TV Advertising Not Dead for DVR Owners

A study released recently in the USA finds consumers who own digital video recorders (known as DVRs or PVRs) remember TV ads as well as those who watch programming live. The study was paid for by the four largest US networks, and conducted by Millward Brown.

'This is great news for marketers and the advertising industry', according to Michelle de Montigny, Senior VP of Millward Brown Media Practice. 'Counter to recent industry concerns, TV advertising is not dead and DVR owners are not less engaged with TV ad viewing.'

DVRs allow viewers to record programmes on a hard drive in their cable or satellite box. They can watch the programme at their convenience and fast-forward through ads. DVR users surveyed said they watched 61% of prime-time shows live and recorded 39% to watch later.

The 2,000 respondents were shown pictures of stills from ads in four categories: cars, cell phones, fast-food restaurants and movies. In all categories, viewers with DVRs could remember and identify ads as well as those who watched all their programming live. Both groups of viewers watched about the same amount of television.

Viewers with DVRs may actually be more engaged, according to de Montigny. While other viewers leave the room during commercials, DVR users pay attention to the screen while skipping ads watching for their programme to resume. She said the study suggests that marketers should not move spending away from television out of fear about ad skipping.

However, she added that DVRs could become a greater threat as they make their way into more homes. 'It's entirely possible that as DVR usage increases and people become more familiar with using it then they will use it more for time shifting than they are now.'

Millward Brown is online at www.millwardbrown.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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