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We look at recent TV advertising activity for games and find out how Grand Theft Auto could affect the games advertising market next year.
This is provided by specialist communication firm Generation Mediawhich focuses on the entertainment and leisure industries.
Games and consoles advertising pressure during the week ending October 23rd produced the second largest week of the year with 892 TVRs.
This is five TVRs (only 0.6 per cent) behind the week ending March 6th, when the most backed game was Pokmon Black & White with 282 TVRs.
Year-on-year the market was down three per cent. Despite a higher weight of TVRs per game (32 vs 30), there were three fewer campaigns (28 vs 31).
Not content with topping the sales charts, the game with the greatest TV ad presence was Batman: Arkham City with 122 TVRs.
What’s a TVR?
The TVR (Television Rating) is the measure of popularity for a programme or ad by comparing its audience to the population as a whole. One TVR is equivalent to one per cent of a target audience. So if Coronation Street achieved a Housewives TVR of 20 in Yorkshire it means that, on average, 20 per cent of all Housewives in Yorkshire watched it.
A campaign can achieve over 100 TVRs, however. But this does not mean that it has been seen by 100 per cent of the population, as TVRs only refer to the percentage of the population reached at the time of airing. So airing an ad during Corrie six times gives you 120 TVRs, but you may only be reaching the same 20 per cent of people.
GTA and next year’s ad market
The announcement of Grand Theft Auto V has led to speculation as to how it can benefit 2012’s games market in terms of sales.
The right-hand chart shows how many TVRs the series achieved each year since 2002. GTA III was the first in the new-look series to receive TV advertising, with a moderate 88 TVRs. From 2004 onwards, the series produced over 500 TVRs.
GTA IV achieved 731 TVRs across 2008 and 2009. This would be enough to make it the third largest campaign in 2011 year-to-date. If replicated, 2012 could be one of the heaviest ad markets ever.
MCV GameTime is provided by Generation Media. 0207 255 4650 lwww.generationmedia.co.uk
