News & Views

In the eight-week period 6 March to 30 April 2006, time-shifted viewing accounted for 13.8% of all viewing by individuals in Sky+ homes (including guests). Approximately 40% of Sky+ individuals’ time-shift viewing took place on the same day as the original broadcast. Peak-time programming was subject to a greater degree of time-shift than the all-day average.

Time-shifted viewing includes viewing of programmes recorded to the hard disc and subsequently played back within seven days, as well as viewing after pausing (or rewinding) live TV.

Data from the 6 March to 30 April period suggest that 35-54 year olds time-shifted a slightly higher proportion of their viewing than other age groups. On average, 15.7% of 35-54-year-old viewing was time-shifted compared with 11.0% for over 55s and 9.6% for children.

Average sample base: 458 individuals in 165 Sky+ homes.

Although variation across demographic groups is not particularly marked, use of Sky+ across individual viewers varies widely. During this period, 8% of viewers used their PVR to time-shift half or more of all their television viewing, and 28% time-shifted 20% or more of their viewing.

A number of factors may cause results for time-shifted viewing to vary, for example as the take-up of the devices expands, or due to time of year, changes in programme schedules, and changes in PVR functionality.

Notes for editors

Reporting of “time-shifted” viewing via Sky+ boxes was reintroduced within the Barb panel on 6 March 2006. For technical reasons, reporting continuity of Sky+ homes is currently lower than for other types of homes on the panel. As a result, the level of time-shift viewing reported from Sky+ homes is likely to be slightly under-estimated.

Barb was set up in 1981 to provide the industry-standard audience measurement service for television broadcasters and the advertising industry. It is a not-for-profit limited company owned by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, five, BSkyB and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.

Barb provides in-home TV viewing measurement for the UK. This is obtained from a panel of 5,100 homes. These homes return data from around 11,500 viewers. Viewing from visitors to the home is included (Guest Viewing). Viewing figures are available to subscribers the morning after transmission. VCR and Sky+ playback is incorporated within 7 days of transmission (Consolidated Viewing). Audiences are reported on a minute-by-minute basis.

The panel design is representative of the whole of the UK. People are recruited from all sectors of the population. All viewing environments in the home are represented. Multiple TV sets are measured. Barb measures both analogue and digital delivery via cable, satellite and terrestrial distribution.