How do networks track ratings if people are recording the shows?

Simona Bulwinkle: As said, most DVRs track what they do. With that, a view is counted if a show is recorded and viewed in a couple days.

Clare Hoard: The Nielson Ratings company has gone to the advertisers and were told that the advertisers do not care if you time-shift watching the commercials. They dont like this - and they dont want you watching time-shifted shows and commercials added to the ratings.So DVR shows - dont count.

Cody Shimko: Because, if you are recording the show, you are tuned into it.

Rosalyn Olivera: If you have a DVR, most of them do collect anonymous data and transmit it back to your cable or satellite provider. They don't collect your name or address, simply what was watched or recorded. So, for instance, the cable provider might know 1000 of its customers in a city watch last night's episode of Friends at 6pm - but they don't know WHICH customers.There's also another company called Nielsen that collects data from randomly sel! ected houses. With their permission, Nielsen connects a special box to the families' TVs which record what channels were watched at what time. Nielsen uses a sampling of houses such that 1 house represents roughly 50,000, so it's not entirely accurate. Also the Nielsen boxes only record what channel your TV is set to. If you record a show, Nielsen doesn't know about it. Despite being increasingly inaccurate and obsolete, the major broadcasters still rely on Nielsens' data to figure out how many people are watching. This is also referred to a show's rating. More audience means a higher rating. Advertising during a highly rated show is more expensive than during a lower rated one. So TV networks want popular shows everyone will watch so they can sell more advertising....Show more