Comments on: NBC'S PREMIERE-WEEK LINEUP GETS THE BIGGEST PERCENTAGE BOOST IN 'LIVE PLUS SEVEN' RESULTS

By: clutz12001

clutz12001 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:06:17 +0000

Cameron,

My apologies for my stupidity in this question, but I honestly don’t know thus I will ask. Are the ratings of which you speak Nielsen Corp.’s UK ratings? Or are other companies (GfK-TNS) the primary source of your data? I vaguely remember reading that TNS is the leading media ratings source in the UK. My memory could be fuzzy though.

Out of curiosity, how long does it take to see the final consolidated rating is available to the public? Is that within 8 days, 14 days, a month, etc…?

I’m interested in comparing U.S. television metrics to global markets.

By: Rob R

Rob R — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:28:00 +0000

What is undoubtedly true is that the mainstream press (not this terrific website) keeps reporting, almost with glee, that certain shows are not as popular anymore (Heroes, Lost, Desperate Housewives, et. al) just based on the Neilsen overnight numbers compared year over year. While that still might be true in some cases (Heroes), the degree to which they gleefully report the fall-off is just simply inaccurate if they fail to account for the fact that millions of more homes have and use a DVR compared to the same time last year. The only true year-to-year comparisons I would trust to indicate the true popularity of a show, and whether it is in decline, is Live Plus 7 numbers compared year to year. A fan that actively chooses to DVR a show, to set a season pass, to find it on the schedule and make sure they DO NOT MISS THE SHOW, and watch it later when they can devote their full attention to the show, and even play it back over and over and over, is someone who should be measured and valued by the networks (and the press) instead of ignorantly ignored because they didnt watch the show live.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:26:45 +0000

Cameron, here in the Colonies, Nielsen has been measuring and reporting DVR usage since January 2006. I think that qualifies as “for years”. We’ve had the numbers on our site since we started in September, 2007.

Why did it take you so long to notice that?

By: Holly

Holly — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:41:37 +0000

Cameron, Probably for the same reason our cell phone systems are behind, we have 5x as many people spread over 35x the area. If Neilsen was only counting people in New England, it probably would have happened more quickly.

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:36 +0000

Cameron, VCR and DVR ratings have always been measured. But they were never even slightly significant until the past few seasons, when DVR use shot up according to Nielsen.

By: Ed Truck

Ed Truck — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:17:06 +0000

Cameron,

We’re slow. Leave us alone!
(Why do you think a conservatively estimated 85% of decent American humor comes from Britain?)

By: Cameron

Cameron — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:07:43 +0000

How come it has taken so long for America to measure ratings including those that recorded it to watch later? We’ve been doing that in the UK for years. We have the overnight figure and then the final rating that is published includes viewers that recorded a programme on vcr or dvr and watched it within one week of broadcast. We have some shows that get quite significant gains from their overnight figures when the final consolidated rating comes in.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:19:49 +0000

I agree with Robert, and that Beckman quote is *exactly* the kind of thing networks say before they cut a show's life short. Note all the sunshine spread by MRC about the results of the CW's first two Sunday nights, and now Valentine and Easy Money have stopped production.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:24:24 +0000

Beckman’s right about it being difficult to recruit new viewers into serial shows, and he’s right about them being niche shows, but he’s full of crap about the rest. DVR viewing is measured and the networks know how many people watch online, at least via sanctioned channels. They also know what the C3 viewership is — commercial viewing, plus 3 days DVR viewing — which is allegedly how advertising is sold.

By: FrankJ

FrankJ — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:17:05 +0000

Bill, I think NBC is serious. What's the saying? One's a fluke, two's a trend? Check this out. Article about the lackluster start to the TV season. Both NBC and FOX shrugging off panic over ratings. And if you want a real shock, look at what FOX said about Terminator and Prison Break. Preston Beckman, Fox’s executive vice president of strategic program planning and research, said the network is going to stick with the shows through the fourth quarter. He said because “Terminator” and “Break” have continuing story arcs that aren’t close-ended episode-to-episode, it makes it difficult to recruit new viewers. “These are niche shows,” he said. The shows are also heavily watched using digital video recorders and on the Web, which makes it difficult to know what their real audience is, Mr. Beckman said.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:15:34 +0000

Adam, it will be counted by the networks themselves, and for now, likely nowhere else.

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:48:40 +0000

How will online viewing be counted now that most networks
offer semi commercial free airing of the most popular shows?

By: Johnthemon

Johnthemon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:38:59 +0000

well the dvr numbers make nbc look a little better…they need all the make-up they can get.