TiVo might be hurting Sci Fi shows.

POSTED BY: Dataless
UPDATED: Saturday, May 5, 2007 06:57
VIEWED: 7004
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DATALESS

Monday, April 16, 2007 5:26 AM

A friend of mine was listening to Ron More podcast for BSG and he said that 60% of the shows viewers are using Tivos and that the Nelson rating board ignores Tivo users because they don't watch commercials. So that it why Sci Fi keeps saying that the 4th season of BSG might be the last.
It might also hurt Sci fi shows in general. I saw Firefly when it aired because I had a Tivo at the time but it could have hurt the ratings and got that canceled too.

BROWNCOAT1

Monday, April 16, 2007 11:55 AM

Interesting. So Tivo recorded shows do not count on the ratings due to commercials being cut?

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PATSRULE

Monday, April 16, 2007 11:56 AM

I don't know how old the Ron Moore podcast is, but that information, while it used to be correct a while ago, is not correct now. Nielson now does keep track of Tivo use, and reports that as well as live use.

However, the statistic about 60 percent of sci-fi viewers using tivos is misleading. That doesn't mean that 60% are watching later, and thus skipping commercials. This season, Lost has the biggest audience that watches the show later, at 25%.

OZZYSUN

Monday, April 16, 2007 11:58 AM

But when your recording a show wouldn't that show activity from the satellite box?
That doesn't really make alot of sense.

MAVOURNEEN

Monday, April 16, 2007 12:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by patsrule:
I don't know how old the Ron Moore podcast is, but that information, while it used to be correct a while ago, is not correct now. Nielson now does keep track of Tivo use, and reports that as well as live use.

Thank you, Patsrule. You beat me to the punch. Tivo use is significantly tracked by both Nielson and all networks.

An anonymous record of program recording is downloaded to tivo every night when your box "phones home." Networks pay big bucks to tivo to get these numbers, just like Nielson numbers. As tivo becomes more and more prevelant, I predict those ratings will increase in importance.

Tivo isn't hurting sci-fi shows. There's a reason Skiffy shows BSG, Dresden, etc several times, especially overnight. It's for us tivo folks.

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MSG

Monday, April 16, 2007 2:18 PM

The tivo sends a signal to a mainframe whenever you select a show to record or season pass it. So tivo might be good because it's tracking everyone who selects the show not just the neilsen households...

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

STORYMARK

Monday, April 16, 2007 3:16 PM

Another thing to keep in mind is iTunes. BSG is pretty frequently downloaded there, and I don't think it counts toward the ratings.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

DATALESS

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 3:26 AM

The Nelsons might keep that info but, I think, they ignore it for ratings due to the face they that think you are time shifting (watching the shows later and skipping the ads.) The Nelsons rate shows for advertisers to decide which show to put their on and if they tell the advertisers put their ads on a T.V. show that all the viewers were using TiVo (presumably skipping the ads) they would be wasting their money. So that is why BSG might be canceled at the end of next season.

PATSRULE

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 2:02 PM

If BSG gets cancelled, it won't be because of low ratings. It is Sci-fi networks hightest rated and most visible show.

It is true that advertisers are wasting their money on DVR users, though. The television industry is going to have to come up with a new business model as DVRs become more prevalent. Everything about the tv industry is so antiquated. Product Placement and pop-up advertisements are two ways to get advertisement dollars for shows, but eventually, they will need to rethink the entire strategy, from Pilots, to ratings and early cancelations, to syndication, and so on. The TV production business is way behind the times.

MAIII

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 5:06 PM

SCI-FI channel's magazine had a similiar story a couple of issues back and it came of like dont blame us if we cancel you favorite show it is all tivo users fault. I am sorry but other than Firefly and maybe the Sopranos (cause I have people over) will I let a network schedule drive my life. Shows like Lost Heroes & 24 that give you so little each week and end with a cliffhanger beg to be watched in blocks not once a week. in fact I havent watched any of the second half of Lost yet. If a show is going to live or die by ad revenue and live viewings it just shows the networks lack of committment to the show and how outdated the broadcast model is. the networks need to come up with a new way to do business taking into account streaming episodes, Itunes downloads and other areas besides neilsen ratings.

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