Primetime for network TV sites: 8-11 p.m.
Cory Bergman April 12th, 2007
A new study by Nielsen/Netratings discovered that peak times for network sites correspond with the networks’ primetime programming. For NBC.com, 8-11 p.m. accounts for 40 percent of time spent on the site for the day. For ABC.com, it’s 30 percent. This isn’t all that surprising given the growing amount of TV-web integration (lots of web teasing in primetime) as well as the increase in popularity of watching full-length shows online.
4 Comments Add your own
1. Drew Robertson | April 12th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I would love to know the total revenues (network plus affiliates) for an hour of downloaded Heroes or Grey’s Anatomy vs the same programs delivered by Plain Old Television. My guess is that ad revenues for download are a (small) fraction of POT (on a CPM basis). If these Nielsen numbers are correct the networks are killing linear TV — their only proven model that delivers advertising and profitability.
2. Cory | April 12th, 2007 at 11:24 am
The networks will tell you that their research shows that people watch full-length shows online not as a substitute for TV viewing — e.i. watching missed shows and sampling new shows. If your friend tells you about a cool new show, maybe you’ll catch it online, and if you like it you’ll set your DVR to record it.
I think this is predominately true now, but as the quality increases and more people learn how to watch web video on TV, you’ll see people beginning to substitute.
3. Safran | April 12th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
The thing is not to look at this as an either/or proposition. That has been the mistake of the past. The model is changing and so is the way we consume information and entertainment. The classic mistake is to look at new technology in terms of the old model. Drew raises a good point - the nets are absolutely going around the affiliates. But Cory’s right — this is not a 1:1 notion, either.
What’s most dangerous is for the affils to dismiss this as they have every recent new technology. Cory and I have heard it on every panel we’ve been on since 2000: TiVo is no big deal, web video is no big deal, mobile texting is no big deal, mobile video is no big deal, SlingBox is no big deal, YouTube is no big deal…
When you add them up - they’re a big deal. And that’s the point - any one of those things may not be a “TV Killer,” but the sum total of them is what’s eating away at local TV profits.
4. Dave | April 12th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
The long term concern is: What will local TV do when the networks end affiliation? How will they fill all of that time?
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