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TV Azteca changes ad model after ratings leak

Mexico’s TV Azteca is switching its advertising model following a leak of a ratings firm’s home samples list, leading the broadcaster to question the reliability of its audience measurements.

Azteca, the second largest television broadcaster in the country behind Grupo Televisa, will charge advertisers by ad-spot rather than ratings points after part of ratings firm Ibope’s homes sample was leaked to a number of people in the industry via email. It is unclear exactly how much of the database was published, when it was published and how many people had access to it.

Ibope AGB Mexico, part of Ibope Internacional-AGB Nielsen Media Research, has confirmed approximately half of the names on the 2,784 strong initial list were part of its panel and an additional 630 names were later disseminated. The company’s sample includes 2,500 homes.

According to Azteca chief executive Mario San Roman, the broadcaster is not expecting any effect on advertising sales following the policy change but did acknowledge that it would require extra work to ensure customers and the company are not affected.

In June, Ibope AGB Mexico said that it will rotate the homes that could have been compromised by the leak and still plans to publish its data on a regular basis. It argues that any unusual behaviour in measured homes is picked up by its ratings models.

Grupo Televisa has not made any similar decisions to change its advertising model and has said that it will wait for an official report from Ibope before doing so. 

David Hing, London