Weekly Roundup – Week of August 26th, 2024

"Researchers have begun measuring the impact of legalized sports gambling on American households, and the initial results paint a worrisome picture about how its expansion has affected bettors’ finances.
In separate papers released this month, academics have found that households in states where gambling was legalized saw significantly reduced savings, as well as lower investments in assets like stocks that are generally considered more financially sound.
Meanwhile, states that legalized sports betting saw their residents’ aggregate credit scores decrease, while bankruptcies increased."

"The planned service from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery was slated to cost $42.99 a month and aimed at fans who had abandoned cable TV.
...
The service, which had been expected to become available this fall and cost $42.99 a month, promised to offer marquee games from the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. But the idea raised alarms with rivals, most notably a sports streaming service called Fubo, which sued to block the new service’s formation after it was announced this year."

"The official TikTok account for the IPC has upward of 4.5 million followers. That’s more than major sports leagues including the NHL and WNBA, the viral 76ers rookie Jared McCain, and every major professional U.S. sports team outside of the Kansas City Chiefs and Golden State Warriors.
...
The Paralympics, which begin Aug. 29, will get a boost from being fully aired on Peacock; getting its own Gold Zone and multiview, both of which made a splash at this year’s Olympics and propelled ratings; and will be broadcast in a record number of countries, with all 22 sports being shown live in some capacity for the first time. But TikTok will also be a key part of bringing more exposure to the Paralympic Games."

"For Nielsen’s radio audience measurement, the future is now, as the company detailed its move from paper screeners and diaries to all-digital consumer surveys during its webinar on Thursday. Nielsen’s two-year transformation plan began in January of this year with the implementation of eScreeners for vetting respondents online, replacing the current paper version, and offering digital incentives such as eGift Cards or cash via platforms such as Venmo or PayPal instead of paper money.
These strategies improve the measurement process, Nielsen says, with the ability to “attract hard-to-reach demographics with lower completion rates” who are more likely to participate in digital formats, while lowering its dependency on the U.S. Postal Service by “lessening [the] impact of ongoing postage cost increases and service disruptions.”"

Our Take: Nielsen is making a move that should have happened at least a decade ago. Hopefully, this means more accurate ratings for radio stations.

"...On closer look, it highlights Netflix’s current position in the advertising world: a year and a half into its ad venture, Netflix has made some progress but is still figuring out the finer points of how the game is played.
And don’t let the shiny numbers from the streamer’s second-ever upfront dance blind you to this reality. The 150% surge in ad dollars during negotiations this year, compared to last year sounds impressive, but it’s not enough to mask the deeper, underlying challenges Netflix still faces, from competition to limited scale. There’s a lot of work ahead."

"Radio appears to have done a better job than TV at holding its own in the face of subscription services - at least, for now. Data from the IFPI Engaging With Music 2023 report shows that the medium remains popular around the world across all surveyed age groups. While the youngest age category of 16-24 year olds had the lowest share of respondents saying that they had a strong engagement with radio in 2023, the figure was still 59 percent. This rises with age, reaching 78 percent of respondents saying the same in the 55-64 year old category."

"TikTok has been so popular among young Americans that presidential campaigns are using it for voter outreach. And some young adults are using TikTok to keep up with politics or get news, a March Pew Research Center survey shows.
...
Keeping up with politics or political issues. For 48% of TikTok users ages 18 to 29, this is a major or minor reason why they’re on the platform.
By comparison, 36% of those ages 30 to 49 and even smaller shares of older users say the same:
22% of those 50 to 64
24% of those 65 and older"

In today's competitive media landscape, understanding your audience is crucial for success, especially in spoken word formats. Scott Masteller emphasizes the importance of making smart, ROI-driven decisions by fostering collaboration between programming and sales. It highlights how research, like a recent study conducted by Crowd React Media, can guide content strategy and strengthen partnerships. Continuous evaluation and planning are essential to staying ahead in a rapidly evolving market.