As the ad industry enters the television upfronts, Optimedia US unveiled findings from Content Power Ratings 3.0, its third annual report that ranks network and cable programs across TV, web and mobile platforms. A proprietary media metrics system, Content Power Ratings goes beyond traditional audience ratings to measure a show’s true commercial value and footprint. It factors in total cross-platform audience size, advocacy and involvement—providing the industry’s only TV ranking system across three screens.
Maureen Bosetti, SVP, Group Director National TV Investments, Optimedia US, tells RBR-TVBR that Content Power Ratings will be used as a way to evaluate program selection and cross platform sponsorships to increase value for their clients.
New to the study this year are two additional streams: Facebook fan count and Nielsen BuzzMetrics, both of which quantify unique aspects of digital activity: the number of “friends” TV shows have on Facebook, and the sentiment of conversations on blogs and chatrooms related to those shows. Fox’s House leads with the most Facebook fans, while ABC’s Lost takes the top spot for BuzzMetrics online sentiment.
“As viewers’ habits shift, current TV metrics systems do not take into account the importance of engagement and audience participation,” said Greg Kahn, EVP, Business Development Director for Optimedia US. “Shows such as Glee and True Blood benefit from higher viewer involvement—whether on Facebook or Twitter—and therefore help to generate greater audience value than their TV ratings alone would suggest.”
Key findings:
Fox’s American Idol continues to dominate as the highest-ranking show across all three screens
Also on Fox, Glee (#9) is the top newcomer to the list, boosted by its effective marketing and distribution platform.
The comedy genre performed well, with shows like Family Guy, Two and a Half Men, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory making the top 25.
Of shows currently “on the bubble,” Heroes (#11), Chuck (#25) and V (#37) ranked highly, while Rules of Engagement (#128), Melrose Place (#140) and Gary Unmarried (#154) underperformed Premium cable shows, including HBO’s True Blood (#1 in cable and making its debut to the top 25 primetime performers list at #18) and Showtime’s Dexter (#2 in cable), benefitted from fan advocacy and involvement.
In late night TV, the well-publicized feud between Jay Leno (#2 in late night) and Conan O’Brien (#4 in late night) was won by Leno.
“The Content Power Ratings system allows us to evaluate shows on their ‘star power’. Brands want to be associated with programs that have both high involvement and are relevant to consumers,” said Optimedia US CEO Antony Young. “Content Power Ratings quantifies this for our planning and buying teams.”
Using data culled from the agency’s own primary research, as well as from Nielsen Media Research’s NTI database, Nielsen Online Video Census, Nielsen Mobile, comScore’s Media Metrix, Facebook, Nielsen’s BuzzMetrics, E-Poll’s FastTrack™ Television, Google Trends, and Dow Jones Factiva, Optimedia’s Content Power Ratings value programs using three key criteria:
1. Audience Delivery – including average audience impressions across TV, Web and Mobile platforms
2. Involvement – overall awareness of and loyalty to program; including index of Google search volume and effort made to watch the show
3. Advocacy – overall levels of conversation and PR activity– including press mentions, recommendations and general “buzz,” in addition to personal recommendations
Content Power Ratings 3.0 Ranking
Top 25 Primetime Shows
Top 5 Late Night Shows
