AGF Videoforschung plans to integrate anonymized HbbTV return-channel data into Germany’s national television measurement system. The current modelling base covers more than 1.7 million devices, and the target architecture is expected to reach roughly 3.4 million.
The representative AGF panel remains the methodological anchor rather than being replaced by device counts. Return-path data is intended to add detail for fragmented viewing, niche services and smaller audiences. A previous proof of concept involved about 100 broadcasters and required explicit viewer consent through on-screen HbbTV banners.
The five-part 2028 design also includes a connected-TV category, an approximately 800,000-case synthetic virtual panel, granular video-level data and cross-media campaign measurement. Cross-platform campaign IDs and APIs are planned so linear, streaming and static big-screen use can be compared and deduplicated.
2027 is a transition and parallel-test year. Final modelling methods, privacy controls, platform coverage, error margins, audit rules and the production-readiness of the virtual panel are not yet published.
