Reviewing 2017 Viewership Trends

In 2017, Japan experienced political instability during the October House of Representatives election and the events leading up to it, while the economy also saw several incidents that shook corporate confidence. On the other hand, the remarkable achievements of Shogi player Sota Fujii, who turned pro at the youngest age and achieved 29 consecutive wins without a single loss since his debut, provided a refreshing topic of conversation.

So, what kind of year was it for the television industry? Let's look back at the broadcasting, communications, and IT sectors.

All-day HUT saw a slight decrease. Trends in the new metric "Comprehensive Viewership Rating"

While 2017 saw a variety of domestic and international topics, ranging from serious to lighthearted, the total daily HUT (the number or percentage of households watching TV, regardless of channel, between 6 AM and midnight) was slightly lower than in 2016. The relative decline in prime time (7 PM to 11 PM) was somewhat noticeable, but the golden time (7 PM to 10 PM) remained at roughly the same level.

Looking at the results for the "Top 30 Programs by Annual High Household Ratings" published annually by our company, NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Contest) took the top spot as usual. The top rankings were dominated by sports broadcasts like the Tokyo Hakone Ekiden and the World Baseball Classic (WBC), along with Nippon TV's 24-Hour TV. However, these results reflect real-time viewing during the broadcast.

When viewed through the "Comprehensive Ratings"* we began measuring and providing in October 2016, the top spot for annual comprehensive ratings in 2017 was again NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen Part 2 with 42.0% (NHK live rating: 39.4%, timeshift rating: 4.3%). Other top programs included: "Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon - Final Episode" (TV Asahi, December 14) at 35.2% (Live: 25.3%, Time-shifted: 12.5%) "Sunday Theater: Rikuo - Final Episode" (TBS, December 24) at 30.3% (Live: 20.5%, Time-shifted: 13.1%) and "NHK Morning Drama: Hiyokko" (NHK, September 28) at 29.2% (24.4%, 6.8%). These dramas ranked highly, showing how viewers enjoy content differently from the real-time ratings.

In 2017, dramas accounted for 6 of the top 30 highest annual household ratings (Kanto region). However, looking at the lineup of the top 30 programs by overall ratings for 2017, the number of dramas more than doubled. This likely reflects not that dramas are watched less than before, but rather that viewing habits have changed and time-shifted viewers have increased, driven by lifestyle changes and the spread of digital devices.

*Total viewership ratings count all viewers, whether watching live or via timeshift (including recorded viewing within 7 days).

2018 also saw the introduction of new metrics for TV advertising transactions

Starting in 2018, advertising transactions incorporating time-shifted viewing are expected to begin sequentially. Furthermore, a shift from the traditional household metric to an individual metric (referred to as ALL) is being advocated.

Even transactions using the "P+C7" metric—combining program average (P=Program) and ad slots played within 7 days (C7)—will impose system change burdens. Going forward, incorporating streaming and other formats, this year seems poised to be the first in a comprehensive redesign and transformation of how we define the "television" medium and its programs, along with the design and sales of advertising slots.

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This article is based on Video Research Ltd.'s VR Digest published in December 2017, with additions and edits incorporating data up to December 31, 2017.