Network Heads Want Live and Same-Day Ratings Done Away With

[JamesG]

Networks Campaign to Retire Live and Same-Day Ratings
7/19/14
by Michael O'Connell


If there's one thing networks can agree on, broadcast and cable alike, it's that morning-after ratings generally come far south of a TV series' total audience.

There are exceptions — reality remains a small benefactor of the DVR — but for the most part, time-shifted viewing now accounts for a significant portion of ratings.





Trotting out a "bar chart gauntlet," a mid-PowerPoint joke from Fox senior vp research Will Somers, execs from CBS, Fox, FX and Showtime each presented data on how audiences are currently consuming their biggest hits during Saturday's brief gathering at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

"If you were a sports reporter, you wouldn't report the winner on the third inning score," CBS chief research officer David Poltrack. told the crowd of reporters.

"You can't do that. We all provide projections. The one thing you can be sure about our projections is that if one of us starts giving you a lot of bull****, the others are going to let you know."





Most timely might have been FX's Julie Piepenkotter. The FX Networks exec vp of research plugged DVR gains for series like "Sons of Anarchy" and "Fargo", just a few days after the network released its first ratings info for freshman drama "The Strain" — five days after it premiered.

"We are no longer going to publicly issue communiques issuing live-plus-same-day data," she said. "We think five days for live-plus-three is worth the wait to more accurately report the story."









Whether that's going to dissuade outlets from reporting on their earlier ratings, publicly available by Nielsen, remains to be seen. And all agree that live events, news and sports still warrant next-day write-ups. But one good example of a network that's managed to steer its ratings conversation away from live viewing is Showtime.

Yes, the pay cable network isn't beholden to advertisers like its peers, so it doesn't have to discuss any ratings, but Showtime's Kim Lemon (the only research exec on the panel also charged with scheduling) said that its been years since the network last paid attention to live viewing. "Homeland", the network's most-watched series at 7 million weekly viewers, only brings in 32 percent of that number during a live Sunday night telecast.

"These new platforms are something we have eagerly embraced," said Lemon. "And you can see by the penetration numbers that viewers have. That's why for the last five or six years, we have been completely focused on a multi-platform total week for our shows. That's what we look at."





The Big Four, easily the networks feeling the most heat from live-plus-same day viewers, are also time-shifting more than many might thing. Last season, the average rating among adults 18-49 grew by an average 40 percent (with little variation) in live-plus-seven day ratings alone for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

"What's interesting is how long the tail is becoming," added Somers. "There are still people watching the first episode of Sleepy Hollow."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...ve-same-719796

[James28]

"Network heads want live-plus-same-day ratings done away with"? I think this is because the scripted shows' viewership numbers have gotten so weak in recent years. Possible ploy to make their ratings/viewership figures strong again? Which does anyone here prefer?

* Live-only ratings
* Live-plus-same-day ratings
* Live-plus-three ratings
* Live-plus-seven ratings

[JamesG]

TCA: Fox’s Peter Rice on Live and Same-Day Ratings
by NELLIE ANDREEVA
July 20, 2014


Fox Networks Group chairman Peter Rice took the stage on his own at the network’s executive session at the TCAs this morning.

He gave his input on the discussion of the increasing irrelevance of Live+same day ratings. He too agreed that overnight ratings paint a very skewed picture, giving the example of Fox shows like "New Girl" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", which are labeled as low-rated based on live numbers but rise dramatically in time-shifted and online viewing.

He was encouraged by advertisers starting to embrace C7 vs. C3 during the most recent Upfronts ad sales period.





With the growing popularity of time-shifting, does a programming grid mean anything anymore and does it matter when shows are launched?

“I think it’s important in how you release and initially distribute and help audiences the way you guide them through it, instead of a Wild West where everything is up at the same time; It’s helpful to have a schedule,” Rice said.

“You can still draft and promote around it. But clearly viewers are making their own schedule. We have to present it in a certain way.”

http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/pete...ph-demise-tca/

[Will and Grace Fanatic]

Got to agree, I never watch anything live anymore. I tend to dvr everything and watch them on Saturdays. I think most people do this now.

[Regulus]

"Appointment" TV is Dead! Long Live "Appointment" TV!


PS If the Networks (and Advertisers) want us to watch more "Appointment" TV may I suggest three things:

1. Reduce the time allotted for commercials to 10-12 Minutes Per Hour.

2. Stop showing commercials that are obnoxious and/or offensive

3. Keep the "Adult Product" ads off TV when children are most likely to be watching.

[Mr. Television]

I don't know why they care about DVR playback because I fast forward through the commercials. I doubt I'm the only one.

[comedyfreak]

How will they know if a show is a hit or not? I also fast forward through the commercials on my DVR also.

[Frenky]

Well, if Big 4 could give us better shows maybe ratings wouldn't be this bad. Fall season is 6 weeks away and I don't have any interest in new shows.

Nothing has screamed "Must See TV" for me since TBBT started which I stopped watching.