Modeling Sampling Error

There is no uncertainty around r in the first model because there is no uncertainty in the observed subset['viewing_seconds'] = subset['p'] * subset['r'] * subset['t'].

I think I still not get what you are trying to model, maybe it would help to writing down the generative process, generate some fake data, and see if you can build model to recover the true parameters. It might help also to consult some papers in ecology on related topic.