Official Charts Company secures new six-year deal with Kantar Millward Brown

The Official Charts Company has secured a new six-year agreement with Kantar Millward Brown to continue a long-term relationship compiling the UK and Ireland's official music and video charts.

The new deal, which runs from February 2019 to January 2025, will extend the Official Charts Company and Kantar Millward Brown's relationship into a 31st year. The latter took over the UK music industry's chart contract in 1994.

As well as a new deal, it's also been announced that Bob Barnes, Kantar Millward Brown's long-standing charts director, will be retiring. Barnes will take on a new role as chart consultant for the company until the end of 2018. 

Succeeding Barnes will be Daniel Lister, KMB's current Charts Operations Director. Lister will take on the responsibility for the Charts Unit from January 1 2018.

MORE: The history of the Official Charts

Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: "This is an historic moment for the UK charts – as we extend Kantar Millward Brown’s role into their third decade, say (or at least starting to say) farewell to a genuine chart legend in Bob Barnes and congratulate Dan Lister as he takes over the helm in Warwick." 

Continuing, he added: "In our three decades working together, the Official Charts and Kantar Millward Brown have seen huge changes in the charts and the way data is presented to the entertainment industry. I have no doubt there will be further evolution in the years to come – and there is no team we would rather have by our side than Dan and our friends in the Kantar Millward Brown Chart Unit."

Based in Warwick, Kantar Millward Brown oversees product identification, data processing and database management on behalf of the Official Charts Company, who manage and maintain commercial relationships with B2B/media, marketing, promotion and the music industry. 

MORE: How the Official Charts are compiled