Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Broadcast television viewership, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner and Ohio State football
In today’s newsletter, I discuss broadcast television viewership, the cost of Thanksgiving dinner and Ohio State football.
MEDIA: Broadcast Television Viewership
Broadcast television enjoyed a good month of October, according to The Gauge, a product from Nielsen that measures total television viewing among cable, broadcast, satellite and streaming.
Streaming also accounted for 28% of total tv viewing in October, though that was flat compared to September.
Pink's Bottom LineOn broadcast television, viewership of sports increased 22% and viewership of general drama soared 30% in October, according to The Gauge.
Sports viewership likely benefited from college and professional football while general drama viewership likely grew as broadcasters released new, original programming.
As such, the overall increase in broadcast television viewership could decline early next year as football season ends and as fewer fresh dramas are released.
MONEY: Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner
With inflation soaring across the United States this year, it’s hardly surprising that the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is up sharply this year compared to 2020.
Pink's Bottom LineNotably, the cost of the turkey itself is up a whopping 24% this year compared to a year ago, according to the Farm Bureau.
Excluding that big increase in the price of turkey, the price of the rest of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is only up 6.6% this year compared to 2020.
In any case, the pricey holiday feast is yet the latest sign that inflation is taking a bite out of the average consumer’s wallet.
SPORTS: Ohio State Football
Ohio State, fourth in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, plays Michigan State, seventh in those rankings, in a key Big Ten clash this weekend that will go a long way in determining the conference champion.
If Ohio State wins against Michigan State — and the Buckeyes are nearly three touchdown favorites — they would still have a tough schedule ahead of them.
Ohio State plays sixth ranked Michigan a week from Saturday, and assuming the Buckeyes beat both Michigan and Michigan State, they still would have to play the conference championship game — probably against a Wisconsin team that’s playing its best football of the year — in early December.
Pink's Bottom LineFor some context, Michigan is the second favorite to win the Big Ten at +500 followed by Wisconsin at +600.
If, though, the Buckeyes do manage to win the rest of their games this year, they will definitely make the CFP.
Additionally, Ohio State probably has the best chance of any school in the country to upset top-ranked Georgia, the best team in the country by a wide margin and a prohibitive favorite to capture the national title this year.
Still, there’s the matter of Michigan State this weekend first — the game will be much closer than three touchdowns.
Jeremy Pink is currently an advisor to media and fintech companies around the world. He is the former CEO of private-equity backed Broadcast Sports International where he helped lead the company to a successful sale and exit during his tenure there. He is also a former CNBC television executive in New York, London and Singapore.
The information contained in this communication is strictly for general informational and entertainment purposes and is not meant to be construed as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. This communication is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. I am not a financial advisor or offering professional advice of any kind. Users should not act upon the content or information found within this communication without first seeking professional advice appropriate for their individual situation. Decisions based on information contained in this communication are the sole responsibility of the user, and use of this communication and its contents constitutes an explicit understanding and acceptance of the foregoing disclaimers.
(Newsletter Editor: Karina Pink)