For the week of March 9-15, Tuesday's American Idol had the largest audience via DVR viewing with 4.988 million viewers via DVRs.
Grey's Anatomy was second with a DVR viewing audience of 4.255 million. Rounding out the top ten for the largest DVR audiences were Wednesday's American Idol, House, Office, 24, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, Criminal Minds and CSI.
The Office again had the highest share of its overall viewing by DVR with 39.8% of all viewing by DVR. Rounding out the top 10 for highest share of total audience viewing via DVR viewing were Heroes, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, 30 Rock, Dollhouse, House, Chuck, Grey's Anatomy, Life and 24. Except for the Friday comedies, every new CW episode was in this week's DVR viewing % share list.
For Terminator, Dollhouse and Chuck fans, Robert has a comparison of their 18-49 DVR numbers. The numbers below are average viewers.
To see past weeks DVR viewing lists click here.
Those of you interested in DVR viewing numbers might enjoy:
When Do DVR’d Shows Get Watched? Same Night or After?
Doing My Part To Combat DVR Misinformation.
Largest DVR Audiences for Broadcast TV Shows:
| Rank | Programs | Net | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live+SD (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Same Day DVR Viewers (000s) | DVR Viewers (000s) | % of All Viewing By DVR | % of DVR Viewing On Airdate |
| 1 | American Idol-TUESDAY | FOX | 27,384 | 25,806 | 22,396 | 3,410 | 4,988 | 18.2% | 68.4% |
| 2 | GREY'S ANATOMY | ABC | 16,170 | 13,730 | 11,915 | 1,815 | 4,255 | 26.3% | 42.7% |
| 3 | American Idol-WEDNESDAY | FOX | 26,676 | 25,579 | 22,528 | 3,051 | 4,148 | 15.5% | 73.6% |
| 4 | HOUSE | FOX | 14,557 | 12,422 | 10,445 | 1,977 | 4,112 | 28.2% | 48.1% |
| 5 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,365 | 7,625 | 5,636 | 1,989 | 3,729 | 39.8% | 53.3% |
| 6 | 24 | FOX | 13,039 | 11,412 | 9,696 | 1,716 | 3,343 | 25.6% | 51.3% |
| 7 | HEROES | NBC | 8,611 | 6,706 | 5,450 | 1,256 | 3,161 | 36.7% | 39.7% |
| 8 | Desperate Housewives | ABC | 16,073 | 14,609 | 12,954 | 1,655 | 3,119 | 19.4% | 53.1% |
| 9 | Criminal Minds | CBS | 15,966 | 14,348 | 13,244 | 1,104 | 2,722 | 17.0% | 40.6% |
| 10 | CSI | CBS | 18,852 | 17,171 | 16,245 | 926 | 2,607 | 13.8% | 35.5% |
| 11 | Bones | FOX | 11,156 | 9,693 | 8,608 | 1,085 | 2,548 | 22.8% | 42.6% |
| 12 | SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS | CBS | 13,663 | 12,829 | 11,253 | 1,576 | 2,410 | 17.6% | 65.4% |
| 13 | Dancing with the Stars | ABC | 23,804 | 22,858 | 21,454 | 1,404 | 2,350 | 9.9% | 59.7% |
| 14 | 30 Rock | NBC | 7,720 | 6,428 | 5,388 | 1,040 | 2,332 | 30.2% | 44.6% |
| 15 | Two and a Half Men | CBS | 14,517 | 13,463 | 12,193 | 1,270 | 2,324 | 16.0% | 54.6% |
| 16 | Private Practice | ABC | 10,248 | 8,716 | 8,042 | 674 | 2,206 | 21.5% | 30.6% |
| 17 | Big Bang Theory, THE | CBS | 10,362 | 9,478 | 8,241 | 1,237 | 2,121 | 20.5% | 58.3% |
| 18 | E.R. | NBC | 12,429 | 10,927 | 10,371 | 556 | 2,058 | 16.6% | 27.0% |
| 19 | How I Met Your Mother | CBS | 9,602 | 8,674 | 7,568 | 1,106 | 2,034 | 21.2% | 54.4% |
| 20 | Amazing Race 14 | CBS | 10,966 | 10,327 | 8,949 | 1,378 | 2,017 | 18.4% | 68.3% |
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Greatest % Of DVR Viewing for Broadcast TV Shows:
| Rank | Programs | Net | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live+SD (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Same Day DVR Viewers (000s) | DVR Viewers (000s) | % of All Viewing By DVR | % of DVR Viewing On Airdate |
| 1 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,365 | 7,625 | 5,636 | 1,989 | 3,729 | 39.8% | 53.3% |
| 2 | HEROES | NBC | 8,611 | 6,706 | 5,450 | 1,256 | 3,161 | 36.7% | 39.7% |
| 3 | TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES | FOX | 4,328 | 3,390 | 2,915 | 475 | 1,413 | 32.6% | 33.6% |
| 4 | 30 Rock | NBC | 7,720 | 6,428 | 5,388 | 1,040 | 2,332 | 30.2% | 44.6% |
| 5 | DOLLHOUSE | FOX | 5,280 | 4,245 | 3,756 | 489 | 1,524 | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 6 | HOUSE | FOX | 14,557 | 12,422 | 10,445 | 1,977 | 4,112 | 28.2% | 48.1% |
| 7 | Chuck | NBC | 6,859 | 5,819 | 4,938 | 881 | 1,921 | 28.0% | 45.9% |
| 8 | GREY'S ANATOMY | ABC | 16,170 | 13,730 | 11,915 | 1,815 | 4,255 | 26.3% | 42.7% |
| 9 | LIFE | NBC | 6,197 | 5,241 | 4,588 | 653 | 1,609 | 26.0% | 40.6% |
| 10 | 24 | FOX | 13,039 | 11,412 | 9,696 | 1,716 | 3,343 | 25.6% | 51.3% |
| 11 | SUPERNATURAL | CW | 3,474 | 2,805 | 2,586 | 219 | 888 | 25.6% | 24.7% |
| 12 | REAPER | CW | 2,602 | 2,189 | 1,938 | 251 | 664 | 25.5% | 37.8% |
| 13 | Smallville | CW | 4,216 | 3,674 | 3,191 | 483 | 1,025 | 24.3% | 47.1% |
| 14 | AMERICA'S Top Model - 6 | CW | 5,014 | 4,457 | 3,801 | 656 | 1,213 | 24.2% | 54.1% |
| 15 | LIFE ON MARS | ABC | 5,476 | 4,508 | 4,173 | 335 | 1,303 | 23.8% | 25.7% |
| 16 | FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS | NBC | 4,637 | 4,015 | 3,551 | 464 | 1,086 | 23.4% | 42.7% |
| 17 | MEDIUM | NBC | 8,488 | 7,177 | 6,531 | 646 | 1,957 | 23.1% | 33.0% |
| 18 | Bones | FOX | 11,156 | 9,693 | 8,608 | 1,085 | 2,548 | 22.8% | 42.6% |
| 19 | HELL'S KITCHEN | FOX | 8,650 | 7,748 | 6,728 | 1,020 | 1,922 | 22.2% | 53.1% |
| 20 | Private Practice | ABC | 10,248 | 8,716 | 8,042 | 674 | 2,206 | 21.5% | 30.6% |
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The % of Total viewing by DVR table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had thelargest % of viewing by DVR in their Live+7 audience numbers from viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs).
Definitions:
DVR (Time-shifted) Viewing – Program ratings for national sources are produced in three streams of data –Live, Live+Same Day (Live+SD) and Live+7 Day. Time shifted figures account for incremental viewing that takes place with DVRs which are currently in approximately 24.4% of all U.S. TV households. Live+Same Day(Live+SD) include viewing during the same broadcast day as the original telecast, with a cut-off of 3:00AM local time when meters transmit daily viewing to Nielsen for processing. Live+7 Day ratings include incremental viewing that takes place during the 7 days following a telecast.
Same Day DVR Viewers - How many people watched the show on their DVRs prior to 3AM the day following the airdate,
DVR Viewers - How many people watched the show on their DVRs within 7 days following the airdate
% of All Viewing By DVR - Of the total viewing of that particular episode, what percentage was done via DVR.
% of DVR Viewing On Airdate - Of the DVR viewing of that particular episode, what percentage was done prior to 3AM the day following the airdate.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data:©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
so not only does the office have a high percentage and a high total number of dvr watchers, but a good portion 53% watch the same day? that must certainly be good news.
No CBS show in top 20%
128boy, you can look at the article linked in the post above about when DVR’d shows are typically watched for more info, but while I’d guess for C3 commercial ratings, watching sooner is better than watching later, I have no data I could lay out to back that up.
As for the 53% watched on the same day, that’s towards the higher end of the scale, but not particularly high. 8pm shows and reality shows top the most watched by DVR on airdate. 10pm shows and Friday and Saturday shows are not surprisingly at the other end of the scale.
thanks bill. yeah i noticed the higher same day percentage of viewing for the reality shows, but considering that it’s a larger percent of a usually much smaller number it seems to balance out. it actually seems like the scripted stuff seems to do better in relation to reality shows in the dvr world rather than in the live broadcast world, even considering same day viewing only.
ABC ROCKS!
NBC seems to like that second list.
Do you have the numbers for CSI:NY? Like you said 10 pm shows rarely make this list, but I would like to know how this show does. Thanks.
Here are the CSI:NY numbers with the same column headings as above:
CSI: NY CBS 14,767 13,665 13,111 554 1,656 11.2% 33.5%
Thanks. Now I can see why it stays out of the top 20 for both list. But it’s interesting to study the numbers.
So for example, the ratings guys can tell 1. that I recorded The Office and 2. that I watched it 3 days later?
what about if I watch it multiple times?
and do the high dvr ratings for Life not really help it at all?
Matthew, if you’re not a Nielsen home, technically you don’t count at all. If you ARE a Nielsen home and you personally watch multiple times, only one time is counted.
Life doesn’t have high DVR ratings, sadly. It has a high percentage of viewing via DVR. there’s a big difference.
How many Nielsen families are there?