Y&R- #7 in Internet Streaming

[mygenoa]

Through plays on ABC.com, "Lost" accounted for 36.4 million total video streams -- a tally that includes views of full-length episodes, clips and video podcasts related to the show. "Grey's Anatomy" was No. 2 with 29 million streams. Compared to the same stats from March, "Lost" was up 13% while "Grey's" climbed 57%. ABC noted that "Lost" has been the top dog among vid streams for five consecutive months.

Rounding out May's top five were ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (14.9 million streams); NBC's "The Office" (14.5 million); and ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (13.1 million). CBS' "NCIS" was No. 6 with 11.6 million streams, followed by the Eye's daytime soap "The Young and the Restless" (11.5 million) and "Survivor" (11.1 million). ABC's "The Bachelorette" was No. 9 with 9.1 million. "Gossip Girl" rounded out the top 10 with 8.4 million.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111800494...d=1009&cs=1

[MarkH]

WOW!

No, it is hard to make a lot of sense of that streams number...but if we average it over approximately 20+ episodes a month, and PRETEND that it means "unique users watching at least some of the show" (that's a bit of a stretch, but lets pretend), that means we can add about 500,000/night to the show's total US viewership.

That number isn't far off from the Soapnet tally.

So, combining those two sources, we're seeing a 20% increase in Y&R's viewership over the CBS tally each day.

The trick, of course, is to make that extra million nightly on-line and Soapnet viewers generate as much income, per viewer, as the TV broadcast. Hopefully, that is close.

Thank you so much for sharing it. The Y&R numbers are good, but not nearly as impressive as, say, Lost. Why? Because (during the season) Lost gets those eyeballs with ONE episode/week, but Y&R needs five times as many shows to generate a smaller number of eyeballs. Still, I'm happy to see signs of life in the old girl...especially in the new media.

[SteveFrame]

Just a bit of a correction. Y&R is actually #7. NCIS is #6.

But it is still good.

[Ann_SS]

Good to see Y&R doing so well on the Internet. More ad revenue for CBS which gives the show a chance at a longer life.

[YRBB]

Those numbers are incredibly impressive! Thanks for all the info!

[MarkH]

If you figure in the Soapnet and streaming numbers, as a reflection of a total US viewers, Y&R is actually back up to where it was YEARS ago.

If you estimate that Y&R total daily views is approximately 6 million with these figures, that maps onto the ratings that the broadcast-only got about a decade ago, right?

So many variables here. If Y&R has held onto substantial viewership by moving into new media, in the face of a broadcast industry and a daytime genre that are in general decline, it says there is genuine hope -- contingent on monetizing these alternative viewers -- for viability.

[Rakesh]

WTG, Y&R! This is wonderful news.

[sheilaforever]

What is the most impressive is that Y&R is CBS' SECOND MOST STREAMED SHOW!

For a show belonging to a so-called dying genre this is great news. And now we know why CBS.com is actively featuring Y&R in it's streaming links on the front page.

This survey also shows that viewers of serialized drama are more prone to try online streaming than those of procedurals which on the other hand do much better with network repeats. This still means for ad dollars for the networks but maybe online streaming will close in?

[Toups]

Wow that's pretty awesome for Y&R.

Yup. As network ratings continue to drop, other venues will increase. People still want to watch soaps, but they find easier ways to watch soaps. I pretty much watch all my soaps/tv shows online now.

For Canadians, CTV.ca just started streaming B&B.

[MarkH]

And that raises the other point, one that came up in the ratings thread.

If you figure Y&R is getting at least 6 million views a day (all sources) in the US, and B&B is doing well on-screen and online, we already have signs of strength. Add to that the international distribution dollars (which seem to be strongest for these two soaps), and we really have the only two soaps CLEARLY positioned to survive in this dreadful market. That doesn't make them invulnerable, and that doesn't mean the attrition won't kill them...but it does mean that by being proactive with different forms of US distribution and international distribution, they have carefully worked not to put all their eggs in one basket.

[MTSRocks]

But Y&R also airs five days a week.

[baller]

Good for them! Find it interesting for all the hype you seem to hear about the internet fans of other CBS shows Y&R is the one that made the list.