For the week of October 13-19, once again ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy had the largest audience via DVR viewing with 3.958 million viewers via DVRs. Fox’s House was second with a DVR viewing audience of 3.607 million. Rounding out the top ten for the largest DVR audiences were CSI, Heroes, Office, Fringe, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Survivor:Gabon and Two and A Half Men.
NBC’s Office had the largest percentage increase over its Live audience with a 41.6% increase after Live+7 viewing. Rounding out the top 10 for largest % increase via DVR viewing were Heroes, Fringe, House, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, Chuck, Smallville, and My Own Worst Enemy.
Although we have no evidence at all that DVR viewing past the airdate is meaningful to the show’s advertising revenue and likely its ultimate success, we like seeing the trends regardless.
Largest Time-Shifting Audiences for Broadcast TV Shows:
| Rank | Programs | Network | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Time-shifted Audience (000s) | % increase from Live to Live+7 |
| 1 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 17,063 | 13,105 | 3,958 | 30.2% |
| 2 | HOUSE | FOX | 15,243 | 11,636 | 3,607 | 31.0% |
| 3 | CSI | CBS | 21,311 | 18,296 | 3,015 | 16.5% |
| 4 | HEROES | NBC | 10,377 | 7,439 | 2,938 | 39.5% |
| 5 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,662 | 6,823 | 2,839 | 41.6% |
| 6 | FRINGE | FOX | 11,048 | 8,239 | 2,809 | 34.1% |
| 7 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 16,902 | 14,111 | 2,791 | 19.8% |
| 8 | NCIS | CBS | 19,317 | 16,945 | 2,372 | 14.0% |
| 9 | SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 13,777 | 11,444 | 2,333 | 20.4% |
| 10 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 15,672 | 13,656 | 2,016 | 14.8% |
| 11 | MENTALIST, THE | CBS | 16,248 | 14,252 | 1,996 | 14.0% |
| 12 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 14,639 | 12,718 | 1,921 | 15.1% |
| 13 | MY OWN WORST ENEMY | NBC | 8,488 | 6,843 | 1,645 | 24.0% |
| 14 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 18,369 | 16,835 | 1,534 | 9.1% |
| 15 | BROTHERS & SISTERS | ABC | 10,837 | 9,325 | 1,512 | 16.2% |
| 16 | SNL:WKND UPDT 10/16 | NBC | 9,494 | 7,990 | 1,504 | 18.8% |
| 17 | NUMB3RS | CBS | 9,802 | 8,312 | 1,490 | 17.9% |
| 18 | BOSTON LEGAL | ABC | 9,097 | 7,617 | 1,480 | 19.4% |
| 19 | LAW AND ORDER:SVU | NBC | 10,647 | 9,172 | 1,475 | 16.1% |
| 20 | FAMILY GUY | FOX | 9,938 | 8,472 | 1,466 | 17.3% |
The absolute time-shifting audience size table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the largest absolute number of viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs)
Greatest % Increase from Time-Shifting for Broadcast TV Shows:
| Rank | Programs | Network | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Time-shifted Audience (000s) | % increase from Live to Live+7 |
| 1 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,662 | 6,823 | 2,839 | 41.6% |
| 2 | HEROES | NBC | 10,377 | 7,439 | 2,938 | 39.5% |
| 3 | FRINGE | FOX | 11,048 | 8,239 | 2,809 | 34.1% |
| 4 | HOUSE | FOX | 15,243 | 11,636 | 3,607 | 31.0% |
| 5 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 17,063 | 13,105 | 3,958 | 30.2% |
| 6 | GOSSIP GIRL | CW | 3,704 | 2,885 | 819 | 28.4% |
| 7 | SUPERNATURAL | CW | 3,567 | 2,785 | 782 | 28.1% |
| 8 | CHUCK | NBC | 6,955 | 5,520 | 1,435 | 26.0% |
| 9 | SMALLVILLE | CW | 4,729 | 3,791 | 938 | 24.7% |
| 10 | MY OWN WORST ENEMY | NBC | 8,488 | 6,843 | 1,645 | 24.0% |
| 11 | LIFE | NBC | 6,766 | 5,559 | 1,207 | 21.7% |
| 12 | ONE TREE HILL | CW | 3,824 | 3,157 | 667 | 21.1% |
| 13 | PUSHING DAISIES | ABC | 6,840 | 5,666 | 1,174 | 20.7% |
| 14 | SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 13,777 | 11,444 | 2,333 | 20.4% |
| 15 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 16,902 | 14,111 | 2,791 | 19.8% |
| 16 | BOSTON LEGAL | ABC | 9,097 | 7,617 | 1,480 | 19.4% |
| 17 | MY NAME IS EARL | NBC | 7,426 | 6,218 | 1,208 | 19.4% |
| 18 | SNL:WKND UPDT 10/16 | NBC | 9,494 | 7,990 | 1,504 | 18.8% |
| 19 | THE GAME | CW | 2,022 | 1,709 | 313 | 18.3% |
| 20 | LIFE ON MARS | ABC | 9,319 | 7,880 | 1,439 | 18.3% |
The % Time-shifting table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the largest % increase in viewing between Live audience and Live+7 audience numbers from viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs).
Definitions:
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.
