Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Queen's Gambit, Black Friday and a college running back
In today’s newsletter, I discuss the popularity of Netflix’s Queen’s Gambit series, Black Friday traffic to stores and another great performance by a college running back.
MEDIA: Queen’s Gambit
Netflix says that Queen’s Gambit has become its most watched limited scripted series in the video streaming service’s history.
Netflix says that, in the first 28 days since its October release, a staggering 62 million homes watched this series about a chess prodigy, and that Queen’s Gambit topped the Netflix rankings in 63 different countries.
Pink's Bottom Line
The popularity of Queen’s Gambit also underscores the importance of original productions to the success of video streaming services.
In fact, right now, seven of the top eight most viewed programs on Netflix are original productions.
If the video streaming services were chess players, Netflix would unquestionably be the top grandmaster in the world right now.
MONEY: Black Friday
Not surprisingly, traffic plunged for traditional, in-person shopping this Black Friday, according to data from Sensormatic Solutions, a retail analytics company.
Sensormatic reports that, compared to last year, in-person trips to stores and shopping centers declined more than 52% on Friday.
According to Sensormatic, shoppers also made 94.9% fewer in-person visits to stores on Thanksgiving Day this year compared to 2019 as many bricks-and-mortar retailers simply weren’t open on Thursday this year.
Pink's Bottom Line
The coronavirus pandemic has already upended much of the retail sector, and the decline in in-store traffic Black Friday is more evidence of that dramatic upheaval.
If coronavirus cases continue their surge to record levels in the weeks following Thanksgiving, I suspect in-person retail traffic won’t recover in any meaningful way.
That, in turn, suggests that the importance of online sales this holiday season becomes even more critical for traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers.
SPORTS: Jaret Patterson, Part Two
About a week-and-a-half ago, I wrote about the amazing performance of sophomore running back Jaret Patterson of the Buffalo Bulls.
On Saturday, in Buffalo’s 70-41 drubbing of Kent State, Patterson posted some even more astonishing numbers, rushing for 409 yards and eight touchdowns.
Patterson now has rushed for 920 yards in four games for an eye-popping 8.6 yards per carry. As a team, Buffalo ran its record to 4-0 this season.
Pink's Bottom Line
Buffalo has two games left on its schedule, and the team is likely to finish this shortened regular season with a 6-0 record and with Patterson likely to lead them to that unbeaten season.
I also suspect Patterson will soon get more mentions as a Heisman Trophy candidate, though as I wrote last Friday, I do think Florida quarterback Kyle Trask will win that award.
If Patterson continues at his current pace, he would finish this shortened regular season with 1,380 yards, a terrific year for a running back in a normal 12 or 13 game season.
Jeremy Pink currently serves as an advisor to companies in media and financial tech. He is 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. Jeremy 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)