Audience measurement has become a key regulatory and economic issue in the European media ecosystem.

Reliable and transparent audience measurement systems are essential for the fair allocation of advertising resources among media services and online platforms. Yet, the emergence of new audience measurement systems that do not follow industry standards and best practice agreed through self-regulatory mechanisms could lead to market distortions.

This is now changing. Article 24 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) introduces, for the first time, EU-level rules on audience measurement, aiming to ensure transparency, comparability and accountability. The publication of the European Commission’s non-binding guidelines marks a crucial step towards the practical application of these new obligations.

At the same time, national implementation is starting to take shape, raising important questions for media regulators, market players and audience measurement organisations. In this context, understanding what Article 24 requires, how it is being implemented at the national level, and what challenges lie ahead has become essential.