TVB To TV Advertisers: C3, Live-Plus Ratings Close Gap

Looking to push its rating agenda that includes time-shifting viewing, TVB, the TV station advertising trade group, now says Nielsen's live plus same day ratings, which includes DVR viewing, is getting closer to time-shifting ratings advertisers use for national TV ad buys.

TVB wants more national TV advertisers that buy local TV to use live plus same day ratings -- not live-only ratings. Live plus same day ratings include time-shifting and are higher than live-only ratings.

The TVB now says comparable Nielsen's C3 ratings for the 25-54 viewers -- C3, being the average commercial ratings plus three days of time shifted viewing -- is now just 4% higher than local live plus same day ratings.

Moreover, Nielsen live-only ratings for the 25-54 demo -- which major advertisers want to continue to use -- are now some 25% under comparable C3 ratings.

Steve Lanzano, president and chief executive officer of TVB, stated: "Live plus same day data is not only more accurate, it is the most logical and reasonable measure of local television viewing."

He added: "It mirrors the three-day time-shifted currency currently accepted by network advertisers and prepares local TV measurement to progress as the national currency advances to capture C7 and cross-platform viewing."

The TVB says there has been some major ratings movement in the last couple of years. Where live plus same day ratings had been 13.5% above comparable C3 ratings a couple of years ago, it is now 4% below C3 as of February 2013. Live-only viewing was 4.6% below C3 in February 2010; it is now 25% below C3 as of February 2013.

Current season to-date numbers put live-only ratings 15% below C3, while live plus same day ratings are 4% below C3.

Still some buyers are adverse to using time-shifted local TV ratings. Many media buyers believe the live plus same day number is an inflated number. Also that local ratings are quarter hour by quarter hour ratings -- which are not as accurate as minute-by-minute ratings that national advertisers get with C3 commercial rating.

All this is especially important to stations in the top 25 markets -- Nielsen's local people meter markets -- which account for around 50% all TV homes, and around 60% of all national spot TV ad dollars.

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