Time-shifted TV viewing data launches 19 December

Chris Eyre, MD of SAARF TAMS contractor, AGB Nielsen Media Research, said that the inclusion of the time-shifted TV universe would cause significant changes to the TV currency. "It's going to be a bit of a ride, but I think we'll enjoy it," he said.

Three TAMS viewing databases

On the initial release date, SAARF will release the first VOSDAL (view on same day as live) data, in addition to the usual live-viewing database, which measures all real-time TV viewing. More than half of all time-shifted viewing takes place on the same day as broadcast, as per the international trend. The VOSDAL database captures all time-shifted viewing done on the same day as live viewing - where viewers have recorded a show, or paused it for even the briefest period, but then finished watching the show on the same day as it was broadcast.

On Monday 26 December, SAARF will release the seven-day consolidated viewing database for Monday 19 December, collecting time-shifted viewing for seven days after the day of broadcast. Any content broadcast on Monday 19 December, but viewed later in the following week, will be added back to the original transmission's ratings.

A comprehensive picture

From then on, each day will have data that shows live and VOSDAL viewing, as well as seven days' worth of time-shifted viewing of that day's programmes.

The consolidated database, which will be the new TV currency, gives a comprehensive picture of all TV viewing, both live and time-shifted, picking up all live viewing and over 90% of all time-shifted viewing. Time-shifted viewing completed after seven days have elapsed will not be measured, which is the international standard.

From 27 December 2011, the industry will have access to the live, VOSDAL and consolidated seven-day databases.

PVR-inclusive currency

(All figures quoted are from TAMS time-shifted test data for week 42, 17-23 October 2011)

• The TV universe will grow - PVR households account for 13% of all DStv households, and 4% of total TV households. The inclusion of these households boosts the total TV universe by 3.3%, up from 10.690-million households to 11.046-million. While significantly affecting the size of the universe, the inclusion has little effect on total TV viewing, with overall ratings remaining stable. Prime-time ratings however, are higher than is currently the norm. DStv's household universe rises from 2.489-million to 2.846-million, an increase of 14.3%. The platform's total individual universe is up by 14.9%, from 8.495-million to 9.760-million.
  
• The upmarket segment will grow - When PVR households were excluded from the TAMS panel, the TAMS universe lost 356 000 upmarket households. The new DStv universe has 21.8% more Premium subscribers, pushing up the number of LSM 8-10 adult viewers in the satellite universe by 18.9%, and overall by 11%.
  
• DStv's ratings will increase - The removal of PVR viewers in mid-2011, negatively affected the DStv universe, reducing it by 24%. While the loss did little to total TV ratings, DStv's ratings decreased by 9%. On 19 December 2011, SAARF expects these movements to reverse, as PVR households return to the TAMS universe. Current PVR-inclusive data for week 42 saw M-Net's 6am-to-midnight percentage ratings rise by 9.1% in the total universe, while ratings for total DStv rose by 10.1%.
  
• Satellite's gain is terrestrial's loss - While DStv experiences the lion's share of the changes brought about by the inclusion of PVR households, free-to-air broadcasters are also affected. This is because all free-to-air viewing in a DStv household, whether done through the decoder or on other analogue TVs in the house, is added back to that household's viewing. Looking at the test data for week 42, the inclusion of PVR households saw DStv gaining 13.8% more viewers in thousands across the day (from 6am to midnight), while SABC 1's audience rose by 1.7%, SABC 2 by 1.2%, SABC 3 by 0.5%, and e.tv by 1.0%. However, while PVR households do watch free-to-air, they are very light viewers of the analogue platforms, so their inclusion into the TAMS universe dilutes these channels' ratings. Once the PVR households are added into the mix, SABC 1's percentage ratings drop by 1.7% (consolidated viewing, consisting of live and time-shifted), SABC 2's drop by 2%, SABC 3's by 2.5%, and eTV's ratings are down by 2.3% in the national market.
  
• A new way of watching TV will emerge - People with PVR are highly selective viewers, watching what they want, when they want. This leads to their having slightly lower levels of TV viewing than their non-PVR counterparts. The genres most likely to be time-shifted are magazine shows, soaps, dramas and sitcoms. In the main, there is not time shifting on sport and news shows. Commercial breaks are also on the list of content that is time-shifted, although Eyre comments that 'bad advertising' is more likely to be adversely affected. "Commercials which viewers like and feel are worth watching seem to maintain their viewership ratings, while commercials deemed as poor are given the fast-forward treatment," he says.
  
• Users will be able to create their own viewing subsets - the new official TAMS currency is the seven-day consolidated database, which includes live viewing and a week's worth of time-shifted viewing of that broadcast. The software houses will pre-create three 'building blocks' for the end user: Live; Live plus VOSDAL; and Consolidated seven-day viewing. However, end users will not be restricted to these codes. Users either will be able to build their own codes or can request that their software house create specific codes for them. For instance, users could have a 'Live plus two days' viewing subset or 'VOSDAL only'. This is especially useful for those wanting to measure the viewing of time-sensitive advertising, while those interested in awareness building would use the consolidated database.