With monetizing delayed viewing a key issue for television networks going into upfronts, a new research report says that ratings and revenue for some broadcast shows could be as much as 17% higher if more days of delayed viewing are included in the measurement.
Some network executives have talked about seeking to do deals on C7—commercial ratings for live viewing plus seven days of delayed watching—rather than C3, which includes three days of delayed viewing.
Looking at 10 top primetime shows on the broadcast networks, TiVo Research found $88 million in additional revenue that could be captured by switching to C7 from C3. The ratings lift ranged from a low of 6.2% for CBS’ The Good Wife to 10.9% for ABC’s Modern Family.
Fox would see an additional $14.4 million in revenue on American Idol with a switch to C7, the biggest among the shows studied. The Good Wife would gain $3.6 million in revenue.
The gains are based on current ad prices.
“Our unique commercial audience data demonstrates the real opportunity costs created by the gaping holes in the current C3 ratings currency and how filling in the blanks can help inform negotiations in this year’s upfront,” said Jonathan Steuer, chief research officer at TiVo, in a statement.
TiVo studied 10 shows, looking at the potential change in ratings by moving revenue from C3 to C7. The shows are the ones recorded most using the season pass feature.
ShowRatings ChangeRevenue Change
Modern Family 10.9% $10.9M
Castle 10% $8.4M
The Mentalist 8.8% $4.9M
Big Bang Theory 8.1% $8.7M
NCIS 8.8% $9.2M
Elementary 8.8% $8.6M
Grey’s Anatomy 8% $11.2M
Person of Interest 7.1% $7.8M
The Good Wife 6.2% $3.6M
American Idol 4.1% $14.4M
