Can TV Ratings Reflect Hidden Viewersregarding Digital Piracy? An Analysis of TV Ratings, Online Buzz, and Digital Piracy

Abstract

Advances in new media technologies are changing the traditional definition of watching TV programs. Due to time shifted and multi-device watching behavior, people have raised questions about traditional ways of measuring audience rating. While traditional TV ratings may not be enough to reflect new viewing behavior, such as illegal downloads, online social media buzz may be an alternative. In the context of Korean television network programs, this study collects online social media buzz, the number of pirated downloads, and traditional TV ratings. As a result, we find that social media buzz has a significant effect on the number of pirated downloads, but traditional TV ratings have no significant effect on the number of pirated downloads. In addition, there are significant differences in the number of pirated downloads depending on the TV program genre. We demonstrate how online social media buzz can be used to explain hidden viewers in the digital piracy market and explain the limitations of traditional audience measurement.