PVRs Do Not Significantly Affect Viewing Choices

Attentional says that according to surveys where respondents are asked about their viewing, viewers say that they watch more TV than they did before they got Sky+. However, the “peoplemeters” used by large continuous panels say that they PVR owners watch less TV.

Research by Attentional analysts seems to resolve this issue, at least for the present. “Sky+ users are lighter viewers than the average Sky viewer, they tend to be relatively prosperous and such people simply watch less TV”, says Adrian Edwards, Attentional’s head of operations.

Sky+ viewers do behave like non-Sky+ viewers of the same demographic type, said Attentional. There are only slight differences in the content Sky+ viewers watch relative to their non-Sky+ peers. Sky+ viewers watch more factual entertainment and a little less drama (though drama is the most recorded genre).

Dr Farid El-Husseini, head of econometrics at Attentional, said: “This is an important finding because it tells us that the viewing choices of this group are not strongly affected by their acquisition of a PVR.

“This is also crucial knowledge for our UK channel viewing share forecasts, and will feed into the new forecasts being prepared for release early in 2008.”

These findings are also significant for estimating the advertising impact of PVRs, since they suggest that the lower viewing levels in Sky+ homes are largely caused by the demographic skew of Sky+ take-up.

Attentional says that the main impact of PVRs on advertising is therefore likely to be through “ad-skipping”, and not additionally compounded by a strong decline in the overall levels of viewing.

A report from Nielsen Company published at the start of the year found that US viewers with digital video recorders (DVRs) still watch, on average, two thirds of advertisements (see US DVR Users Still Watch Two Thirds Of Ads).

Last month, a report from Leichtman Research Group claimed that more than one in every five households in the US now has a (DVR) – up from about one in every thirteen households just two years ago (see DVRs Now In Over One In Five US Households).