Nielsen’s Latest Study Reveals A Whole Lot Of Time-Shifting Going On

Nielsen’s latest study of what happens beyond the Live-Plus-7 window is an eyeopener. Viewers are watching a lot of TV a week or more after it first airs.Some key top line results:

• Viewership rises anywhere from 4% to 58%, depending on the show.
• Reality/competition shows have the lowest percentage of extended viewing, animated comedy shows the best.
• The majority of extended viewing comes during week two (days 8 to 14) but younger viewers time-shift for even more extended periods
• VOD viewing trumps DVR viewing, which drops off considerably after the first week.
• VOD viewers watch twice as long as live viewers

Some key takeaways:

• Making entire seasons available on VOD is a smart idea— many viewers catch up with shows after the fact.
• Binge viewing is not just for Netflix. It’s happening on VOD too. That means commercial loads need to reflect that reality and not show the same three spots every time.
• Networks should not be so quick to cancel shows: there’s a good chance a show will find an audience after it airs—the right marketing can make a difference too.
• Different genres result in different ratings patterns—keep that in mind when deciding what’s working and what isn’t.