| Today's Top Stories | | #1 | Glut Of Live TV Sports Telecasts Might Drive Down Sports Ad Prices
| | | The TV networks showed 10% more hours of content from major sports leagues in the fourth quarter than in the same period last year, according to Jeffries analyst John Janedis. A Wall Street Journal report opines that the rise in live sports hours on TV could outpace the growth in demand from traditional sports ad buyers.
Why This Matters: This is a bigger problem for networks than advertisers. A glut in live telecasts and a bit of waning demand can lower pricing, which is a good thing for advertisers. But while demand for multi-night sports telecasts such as college and NBA basketball could be negatively impacted, NFL inventory is still in high demand and relatively limited. Expect buyers to pay premium prices for the postseason telecasts.
A Take: WSJ
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| | #2 | Enterprise Holdings Names Isobar Global Digital Agency
| | | The car rental giant that operates the Enterprise, National and Alamo brands has selected Dentsu Aegis Network's Isobar to be its lead digital agency. Another Dentsu agency, 360i, will continue to work in the social and performance media areas.
Why This Matters: Enterprise is in a competitive battle with Hertz and Avis in the car rental category and it wants to step up its efforts in digital media and make it a priority for the coming year.
Two Takes: Ad Age | MediaPost
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| | #3 | Bud Light Airs First Commercial Touting Bottles With Messages To Consumers
| | | The spot created by BBDO will debut regionally on New Year's Day during college football bowl games and run nationally beginning this weekend during the NFL playoff telecasts, Ad Age reports. Bud Light's Super Bowl spots are also expected to plug the new labeling, part of the brand's "Perfect Beer For Whatever Happens" campaign.
Why This Matters: The labeling strategy, which will include custom beer bottles sold at sporting events and concerts that offer drinkers the chance to get random, on-the-spot perks, such as backstage access, is seen as a way for traditional beers to compete with craft beers for younger drinkers.
A Take: Ad Age
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#4 Ford Launching Company's Biggest Truck Campaign Ever For 2015 F-150 (MediaPost)
#5 When New Shows Fail, Cable Networks Turn To Theatrical Movie Repeats (WSJ)
#6 Holiday Spend Through Christmas Eve Up 5.5%—Master Card Advisor Survey (MediaPost)
#7 Andy Murray Signs Endorsement Deal With Under Armour (Ad Age)
#8 Airbnb Gives 100,000 Hosts $10 Each To Do Something Nice (USA Today)
#9 Retailers Still Running Holiday Ads In Hopes Of Extending Consumer Shopping (Ad Age)
#10 Most Reality TV Programming Facing Ratings Slump (LAT)
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Percentage of worldwide marketing professionals who list lack of in-house expertise as an obstacle for achieving social media marketing success, according to a poll by Ascend2.
– Reported by eMarketer
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| | MBPT Spotlight | As Holiday Season Ends, Broadcast Networks Look To Revitalized Their Primetime Schedules
By John Consoli
With December and its heavy dose of holiday specials and repeat programming soon to be seen only in the rearview mirror, the broadcast networks are gearing up for January with a bunch of new shows, and regular series returning with new episodes, all aimed at boosting ratings and ad revenue.
Much like the days prior to the start of the new fall season, the approaching midseason start is filled with anticipation by the networks, and with hope from media agencies—and their advertiser clients—that the revamped schedules, which begins in earnest on Sunday, Jan. 4, pulls viewers back into viewing mode following a month of shopping.
Fourth quarter—or the first three-and-a-half months of the new broadcast TV season—has not been all-bad for all networks. For regularly scheduled programming, ABC, among the Big Four broadcast networks, has been basically flat in the 18-49 demo, averaging a 1.8. And in this environment of heavily fragmented live TV viewing, flat is good.
CBS is also about flat, averaging a 2.1, although some of the declines the network showed in its entertainment programming were offset by strong 18-49 ratings for seven weeks of Thursday Night Football.
What shifts and plans are the networks making among their returning series? And what one-two punch is Fox banking on to reverse its fortunes?
For more, click HERE
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| | Fates & Fortunes | • MARK INSKIP was named global chief executive officer of The Futures Company, a consultant unit of WPP's Kantar, its data investment management division. Inskip was most recently a partner at consultant company Manifesto. Prior to that he was with Ogilvy & Mather and before that with Accenture. He succeeds Will Galgey, who left to join TNS UK as CEO.
