Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Video streaming, business travel revenue and college football chaos
In today’s newsletter, I discuss video streaming, business travel revenue and college football chaos.
MEDIA: Video Streaming
Video steaming’s inexorable climb to capture the typical viewer in the United States stalled last month.
According to Nielsen’s Gauge, a monthly look at the universe of total video consumption including broadcast, cable and video streaming in this country, video streaming accounted for 28% of total video consumed in August — the same percentage as in July.
Pink's Bottom Line
Additionally, the percentage of video consumed on traditional broadcast and cable television remained the same in August as in July.
While it is only a month of data, it does suggest that perhaps the popularity of video streaming could be waning or it could even have peaked for the time being.
With the return of the NFL to broadcast and sports television beginning in September, look for the percentage of video consumed via streaming actually to decline for the rest of the year.
MONEY: Business Travel Revenue
The amount of business travel revenue in major cities in the United States in 2021 will plunge compared to 2019, according to a report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Kalibri Labs.
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The spread of the Delta variant likely put a major crimp on business travel beginning this summer.
However, the work from home trend and the emergence of virtual meetings will likely put a longer term damper on business travel.
As such, expect those cities where business travel is crucial to local economies — places like San Francisco and New York — to struggle with the loss of business travel at least through the end of 2022.
SPORTS: College Football Chaos
Since the beginning of the College Football Playoff era in 2014, four teams have dominated the postseason — Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
Suddenly, though, all four of these teams look vulnerable, which means that this year’s College Football Playoff just might be a bit different than in past years.
Pink's Bottom Line
Alabama eked out a two-point win against Florida, and Oklahoma pulled out a narrow victory against Nebraska.
Clemson, which already lost this year, struggled to win this weekend. Likewise, Ohio State, which lost last week to Oregon, looked unimpressive in its game this weekend.
As such, the College Football Playoff looks as open as it has since 2014 — that means teams like Cincinnati, Oregon and others might have their best shot to play for the national title as they have had in years.
Jeremy Pink is currently COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company. 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)