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« Today's News: Our Take
DVR Ratings: Grey's, CBS Each Claim Bragging Rights
William Petersen by Robert Voets/CBS
As promised, the first meaningful batch of live-plus-seven-days ratings is in, and both ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS' pool of procedurals can claim bragging rights (if, in fact, people choosing not to watch your show live is to be boasted about). For the first real week of fall-season competition (starting Sept. 24), Grey's enjoyed the biggest boost from DVD playback — two million total viewers. CBS, however, notes that out of the 15 shows that gained a million-plus heads, it boasts seven — led by CSI in the No. 2 slot — which is more than any rival.
Rounding out the top 10 are Heroes (which received the biggest lift in 18-49), House, CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, Bionic Woman, The Office, Numbers and Journeyman.
Overall, the Big Four networks saw a five percent increase in viewership tallies once DVR playbacks were factored in.
Related: DVR Ratings Might Not Perform CPR on Dying Shows
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Oct 15, 2007 4:37 PM
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Hopefully this will encourage the suits not to cancel Journeyman prematurely...
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Oct 15, 2007 5:06 PM
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Since I'm not a Nielsen family, my viewing habits don't count and don't matter. But, if they did, they'd probably confuse things. I watch some shows "live" (Heroes, Reaper, and Supernatural) and then watch them again before the next showing with my son.
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Oct 15, 2007 5:18 PM
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What good news for Journeyman. Hopefully NBC will see this and step back from the CANCEL NOW button just a bit. Everything else (except for Bionic Woman I guess) didn't really have anything to worry about. It's like the rich getting richer. 
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Oct 15, 2007 5:54 PM
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In the middle of this post you refer to a boost from "DVD playback," but I believe you meant DVR. As an avid TiVo user, I think it's great they're counting DVR use now, but which users do they use? Would I know if my use were being counted?
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Oct 15, 2007 7:11 PM
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Matt,
You wrote "if, in fact, people choosing not to watch your show live is to be boasted about"...
I think it's a great deal to brag about. I know you were being sarcastic, but there is something to be said about the importance of time shifted viewing in a universe where it is IMPOSSIBLE to watch many (quality) shows "live" because they air against each other, much less the fact that people live more "time shifted lives" than ever before.
As I write this, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars live, but DVR is set for The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Chuck and Heroes. All of these shows overlap in one way or the other and back in the old days (LOL) I would be forced to choose. I still have to, but those choices are less restrictive than ever before. And I'm not even including what I watch via iTunes, on individual network sites, or DVD.
There are several nights where the programming is so dense (most of the week, actually) that broadcast and cable networks should crow about the fact that there are viewers in signiicant numbers who take the additional time out of their busy lives to watch shows they might otherwise have to skip.
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Oct 15, 2007 8:12 PM
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I'm not sure what other people with Tivo/DVRs do, but I don't "technically" watching anything live. The closest I come to watching anything "live" is starting it 15-20 late so that I can skip commercials and still finish around the same time. I'm glad to know that the final ratings are taking people like me into account. If I were one of these execs I wouldnt be thrilled that people werent watching my shows live but knowing that they were interested enough to record them weekly would mean a lot. Does anyone know how long they have been using live-plus-seven ratings? If this is the first year, maybe it will help stave off the premature cancellation of serial type shows that take a few episodes for watchers to really get invested.
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Oct 15, 2007 9:37 PM
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Are "On Demand" views factored in for CBS shows on Comcast? And out of curiosity, why are other networks not getting in on this new trend?
I know that I choose not to watch CSI on Thursdays because I DVR "The Office" and "Supernatural", knowing that CSI will be available On Demand later in the week.
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Oct 15, 2007 10:54 PM
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Matt,
Is this about what the networks were expecting or were they expecting more? And when do the C3 ratings come out?
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Oct 15, 2007 11:37 PM
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Me not watching a show live is no slam on the show. Quite the opposite, actually. I TiVo everything I watch during primetime, and the shows I am really invested in and to which I want to give my full attention, I save to watch at a time when I am either alone, or with only the people with whom I "share" the show.
Basically, I save the best for last. I would really like for that to be counted, and in a positive way, not as some sort of loss.
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Oct 16, 2007 4:05 AM
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It's about time that dvr usage was counted. I don't watch anything - except the Yankee games - live so that I can FF through the commercials. Most important, I want to watch when it is convenient for me; not when the networks want me to watch.
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Oct 16, 2007 8:52 AM
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Just wanted to weigh in and say that I DVR shows that I may not have a chance to watch but also shows I watch live in case I miss something so DVR'ing is not always about not watching live.
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Oct 16, 2007 9:07 AM
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Since the Neilsons (sp?) are really for advertisers more than anyone else, I don't know how DVR ratings are really relevant. Like most people here, I DVR almost everything so that I don't have to watch commercials. So unless there are imbedded product placements (like Heroes and Gossip Girl)my viewing habits are not what advertisers are looking for.
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Oct 17, 2007 9:29 AM
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