U.S. MEDIA CONSUMPTION PROJECTED TO INCREASE

Despite a small (-0.4%) downtick in time spent with media, the remainder of the year should show accelerated growth, driven by interest in the upcoming Summer Olympics and the Presidential election.  However, advertisers who want to avoid political content and don’t advertise in the Olympics may find getting their messages to consumers more challenging.  Creative counterprogramming and savvy media campaigns will be more important than ever this year.  (MediaPost: May 1, 2024)

WE’RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THE SUPER BOWL?!

It’s time to engage in the annual tradition of Super Bowl sticker shock.  Reports are that Fox, who will carry next year’s game, is coming out with a price tag of $7 million per 30-second spot—slightly higher than the $6.5-$7 million that Paramount sought this year.  If it seems early to be talking about this, it is.  Live sports have become even more important to the media economy, especially in the world of streaming, where The Big Game can drive subscribers.  (Variety: Apr 30, 2024)

STREAMERS SEEK TO BALANCE OLD AND NEW CONTENT

With brand-new series and movies requiring time and money to produce, streamers continue to deepen their offerings with existing programs.  For companies like NBCU and Paramount, this means deciding whether to put an existing property on their own platforms or license it to Amazon, Netflix, or another company that doesn’t have its own legacy content library.  And what’s the right mix of old and new?  And how old?  Peacock and Paramount+ have regularly hosted next-day airings of network programs, but with networks producing fewer original hours, that will become a less reliable source.  It’s a topic that warrants more thought and discussion than this space allows.  Read the linked article, then let me know if you want to get a drink and talk it over. (TVRev: Apr 29, 2024)

NOT SURE WHAT TO GET MOM?  WATCH TV

The TVB has released its Mother’s Day 2024 report, and it indicates that television advertising will continue to play a major role in gift purchase decisions.  Some key points: Most respondents said their online searches were influenced by TV, and Local TV was a trusted ad environment.  Spending is projected to reach a record $33.5 billion this year, and TV advertising will help determine where those dollars are spent. (TVB, April 2024)

THIS WEEK IN VIDEO HISTORY

May 6, 2004 – NBC airs the final episode of Friends.  It drew 52.5 million viewers and was the most-watched entertainment telecast in six years, the fifth most-watched television finale in U.S. history, and the most-watched episode from any series in the 2000s.