Apple TV Plus Ponders Ad Support, Meets With U.K. Ratings Body

After recruiting new executives and beefing up its advertising division earlier this year, Apple reportedly held talks with the U.K.’s TV ratings body, Barb Audiences Ltd.

According to The Telegraph , executives from Apple met with Barb in recent weeks to discuss potential data-collection options for tracking advertisements on Apple TV Plus.

Barb is known for publishing viewing stats on the U.K.’s four major broadcasters — BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky — and already provides Apple with similar streaming data.

While Barb records ratings for the streaming service, as well as other major U.K. programmers, monitoring advertising results would require additional, more complex data tracking.

If Apple wants to follow in the footsteps of its competitors and attract a higher volume of curious customers, though, selling advertisements on Apple TV Plus in exchange for a reduced price tag is likely the way to go.

In fact, a report published earlier this month by Bloomberg indicated that Apple TV Plus generates less viewing in one month than Netflix does in one day.

The lack of an ad-supported plan for curious customers also is partly to blame for the streaming service's stagnant subscriber growth, according to Bloomberg.

The Telegraph didn’t specify whether Apple is considering a cheaper tier than its standard $10-per-month subscription, or whether it intends to introduce ads to existing subscribers.

The meeting comes just a few months after the tech giant hired Joseph Cady, a former advertising executive at NBCUniversal to pad out its ad division.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.