kingdom, providing the industry with a more comprehensive understanding of audiences and the insights needed to make informed decisions, invest with greater confidence and support continued growth across Saudi Arabia’s media ecosystem.”

Ipsos to Expand Measurement Beyond Traditional Viewing Environments

Ziad Issa, CEO Media, Ipsos in MENA, said the partnership will introduce new measurement capabilities to capture television and video viewing both inside and outside the home.

He said: “At Ipsos, we are incredibly proud to be partnering with MRC and the Saudi media industry on such an ambitious and transformative project. The way people watch TV and video has changed dramatically, and audience measurement needs to keep pace.

For the first time in the Kingdom, our MediaCell technology will take measurement beyond the living room, capturing viewing both in and out of the home and revealing audiences and viewing occasions that traditional systems simply couldn’t see. This programme also demonstrates how innovative, passive measurement technologies can deliver more accurate and representative insights into modern viewing behaviour.

By bringing together the strengths of three measurement technologies, we’re creating something truly exciting for Saudi Arabia – a new generation of audience measurement that delivers deeper insights, greater opportunities and a more complete understanding of the video landscape. This is about much more than measuring audiences. It’s about giving the industry the intelligence and confidence to make better decisions and unlock new opportunities for growth.”

A New Measurement Framework for Saudi Arabia’s Media Industry

The IVAM service will bring together panel-based measurement, digital viewing insights and large-scale datasets to provide a more integrated understanding of audience consumption across television and digital video.

With MRC overseeing the initiative and Ipsos working alongside RealityMine and Fifty5Blue, the programme aims to establish a measurement framework that reflects changing viewing habits and supports the needs of advertisers, broadcasters, media owners and other industry stakeholders.

Targeted for launch in the second half of 2027, the service is expected to provide the Saudi media industry with more comprehensive audience insights and support informed decisions around media investment, planning and measurement.