Methods and apparatus to generate audience metrics using matrix analysis

At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, at a panel monitor server, network communications identifying media items presented at client devices of panelists of an audience measurement entity, wherein the media items are tagged with beacon instructions that are downloaded to the client devices when the client devices access the media items, the beacon instructions to cause the client devices to transmit the network communications to the panel monitor server;
• based on the network communications received from the client devices in accordance with the beacon instructions, logging demographic impressions of the media items in association with known demographic data for the panelists;
• generating panelist audience metrics based on the demographic impressions;
• accessing the panelist audience metrics from the panel monitor server;
• accessing, from a census monitor server, census audience metrics generated based on census impressions of the media items logged by the census monitor server, wherein demographic data for users that accessed the media items was not logged by the census monitor server in association with the census impressions;
• building a sparse matrix of the panelist audience metrics and the census audience metrics, wherein the spare matrix comprises missing audience metrics values for a portion of demographic groups and or a portion of the media items, and wherein the sparse matrix comprises computer-generated audience metrics data bias represented by the missing audience metrics values;
• normalizing the panelist audience metrics and the census audience metrics in the sparse matrix to generate a sparse transformed matrix;
• applying a recommender model to the sparse transformed matrix to predict audience metrics values corresponding to the missing audience metrics;
• generating a supplemented transformed matrix comprising the predicted audience metrics values and audience metrics values from the sparse transformed matrix;
• performing reverse transformations of the supplemented transformed matrix to generate a completed audience metrics matrix;
• and
• transmitting audience metrics data to the panel monitor server and the census monitor server to cause the panel monitor server and the census monitor server to update respective audience metrics databases.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a panel monitor server, network communications identifying media items presented at client devices of panelists of an audience measurement entity, wherein the media items are tagged with beacon instructions that are downloaded to the client devices when the client devices access the media items, the beacon instructions to cause the client devices to transmit the network communications to the panel monitor server;
• based on the network communications received from the client devices in accordance with the beacon instructions, logging, by the panel monitor server, demographic impressions of the media items in association with known demographic data for the panelists;
• generating, by the panel monitor server, panelist audience metrics based on the demographic impressions;
• accessing, by a computing system different from the panel monitor server, the panelist audience metrics from the panel monitor server;
• accessing, by the computing system, from a census monitor server, census audience metrics generated based on census impressions of the media items logged by the census monitor server, wherein demographic data for users that accessed the media items was not logged by the census monitor server in association with the census impressions;
• building, by the computing system, a sparse matrix of the panelist audience metrics and the census audience metrics, wherein the spare matrix comprises missing audience metrics values for a portion of demographic groups and or a portion of the media items, and wherein the sparse matrix comprises computer-generated audience metrics data bias represented by the missing audience metrics values;
• normalizing, by the computing system, the panelist audience metrics and the census audience metrics in the sparse matrix to generate a sparse transformed matrix;
• applying, by the computing system, a recommender model to the sparse transformed matrix to predict audience metrics values corresponding to the missing audience metrics;
• generating, by the computing system, a supplemented transformed matrix comprising the predicted audience metrics values and audience metrics values from the sparse transformed matrix;
• performing by the computing system, reverse transformations of the supplemented transformed matrix to generate a completed audience metrics matrix;
• and
• transmitting by the computing system, audience metrics data to the panel monitor server and the census monitor server to cause the panel monitor server and the census monitor server to update respective audience metrics databases.