FX channel tries commercial to combat ad-skipping

Niche UK men’s TV channel FX plans to show what it calls the first UK advert specially designed to combat viewers using digital recorders to avoid commercials.

The advert for its new drama “Brotherhood” will show a single image on the screen for the entire 30-second slot, and therefore retain its “sales message” when viewed even at the 12-times speeds enabled by Sky+ and other digital recorders, also known as personal video recorders, or PVRs.

Advertisers have been racing to find ways to get messages through as higher numbers of consumers watch TV programmes when they want using such recorders, often skipping the commercials.

“There are a whole host of issues that broadcasters and advertisers are currently facing and about to face that are going to irrevocably change the business,” said Jason Thorp, senior vice president and deputy managing director of Fox International Channels UK, a division of News Corp.
“A creative response will be the only solution to all of them,” he added in a statement issued on Friday.

FX said when it showed its drama series “Sleeper Cell” in April, one-third of the ratings for the pilot episode were from viewers watching a digitally recorded version.

The PVR-aimed ad will be test run September 22. About 13 percent of homes with satellite service from BSkyB have Sky+.

Source: Media Network, Reuters

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