DVR Ratings Data Boosts Top Shows
Nielsen reports that its new DVR ratings are delivering increases for almost all the shows in the top 25 and boosting some programs by 4-5%. For the week of Feb. 6-12, 19 of the top-25 shows among adults 18-49 saw ratings grow when DVR-playback viewing was added to live viewing.
NBC’s “The Office” grew by 4%, as did ABC’s “Lost,” Fox’s “24,” and NBC’s “My Name is Earl.” Fox’s “American Idol” saw its 12.4 “live” rating increased three-tenths to a 12.7 in “live plus seven day” — which adds DVR viewing during the seven days after broadcast to the “live” number. NBC’s “The Office,” one of the most popular downloads among shows offered on Apple’s iTunes, received a 5% ratings jump from a 4.4 “live” number to a 4.6 in “live plus seven day.”
Sellers are expected to press for incremental payment for the added ratings during the coming upfront, which buyers will resist, since DVR users are thought to be fanatical commercial skippers.
Syndicated shows were not heavily impacted by DVRs, with neither the top show, “Wheel of Fortune,” or comedies “Everybody Loves Raymond” or “Seinfeld” affected by the DVR ratings.
