Startup a hit with streamers

But how do you prove a show’s worth in the age of streaming?

A startup, Parrot Analytics, says it has come up with a metric that can measure what a program means to a streamer like Netflix. It not only counts viewers but also calculates their enthusiasm. From there, Parrot says, it can anticipate what matters most to a streaming network: How many subscribers a show is likely to attract.

Wared Seger, the chief executive, said the company was built on the idea that a measurement system must take into account the momentous change in viewing habits. “We could each be watching different shows, on different platforms, at different times,” Seger said. “You need a new standard.”

Parrot tracks what Seger, 32, calls “demand expressions” — a twitchy metric he helped devise that, he said, takes into account a host of “signals” across the internet. It factors in Google search terms for a series or film, as well as Facebook likes, pirated d ow n l o a d s and

PETER GAMLEN/THE NEW YORK TIMES Parrot Analytics has come up with a metric that can measure what a show means to a streamer.