Soap Opera Ratings

The Importance of Ratings

Ratings are obviously a big deal – the biggest deal, in fact – in the television industry. Without them, shows have no chance to survive. All television programs, from talk shows and sitcoms to cartoons and soap operas, thrive on ratings. High ratings equate to big bucks for the network via advertising revenue, which is essentially what it all boils down to. Advertisers simply won't pay for spots to air during these programs if no one is watching!

It's crucial for networks to promote their programming frequently and genuinely, enough to garner the public's interest and keep them hooked. That, of course, can be quite a challenge, as many failed television programs prove. The actors starring on these programs will say the same thing – ratings are the make or break factor in a terribly fickle industry that can only do so much to keep viewers interested and coming back for more each week.

The Soap Opera Ratings System

As mentioned, soap operas are no different. Their survival depends on the number of viewers who tune in each week. Like other programs, soap operas rely on the Nielsen ratings system as its measure. Essentially, the system ranks the numbers by a series of points, which in turn determine how many viewers watched the program – and how much the program can command for advertising.

The system may seem complex and intimidating to those who aren't familiar with it; many individuals seem to abide by some sort of unwritten rule that higher numbers are better numbers. This is essentially true, but understanding those figures lends an even greater understanding of the Nielsen system and how it operates.

Nielsen's results are reported in measurements of points and share. One point represents one percent of 1,128,000 households, while share refers to the percentage of television sets actually in use and tuned in to the program in question. The results are reported in this format: points/share. For example, a soap opera may receive 2.2 points and a 12 share (or 2.2/12). This means that 2.2 percent of households were tuned in to the soap opera at some point during its airing, and that 12 percent of television sets in use at that moment were tuned in to the soap opera.

The Ratings Effect

Your favorite soap depends on ratings to survive.

Of course, the ultimate result any rating can have is seen in the show's life span – if it lasts, it's clearly pulling in the right numbers. Unfortunately, things are more challenging than ever before for soap operas. More to the point, soap operas aren't just aired during the day anymore. Programming can be viewed hours after its original air date on the Internet and on cable television; both sources are not considered by Nielsen when factoring in ratings. This, of course, can have quite an effect on the original airing if more people find it convenient to watch online or at a later time.

Many soap operas have been on the air for years and have quite devoted followings. But these devotees are those who've been with the program for years – often decades. Of prime importance to the networks is the ability to pull in younger viewers and give them the type of programming they want, namely something updated that reflects today's modern mindset.

The shows suffer visibly when ratings and viewers decline. Budgets are cut, big-name actors may suddenly jump ship and the network is left scrambling to come up with new tactics to bring in fresh blood and new viewers. Clearly, the work is never over for those involved behind the scenes.