Comments on: Sunday Overnight Ratings: Big Wins for Chicago Bears, Housewives

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:07:58 +0000

Good to see Brithers & Sisters doing well and better then some older shows. I presict a year from now it will be one of the best shows on TV.

By: tom

tom — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:33:37 +0000

the simpsons had the smallest drop from last season of all the fox shows, it had the highest viewers…. and in an earlier timeslot. on what ratings planet does that make simpsons terrible? that is quite an odd statement to make.

By: Vech

Vech — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:11:24 +0000

Good for Desperate housewives…good comeback

By: Johnthemon

Johnthemon — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:14:21 +0000

uh. how did the Simpsons do terribly, as Family Guy did great?

The Simpsons averaged 0.1 million viewers more, and 1% higher in the 18-49 share. Also 2% higher in the 18-34 share.

Family Guy was a little higher in the ratings, so it probably wins. But that’s a long way from the Simpsons being terrible and Family Guy great. It’s more like The Simpsons good, Family Guy great.

By: R.J.

R.J. — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:52:29 +0000

The Simpsons Did terrible tonight, plus, it was the 20th season premire. But on the other hand, Family guy did great at almost 10 million viewers. The Low ratings where probaly caused by football on the West Coast. If it aired on the west coast, it would of done mutch better.

By: Johnthemon

Johnthemon — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:32:53 +0000

So, this is my first time posting on these boards.

Does anyone know why Desperate Housewives is such a high rated show?

I also think that Fox’s comedy block desrves higher total viewer scores, good in the demos though.

The weird thing is that Fox’s best animated show (in my humble opinion) American Dad! is the lowest rated.

I realize there’s no reason to say this but the CW is just doing awful.

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:40:09 +0000

tom, You are right, the reported data is only for the first 7 days after an episode airs. However, that will include the overwhelming majority of DVR viewing. This article http://www.marketingvox.com/dvr-use-not-having-huge-impact-on-ratings-035598/ is from last year, but it shows that about 90% of the tracked DVR viewing occurs in the first three days. Yes, some people do save up several episodes of shows and watch them all at once, but based on the evidence we’ve seen, those viewers will make up less than 5% of the overall DVR audience. Also, ratings reporting is about advertising, not just how many people watch the show, and I’m not sure advertisers are going to care much about the people who watch all their DVRed shows in the summer. Since the commercials that are least likely to be skipped are movie promos, timing does matter. A movie studio is willing to pay to make sure people see their promo the weeks leading up to the release but are not interested in someone watching it two months after the movie’s out of the theater.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:34:25 +0000

it’s understandable that some people will watch DVR’d shows on their own terms which would sometimes be beyond seven days. Studies show the vast majority of DVR viewing happens within 7 with most of it the first few days, but even if that wasn’t the case I don’t think it would make any sense for Nielsen to measure viewing that took place weeks or months after the fact. Too much work for no value.

By: tom

tom — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:23:30 +0000

dvr viewing after the 7 days isn’t counted. some watch after 7 days. they bulk up and watch. i watched the entire last season of 2/12 men over the summer. i still have 5 losts to watch.

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:22:58 +0000

DVR viewing IS tracked and reported. Bill and Robert post a lovely chart showing the 20 shows with the most people watching on DVR and the 20 shows that increase the most with DVR viewing included. Nearly 50% of that DVR viewing occurs on the same day the show airs and is included in the numbers we get here.

By: entertainmenttodayandbeyond

entertainmenttodayandbeyond — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:19:39 +0000

I DVR just about everything. I recorded 4 shows last night and so far have watched one. That was DEXTER on showtime. It was great by the way. The other 3 shows I recorded were Entourage, Brothers and Sisters and True Blood! I don’t buy the ratings system in its current form as many people are DVRing and watching many days later! I know I am!

By: jay

jay — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:09:55 +0000

Without seeing the DH premier ( why bother when it will be syndicated as long as TV sets exist?) I think I called it: Jumping ahead in rtime was a bold move comoparable to the first season’s studied, Shirley Jackson like moodiness. I think for DH to beat football is a feather in the cap of ABC. I also think axing hideous Cashmere Mafia, while NBC limps along with its PG-13 version, was a good move. I repeat: DH has wide appeal. Eva Longoria is the biggest female star since the days of Dallas and Dynasty.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:56:58 +0000

when I created both the network averages and the show-by-show data I didn’t initially have Univision or the 18-34 info. I went back and added the 18-34 data, then the Univision shows but I did not update the network averages table…

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:48:28 +0000

Apparently I’m determined to be a trouble-maker today, but…

How come Univision is included in the show-by-show breakdown, but not the network averages?

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:40:39 +0000

Rob, we don’t get overnight numbers for cable and i have yet to see the numbers you want published anywhere else.

By: Rob Moore

Rob Moore — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:34:46 +0000

Any idea how True Blood episode 4 did, and Dexter episode 1? Thanks.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:56:26 +0000

The Simpsons and the other Fox toons stole lots of viewers from DH and football. They also had a great demo. Sunday is just the best day in the TV-week

By: Cameron

Cameron — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:18:16 +0000

It seems the best thing NBC did recently was to buy the football rights. They are competitive on Sundays and helped to dampen ratings for Desperate Housewives.

By: Roo

Roo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:14:28 +0000

Well now that’s just nuts! The show is on at 10, I recorded it, came home at 12 AM and I have to watch it before 3 Am to be counted in the overnight. Phooey. But thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

By: Julia

Julia — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:09:58 +0000

Ah, I misread what you said about the Cowboys.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:06:59 +0000

3AM monday morning to count in *these* numbers. But if you watch within seven days you would be counted in the LIVE+7 numbers (at least if you were a Nielsen family)

By: Roo

Roo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:05:16 +0000

LIVE+SD: The number that watched a program either while it was broadcast OR watched via DVR on the same day [through 3AM the next day] the program was broadcast.

Does this mean that if I recorded a program at 10 PM Sunday, I have to watch the recorded program before 3 AM Monday morning? Or does it mean I can watch it from 3 AM Monday morning until 3 Am Tues AM?

Thanks

By: dave

dave — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:41:54 +0000

Fox toons eats into football more than DH, i bet. Cowboys are probbally the best draw in the nfl, look at fox over run for the late game, an 8.0 in the demo. This weeks games saving grace was that it was a good game so viewers did not turn away.

By: jared karn

jared karn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:25:33 +0000

this weeks game was down about 2 mil from last weeks.

considering last week was cowboys/packers and not up against a new dh and a good-leadined fox comedy block, id say football is doing just fine.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:12:00 +0000

btw, the numbers did drop between 8:30-9 and 9-9:30 for SNF, from 16.8 million to 15.98 million, but then went back up to 16.89 million between 9:30p-10pm. DH was pretty steady at 18.14 million in the first half hour growing to 18.74 million the second.