ALVISO, Calif., July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A whole new ratings race is on. It is not the start of a new TV season yet, but it is the start of a whole new ratings competition. TiVo's "Top Commercial Rankings." So TiVo says let the competition begin for the most watched, most time-shifted and least fast-forward television advertising campaigns in the market today.

TiVo Inc. , the creator of and a leader in advertising solutions and television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), unveiled for the first time today the industry's first Top Commercial Rankings reports. Using TiVo's StopWatch service's unique ability to track consumer viewing behavior on a second-by-second basis, in both Live and Timeshifted viewing context, TiVo will release these reports monthly.

"For many years, various sources have provided rankings of top programs. But nobody has ever provided the same type of information for commercials. And this is what marketers really care about -- especially with the proliferation of DVRs," said Todd Juenger, Vice President & General Manager, TiVo Audience Research & Measurement. "We believe these monthly reports will be both fun and informative, and provide just a small taste of the type of insight into DVR viewing behavior, timeshifting, and specific commercial ratings available to subscribers of TiVo's StopWatch service."

Categories tracked in these reports on a monthly basis include Top Total Viewing Commercials compared with Total Viewing of Top Programs; Timeshifted Commercials compared with Timeshifted Programs; and, Least Fast-forwarded Brand Campaigns. TiVo will also track other categories of interest including performance advertising on DVRs in key advertising categories and other customizable information.

Two months of data from April and May are shown below for a basis of comparison.

