Those of us in the TV advertising industry have been closely observing how the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing are impacting TV viewing. Our March 2020 TV engagement metrics offer guidance for advertisers who must optimize their ad plans in this new environment.
Viewers are Watching More TV but at Different Times
Many parts of the country are several weeks into social distancing due to COVID-19 and we’re seeing some significant changes in TV viewing behavior. What’s on the TV is being impacted, with live sports canceled, but people are also changing how and when they consume TV content. TVision’s data shows that people are watching more TV but at different times of the day. Noon TV attention increased by nearly 50% when we compare the week of March 8 (before social distancing orders hit many states) and the week of March 29, when the majority of Americans were being encouraged to stay home. In the same time-period attention increased by 8.5% in the already highly-viewable 8 pm hour.
Households are Co-Viewing at High Rates
The show lighting up social feeds recently has been Netflix’s “Tiger King: Murder Mayhem and Madness”, and we see it in the third spot on our OTT Co-viewing list for March. Co-viewing means that two or more people in the household are watching together. With so many people staying home we are seeing co-viewing rates edge higher overall. In the previous four months the top ranked co-viewed shows averaged 70.25% co-viewing, whereas, in March 2020, all of our top five co-viewed programs were above 77%. Here are the top five Co-Viewed programs for the month.
Top OTT Programs, by Co-Viewing Rate
Co-Viewing Rate refers to the number of impressions with more than one person in front of the screen.
| Program | Application | Co-Viewing Rate |
| Babies (S1) | Netflix | 88% |
| Narcos: Mexico (S2) | Netflix | 82% |
| Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (S1) | Netflix | 82% |
| Hunters (S1) | Amazon | 81% |
| The Chef Show (S3) | Netflix | 77% |
TVision Engagement Metrics Help Optimize TV Ad Spending
Advertisers use TVision’s TV engagement data to optimize plans and react to changes in content and priorities. TVision uses cutting-edge technology to uncover second-by-second, person-level TV engagement data. Below is the full list of March's top programs, brands, and ads, as ranked by TV Ad Ad Attention, and Streaming Analytics data.
To learn more about our methodology, specific shows, or the breakdown by demographics or daypart, contact us and we’ll help you find the data you need.
For industry benchmarks, download TVision's 2019 TV Engagement Report or download IPG Media Lab's ground-breaking analysis at TVAttention.com.
Attention Index measures how effectively a specific program keeps a viewer’s eyes on the TV screen while the viewer is in the room with the TV on.
| Program | Application | Attention Index |
| Unorthodox (S1) | Netflix | 160.5 |
| The Chef Show (S3) | Netflix | 150.6 |
| The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (S3) | Amazon | 148.2 |
| Altered Carbon (S2) | Netflix | 142.2 |
| Hunters (S1) | Amazon | 142.1 |
Binge Rate measures the percentage of episode views where the viewer has watched 3 or more episodes in a single session.
| Program | Application | Binge Rate |
| The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia (S1) | Netflix | 46% |
| All American (S2) | Netflix | 43% |
| Gentefied (S1) | Netflix | 42% |
| Paradise PD (S2) | Netflix | 41% |
| The Chef Show (S3) | Netflix | 36% |
CBS' Young Sheldon captured the highest Ad Attention among primetime programming on Broadcast. On Cable, HGTV's My Lottery Dream Home took the top spot.
Top Programs by TV Commercial Attention, BROADCAST
TVision Performance Metrics, March 2020
| Program | Network | Ad Attention (%) |
| Young Sheldon | CBS | 82.6% |
| Will & Grace | NBC | 80.5% |
| Mom | CBS | 79.6% |
| Prodigal Son | FOX | 79.5% |
| FBI | CBS | 79.4% |
Top Programs by TV Commercial Attention, CABLE
TVision Performance Metrics, March 2020
| Program | Network | Ad Attention (%) |
| My Lottery Dream House | HGTV | 86.0% |
| Schitt's Creek | POP | 83.0% |
| I am Jazz | TLC | 81.6% |
| Bar Rescue | Paramount Network | 81.6% |
| Beachfront Bargain Hunt | HGTV | 81.0% |
TV Attention represents the opportunity to see - how often consumers are in the room when a brand ad airs. The brands with the best Attention scores are making smart media-buying decisions - at the network, program and daypart level.
Top Brands by TV Ad Attention
TVision Performance Metrics, March 2020
| Brand | Ad Attention*(%) |
| Apple iPhone | 75.3% |
| Esurance | 73.6% |
| Netflix | 72.8% |
| CONSENTYX | 72.7% |
| Salonpas | 72.7% |
Apple’s iPhone ad recorded 75.3% Attention for this time period. Esurance and Netflix also had strong months. While these brands were best at delivering their ads to a viewable audience, Attention is only part of the story. Getting the audience to pay Attention to the ads is the ultimate goal.
To identify March's top ad for Attention, we used our Creative Attention Score (CAS), to determine how well the creative breaks through. These are the brand ads that drove the greatest audience engagement - isolated from the effects of media placement. We identified the top ad overall.
Tide - 'Don't Pay for Water, Switch to Tide' (111 Creative Attention Score) performed best at capturing the attention of TV audiences: This commercial tackles a current situation, that more people in the house means more cleaning, and says that Tide's got you covered. Clearly it’s a message that resonates with audiences.
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For more information on Ad Attention, or OTT Content, contact us.
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