Wed, November 04, 2009 - 1:29:21

DVR: A Blessing in Disguise?

A few years ago, when DVR first emerged onto the home entertainment scene, marketers collectively cringed in anticipation of what seemed to be an unavoidable event: the death of television.  With the convenience of being able to fast forward through every commercial and watch your favorite shows on your own time, digital video recorders were not only alluring to consumers, they were terrifying to the media business.  But, as the New York Times reports, surprising new data released by Nielsen this week reveals that everyone may have overlooked one very small, but very important detail: people are lazy.

In other words, as Brad Adgate of Horizon Media explains to the New York Times, watching TV has always been a passive activity. And just because DVR gives viewers the opportunity to skip the commercials doesn’t necessarily mean they all will adopt the behavior.

In fact, although 33 per cent of TV viewers now have the option of fast forwarding through ads, thanks to ever-increasing DVR subscriptions, Nielsen found that a whopping 49 per cent of viewers ages 18-49 simply don’t, either out of sheer laziness, forgetfulness, or genuine interest in watching commercials. And defying everyone’s fatalistic expectations, what everyone once perceived as a negative has turned out to be a real positive for all four major networks, strengthening the viewer base for established hits and drumming up interest for other less well-known shows.

So, counterintuitive to what everyone believed, instead of causing the downfall of television as we know it, it appears that DVR may actually play a vital role in boosting ratings and revenue. And it serves once again to prove our point that even when you’re doing nothing, you’re doing something… even if you’re just lounging on the couch with the DVR remote and a bowl of popcorn.

In fact, you just might be saving your favorite show from extinction.

Posted by Linda and Robin