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| | What They're Watching | BROADCAST RATINGS
'Mike & Molly' Leads Rerun-Filled Monday
CBS' Mike & Molly was the sole original program offering on broadcast Monday night, up one-tenth of a point from last week's episode. CBS, which filled out the rest of the night with reruns, was the night's top network. ABC came in second with specials Happy New Year, Charlie Brown and Rudolph's Shiny New Year. NBC took third, Fox was in fourth place and the CW rounded out the night.
For more, click HERE
CABLE RATINGS
Holiday Movies Dominate Christmas Eve
ABC Family took the top two spots on Christmas Eve with Elf leading the night. The Will Ferrell film drew a 1.6 rating with adults 18-49 and 4 million viewers. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation placed second with a 1.4 in the demo and 4.1 million viewers. TBS took third and fourth place with its 24 Hours of A Christmas Story programming block. The 10 p.m. showing had a 1.1 rating and 2.6 million viewers, while the 8 p.m. showing had a 1.0 in the demo and 2.7 million viewers. Adult Swim's 11:30 p.m. Family Guy episode was the night's top non-holiday-movie programming with a 0.9 in the demo and 2.1 million viewers.
For more, click HERE |
| Overnight Ratings: Monday, December 29
| | 8 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | | CBS | 2 BROKE GIRLS (R) (8)
MIKE & MOLLY (8:30) | 1.3
1.8 | 6.6
8.4 | | ABC | HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHARLIE BROWN (R) | 1.5 | 5.4 | | UNIVISION | MI CORAZÓN ES TUYO
| 1.3 | 3.3 | | NBC | STATE OF AFFAIRS (R) | 0.6 | 3.8 | | FOX | GOTHAM (R) | 0.5 | 1.9 | | CW | THE ORIGINALS (R) | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| | 9 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | | UNIVISION | HASTA EL FIN DEL MUNDO
| 1.4 | 3.3 | | CBS | SCORPION (R) | 1.2 | 6.7 | | ABC | RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR (R) | 1.0 | 3.5 | | NBC | STATE OF AFFAIRS (R) | 0.5 | 3.0 | | FOX | SLEEPY HOLLOW (R) | 0.4 | 1.5 | | CW | JANE THE VIRGIN (R) | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| | 10 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | | CBS | NCIS: LOS ANGLES (R) | 1.0 | 6.1 | | ABC | CASTLE (R) | 0.8 | 4.1 | | UNIVISION | LA MALQUERIDA
| 0.8 | 2.1 | | NBC | STATE OF AFFAIRS (R) | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| | TOMORROW'S BIG RATINGS STORIES TODAY | • Kennedy Center Honors On CBS
Al Green, Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Patricia McBride and Sting are feted at the 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors (9 p.m.), which was taped December 7 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony is hosted by Stephen Colbert. The President and First Lady Michelle Obama are in attendance, along with performers and presenters that include Jane Fonda, Lady Gaga, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bruno Mars, David Letterman, Reba McEntire, Steven Spielberg and Bruce Springsteen. The upshot: Last year's telecast on the last Sunday night in December drew 7.2 million viewers and a 0.7 18-49 demo rating but that was up against Sunday Night Football. This year's telecast is up against broadcast repeats.
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| • NBC Offers Heavy Dose Of 'Chicago Fire' . . .
The network will air three repeat episodes of its popular drama (8-11 p.m.) that will fill its entire night's primetime schedule. Chicago Fire, now in its third season, has grown its audience numbers each year. It averaged 5.9 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating in its first season, 7.1 million and a 1.9 in the demo in its second and is averaging 7.8 million viewers and a 2.0 in the demo this year to date. The upshot: The network is looking to pick up some new viewers for its third-most-watched drama in viewers and second best among adults 18-49.
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| • . . . While ABC Promotes 'Forever'
The series, which follows an immortal, 200-year-old New York City medical examiner, will air three consecutive primetime repeat episodes (8-11 p.m.). It will go head-to-head each hour with NBC's Chicago Fire, its usual 10 p.m. combatant. Forever has struggled in its first year but the network so far is showing faith. It is averaging just 5.1 million viewers and a 1.2 18-49 demo rating. Among viewers, it ranks 27th among all dramas and tenth among new dramas. In the demo it is not much better, ranked 23rd among all dramas and ninth among new ones. ABC is clearly hoping it finds more viewers in this marathon.
| There will be no Media Buyer + Planner Today edition from Wednesday, Dec. 31 thru Friday Jan. 2. We'll be back Jan. 5. Happy holidays everyone.
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| Media Buyer & Planner Today
Editorial Team
John Consoli, Contributing Editor
Phone: 201-314-0424 | Send Email
Jon Lafayette, Business Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4735 | Send Email
Brian Moran, Managing Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4708 | Send Email
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