Traditional DVR TV time-shifted viewing is witnessing steeper declines among key viewing groups.
There was a 12% drop in time-shifted program viewing on a monthly basis
among viewers 18+ to 25 hours and 21 minutes for the first quarter of 2016 versus the same period a year ago, according to the Video Advertising Bureau, and using Nielsen data.
The VAB says
the time-shifted viewing declines are at the lowest level in three years.
Seventy-seven percent of all TV viewing is now live in prime time among 18-49 viewers and 23% is coming from DVR
playback, looking at September 2015 through July 2016. Some 80% is live in daytime, with 20% in DVR
playback. For a number of years, other estimates were that the share of time-shifted programming was at about 50% for the average TV viewer.
Among younger demos ages 18 to 34 the fall has been
steeper, over a 16% decline to 17 minutes and 27 seconds (17:27) on a total day monthly basis. Viewers ages 18 to 49 have seen a 10% decline to 22:12.
Previously, 18-to-34 viewers witnessed a
7% decline from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015, with a 2% drop for 18 to 49 viewers.
Older TV viewers are also using DVR technology less: Those ages 50 to 64 are down
6% to 29:20 for the first quarter of 2016. TV viewers older 65 and older have fallen 7% to 28:41.
Some media analysts say the decline in overall traditional TV viewership -- live and
time-shifted -- is partly due to the rise of digital media.
The VAB says the majority of time-shifted viewing still occurs around the evening time periods -- 8 p.m. to midnight -- in an 8% to
10% share range of all minutes viewed per hour for 18-49 viewers.
General drama and “participation variety” TV shows are the most time-shifted TV shows, according to the study.