Cable Outpaces Broadcast for Viewer Attention in TVision Insights’ Q2 2017 TV Attention Report

TVision Insights, the leader in measuring eyes-on-screen attention to every second of programming and advertising on television, today released its Q2 2017 TV Attention Report. The report reveals that cable television programming captures primetime viewer attention better than broadcast, and brands see significant variation in consumer attention to different ads in their rotation. The report also identifies which demographics truly engage with television, which TV shows hold viewer interest, and which brands combine engaging creative with effective media planning in order to garner the most attention.

Key findings from the Q2 2017 TV Attention Report:

• Primetime Broadcast May Win Ratings, but Niche Cable Won Viewer Attention in Q2 - Nine cable shows scored higher than the top performing broadcast program for attention in Q2 2017. The top performing show overall was TLC’s “My Big Fat Fabulous Life”, with an Attention Index of 184.2. NBC’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” scored a 142.5, topping the broadcast list.
• Prudential Led the Quarter in Commercial Attention - Prudential’s Creative Attention Score (CAS) of 112.5 topped all advertisers for Q2, 2017. The CAS measures how an ad captures attention compared to other ads in its pod.
• Kids and mid-Career Adults Pay The Least Attention to TV - Viewers under 18 and adults age 35-44 had the lowest Attention Index for the quarter. Younger millennials and baby boomers were the most likely demographics to pay attention to TV.
• Sonic Drive-In’s Variance in Creative Attention Scores Highlight the Necessity for Ad Optimization - Sonic Drive-In saw two commercials land on TVision’s list of Top Ten Ads. With Creative Attention Scores of 186.0 and 176.0, these ads far exceeded the company’s quarterly average of 102.3. Brands can use CAS to fine-tune campaigns based on which ads best stand out in relation to surrounding content.

“For decades the TV industry has tracked which channels people watch. But watch is a relative term. For most of the industry, a rating is simply a measure of how many viewers happened to be in the room with the TV on. It reveals nothing about the amount of attention an individual viewer actually paid to the screen,” said Mark Green, Chief Strategy Officer, TVision Insights. “To us, that metric is everything.”

All rankings and data are based off of TVision’s proprietary technology and single-source panel. Their computer vision technology passively measures eyes-on-screen attention to content. The opt-in panel has installed proprietary, privacy-safe hardware & software allowing for passive monitoring of their television viewing behaviors. The result is person-level measurement data reported second-by-second. Media buyers and sellers both use TVision’s attention data to make smarter decisions around messaging, media plans, programming, and valuing inventory.

Data in the report is based on the viewing behaviors of 7,500 people in Boston, Chicago, and Dallas.

To view the full report, visit tvisioninsights.com/quarterlyattention.