Ratings and the actual state of viewing

[pvdh]

Does a network ever take taped viewing into account, or do they ever consider that with todays state of the internet people all over the world see a movie within a few days.. Overhere in the Netherlands I know at least a dozen people who got the movie from the Internet and watched it and seeing the discussion on local newsgroups a LOT more people saw it already.

------------------
Minds are like windows, they only function when open!

 

[taichidave]

Considering the (il)legality of getting the Rangers movie from the Internet, I'd say they probably don't take that into account.

They probably don't have a way of measuring that anyway. (At least I hope not!

)

------------------
"We are (not) all Kosh."

 

[Mondo Londo]

No, I don't think they would, for several reasons.

First, you have to remember the whole concept of American commercial television is to make money -- and that money comes from American advertisers. Ratings are important not for their own sake, but rather of a measure of how many people are available to see any advertisements. Granted, in this day of recordings and remote controls this concept may be out-of-date, but there it is, nevertheless.

Foreign, pirated, VHS/DVD sales, etc. have no impact at all on how many people viewed the commercials that the sponsors aired during the program. Sponsors pay SciFi to insert their commercials in the hope that viewers will buy their products / shop in their stores. Further, the sponsors are promised a certain number of viewers.

People who don't view during the original airing can not be counted as people who watched the commercials. Therefore, as far as the people paying the bills are concerned, they don't count.

Now, maybe somewhere, people may be wondering about how well this show might do in other countries, or on VHS / DVD. However, since SciFi does not own the rights to broadcast this show in those places or formats (at least I don't think so), they don't care.



------------------
"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi

 

[Kribu]

Welcome aboard, pvdh!

The ratings and everything else that may be taken into account - including videotaping by the 'Nielsen families' - are already being discussed in these threads:

So, when do the ratings come in?

and

Let me end the silence...

As for the people watching the movie in the rest of the world - in any other way than watching the SciFi Channel, in fact - well, as taichidave said, it's not exactly legal. Besides, SciFi is only interested in the people watching the movie on their channel as that's what counts for the advertising money.

As there are already a few threads discussing the ratings and the board policy is to try and keep the number of threads devoted to similar issues to a minimum, encouraging people to post in threads already started rather than start new threads on the same topic, I'm closing this thread now.

------------------
"Isn't the universe an amazing place? I wouldn't live anywhere else." - G'Kar, B5: Rangers
Kribu's Lounge | kribu@ranger.b5lr.com

 

[pvdh]

I understand getting the movie from the InterNet could be interpreted as illegal, but it does show, by the huge amount of 'repost' requests and talk on other groups that the movie is well received..

Overhere it takes approx three-four years for a series to get picked up (currently running series1 of Dhama&Greg, still wainting for Farscape, expect Enterprise end 2003) So by the time a pilot like Rangers get's aired here it is 'old' and with much needed CGI the then current state of technology is then way ahead..

It would be like releasing Quake1 at this point in time..

------------------
Minds are like windows, they only function when open!

 

[Mondo Londo]

I suppose I should also add that it is not only a matter of how many people are available to view commercials inserted into a show, but also the age groups, etc. of those people.

There are more than several stories throughout the history of U.S. television where popular programs were cancelled, not because they had bad ratings, but because their good ratings came from viewers that the networks / advertisers didn't feel were worth attracting.

In other words, the viewers were too old, etc. ...

------------------
"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi