Just because somebody has their TV tuned into a channel for an hour does not mean they are watching it for an hour. Lots of times our TV plays to an empty room.
A click means somebody is actually watching it when the click occurs. They might watch a few minutes, click to something else for a while, then click back.
One could make the argument clicks are a more valid measurement of actual viewer attention.
Ah yes… there was a time when my TV would be tuned to the aforementioned FauxNews all day and night. Most of the time it was background noise that I paid little attention to.
But alas, that was long ago and far away….
And you logged it into your ratings book that you were watching even if you weren't?
A click means somebody is actually watching it when the click occurs. They might watch a few minutes, click to something else for a while, then click back.
And those would count for multiple separate views a piece. The same would not be done for views on television to watch part of it and come back to it later - that is still just one viewer - unless they were two completely separate airings.
One could make the argument clicks are a more valid measurement of actual viewer attention.
Come now. If someone takes the time to sit down to watching a television program they are paying more attention than casually scrolling around clicking things on the computer and especially on a phone or tablet. Far fewer as likely to sit and watch the whole thing in one setting and pay as close of attention.