April -- Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Total Viewing) Top Commercials -- Total Viewing Brand Program Date Rating 1. Dreamworks Disturbia Movie House 27-Mar 21.1 2. Chase Freedom Credit Card CSI 5-Apr 20.4 3. GMC Trucks Acadia CSI 26-Apr 19.5 4. Dyson Slim Vacuum Cleaner House 3-Apr 17.5 5. Apple Macintosh Computer CSI 12-Apr 16.5 6. Universal Georgia Rule Movie Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 16.2 7. Burger King Restaurant American Idol 18-Apr 15.3 8. Ford Auto&Truck Edge & Fusion American Idol 18-Apr 15.0 9. Cadillac Auto&Truck Various Grey's Anatomy 19-Apr 15.0 10. Wendy's Restaurant Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 15.0 Top Programs -- Total Viewing Program Date Rating 1. Grey's Anatomy 19-Apr 24.5 2. Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 24.3 3. American Idol 27-Mar 23.2 4. American Idol 10-Apr 22.7 5. American Idol 17-Apr 22.4 6. American Idol 3-Apr 21.4 7. American Idol 18-Apr 20.8 8. House 27-Mar 20.2 9. American Idol 11-Apr 19.9 10. House 17-Apr 19.8 -- In the past, people would generally believe they could look to the most popular programs to find commercials with the most viewership. However, the TiVo StopWatch ratings service found the highest rated commercial among TiVo viewers for April appeared in the eighth highest rated program. Conversely, the highest rated program placed only one spot among the top ten commercials. -- Four of the five highest rated commercials ran in programs not included in top ten program viewership. -- There is no concentration of top commercials within a particular program episode. The top ten commercials appeared in eight different program episodes. Only two program episodes had more than one commercial spot make the top ten list. -- The highest commercial rating (21.1) is 86% of the highest program rating (24.5). May Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Total Viewing) Top Commercials - Total Viewing Brand Program Date Rating 1. Ford Trucks Edge American Idol 23-May 27.9 2. Sony Surfs Up Movie CSI 17-May 20.4 3. Carefree Hair Remover & Moisturizer Grey's Anatomy 3-May 18.9 4. Apple iPod MP3 Player American Idol 23-May 18.8 5. Axe Deodorant Body Spray American Idol 23-May 18.6 6. Kohls Dept Sales Announcement CSI 3-May 18.5 7. Paramount Transformers Movie American Idol 23-May 18.3 8. Old Navy Clothing Store American Idol 23-May 17.3 9. AT&T Wireless Service American Idol 23-May 17.3 10. Buena Vista Ratatouille Movie Grey's Anatomy 17-May 17.2 Top Programs - Total Viewing Program Date Rating 1. Grey's Anatomy 17-May 25.6 2. Grey's Anatomy 3-May 24.9 3. Grey's Anatomy 10-May 23.8 4. American Idol 1-May 23.7 5. American Idol 23-May 23.1 6. American Idol 22-May 21.7 7. Desperate Housewives 20-May 21.1 8. American Idol 8-May 20.9 9. American Idol 15-May 20.7 10. Lost 23-May 20.3 -- Unlike April, there was some concentration of top commercials in one particular episode -- the May 23rd airing of American Idol placed six of the top ten commercials. -- Unlike April, the highest commercial rating (27.9) was actually higher than the highest program rating (25.6). -- While the top programs were largely consistent for both months (dominated by Grey's Anatomy and American Idol), Ford and Apple were the only two companies to place a commercial spot in the top ten for both months. April -- Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Timeshifted Viewing) Top Commercials - Timeshifted Viewing Brand Program Date Rating 1. Dreamworks Disturbia Movie House 27-Mar 14.4 2. GMC Trucks Acadia CSI 26-Apr 14.4 3. Chase Freedom Credit Card CSI 5-Apr 14.1 4. Stouffers Corner Bistro Flatbreads CSI 29-Mar 13.5 5. Dyson Slim Vacuum Cleaner House 3-Apr 11.0 6. Apple Macintosh Computer CSI 12-Apr 10.5 7. Olay Body/Radiance RBN Body Wash CSI 26-Apr 9.6 8. Universal Georgia Rule Movie Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 8.8 9. Sony Perfect Stranger Movie House 27-Mar 8.3 10. Sony Spider-Man 3 Movie Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 8.0 Top Programs - Timeshifted Viewing Program Date Rating 1. Grey's Anatomy 26-Apr 17.4 2. Grey's Anatomy 19-Apr 17.2 3. American Idol 27-Mar 15.0 4. American Idol 17-Apr 14.1 5. Lost 25-Apr 13.6 6. Lost 11-Apr 13.6 7. Lost 4-Apr 13.4 8. Desperate Housewives 8-Apr 13.4 9. American Idol 10-Apr 13.4 10. Lost 18-Apr 13.3 -- When looking at timeshifted-only, which means every viewer has the opportunity to fast-forward through the commercial, the top five highest rated commercials are largely the same as Total Viewing. In fact, four out of five are the same. -- However, the next five are mostly different. Five of the top ten highest rated commercials in timeshifted-only were not among the top ten in Total Viewing. -- Being one of the top timeshifted programs does not mean the program also delivered high levels of timeshifted commercial viewership. In fact, eight of the top ten commercials in timeshifted viewership ran in programs that were not in top ten (including five in CSI; three in House). -- Lost has four episodes on the highest timeshifted viewing list, but no episodes on the highest total viewing list. May -- Top Commercials v. Top Programs (Timeshifted Viewing) Top Commercials - Timeshifted Viewing Brand Program Date Rating 1. Ford Trucks Edge American Idol 23-May 16.4 2. Sony Surfs Up Movie CSI 17-May 15.2 3. Kohls Dept Sales Announcement CSI 3-May 13.7 4. Carefree Hair Remover & Moisturizer Grey's Anatomy 3-May 10.1 5. AT&T Wireless Service CSI 10-May 9.9 6. Universal Knocked Up Movie Desperate Housewives 6-May 9.8 7. Axe Deodorant Body Spray American Idol 23-May 9.0 8. 20th Cent Fox Fantastic Four Movie 24 21-May 9.0 9. Benefiber Plus Fiber Laxative Grey's Anatomy 3-May 9.0 10. Warner Bros License to Wed Movie Desperate Housewives 20-May 8.9 Top Programs - Timeshifted Viewing Program Date Rating 1. Grey's Anatomy 17-May 17.9 2. Grey's Anatomy 3-May 17.3 3. Grey's Anatomy 10-May 17.3 4. American Idol 1-May 15.4 5. Lost 23-May 14.4 6. Lost 9-May 14.2 7. Desperate Housewives 13-May 14.2 8. Desperate Housewives 20-May 14.2 9. Lost 2-May 13.7 10. American Idol 22-May 13.5 -- Similar to April, three of the top five commercials in timeshifted viewing are the same as total viewing. -- Similar to April, the top ten timeshifted programs had only two of the top ten timeshifted commercials. -- Sony and Universal movie studios were the only advertisers to place spots in top timeshifted commercials for both months. -- Similar to April, CSI continues to deliver many of the top timeshifted commercial spots, even though CSI itself does not make the top ten timeshifted programs. April -- Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Campaigns Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Campaigns* All Measured Networks -- Daytime & Primetime** Broadcast Networks - Primetime Brand Brand 1. Almost Golf Sporting Goods DR 1. FedEx Kinkos OFC&PRNT 2. Perfect Pushup Exercise 2. RGX Body Spray Equipment DR 3. Microsoft Office Business 3. Stouffers Corner Bistro Software Flatbreads 4. Air Hogs Toys DR 4. Dannon Activia Yogurt 5. Cub Cadet Tractor 5. Onstar Vehicle Monitoring Sys 6. Hummer Vehicles H3 6. Dreamworks Disturbia Movie 7. X Games Apparel 7. Apple Macintosh Computer 8. Vizio Plasma TV 8. BP Amoco Gasoline 9. Play Along Puppy in my Pocket 9. Macy's Dept Sales Announcement 10. Mutual of Omaha 10. Chase Freedom Credit Card Disability Insurance -- Highest ratio of commercial rating to program rating; min # of 20 spots -- ** StopWatch currently monitors 15 networks: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, TNT, TBS, USA, CNN, ESPN, DISC, NIK, MTV, COM, HGTV -- Most people believe commercials must be entertaining, have big budgets and include celebrities to stop viewers from fast forwarding through them. Not necessarily true. Among all measured networks, the least fast-forwarded campaigns were dominated by Direct Response ads. -- Virtually all of these campaigns ran during daytime. -- When limited to broadcast networks in primetime, more "expected" brands/campaigns show up. -- Three of the least fast-forwarded campaigns in primetime on broadcast also placed an ad in the top ten most viewed ads. May -- Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Campaigns Least Fast-Forwarded Brand Campaigns* All Measured Networks - Daytime & Primetime** Broadcast Networks - Primetime Brand Brand 1. Samsung Group Corp 1. Ford Trucks Edge Jitterbug Wireless Service 2. Coldwell Banker RE Online 3. Lockheed Martin Corp 3. Claritin-D Allergy Remedy 4. Dominican Republic Tourism 4. Kohls Dept Sales Announcement 5. Angies List Service 5. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups 6. Doubletree Hotels 6. Nikon D Digital Camera 7. Chase Bank Consumer Services 7. Big Lots Store 8. Royal Bank of Scotland Intl 8. Sony Surfs Up Movie 9. Tax Masters Tax Service Con Svc 9. Buena Vista Pirates of Caribbean/Lst Wrld Movie 10. National Car Rental 10. Warner Bros Oceans Thirteen Movie -- Highest ratio of commercial rating to program rating; min # of 20 spots -- ** StopWatch currently monitors 15 networks: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, TNT, TBS, USA, CNN, ESPN, DISC, NIK, MTV, COM, HGTV -- For May, less direct response ads show up on the least fast-forwarded list for all networks. Instead, there is a concentration of financial service campaigns. -- When looking solely at broadcast networks in primetime, motion picture campaigns start to appear in abundance on the top ten list as summer movie season nears. -- Like April, May has three of the top ten least fast-forwarded campaigns on primetime broadcast also placing spots in the top ten spots list (i.e. Ford, Kohls, Sony Surfs Up Movie).

