Household Reach
Part of CTV and broader media planning
Estimating duplicated exposure across video channels
Define a common audience and period, obtain an overlap estimate, and calculate combined video reach without double-counting viewers.
Duplicated campaign exposure occurs when the same measured person or household is counted in more than one video channel over the same period. Estimate it with compatible channel reach figures and an overlap estimate for the covered inventory. If overlap cannot be measured or credibly modelled, report it as unknown.
Define the event and unit
Decide whether the analysis concerns program viewing, households associated with served ads or modelled people reached by campaign ads. These are different measures. Someone who watches both broadcast TV and BVOD did not necessarily see this advertiser’s spots in both.
Record the audience, Australian area, dates, channels, eligible devices, ad event and identity unit.
Weekly unique audiences cannot simply be added into a campaign-long unique audience. Household reach from one system and person reach from another cannot enter the same overlap calculation without a supported conversion method.
Key Differences in Audience Measurement Units
- Audience TypeHousehold reach vs. person reach
- Identity UnitCommon method required for cross-channel overlap calculation (e.g., MRC Phase I standards)
- Device CoverageBVOD includes live and on-demand viewing across connected devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, smart TVs)
- Geographic ScopeMust be consistent across channels—e.g., national Australia coverage per VOZ RF Portal
Check the measurement boundary
The VOZ glossary defines Total TV audience as viewing by people via broadcast TV and/or BVOD, and BVOD audience as viewing by people via BVOD live and on demand to any connected device.
Label any campaign result by the channels and screens actually included.
For another provider’s cross-channel estimate, ask for the identity unit, inventory coverage, method and validation. Ask how the estimate establishes overlap across channels.
A measured overlap for one set of channels should not be applied automatically to unmeasured services.
Calculate combined reach
For two channels measured on the same basis, combined reach = reach in A + reach in B − reach in both. Suppose an invented example has 100,000 people reached by broadcast ads, 40,000 by eligible BVOD ads and 15,000 by both under a valid common method.
Combined reach is 125,000 people, and BVOD adds 25,000 people beyond broadcast. These figures illustrate arithmetic; they are not Australian audience estimates or a campaign result.
Without the overlap figure, the two channel totals do not determine combined reach. Show the missing input. If a budget decision requires scenarios, label each assumed overlap and show how it changes the answer; do not present an assumption as a measured forecast.
Calculating Combined Reach Across Video Channels
- Define the audience unitIdentify whether measuring people, households, or ad-served individuals. Ensure consistency across channels (e.g., person-level identity in Australia).
- Confirm measurement boundariesVerify that both channels (e.g., broadcast TV and BVOD) are measured using the same identity unit and cover the same Australian geographic area and time period.
- Obtain overlap estimateUse a valid, measured or modelled overlap figure for the shared audience between channels. If unavailable, state as 'unknown'.
- Report transparentlyDisclose assumptions about overlap if used in scenarios. Never present an assumption as a measured forecast.
Read frequency separately
The same combined reach can hide different exposure patterns. Ask for the distribution of exposure counts across the measured channels, along with any co-viewing estimate and inventory that cannot be joined.
Use those findings to frame a limited allocation test. Duplication alone does not prove the sales effect of moving spend.
