Not so scary after all

Hope lives for clock-watching advertisers: Despite the hubbub about DVR use, viewers don't delay viewing recorded programs, according to (pdf) an analysis of Nielsen data by Palisades MediaGroup, writes MarketingCharts.

On average, half of all DVR primetime program playback occurs within the same day of recording. By the end of the following day, DVR owners complete approximately three-quarters of all program playback, Palisades said:

While DVR penetration appears to be growing rapidly, usage does not make a significant impact on ratings, "at least not yet," said Susie Thomas, SVP, director of research and insights at Palisades MediaGroup. "Nielsen estimates DVR penetration to be at 20 percent, up from 12 percent in January of this year. While this is a good-sized increase, the impact on viewership remains minor."

According to the study, ratings increase just over 15 percent due to DVR playback from live to live-plus-seven. The average rating against adults aged 18-49 was 2.5 for live viewing and 2.9 for live-plus-seven viewing; an increase of only 16.7 percent.

Ad-Skipping

While fast-forwarding through the ads is still an issue, not all people who use a DVR fast-forward: The data show that less than half of people who watch a recorded program fast-forward through the ads during playback.

"Of course there are fluctuations when looking at the data program by program," noted Thomas, "but overall DVR usage is not dramatically cutting into live viewing."

Playback Timing

Equally significant, the top 10 most-DVR'd primetime shows among adults 18-49 are played back as much as 58 percent on the same day (CBS's Survivor: China) and as little as 27 percent (CW's Reaper):

The bottom line, according to Palisades: Advertisers with time-sensitive messages such as opening-weekend movie releases or special holiday sales offers need not fret over the DVR movement just yet; viewers are watching recorded programs shortly after they've been recorded - thus maintaining the timeliness of the advertising message.