The StopWatch ratings service, introduced in February 2007, is offered via an easily sortable database of ratings for nationally run programs and advertisements in primetime and daytime, with data going back to September 2006. Each month the StopWatch ratings service will issue the standard "Top" lists as well as special analyses of interest, (e.g. top lists by program genre, network, or product category). Subscribers to the StopWatch ratings service include Starcom USA, the Interpublic Group of Companies, Media IQ, and MPMA.

TiVo StopWatch ratings service data is derived from a daily, aggregate, anonymous, stratified random sample of 20,000 TiVo units -- from which the second-by-second "clickstream" of behavior and viewership is collected and assessed. The StopWatch service includes data for: Total Viewing, Live Viewing, Timeshifted Viewing (less than 1 hour, 1-6 hours, 6-24 hours, 24-48 hours, 2-7 day, and 7-14 day delay), Program Ratings, Commercial Ratings and a Commercial Viewership Index. The StopWatch service uses ad occurrence data from TNS Media Intelligence to identify commercial spots. For more information on the TiVo StopWatch ratings service, visit https://stopwatch.tivo.com/.

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its DVR service features into the set- top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass(TM) recordings, WishList(R) searches, and TiVo(R) KidZone, have elevated its popularity among consumers and have created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features, such as TiVoToGo(TM) transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way(R)." The TiVo(R) service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

TiVo, StopWatch, Season Pass, WishList, Series2, Series3, TiVoToGo, 'TiVo, TV your way' and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. TiVo Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTACT: Whit Clay, +1-212-446-1864, wclay@sloanepr.com, for TiVo Inc.

Web site: http://www.tivo.com/