Posted on 03/15/2015 7:15:25 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
February was another heartbreaker for the $65 billion television ad business.
Commercial ratings — the viewing “currency” that determines what advertisers pay for TV time — cratered across broadcast and cable networks, marking the fifth straight month of double-digit declines for the industry.
“It’s clear the downward spiral in TV ratings continues with no end in sight,” media analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a research note on Friday.
Overall prime-time broadcast network ratings were off 12 percent last month compared to a year ago, while cable networks dropped 11 percent, according to his report.
Nathanson looked at so-called C3 ratings, which come in later than traditional ratings. They measure average commercial viewership in shows up to three days after the original air date via DVR playback.
While a couple of networks that carried the Super Bowl and the Olympics last year clearly suffered because of tougher comparisons, almost every channel was hurting.
Looking at total-day C3 ratings, only three networks boosted their audience: HGTV, Discovery and TBS, while TNT, History and Nickelodeon fell the most.
Typically, TV ad sales executives can increase prices to compensate for a ratings decline, citing scarcity. But Nathanson said seismic changes are pressuring networks to hold the line on pricing.
Although some of the ratings declines can be blamed on changes to Nielsen’s measuring methods, among other changes, “we believe these terrible ratings trends are also indicative of changing viewership habits,” he wrote.
The numbers underscore the rapid changes in how TV viewers are consuming content.
Americans are increasingly watching TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon streaming and other services. Some 40 percent of households now have subscription video service, Nielsen reported earlier this week.
Yahoo, Amazon and Hulu are among the bidders for the streaming rights to “Seinfeld” episodes, WSJ.com reported Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Well, don’t blame me and hubby we watch plenty of TV, almost all of it recorded on our DVR. If left to my own devices I watch either Food Network or Game Show Network. For some reason I still love the $25000 pyramid.
My heart bleeds. When will the networks realize they are not providing a service no one wants to watch? Don’t answer the obvious.
FMCDH(BITS)
Good. Television has become an open sewer and hopefully it’s revenues will continue to decline. There is no greater propaganda tool for the left than the existing “News” and Entertainment industries.
Good news. The networks spew out government propaganda on the news networks, sports, comedy shows, dramatic series etc.
I mute the TV when the ads come on. The stations have timed it so that their ads come on at the same time. So I can’t flip back and forth between stations.
FMCDH(BITS)
When can I tell Comcast what the can do with themselves? That will be a great day for me.
With all the liberal crap they are mixing into the programming there is little suprise.
Correct. “When will the networks realize they are providing a service no one wants to watch? Don’t answer the obvious.” Happy?
I guess they need to make them more leftwing and even more perverted. / sarc
No surprise. Most of what’s on TV is crap, propaganda, and propaganda crap.
There’s about four hours total on all TV channels I find entertaining: Gold Rush, Bering Sea Gold, Justified, Portlandia, and Walking Dead. Was about to give up on Better Call Saul when the last episode actually got watchable.
Everything else I watch I’m streaming. I hope to see the day when the cable and satellite companies are forced to unbundle, because then we get to watch MSNBC, CNN and a whole bunch of other worthless propaganda channels die on the vine.
The last good show was ‘Sheriff Lobo’
here’s an idea... stop putting sodomites in EVERY freaking show!!!
There is nothing to watch but Gay exhibitionism and redneck reality crap. The news is depressing and mendacious, History channel no longer shows anything about history, and the Weather Channel is all about Global Warming.
They just managed to sneak sodomites into the Walking Dead too!
It’s unbelievable !
the more ‘fabulous’ they make tv... the more people they will drive away
it’s very simple. America doesn’t like homos or the homo lifestyle.
I cut the cable cord over three years ago. I watch a show or two on Hulu for free, and I still buy and watch DVDs.
One of the most freeing things I ever did!
Well, times are changing... I like to record shows, edit out the commercials, then binge watch series. No wonder they are losing money - heh. Make that a nation wide practice and you’ve got major network problems...
Oh well, TV has become so bad with content and at least 1/3 of a show dedicated to commercials that it eventually drives away viewers to other venues - then they complain about viewership? Reality is finally catching up because of the millions that they pay for each show. They will have to lower prices per show, rethink content, and limit advertisers if they even want to continue as a viable on air business.
It does sadden me though that all of the money I’ve invested in DVR equipment and utility programs will be useless in a few short years! Oh well...
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