• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
method logo sxs 280x96 wht

methodshop

tech news, reviews & how to's

  • Trending
  • Latest
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Internet
    • Software
    • Security
    • Games
    • Advertising
  • Life
    • Entertainment
    • TV & Film
    • Music
    • Health & Science
    • Family
    • Social Media
    • Food
    • Style
  • Learn
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • News
      • Business
      • Crime
      • Politics
  • Fun
    • Featured
    • Humor
    • Holiday

Home : How iTunes Saved The Office

tv set
tv set

How iTunes Saved The Office

The Office is one of the best shows on network TV. It's clever, witty and very funny. But according to the Nielson ratings, The Office was a dud. The ratings were so bad that NBC almost canceled it before the end of its first season. But since NBC owns and produces The Office, they had nothing to lose by posting it in the iTunes Store. At the very least, NBC thought they might make a little money on iTunes before canceling the show. But once episodes of The Office were available online, they became an iTunes Store overnight best seller. The Office had a huge fan base and the low Neilson ratings were basically just a lie.

Nov 1, 2006 by jayfrankwilson
FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Minted MethodshopThe Office is one of the best shows on network TV. It’s clever, witty and very funny. But according to the Nielson ratings, The Office was a dud. The ratings were so bad that NBC almost canceled it before the end of its first season. But since NBC owns and produces The Office, they had nothing to lose by posting it in the iTunes Store. At the very least, NBC thought they might make a little money on iTunes before canceling the show. But once episodes of The Office were available online, they became an iTunes Store overnight best seller. The Office had a huge fan base and the low Neilson ratings were basically just a lie.

Angela Bromstead, president of NBC Universal Television Studios, had this to say in Newsday:

“I’m not sure that we’d still have the show on the air without the iTunes boost… The network had only ordered so many episodes, but when it went on iTunes and really started taking off, that gave us another way to see the true potential other than just Nielsen. It just kind of happened at a great time.”

Personally I think the Nielson ratings are a total joke. They only put a few thousand viewing monitors in dumb people’s houses. How is this an accurate sampling of US households? It’s not. Think I’m wrong? Consider the following:

  • Why is COPS still on the air and getting good ratings 10+ years later?
  • Why were shows like Family Guy and Futurama canceled for low ratings, only to be renewed after doing well on the Cartoon Network and DVD.
  • Why is wrestling now on the SciFi Channel?
  • Why did Fox cancel Firefly before the end of its first season? The show went on to be a best seller on iTunes as well as on DVD. It was also made into a major motion picture called Serenity.

The answer to all these questions: only dumb people have Nielson boxes and the networks don’t have enough guts to ignore Nielson’s lies. Also, ponder this little tidbit. Until recently, the Nielson boxes were NOT compatible with home TV systems that had a TiVo, satellite dish or digital cable box. That’s a lot of people Nielson just decided to conveniently ignore.

If you are also a fan of The Office, just remember that the iTunes Store is responsible for keeping the show alive. Fans of the show voted with their wallets while dumb Nielson households were busy watching COPS reruns. Again.

methodshop







FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Tag: iTunes, iTunes Store, NBC, Neilson, The Office, tv, video
Previous Post:ipod soapGuy Buys iPod And Finds A Bar Of Soap Inside Box, Not An iPod
Next Post:Blu-Ray & HD DVD Off The Mark By Almost 60%

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar


Popular Posts

nbc chimes feature scaled

The Surprising Story Behind The NBC Chimes

google naked

7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras

lg tv disable home screen scaled

How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV

dmas top usa

Top 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) – Full List

sleepless bear

20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite

Caddyshack Quotes

30 Famous Caddyshack Quotes That’ll Make You Laugh

new york city skyline

The 21 Best Live Streaming New York City Webcams

rooftop woman

10 Naked Sunbathers Busted By Google Earth

Angry Irish Woman

30 Dirty Irish Pick Up Lines That Will Probably Get You Slapped

quotes about birthdays

50+ Famous Happy Birthday Quotes From Notable Personalities


Categories

Advertising Apps Business Crime DIY & Tutorials Entertainment Family Featured Food Games Health & Science Holiday Humor Internet Learn Life Music News Politics Reviews Security Sex Social Media Software Style Technology Travel TV & Film Uncategorized



Man using a laptop on a park bench at night

Upgrade Your ChatGPT Prompts With These 12 Smart Engineering Tricks

Here are some example ChatGPT prompts and tips to help you get the most out of your chatbot sessions.


Apple's Ducking Autocorrect Problem

Apple Is Finally Fixing Its Ducking Autocorrect Problem

Apple announces plans to finally fix its ducking autocorrect problem for iPhone users.


Recent Posts

new york city skyline

The 21 Best Live Streaming New York City Webcams

Man using a laptop on a park bench at night

Upgrade Your ChatGPT Prompts With These 12 Smart Engineering Tricks

2001: A Space Odyssey

10 Reasons Why 2001: A Space Odyssey Is The Most Important Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made

Apple's Ducking Autocorrect Problem

Apple Is Finally Fixing Its Ducking Autocorrect Problem

goonies trivia white logo

Fun Goonies Facts – 50 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About The Goonies

artificial intelligence ai humanoid

Only 14% of U.S. Adults Have Tried ChatGPT. Have You?

woman wearing makeup and a cute red, white, and black aztec top

The History Of Makeup And Its Evolution Through History

office space quotes 1

The 30 Best Office Space Quotes (How Many Do You Know?)

A soldier in a foggy valley from the video game Conflict Desert Storm.

Conflict Desert Storm: How To Play This Classic Combat Game Today

Woman experiencing sidewalk rage on a busy croded city sidewalk.

‘Sidewalk Rage’: Yes, It’s A Real Issue – Here Are 5 Easy Coping Techniques

Jump to comments

About

MethodShop’s mission is to entertain, inform, and sometimes gross you out. MethodShop has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by us. All prices are subject to change.

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Trending Posts

nbc chimes feature scaled

The Surprising Story Behind The NBC Chimes

google naked

7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras

lg tv disable home screen scaled

How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV

Latest Posts

new york city skyline

The 21 Best Live Streaming New York City Webcams

Man using a laptop on a park bench at night

Upgrade Your ChatGPT Prompts With These 12 Smart Engineering Tricks

2001: A Space Odyssey

10 Reasons Why 2001: A Space Odyssey Is The Most Important Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made

MethodShop Animated Zoom Icon
  • About
  • Submit
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Store

Copyright © 2023 MethodShop · All Rights Reserved