Focus on Commercials During Nielsen Sweeps

New research at NYU Stern shows that commercial interruptions enhance viewers’ enjoyment of TV programming

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Hollywood studios enter the nail-biting sweeps season once again, producers are asking what they can do to capture and hold the attention of TV watchers across the country. According to a recent NYU Stern study, commercial breaks can be a key ingredient to enhancing the TV watching experience for certain kinds of programming.

NYU Stern Marketing Professor Tom Meyvis, Doctoral Candidate Jeff Galak and Leif D. Nelson of the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, demonstrate through six studies that viewers watching a television program with commercial breaks rate the program higher than viewers who watch the same program without commercial interruptions.

They argue:

• Consumer enjoyment of a TV program diminishes over time
• Commercial interruptions can help restore the intensity of consumers’ enjoyment
• These findings hold true regardless of the quality of commercials

To speak with Professor Tom Meyvis or PhD student Jeff Galak about the study, please contact them directly: Tom Meyvis at 212-998-0529, [e-mail]; Jeff Galak at 212-998-0729, [e-mail]; or contact Carolyn Ritter in NYU Stern’s Office of Public Affairs, 212-998-0624, [e-mail]. To speak with Professor Nelson, contact Keri Peckham, communications manager at the Rady School, 858-534-0855, [e-mail].