A framework for viewer counting of streaming service with IP multicast

In this paper, we study a viewer counting method for multicast-based IPTV services. Recently, streaming services over an IP network, such as IPTV and/or Internet radio, have become popular, as a result of the rapid deployment of broadband access. IP multicast is an effective technology for simultaneous distribution of content to many viewers. However, it is difficult to grasp the number of viewers, since IP multicast does not require any direct communication from viewers to the distribution server, only to the adjacent router. We propose a novel viewer counting method from the carrier's perspective using multicast forwarding information from the distribution network. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed method is expected to obtain a rating of 100,000 viewers every 1 minute.