DVR Viewing: New! And Improved! Now With More Numbers!
Starting this week, I’m going to be presenting more DVR data in these weekly posts and in a slightly different format. From now on I will post all three measures of a show’s audience we see on a regular basis, Live viewing, Live+SD viewing and Live+7 viewing. Then I will calculate the number of viewers by DVR on the Same Day (as telecast until 3am), and Total DVR viewers (within 7 days of telecast), as well as the % of viewing on the Same Day and the % of Total viewing by DVR. Note that in the past I calculated the increase in viewing from Live to Live+7 via DVR. You can still do that from this data, but I thought presenting the numbers in this way would be more interesting to more people. In the future, I’ll have some pithy insights on these new numbers, but now I’m just going to rest.
The two tables will still show exactly the same shows as under the old posts, Top 20 shows by Total DVR viewing, and Top 20 Shows By % of DVR Viewing (although in the past it was By Increase via DVR viewing, it works out to be exactly the same shows in the same order).
For the week of November 10-16, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy again had the largest audience via DVR viewing with 4.239 million viewers via DVRs. Fox’s House was second with a DVR viewing audience of 3.958 million. Rounding out the top ten for the largest DVR audiences were Office, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Fringe, Heroes, Survivor: Gabon, Bones, and The Mentalist.
NBC’s Lipstick Jungle was the top show for largest share of viewing via DVR with 32.3% of its total Live+7 audience coming via DVR viewing. Rounding out the top 10 for largest audience share via DVR viewing were Office, 90210, Heroes, Fringe, Gossip Girl, Smallville, House America’s Top Model and Privileged.
Those of you interested in DVR viewing numbers might enjoy Doing My Part To Combat DVR Misinformation.
Largest DVR Audiences for Broadcast TV Shows, November 10-16, 2008:
| Rank | Programs | Net | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live+SD (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Same Day DVR Viewers (000s) | Total DVR Viewers (000s) | % Same Day DVR Viewing | % Total DVR Viewing |
| 1 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 17,457 | 14,902 | 13,218 | 1,684 | 4,239 | 9.6% | 24.3% |
| 2 | HOUSE | FOX | 15,231 | 13,062 | 11,273 | 1,789 | 3,958 | 11.7% | 26.0% |
| 3 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,922 | 8,296 | 6,769 | 1,527 | 3,153 | 15.4% | 31.8% |
| 4 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 18,182 | 16,842 | 15,121 | 1,721 | 3,061 | 9.5% | 16.8% |
| 5 | CSI | CBS | 21,071 | 19,050 | 18,018 | 1,032 | 3,053 | 4.9% | 14.5% |
| 6 | FRINGE | FOX | 10,369 | 8,612 | 7,475 | 1,137 | 2,894 | 11.0% | 27.9% |
| 7 | HEROES | NBC | 9,683 | 7,849 | 6,790 | 1,059 | 2,893 | 10.9% | 29.9% |
| 8 | SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 13,843 | 12,885 | 11,162 | 1,723 | 2,681 | 12.4% | 19.4% |
| 9 | BONES | FOX | 12,220 | 10,868 | 9,661 | 1,207 | 2,559 | 9.9% | 20.9% |
| 10 | THE MENTALIST | CBS | 18,112 | 16,516 | 15,609 | 907 | 2,503 | 5.0% | 13.8% |
| 11 | NCIS | CBS | 20,119 | 18,745 | 17,640 | 1,105 | 2,479 | 5.5% | 12.3% |
| 12 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 16,317 | 14,833 | 13,857 | 976 | 2,460 | 6.0% | 15.1% |
| 13 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 15,808 | 14,504 | 13,540 | 964 | 2,268 | 6.1% | 14.3% |
| 14 | 30 ROCK | NBC | 8,810 | 7,602 | 6,666 | 936 | 2,144 | 10.6% | 24.3% |
| 15 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 15,302 | 13,815 | 13,321 | 494 | 1,981 | 3.2% | 12.9% |
| 16 | E.R. | NBC | 11,187 | 9,900 | 9,291 | 609 | 1,896 | 5.4% | 16.9% |
| 17 | GHOST WHISPERER | CBS | 12,475 | 11,575 | 10,605 | 970 | 1,870 | 7.8% | 15.0% |
| 18 | NUMB3RS | CBS | 10,644 | 9,285 | 8,880 | 405 | 1,764 | 3.8% | 16.6% |
| 19 | CHUCK | NBC | 7,211 | 6,338 | 5,505 | 833 | 1,706 | 11.6% | 23.7% |
| 20 | AMAZING RACE 13 | CBS | 12,740 | 12,127 | 11,041 | 1,086 | 1,699 | 8.5% | 13.3% |
The largest DVR audience size table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the largest absolute number of viewers watching shows at any time on their digital video recorders (DVRs)
Greatest % Of DVR Viewing for Broadcast TV Shows:
| Rank | Programs | Net | Persons Live+7 (000s) | Persons Live+SD (000s) | Persons Live (000s) | Same Day DVR Viewers (000s) | Total DVR Viewers (000s) | % Same Day DVR Viewing | % Total DVR Viewing |
| 1 | LIPSTICK JUNGLE | NBC | 4,745 | 3,662 | 3,213 | 449 | 1,532 | 9.5% | 32.3% |
| 2 | OFFICE | NBC | 9,922 | 8,296 | 6,769 | 1,527 | 3,153 | 15.4% | 31.8% |
| 3 | 90210 | CW | 3,307 | 2,716 | 2,306 | 410 | 1,001 | 12.4% | 30.3% |
| 4 | HEROES | NBC | 9,683 | 7,849 | 6,790 | 1,059 | 2,893 | 10.9% | 29.9% |
| 5 | FRINGE | FOX | 10,369 | 8,612 | 7,475 | 1,137 | 2,894 | 11.0% | 27.9% |
| 6 | GOSSIP GIRL | CW | 3,388 | 2,883 | 2,477 | 406 | 911 | 12.0% | 26.9% |
| 7 | SMALLVILLE | CW | 4,382 | 3,556 | 3,215 | 341 | 1,167 | 7.8% | 26.6% |
