Choosing slots in electronic programme guides

Attentional has introduced the EPG-Change Risk Assessment Model to help clients find the right slots on electronic programme guides.

The rapid increase in the channels on the Sky Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) has made broadcasters think hard about the right slots for their channels.

If you have a few good slots near the top of the guide, do you put your catch-up channels next to them? Or do you put the catch-up channel further down and give the favoured slots to others? Attentional has created a statistical model to help channel networks allocate their available slots in the best possible way.

The key to this model is a database of all recent changes to which complex statistical analysis has been applied.

The rapid proliferation of channels on the Sky platform has made placements on the EPG an important consideration for channel operators aiming to maximise the potential of their portfolios.

This has created a demand for techniques to assist our clients in optimising the EPG positioning of their channels.

Attentional has studied recent Sky EPG positioning changes and developed statistical models for assessing and isolating their viewing impacts.

One of the key findings concerns the positioning of time-shifted or '+1' channels.

The primary channel acts as a kind of advertiser for the content of its time-shifted variant provided they are next to each other on the EPG, when viewers can switch to the +1 variant with a single press of a button.

For example, UKTV Gold+1 (at number 110 on the Sky EPG) has a Satellite audience that is 63 per cent the size of UKTV Gold's (at number 109).

On the other hand, ITV2+1 (at number 184) has a Satellite audience that is only 13 per cent that of ITV2 (at number 118), a discrepancy that significantly exceeds any loss that can be solely attributed to its low EPG position.

The models developed by Attentional also allow us to predict the likely viewing impact of moves up or down the Sky EPG.

Programme quality and variety remain crucial factors in determining a channel's success, but the importance of a good EPG placement is highlighted when we look at channels that have already shifted position on the EPG.

For example, Bravo 2 moved down 28 places on the Sky EPG in February 2008 as part of a Virgin Media reshuffle, and this coincided with a 35 per cent decrease in viewing.

Virgin 1 moved up 29 places as part of the same reshuffle and saw its viewing increase by 52 per cent, although this was also helped by the strong performance of The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

If you would like more information on Attentional's EPG-Change Risk Assessment Model, please contact Attentional.

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