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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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16

DVRs Aren't Killing TV, They're Saving It

Turns out nearly half of viewers don't skip commercials

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(Newser) – A year ago, TV networks were terrified of the DVR. The devices allowed viewers to skip commercials on playback, and who, given the choice, would watch TV commercials? Lots of people, it turns out. TV watching is such an inherently lazy activity that many viewers can’t summon the energy to fast forward during breaks. In the key 18-49 age demographic, 46% watch all the ads during playback.

Add to that the fact that shows enjoy 7%-20% more viewings over three days of playback—the four big networks see an average 10% increase overall—and DVRs are a serious boost to the TV industry. One show not enjoying the fruits of the DVR revolution is NBC's beleaguered Jay Leno Show, which, due to its topical subject matter, gets relatively few playbacks, the New York Times reports.

In this Aug. 5, 2009, file photo, comedian Jay Leno attends the NBC Summer press tour party in Pasadena, Calif.
In this Aug. 5, 2009, file photo, comedian Jay Leno attends the NBC Summer press tour party in Pasadena, Calif.   (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)
Introducing TiVo HD XL—the new DVR offering TV lovers up to 150 hours of HD recording
Introducing TiVo HD XL—the new DVR offering TV lovers up to 150 hours of HD recording   (PRNewsFoto/TiVo Inc.)
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16 comments
VIEWING:
 
Hip
Nov 2, 09 6:52 AM CST
The only reason I still watch TV is because I can tape shows and watch them when I have free time. I tape Letterman and Leno every night and scan through quickly the next day to see if anything great happened. Sporting events have a ridiculous amount of ads. I tape the major golf tournaments (8hrs+ a day of coverage) and zip through them in about three hours later the same night. Ditto for NFL games. For shows that I can actually watch live, I wait 22 minutes and then start. I zip through the commercials and my viewing finishes at the same time as the live show. I've owned my DVR for over a year and have never watched a commercial. There's no doubt the Internet will replace TV in the future but the DVR is definitely prolonging its existence. Reply
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Spudsy
Nov 2, 09 5:55 PM CST
Same here Hip. I must do the math sometime and find out how many minutes of commercials there are vs the 60 minutes of actual football played. Would probably be a depressing number.
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Netstorm2k9
Nov 2, 09 6:53 AM CST
After paying sixty plus a month for DirectTV, I don't feel an obligation to watch a dancing cornflake. Reply
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+3
phil
Nov 2, 09 6:54 AM CST
you still see the brandnames as you zip through the ads. we are prob watching more ads not less. some ads seem designed to be zipped through as well. Reply
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+1
GlennH
Nov 2, 09 8:06 AM CST
I sometimes watch the news or a sporting event live, but otherwise I haven't seen a commercial in years. Reply
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+1

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