not dead yet

Todays’ New York Times had an article on how households with DVRs still watch a large number of commercials. Postulates the Times,

“…perhaps because they like ads, don’t mind them or simply can’t be bothered.”

While the article goes on to talk about the impact this study could have on the cost of commercial spots (since television advertisers currently don’t pay for time-shifted viewing), it’s interesting that the Times reporters have yet to tap into what I think is the real reason behind people continuing to watch commercials when they don’t have to: advertising is a shared experience.

Like Thursday night’s episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” or who received the most votes on “American Idol,” or which bachelor was eliminated during “I Love New York,” what is shown on television is a part of the national popular culture. Your neighbors and peers expect that you’ve seen much of what they’ve seen on television. That’s why there’s as much watercooler talk about Simon and Paula as there is debate about whether those Geico “Cavemen” commercials are annoying or brilliant. Even if viewers find many commercials intrusive and tedious, they continue to watch for those few ads that will generate an emotional reaction – whether it be laughter, empathy, amazement, etc.

DVR penetration will continue to grow, and how Americans watch TV in the future will be vastly different than how we do it now. But for the short term, DVRs provide program-viewing convenience for those few with time-constrained lives. Until the majority of consumers decide that being “in the know” on a few popular television shows is less important than watching endless hours of commercial-less television, advertisers don’t have much of an adversary.