This has emerged as a hot question for the TV business in the Q3 earnings season: As DVRs become more popular, and time-shifting more common, should ads be sold on the basis of the number of people who view them up to seven days after they first air instead of the current three? CBS’ Les Moonves made the case on Wednesday, and Disney’s Bob Iger added his support yesterday. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer has indicated that he likes the idea — but his support is qualified: “If it’s a movie coming out in three days…we’re not going to get the benefit of those [additional] viewers,” he told analysts in a call to discuss earnings. In that case, “we’ll have to look at those numbers and get some kind of adjustment.” Lionsgate has options if that doesn’t happen — or even if it does. “There’s no question that we are seeing significant amounts of awareness from social media and the Internet, and that’s going to give us a tremendous opportunity to reduce our overall marketing spend,” he says. But while a shift to what’s called C7 ratings might create problems for the movie side, Lionsgate’s TV unit could benefit. Its new show Nashville, which airs on ABC, is “one of the most time-shifted shows on television,” he says.
Related: Lionsgate Shares Rise After Fiscal Q2 Results Soar Past Expectations

I have no idea what he’s asking for and i’m not even sure he knows either.
Huh?
This makes it sound like people only go to see a movie on opening night. Sure studios love to see big opening weekend numbers, but a steady turnout throughout the following weeks is better for the bottom line, and you are still advertising for them. So yeah I just don’t get this comment.
Opening weekend is usually the most important because most films don’t have legs. Very few films open small and grow.
Opening weekend numbers are hugely important. Just look at how quickly most movies nose dive after the first weekend. A big ad campaign leading to big first weeknd numbers is the only hope most movies have.
The reason movies start strong and fade is because people go on opening weekend, when they first know about the movie, and become part of a movement of momentum. If ads hit someone for the first time heading into the second weekend, it won’t effect those people, but it will the studio and theaters as a whole.
The real reason they want people at the opening weekend is so they can announce big #’s and use that as advertising. It is so Joe & Susie sitting at home will say, “Wow, that movie must be great, look how many people went!” So from that standpoint, you can absolutely understand studios wanting people to go early. I understand the Lionsgate position.
One of the (many) bonuses of DVR and timeshift recording is being able to fast-forward through the adverts.
I can see why the Networks would want to increase their numbers by including a full 7-days timeshifting but how much of that audience is actually watching those ads?
3 days or 7 days, it doesn’t matter. You only get counted when you watch the commercials and no one watches commercials on their DVR. This is all smoke and mirrors. The only hope for broadcast nets is subscriber fees.
Pssst….guys, keep it secret but…NOBODY, that’s NOBODY, watches ads on their DVR. If there’s “research” that says they do….wel LOL is all there is to say. Your ad buys + anything past live are WORTHLESS. But don’t tell anyone!
Wrong, there is plenty if data that people do watch ads via DVR. It may be only 40%, but that counts and considering that’s all the advertisers are going to pay for, the networks better pray it counts and that those people continue to watch ads or else their bauiness model is screwed and free TV will vanish. Which might be inevitable someday but not today.
Just curious, do networks sell the first/last commercial at a higher rate than in between? When I DVR, I often see the last 10-15 seconds of the last ad, and sometimes the first 10 seconds after the break starts.
So let me get this straight: Lionsgate movies don’t last more than 7 days in a theater?
Also, people do watch ads on DVRs (not all of them), especially movie trailers, which if the interest or anticipation is there,are sometimes watched more than once.
“We’re seeing more awareness from social media and it will reduce out marketing spend”
Because god knows business’ love to give you audiences and awareness for free. Your costs will never go up online along with the rate of effectiveness….