iKOANALYTICS combines operational information from channels distributed via satellite with consumption metrics obtained from connected TV environments. The aim is to analyse both signal delivery and audience usage from a single platform.
Satellite distribution continues to play an important role in reaching large audiences. However, it differs fundamentally from OTT and digital environments: historically, it has been more difficult to obtain detailed information about what happens after the signal reaches the viewer.
iKO Media Group (iKOMG) addresses this issue through iKOANALYTICS, a tool integrated into version 2.0 of its iKOSYSTEM platform. The solution brings satellite monitoring, distribution information and audience data together within a single environment.
For broadcasters and channel operators, the aim is to connect two aspects that are usually analysed separately: the technical performance of distribution and subsequent audience behaviour.
What information analytics adds
In addition to service monitoring and data associated with satellite distribution, iKOANALYTICS can incorporate, in compatible connected TV environments, information such as:
- Minutes viewed.
- Total number of accesses.
- Device type.
- Geographical information about the audience.
This data can broaden a purely operational view, focused on checking whether the channel is being distributed correctly, by also incorporating basic consumption patterns.
For those responsible for broadcasting, distribution and operations, this information can support decisions concerning programming, markets, distribution strategies and capacity usage.
Satellite does not become OTT
There is an important technical distinction. Satellite essentially remains a wide-reaching distribution infrastructure.
The ability to understand viewer behaviour does not come from turning satellite transmission into a two-way system, but from combining distribution data with information generated by compatible television sets and other connected environments.
According to iKOMG, audience metrics are available through compatible Internet-connected TV environments and across the satellite fleets supported by the platform.
This distinction is important because it prevents the tool from being interpreted as a system capable of measuring every satellite receiver. The additional information depends on the existence of a connected environment capable of collecting and providing that data.
Operations and audience data within a single platform
iKOANALYTICS is integrated into iKOSYSTEM, the platform through which iKOMG centralises various broadcast and media services.
The addition of analytics brings technical monitoring and audience-related information together within a single environment. This allows operators to consult data from both areas without switching platforms.
This integration helps answer questions such as:
- Is the channel operating correctly?
- Where is it being watched?
- For how long is it being viewed?
- Which compatible devices are being used to access it?
The relationship between technical and consumption data can be particularly useful when a broadcaster distributes the same content via satellite, IP and other platforms, and needs to analyse the role each delivery method plays within its overall strategy.
Why improving satellite measurement matters
In OTT services, detailed metrics on users, sessions and consumption are a standard part of operations. In linear broadcasting and satellite distribution, this information has traditionally been less detailed.
Combining operational data and consumption metrics can help assess a channel’s performance in specific territories more accurately. It can also provide information to support decisions related to geographical expansion, content, distribution and business models.
This type of tool does not replace traditional audience measurement systems or turn satellite into an interactive digital platform. Its purpose is to add an information layer that complements technical monitoring and distribution analysis.
From monitoring the signal to analysing the service
The addition of these metrics reflects a broader change within the broadcast sector.
Monitoring is no longer necessarily limited to checking the bitrate, availability, reception or continuity of a signal. The trend is towards gradually incorporating operational data, information about device behaviour and audience analytics to obtain a more comprehensive view of the service.
For broadcast engineers and platform managers, one of the main challenges is to integrate these sources of information without losing sight of where each data point comes from and what proportion of the audience it actually represents.
