Study: Broadcast DVR playback tops cable

Here’s yet more evidence of what a huge impact DVRs will have on this broadcast season.
 
Same-day time-shifted viewing for the top broadcast shows is on par with the total live-plus-same-day viewership numbers for some of cable's top programs to start the season, according to a new study.
 
For example, during premiere week ABC's "Modern Family" brought in 2.54 million viewers 25-54 through same-day DVR playback alone, in addition to the 5.37 million viewers in the demo who watched the show live, based on Nielsen data crunched by TVB.
 
By comparison, History's "Hatfields & McCoys," cable's top scripted program this summer, averaged 2.79 million 25-54s through combined live-plus-same-day DVR playback.
 
As a promoter of the power of local broadcast, TVB is not an unbiased source, but the numbers are interesting.

Looking at premiere-week broadcast numbers, shows including CBS's "The Big Bang Theory," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS's "NCIS" received more viewers 25-54 through same-day DVR playback than cable shows such as TNT's "Dallas," AMC's "Breaking Bad" and USA's "Royal Pains" received from both live and DVR viewing combined.

That said, cable ratings were down a bit this summer, due in part to strong broadcast competition from NBC's coverage of the Olympics.
 
During the summer cable slipped 2.6 percent among households, 5.9 percent among total viewers and 3.8 percent among 25-54s, while broadcast was up year-to-year by all three measures, boosted solely by the Olympics.
 
For more from TVB on broadcast premiere week click here.

Tags: abc, broadcast, broadcast dvr viewing, cable, cbs, dvr, dvrs, modern family, premiere, summer, time-shifted viewing, tops, tvb, viewers