YOUTH VIEWERSHIP

According to Nielsen, more than 8 in 10 households have at least one internet-connected TV device. And while total viewers spend roughly two-thirds of their time watching traditional TV vs. connected TV, the inverse is true for the younger end of the audience.  The report compares viewership to patterns from 10 years ago, when internet-connected devices were used only 25 minutes each day, vs 1 hour and 25 minutes in 2021. (Marketing Charts: 1/27/22)

POLITICAL SPENDING UPDATE

In a follow up to last week’s report from Adage, indicating that Republicans are out-spending Democrats in five key Senate races (OH, PA, NC, AL & WI) $37.2 million to $7.5 million across TV, Radio, and digital (12/28/21-1/18/22), published details include specific races in Pennsylvania and Colorado as well as overall estimates for the total 2022 mid-term election cycle. Publisher and Advisory Service, BIA, puts the total at $7.5 billion, while Kantar estimates $7.8 billion. (Inside Radio: 1/31/22)

 FASTs ARE GAINING SPEED

A Q4 2021 survey by Hub Entertainment Research found that 18% of US Households used at least one free ad-supported TV service (FAST); more than twice the penetration of Q4 2020 of 8%. Further, the FAST services were also seen to be the fastest-growing tier; increasing by 4.9 percentage points from the previous quarter. Among the FAST networks, Peacock, IMDB TV, and the Roku Channel account for 79% of new FAST users during the quarter. The desire for a broad range of original, quality content is out-performing people who are signing up to watch specific shows. Overall FAST networks saw increases in satisfaction scores and were the only tier with an improvement in their Net Promoter Score (NPS). (MediaPost: 2/4/22)

SYNDICATION PERFORMANCE

Jeopardy! led all game shos for the fourth straight week at a 6.6 live plus same day household rating (up 2% from the previous week); the last full week of Amy Schneider’s streak. “After 40 straight wins and nearly $1.4 million in prize money”, the Chicago librarian secured the second-longest streak in the show’s 40-year history. Wheel of Fortune took the second slot, also up 2% vs. the previous week and a 6.0 rating; just above Family Feud at 5.8. In the entertainment news category, TMZ and Extra saw season highs at 0.8 and 0.7 respectively, while the leaders, Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight saw slight declines dropping to 2.4 and 2.2 respectively. Dr. Phil took the top talk spot for the third week with a 1.8; followed closely by Live with Kelly and Ryan at a 1.7. (NextTV: 2/1/22)

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month began on Tuesday and broadcast and cable networks and streamers are rolling out a variety TV series, movies, news programming, documentaries, specials, and more, over the course of February to celebrate, educate and entertain. Deadline has curated list that “touches on some of the myriad ways outlets are commemorating the occasion, from live coverage of the NAACP Image Awards on BET to the documentary series Lincoln’s Dilemma on Apple TV+ and everything in between.” They will be adding to their list throughout the month. (Deadline: 2/1/22)