For more information see Numbers 101.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data:©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
entirely meaningless is so absolute! We do not *know* this to be the case. But we have enough data to support “almost entirely meaningless, and perhaps so close to entirely meaningless that you wouldn’t know the difference…”
I have edited the text for those people, nameless they shall be, who may be allergic to absolutes.
Me? Black and white baby!
Though it may not contribute to the show’s success, it’s comforting to a fan to see the office get % increases like that.
And you could at least *argue* that these numbers hold SOME sort of value. For instance, if this many people are watching The Office (even if it’s not live), i have that much greater a chance of running into someone else that also watches the show. And (as I have done with some of my friends) try and pursuade them to watch it live.
Now I know i’m only one fan, but my point is that the more people that see the show eventually (whether live or not) the greater the potential that some of them may eventually switch to live. Or perhaps even if these particular people never switch to live viewing, they may themselves bring in new viewers that watch live.
I guess all I’m saying is that this table is a measure of POTENTIAL success, but not necessarily the added value networks (and advertisers) would ideally want it to be.
If we did know that it was absolutely true, I’d have no problem with the absolute! I doubt the extended viewing is very meaningful but almost meaningless and entirely meaningless aren’t the same thing.
I look at CSI: Miami with only 500,000 of its 1.92 million DVR viewership occurring the same day and think a whole lot of the remainder probably occurs within the C+3 range, boosting C+3 numbers ever so slightly. I suspect (but lack the data to do the analysis) that his is the case with many of the 10pm shows where the % of same day DVR viewing is typically *much* lower than shows airing at 8p and 9p.
128boy, Hope springs eternal!
Bill, you gotta believe, man!
I have been with that show since day 1, and still remember watching the pilot for the first time. I now know 6 people close to me that watch the show, and I am single-handedly responsible for 4 of them! I am still a believer in word-of-mouth, to an extent. And this table is at least valuable as an added word-of-mouth measure. The more people that watch it, the more it spreads (hopefully)! lol, boy do I sound delusional, i know, i know
You know i hate to say this as its been brilliant this season but i think im resigned that this is PBs final season.
Still its goin on a high
Question: Does watching a show OnDemand count anywhere? I have COMCAST and always catch CSI & NCIS that way, so I can DVR or watch other shows.
Johnny, I’m sure it’s counted somewhere, by someone, but nothing that is currently reported regularly by anyone — not the networks (save perhaps NBC), and not the cable companies. The limited data we’ve seen thanks mostly to NBC suggests it is very small currently, even relative to DVR viewing, let alone live viewing.
I love Grey’s and record it every week..but i just read something on eonline that i think is a very poor decision on ABC’s part…supposedly they are de-gaying Grey’s lol, fired the actress who plays the newly outed lesbian character and changed the sexuality of a future guest star..i may stop watching, it makes no sense why they are doing this..read up on it here: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b66996_greys_degayed_brooke_smith_axed_melissa.html
Chuck looks like it’s getting fairly consistent DVR viewership this season. Is there data showing what the show got last season?
Grey Rocks
FrankJ, We’ve been doing these posts for more than a year. Just click the “Top DVR Shows” category link above and you can go back in time and see them.
Awesome, thanks!
Sarah Connor has been in the top 5 for greatest % increase for a while now. Did it all of a sudden just drop out of the top 20? If so, that would seem kind of odd.
Corey, to quote Woody Paige, “you have to look at the schedule!”. Sarah Connor didn’t air on October 13 (the week referenced above).
Umm…I knew that. Sorry, my mind is still in flux over that ridiculously awesome episode of Sarah Connor last night.
Corey – Did Terminator air this particular week ?
Private Practice is usually high up in the % increase, but it didn’t air during the week the data is for. Ditto Dirty Sexy Money.
Mike, Terminator didn’t air in the week this report covers.
If this has been explained before, please forgive me…new girl here.
I want to understand how the DVR numbers work alongside the Nielsen numbers. Do the networks even count this data since most of us who record our shows to fast forward through commercials as opposed to watching live where we are forced to endure endless adds? Do they (The Networks)even realize that most of us use this opportunity to go to the bathroom or grab a snack and don’t even watch the adds anyway?
I just want to know how this all works. Thanks! I’m loving this site!
DD, Nielsen families have their DVR watching counted just as they have their Live show watching, either via the people meters which are in 12-17,000 homes currently. Networks likely monitor the DVR watching numbers, but our best information is that they are not relevant to the advertising revenue success of a show.
Heroes did awesome; could these count towards the episodes renew/cancel index? (as the companies make money out of some advertisement on it)
The writing for Grey’s Anatomy this season absolutely takes a back seat to no one- not even to the powerhouse scripts of Desperate Housewives. Inducing the fans of the show to rally around the hospital redemption crisis was genius. Adding “McArmy” dude was another stroke of genius as he is definitely going to be the impetus of major chaos and change for the better of the hospital. Having Izzie regain her moral fortitude, perfect. The lesbian love story neither added to nor took away from Grey’s as a whole. Therefore it was completely expendable. We look forward to seeing more great things from Grey’s Anatomy this Thursday.
I would think the Office numbers for DVR views could be easily linked to the fact that its on the same time as Greys and they share a viewing audience. If you want to watch both the same night you have to watch Greys live and then the recording of the Office…if you do it the other way around you are stuck with a 30 min gap while Greys finishes recording. The days of putting shows on at the same time to compete are all but forgotten.