| 8 | HOUSE | FOX | 15,231 | 13,062 | 11,273 | 1,789 | 3,958 | 11.7% | 26.0% |
| 9 | AMERICA’S TOP MODEL | CW | 4,169 | 3,706 | 3,109 | 597 | 1,060 | 14.3% | 25.4% |
| 10 | PRIVILEGED | CW | 2,213 | 1,857 | 1,655 | 202 | 558 | 9.1% | 25.2% |
| 11 | 30 ROCK | NBC | 8,810 | 7,602 | 6,666 | 936 | 2,144 | 10.6% | 24.3% |
| 12 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 17,457 | 14,902 | 13,218 | 1,684 | 4,239 | 9.6% | 24.3% |
| 13 | MY OWN WORST ENEMY | NBC | 5,211 | 4,274 | 3,954 | 320 | 1,257 | 6.1% | 24.1% |
| 14 | TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES | FOX | 6,009 | 5,153 | 4,565 | 588 | 1,444 | 9.8% | 24.0% |
| 15 | CHUCK | NBC | 7,211 | 6,338 | 5,505 | 833 | 1,706 | 11.6% | 23.7% |
| 16 | SUPERNATURAL | CW | 3,624 | 2,944 | 2,775 | 169 | 849 | 4.7% | 23.4% |
| 17 | PRISON BREAK | FOX | 6,204 | 5,378 | 4,884 | 494 | 1,320 | 8.0% | 21.3% |
| 18 | BONES | FOX | 12,220 | 10,868 | 9,661 | 1,207 | 2,559 | 9.9% | 20.9% |
| 19 | MY NAME IS EARL | NBC | 7,933 | 7,045 | 6,311 | 734 | 1,622 | 9.3% | 20.4% |
| 20 | ONE TREE HILL | CW | 3,347 | 2,989 | 2,688 | 301 | 659 | 9.0% | 19.7% |
The % of Total viewing by DVR table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the largest % of viewing by DVR in their 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.
the return of Same day %: yay!
the exit of % increase over live: double yay!
Robert, isn’t total DVR viewing the same as % increase over live?
wait, “same day DVR” as a percentage of total viewing? BOO!
Just a personal bias but I find it far more interesting to see the same day DVR viewing as a percentage of the overall DVR viewing. I’m not saying it’s riveting but it does at least indicate something about DVR behavior for shows. Your metric doesn’t.
I do much prefer seeing total DVR viewing expressed as a percentage of overall, rather than an increase to live…
Julia, no, it isn’t. Increase over live was total DVR divided by LIVE viewing. This is total DVR divided by total viewing (live+7) to reflect the percentage of DVR viewing, not the percentage increase over live.
“wait, “same day DVR” as a percentage of total viewing? BOO!
Just a personal bias but I find it far more interesting to see the same day DVR viewing as a percentage of the overall DVR viewing. I’m not saying it’s riveting but it does at least indicate something about DVR behavior for shows. Your metric doesn’t.”
I thought about doing it that way, it is no easier/more difficult, but thought it could introduce apples and oranges problems when the two % columns were calculated differently. However, if there is outcry from the people I will change it.
Julia, Robert is correct in his explanation of the % increase over Live vs. % of viewing via DVR change. For what it’s worth, the shows and their order would be exactly the same under the “old” system as they are under this system.
After >1 year of doing it that way solely because Nielsen used to do it that way (when they did it at all, they stopped long ago), this way just seems like it would make more sense to people.
I understand your concern re: percentage columns next to each other representing different things, but my worry is completely the other way. I worry people will look at that data and think 90%+ of weekly DVR viewing doesn’t happen the same night.
I’m calculating % Same Day DVR per Total DVR’s myself right now…so far looks like Office and House have larger quantities of Same Day-ers than GA, Fringe, or Heroes. So the trend sort of lines up with the “% Same Day-ers vs. the total viewing.” However, the whole reason I’m doing this is because I misread the concept exactly as Mr. Seidman suggested people would
. Still, I’m not seeing any shows where Same Day DVR was > or =50% of the DVR viewing.
I didn’t check DH or CSI because they have relatively low percentage DVR viewing vs. total viewers.
OK T:SCC BROKE THE 6 MILLION MARK WITH DVR VIEWERS. DOES FOX LOOK AT DVR VIEWS? BECAUSE I WOULD THINK SCC WOULD BE OK BECAUSE IT IS OVER 6 MILLION LOL DO YOU KNOW IF THEY PLAY THAT INTO FACTOR WHEN THINKING ABOUT CANCELLING A SHOW?
Turn off the caps lock, remove the “LOL” and add punctuation, then ask your question again.
Sorry but what is the difference again between “the most DVR viewers” and “greatest share of DVR viewing” ?
Thanks…
KC, “most dvr viewers” is the the show that had the largest number of viewers that watched the show on their DVRs.
“greatest share of DVR viewing” is the show that had the largest share of its viewing done via DVR as a % of its total viewing audience.
ok t:scc broke the 6 million mark with dvr viewers! does fox look at dvr views? and if so does that play into whether the show is cancelled or renewed? sorry about caps and lol
Do you have the DVR numbers for Life on Mars this week?
Dawn, sadly, after I created the DVR post for this week, I lost the data in my spreadsheet, so the numbers above are all I have for the week covered by the post. However, the following week’s data should be posted sometime later today.