The growth in penetration of digital video recorders in the US does not appear to be impacting live ratings of major network broadcasters live schedules and could be helping attract larger audiences to shows, according to MPG.
MPG says that DVR playback contributed audience gains in the 18-49 age group of 0.2 and 0.3 Nielsen rating points for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, although it added that the growth may be due to the fact that Nielsen’s sample had become more representative of DVR homes.
In July, research from Leichtman Research Group revealed that 62% of US DVR subscribers say that they usually watch recorded or on-demand programs when there is no regularly scheduled TV on that they want to watch (see US DVR And VOD Households Increase Significantly).
MPG adds that its findings support predictions that DVRs would boost high rated shows and networks by creating secondary viewing opportunities.
As an example, the top rated show for the first week of the new US season, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, was also the number one show in terms of DVR playback, with a full rating point among adults 18-49 and among adults 25-54.
MPG’s research shows that rankings for the top 20 programmes all stayed the same, with or without DVR playback, although at least 45% of all series changed positions in the ‘live’ plus seven days of playback rankings.
Mediamark Research Inc recently released researched which said that US adults whose households have a digital video recorder (DVR) are more upscale than those who do not and are more likely to be heavy readers of magazines and newspapers (see US DVR Households More ‘Upscale’ Than Those Without).
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