From a TiVo Press Release:
Cable Network Programs Thrive in Summer Months During Off Season for Broadcast Networks -
Alltel Wireless Animated Advertising Vignettes Deliver 280% Increase in Timeshifted Audience -
“The cable networks have found and continue to exploit a chink in the broadcast networks’ armor — a summer hiatus which results in repeats,” said Todd Juenger, Vice President & General Manager, TiVo Audience Research & Measurement. “Not only does viewership rise for Top cable programs, but the viewing behavior also changes, with many more people choosing to watch on a Timeshifted basis — just like Top broadcast programs during the September through May season. Among the Top cable programs in July, more than 50% of viewership was Timeshifted.”
Juenger continued, “What is perhaps more interesting is that once again we see a single program’s ads dominating the Top Commercial spots but the program itself failing to make the Top 10. For example, a total of six of the Top 10 Commercials ran during The Major League Baseball All Star Game, yet the game itself did not even place among the Top 10 Programs. The reason is because most viewers chose to watch the All Star Game live, as with many sporting events, so fast-forwarding is not an option.”
July -- Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Total Viewing)
Top Commercials - Total Viewing
Brand Program Date Rating
1. TGI Fridays Restaurant The Bachelorette - ABC 7 - July 6.8
2. AT&T Wireless Service MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.8
3. Sony Pineapple Express
Movie MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.8
4. Gatorade Beverage MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.7
5. Walt Disney Swing Vote The Bachelorette - ABC 7 - July 6.7
6. Dell Computers So You Think You
Can Dance - FOX 16 - July 6.6
7. Dish Network Satellite
System MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.6
8. Cars.Com Online MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.6
9. Sprint PCS Wireless
Service The Bachelorette - ABC 7 - July 6.6
10. Burger King Restaurant MLB All-Star Game - FOX 15 - July 6.4
Top Programs - Total Viewing
Program Date Rating
1. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 16 - July 10.0
2. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 23 - July 9.7
3. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 2 - July 9.6
4. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 9 - July 9.6
5. The Bachelorette - ABC 7 - July 8.4
6. The Closer - TNT 14 - July 8.3
7. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 17 - July 8.1
8. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 10 - July 8.0
9. Hell's Kitchen - FOX 8 - July 7.9
10. The Closer - TNT 21 - July 7.9
-- Though it placed only one spot in the Top 10 Commercials, FOX's
So You Think You Can Dance continued its summertime dominance
of Top Programs, with six episodes making the Top 10.
-- Repeating a summertime theme, cable networks make the Top 10
Commercial and Program lists during the summer, with TNT's The
Closer winning two of the Top 10 spots.
July -- Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Timeshifted Viewing)
Top Commercials - Timeshifted Viewing
Brand Program Date Rating
1. Alltel Vignette Psych - USA 18 - July 3.7
2. Alltel Vignette Psych - USA 25 - July 3.7
3. SAAB Autos Vignette Burn Notice - USA 24 - July 3.6
4. Ford Motor Company Army Wives - Lifetime 13 - July 3.2
5. Dannon Activa Yogurt Swingtown - CBS 3 - July 2.8
6. Sony Pictures Hancock So You Think You Can
Dance - FOX 2 - July 2.7
7. Dell Computers So You Think You Can
Dance - FOX 16 - July 2.7
8. MasterCard Debit Card So You Think You Can
Dance - FOX 16 - July 2.7
9. Verizon Wireless Service Burn Notice - USA 24 - July 2.6
10. 20th Century Fox Meet So You Think You Can
Dave Dance - FOX 2 - July 2.5
Top Programs - Timeshifted Viewing
Program Date Rating
1. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 16 - July 6.5
2. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 2 - July 6.4
3. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 23 - July 6.3
4. The Closer - TNT 14 - July 6.3
5. So You Think You Can Dance - FOX 9 - July 6.2
6. The Closer - TNT 21 - July 6.0
7. Burn Notice - USA 10 - July 5.5
8. Burn Notice - USA 17 - July 5.2
9. Burn Notice - USA 24 - July 5.2
10. Hell's Kitchen - FOX 8 - July 5.2
-- Two of Alltel's animated vignettes, which ran during the Season
3 Premier of USA Network's Psych, topped the Top 10 Commercials
in Timeshifted viewing.
