TiVo announced that primetime programming which aired during the 8pm and 9pm timeslots in February experienced a marked increase in Timeshifted viewing over programs in the 10pm hour, as viewed by TiVo service subscribers.
According to its Stop||Watch ratings service, an analysis of broadcast networks ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC depicted high levels of Timeshifting between the primetime hours of 8pm and 10pm, with a significant decrease thereafter, as viewers transitioned to live viewing. In fact, the ratings demonstrate that the 9pm timeslot was the most heavily Timeshifted hour with 59% of viewers opting to record programming during this hour and watch it later. The 8pm timeslot was a close second with 58% Timeshifted viewing, followed by the 10pm hour with only 53% of viewers watching in Timeshifted mode and 47% tuning in live.
Todd Juenger, VP/GM, TiVo Audience Research & Measurement, said, “These findings underscore the fact that all broadcast primetime timeslots are not created equal. According to our research, when a television is attached to a DVR, not only is a majority of broadcast network programming between 8pm and 10pm viewed in Timeshifted mode, but, perhaps more importantly, 30% of this Timeshifted viewing takes place within an hour of airing. So, it comes as no surprise that the 10pm timeslot is getting squeezed from both sides.
Much of the Timeshifted viewing from the 8pm and 9pm airings stomps out the audience that would historically watch 10pm programming in Live mode. For example, in February according to the Stop||Watch ratings service, the average Live household rating for a 10pm program was 3.2, while Timeshifted viewing within one hour from 9pm programs was 1.2 – 38% of the Live 10pm audience. But the 10pm programming also has a backstop from the 11pm news (or bedtime). While some viewers will record programs aired at 10pm for viewing later in the week, many are abandoning that hour of television altogether.”
During February TiVo’s Stop||Watch ratings service also reported that commercials geared toward employment opportunities and investing from Monster.com and E*TRADE Financial, respectively, caught the attention of many viewers and were among the least fast-forwarded brands.
Juenger said, “In this economic environment, it is not surprising that consumers would be interested in job opportunities and financial advice. What is surprising is that despite the historically low number of new car purchases in the U.S., a number of car commercials including Mercedes Benz, Hyundai, Lexus and Nissan were among the brands least skipped by viewers. Perhaps consumers are keeping a careful eye out for special deals, or maybe the dearth of advertising from the Big 3 auto manufacturers is making these other car ads stand-out? Equally surprising, and for the first time in recent memory, not a single theatrical film made the least fast-forwarded list (although theatricals still dominated the most viewed Timeshifted commercials, which measures highest Timeshifted audience for specific commercial airings) – perhaps a sign that consumers are either not all that interested in what was playing in theaters in February, or, more likely, that despite what’s in theaters consumers are opting for in-home entertainment and choosing what’s on the TV (or their TiVo DVR) instead.”
TiVo also unveiled the Top Commercial and Program Rankings for February among both Total and Timeshifted viewers. ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy dominated the rankings with commercials airing during three different episodes appearing seven times on the Top Ten rankings.
