The UK government has called on Amazon and Netflix to disclose their viewing data for streaming series which came from the UK public service broadcasters (PSBs), which include Peaky Blinders and Fleabag.
Government officials have agreed to the recommendation from the British Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMSC), calling for the streaming platforms to share viewing data with UK broadcasters and media regulator Ofcom. Deadline reported that the purpose is to enable the full analysis of the PSB reach.
In a statement, the government said that there is a case that will require streaming platforms to share their top-line viewing data with Ofcom. It will help to assist them with the analysis and evaluation of the PSB system.
Amazon and Netflix are known to be very guarded with their streaming data. They rarely share the viewership numbers for anything aside from most-streamed exclusives. Streamers such as Disney+ and HBO Max are also protective of their viewing information. Oftentimes, outside parties report on viewing numbers of households that watched their latest releases.
When Disney+ released The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, they avoided revealing the exact statistics. Netflix and Amazon responded to the DCMSC's recommendation. The companies argued that it would be commercially insensitive to unveil their data on viewership.
The DCMSC disagreed with their response in March. Streaming services are an important second window for the PSB content. However, without the viewership data. It will be difficult to fully assess the exact PSBs.
The UK government hopes that its streaming data can be disclosed voluntarily in the first instance. Things might change unless it passes legislation that requires the data to be shared.
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