Backing up what we’ve been saying here on Slice of SciFi for years, the latest figures and ratings for use of DVRs to time-shift shows by up to seven days have seen the ratings rise as much as 30 percent for certain TV shows.
Among those shows that see significant rises in their ratings when you factor in DVR use are “The Office,” “Heroes” and “Lost” according to USA Today.
The most time-shift shows are: “American Idol” (Tuesday and Wednesday), “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” “Lost,” “The Office,” “24,” Desperate Housewives,” “Fringe,” “CSI,” “Heroes” and “The Mentalist.”
While “live” audiences for most shows continue to dwindle, delayed viewership from the devices, which digitally record programs and store them on a hard drive for later viewing, is filling some of that void. Nationally, 31% of homes had them in May, up from 25% a year earlier.
Many of the top shows also are the most frequently recorded, including the powerhouse “American Idol” on Fox.
“DVRs have really changed the way people are watching television,” says ABC prime-time research chief Larry Hyams. “They’re recording shows they would have missed ordinarily and playing them back whenever they have a free moment.” All that playback “really contributes to the rating of a show,” he says.
Yet networks don’t get paid for all that extra viewing. Most advertisers pay based on ratings for commercials seen within three days of airing, but networks often tout ratings for programs up to seven days after their premieres.
Among new shows, “Fringe” was recorded most often, by one in four of its 11.6 million viewers. CBS’ “The Mentalist” counted 2.7 million recorders, but that was just 14% of its total.
Part of how and why DVRs are used to time-shift may be due to timeslot battles. Figures indicate the largest number of shows are recorded in the Thursday at 9 p.m. EST time slot, when three of the top time-shifted shows are aired. And the figures also show that DVRs are having an impact on viewing habits. Friday, a night out for target younger viewers, led 1.5 million fans of Fox’s “Dollhouse”, a third of its total audience, to press the record button.
The latest figures just go to show how Hollywood and the networks need to re-think the current ratings model.
I still miss Jericho! The Network killed it when it only gleamed 9 million viewers when up against American Idol. What idiots. 9 million viewers would look pretty good about now. Jericho was a favorite DVR/Tevo record, but none of that counted. Sad. If the network had promoted and treated Jericho right, it could have done as well as Lost. Too bad another network did not or could not pick it up. There is still a lot of story line left, but the actors, etc., are maybe too scattered now….