TVSquad

You know how television networks have been trying to convince advertisers that personal video recorders are good because they get people to watch more television, which means they're exposed to more ads? Yeah, it turns out watching more TV only helps advertisers if people don't skip past the ads.

Advertising Age reports that Information Resources Inc has announced the results of a 3-year study which seems to show that people who have a PVR in the house are less likely to buy packages goods, particularly brand name packaged goods.

A handful of brands did see increased sales, and the study suggests that brands that spend money on non-TV advertising will do better. Big surprise there. But the study raises a question for TV lovers, if people love TV, but prefer to skip commercials if they have the opportunity, how do we encourage networks to continue producing high quality programming? I'm not quite ready to say this study predicts the end of free broadcast television as we know it. But it certainly ain't helping.

[via Gizmo Lovers]