In a new twist on the unfolding developments around TV and digital streaming measurement, Doug Peiffer, former CEO of broadcaster-owned TV ratings house OzTAM, is set to join Foxtel Media as a Senior Adviser.

Peiffer will join the Foxtel Media team, part of the Foxtel Group, which has 4.6 million subscribers.

Peiffer's role will involve supporting Foxtel Media in unlocking comprehensive ratings data from Foxtel Group’s over one million set-top boxes, in partnership with Kantar Media. This project, announced at last year’s Foxtel Media upfront event, was partly a result of frustrations and tension between OzTam and Foxtel over ratings accuracy. Foxtel Media said Kanta had already processed data from 2022, 2023 and 2024 and is now building out validated demographic profiles to match viewing data.

"In an increasingly competitive landscape, audience measurement has become all the more critical for everyone along the video supply chain, from media companies to agencies and advertisers. The evolution of content delivery has also made measurement highly complex and technical," said Mark Frain, CEO of Foxtel Media. "Doug is one of the few experts globally with the background and deep technical knowledge to bring Australian measurement into the new age of media, and we are lucky to have him join the team."

Peiffer will report directly to Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain and will contribute to the development of new reach and effectiveness measures across linear and streaming channels. He will also lend his insight to projects and initiatives being run in partnership with Video Futures Collective partners.

"The Foxtel Group’s suite of powerful media assets makes them uniquely qualified to pull apart the intricacies of audience measurement and create something truly special. Given the Group’s strong history with broadcast, streaming and rich data tapestry, they are well placed to leverage this information," said Peiffer. "Combined with a demonstrated willingness to work collaboratively with the industry, they are ideally positioned to deliver unparalleled insights to market that will enhance trading and boost results for the entire industry. I’m excited to be part of this pivotal moment in Australian media."

Peiffer began his career as a people meter installer for Nielsen in the US, served as General Manager of Strategy, Integration and Research at Australia’s Network Ten for nine years, and was CEO of Australia’s official television ratings currency OzTAM for 12 years. Updates about the release of Kantar Media analysed data will be provided in the coming months.