Networks Say DVRs Increase Viewership

A study from Nielsen Media Research - conducted at the behest of the major broadcast networks - found homes with DVRs actually watch more TV than homes without them.

It might be an incredibly self-serving move, but the results still bear some pondering: at a press event in New York yesterday, research chiefs from the major broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, WB, and UPN) cited a Nielsen Media Research study that found homes with digital video recorders (DVRs) actually watch more television than homes without DVRs.

Broadcast networks have become increasingly nervous as DVR technology has gained popularity: the networks live on advertising dollars, and ad buyers are more skeptical of the value of television commercials in the face of technology which easily lets viewers skip advertisements. The Nielsen study