4A’s Local Video & Audio Committee Point of View: Replacing Live Data Stream with Live +1 (Day)

In our continued effort to utilize the most effective and actionable data sets in the evaluation of Local Market ratings, the LVA (Local Video & Audio) Committee, based on an analysis from the TVB, explored the idea of replacing the Live Only data stream with Live +1. As you will note in the chart below, using National C3 ratings as the baseline for delivery, Live Only in Local markets inadequately represents present day consumption patterns when compared to National deliveries. Furthermore, as National buyers migrate to C7 ratings from C3 to account for current TV consumption patterns, it should be noted that Live +1 ratings at the Local level tie closely to C7 ratings on an index basis.

Source: TVB (Nielsen Company, NPOWER, Primetime Daypart (Mon-Sat 8-11p;Sun 7-11p). 25 LPMs, 5NET, A25-54 ratings. Full Season 9/21/15-5/25/16 vs. 9/19/16-5/24/17.)

*Although the above chart displays A25-54 indices, both A18-49 and W25-54 followed the same pattern.

Since Nielsen can only deliver four data streams, the discussion centered around the replacement of Live Only with Live +1 for the following reasons:

  • Present day consumers are delaying live viewing continually, therefore today’s on-demand environment across devices dictates that Live + SD (Same Day) better approximates daily consumer consumption. According to Nielsen, latency viewing can account for up to 300 seconds, and with the Live viewing threshold of 25 seconds; anything past that moves into Live + SD. The biggest contributor to latency is mobile device viewership. With the growth of Mobile, we must be cognizant of the impact this has with Live viewing – currently 92% of Television viewing is Live, but it has decreased steadily over the past five years.  Subsequently, Live + SD could be a better representation of what the industry would consider Live viewing.
  • The Live Data would still be tabulated and available through Nielsen, just not as a published stream.
  • An assessment of those transacting on Live Only via SQAD was zero.
  • A survey among committee members regarding interest in keeping Live Only data was minimal.

This communication serves to notify the local buying community and partners of the 4A’s, of our combined point of view, and proposes that the 4A’s will formally request Nielsen to change the local data streams in 2018.

Thank you for your support and appreciate the work that the committee, especially Kathy Doyle (MAGNA), Heather Gundry (GTB) and Jennifer Hungerbuhler (Dentsu Aegis Network) has contributed, along with Kristin Misdom’s assistance.

Regards,
Lisa Kleinman (Trilia)
Chair, 4A’s Local Video & Audio Committee

Data Stream Definitions:

Live: Households tuning or Persons viewing a program or time period of a specific station or cable network, at the actual time the show was telecast. Any viewing delayed within 25 seconds of recording will be considered Live. (Note: Any delayed viewing in excess of 25 seconds delayed from the recorded time will be excluded from the Live estimates).

Live + SD: Households tuning or Persons viewing a program or time period of a specific station or cable network, at the actual time the show was telecast, and any delayed tuning/viewing in the same meter data collection day to a pre‐recorded program or time period that is shifted back to original telecast time. Meter data daily collection times through 3AM (Eastern Local Time)

Live +1: Households tuning or Persons viewing a program or time period of a specific station or cable network, at the actual time the show was telecast, and any delayed tuning/viewing within 24 hours to a pre‐recorded program or time period that is shifted back to original telecast time.