Malaysia Moves Closer Towards Unified System For Measuring Digital Media Audiences

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Malaysia's media industry is working towards a common system for measuring audiences across television, radio, and digital platforms

The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) is leading the initiative through a Joint Industry Committee made up of broadcasters, advertisers, agencies, digital platforms and streaming services.

The proposed Single Audience Measurement (SAM) framework is intended to address gaps in the industry's current measurement systems.

Audiences today regularly move between television, streaming services, social media, websites, mobile applications and audio platforms

However, these audiences are often measured using separate datasets that may not be directly comparable.

This makes things difficult for advertisers to gauge if a campaign is reaching new people or repeatedly reaching the same audience across different platforms.

"The media industry cannot make tomorrow's decisions using a fragmented picture of today's audience," said CMCF chairman Datuk Rafiq Razali.

"Malaysians already move seamlessly across television, streaming, social media and multiple devices, but our measurement systems have not kept pace."

He explained that the industry hopes to establish a trusted "common currency" for decisions involving content, advertising and investment.

Consequently, SAM was envisioned as a unified, people-based measurement system covering an array of channels

These channels include television, radio, digital media, over-the-top (OTT) and streaming services, social media, websites, mobile applications and audio platforms.

The system is intended to provide a de-duplicated view of audiences, which means making it easier to distinguish between reaching the same person across several platforms and reaching entirely new audiences.

Meanwhile, Media Specialists Association president Sheila Shanmugam said agencies currently have to compare datasets that were not designed to work together.

"A credible SAM framework could give advertisers a much clearer view of incremental reach and help us make better decisions about where each ringgit is working hardest," she said.

Astro interim group chief executive officer Henry Tan added that modern audience measurement must reflect viewing that now takes place on demand, on the go and across multiple devices.

He said any new system should also recognise Malaysia's diverse demographics.

As part of the initiative, the committee has opened an industry-led Request for Information (RFI) on possible models

Research companies, audience measurement providers and subject matter experts are invited to submit information about SAM models, methodologies and business practices used around the world.

The exercise will help the industry understand the available approaches and determine how they could be adapted to Malaysia's media landscape.

However, the RFI does not mean the industry has committed to appointing a particular provider or adopting a specific solution.

Submissions are open from 17 August to 14 September 2026. Further information is available on the Content Forum's website.