DVR viewers do watch ads
October 19, 2007
Advertisers have had their first look at new TV ratings that track how many people stay tuned to commercials. Commercial ratings – i.e. how many actually watched the commercial rather than the programme it was in – also include viewers with digital video recorders who watch ads up to three days after the initial airing.
Although some ad execs were concerned about a significant drop-off between the two sets of ratings, the first batch of figures released revealed no big surprises. Commercial ratings across the five major US networks came in only slightly below live programme ratings, down 1 per cent on average among people ages 12 to 34 and among adults ages 18 to 49.
The biggest drop was among adults 50 and older, where commercial ratings were 5 per cent lower. The thinking is that older viewers are less likely to use a DVR, and therefore they aren’t playing back the ads at a later date.