[opendtv] Re: News: TUBE EXEX TOUT NEW DATA

"'I cannot remember a time when so many pundits, analysts and
forecasters have been so wrong about so much,' said CBS director of
research David Poltrack."

I wonder if this means that CBS will quit copy-protecting their
shows?? A practice they only started maybe two weeks ago?

The obvious anser is to design ads that "work" even when they're
being fast-forwarded, which many already do. No problem slowing
down if there's something interesting being shown.

The strange thing is, this "brand new" discovery has always been
incredibly obvious. Is it really hard to grasp that TV viewership
might actually increase if people are allowed to watch when it's
convenient to them?

Bert

--------------------
TUBE EXEX TOUT NEW DATA

November 21, 2005 12:00am
Source: Daily Variety

NEW YORK: The sky, it turns out, may not be falling on broadcast TV.

  That was the message from the research heads of all six broadcast
nets as they touted new data that shows homes with digital video
recorders watch more TV --- and more ads --- than those without the
technology.

  Representatives of CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, the WB and UPN gathered at
NBC headquarters Wednesday to try to refute the notion that as DVR
adoption increases, rampant ad skipping will bring on the quick
demise of the network TV business model.

  "I cannot remember a time when so many pundits, analysts and
forecasters have been so wrong about so much," said CBS director of
research David Poltrack.

  The united front was unusual, a sign of how important the nets
believe the DVR issue has become.

  Prognosticators have long portrayed the DVR as a disruptive force to
broadcast TV, but data from Nielsen Media Research shows that DVR
households actually raise viewership of top shows such as "Desperate
Housewives" and "CSI."

  Overall, DVR users watch 12% more television than those without the
technology, raising primetime ratings an average of 4% in markets
where they were measured.

  By making the joint announcement, the networks are hoping to send a
signal to Wall Street and to Madison Avenue, which has been shifting
dollars away from network TV in favor of more targeted media. But it
also sets up a battle with advertisers over what those additional
viewers are worth.

  Nielsen Media Research will start including DVR playbacks in its
ratings reports on Dec. 26. The data will include those who watch
from the original airing until seven days later.

  But media-buying giant Magna Global has already declared it won't
consider the data when negotiating for ad time in next year's upfront
market.

  Others said it's premature to put too much emphasis on the data, but
left the door open to consider the value of viewers who are watching
a show minutes or days after the live broadcast and may or may not be
skipping through the ads.

  "We have to do a lot more analysis before either side jumps into
this," said Andy Donchin, director of broadcast negotiations for
media buying firm Carat USA. "The earliest we could incorporate this
is for the 2006-2007 season."

  For several years now the networks have gathered their own data to
show that DVR users are more likely to record the top broadcast shows
to watch them later and that many of those viewers --- who are not
counted in Nielsen ratings --- also view the ads.

  A study in May conducted by TiVo and Nielsen of the most played back
shows corresponded with the highest-rated shows on broadcast TV. The
top five, in order, were: "Desperate Housewives," "Survivor," "CSI,"
"Lost" and "American Idol."

  "Now we have the ultimate scorekeeper, Nielsen, giving us a
validation of the hypothesis we had generated: people are more likely
to watch the major television programs and to see those commercials
as a result of it," Poltrack said.

  The battle that looms between the networks and the ad agencies is
how much, if anything, those DVR viewers are worth. An ad promoting a
film on Thursday night, for example, would be worth less if it's
viewed on Saturday.

  Skipped ads still make an impression, but how much that impression
is worth will also be the subject of stiff negotiations.

  Network data released Wednesday claims 58% of DVR users pay
attention to the ads as they skip through them; 53% go back to look
at an ad they've mistakenly skipped.

  DVR penetration stands at 8% of U.S. households, representing 11.4
million viewers. That number is expected to grow to 39%, or 45.9
million viewers, by 2010.

  Originally ran in the November 17, 2005 Los Angeles edition.

<<Daily Variety -- 11/21/05>>

<< Copyright (c)2005 Reed Business Information - US >>

 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.

Other related posts: