Justin Sampson to step down as CEO of BARB

Justin Sampson will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of the UK audience measurement body BARB, marking the end of a tenure that has helped shape a decade of transformation in the country’s television and streaming landscape.

Sampson, who has led the organisation since 2012, has overseen major developments in how UK audiences are measured. Under his leadership, BARB expanded its remit to include subscription video-on-demand services and reinforced its position as the industry’s gold-standard audience currency.

Speaking on behalf of Barb’s Directors, Nigel Sharrocks, Chairman of Barb, says, “Joint-industry bodies are a critical part of the industry’s future and a necessary, independent source of truth for all sides of the industry. Barb’s far-sighted, audience-centric measurement strategy has proved joint-industry bodies can innovate and embrace new players in the market. And our next wave of strategic development is set to ensure that Barb remains the progressive, world-leader in understanding what people watch.”

Justin Sampson says, “It’s not often people say it is a really exciting time to be leaving a job. It’s been such a privilege to be part of Barb’s evolution over the last decade or so. And given the strong appeal of solving the next wave of challenges, I can’t find the right words to describe how difficult the decision was to step down next year. If I was ten years younger, my hat would be in the ring to be the next Chief Executive.”

BARB is expected to provide further updates on the appointment process in due course.