-- Once again, movie trailers place among the Top 10, with spots
for Meet Dave and Hancock making the list.
-- As for Total Viewing, cable networks drew high ratings for
Timeshifted Viewing, with five of the Top 10 Commercial spots
airing during a cable broadcast. Cable networks also aired
five of the Top 10 Programs for the month.
July - Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Rankings
Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Ranking*
Broadcast Networks** - Select Cable & Broadcast Networks*** -
Primetime Primetime
Brand Brand
1. DirecTV Satellite System 1. CITGO Petroleum Corp
2. Lincoln Auto 2. Mantis Lawn & Garden
3. Plavix Blood Thinner 3. Finallyfast.com Online
4. Apple iPhone Wireless Phones 4. One-A-Day Men's 50 Plus Vitamins
5. L'Oreal Skin Genesis Facial 5. Air Heads Extreme Candy
6. Aflac Medical Insurance 6. Dannon "Danimals" Kids Drinkable
Yogurt
7. Hyundai Trucks 7. Betty Crocker Fruit Stickers
8. Citibank MasterCard & Visa 8. Wagner Paint Crew
9. Hertz.com Rent-a-Car 9. Dr. Miracles Hair
10. Coca-Cola Classic Soft Drink 10. LG Wireless Phones
* Minimum 20 spots
** ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX
*** 31 networks considered: A&E, AMC, Animal, BET, Bravo, CNBC, CNN,
Comedy, Court (TruTV), Discovery, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC Family, FNC,
Food, FX, HGTV, Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, Nickelodeon, Oxygen, SciFi,
Spike, TBS, TNT, Toon, Toon Disney, USA, VH1
As DVRs, Timeshifting, and commercial avoidance continue to proliferate, most networks and many advertisers are experimenting with different pod configurations and advertising formats, trying to reduce fast-forwarding as much as possible. USA Network and Alltel Wireless had a relatively successful case study in July. Alltel sponsored a series of animated vignettes that ran during the Season 3 premier of USA Network’s Psych. The vignette series, Big Adventures of Little Shawn & Gus featured caricature versions of the two main characters as children.
“Most people watching in Timeshifted mode are going to fast-forward through commercials, it’s just a fact,” said Juenger. “However, we also know some commercials get fast-forwarded less than others — that’s the power of the TiVo Stop||Watch(TM) ratings service data. In the Alltel experiment, only about 28% of viewers fast-forwarded through the Alltel vignettes, compared to 74% of viewers who fast-forwarded through the other spots in the same pod. The Alltel animated vignettes generated almost three times the Timeshifted ratings as the remainder of the commercial pod. Whether the spots had the desired impact for the Alltel brand is a different question, but they certainly succeeded in significantly increasing Timeshifted viewership of their ad message. There are hundreds of similar experiments underway, and the TiVo Stop||Watch(TM) ratings service is the best available source to measure their effectiveness with Timeshifted viewers.”
Mr. Juenger also noted that the increased viewership garnered by Alltel essentially comes at a discount to Alltel — or is subsidized by the other advertisers in the program — because of the industry’s currency metric, which averages commercial minutes to arrive at a blended rate. This means every advertiser is credited with the same audience, and presumably pays the same rate, regardless of how may people are watching each advertisers specific ad.
July - USA Psych's "Big Adventures of Little Shawn & Gus" from Alltel
Psych Season 3 Premier
Time Shifted Ratings
5.149 3.689 1.319 5.272
10:10:45-10:16:01 10:16:02-10:16:53 10:16:54-10:19:53 10:19:54-10:30:37
Psych Alltel Remainder of Break Psych
