Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Top podcast publishers, consumer spending and men's college basketball
In today’s newsletter, I discuss top podcast publishers, consumer spending and men's college basketball.
MEDIA: Top Podcast Publishers
Big media companies dominated the list of top podcast publishers in October, according to data from Podtrac.
NPR ranked second with nearly 21 million unique listeners, and Wondery, a podcast production company owned by Amazon, ranked third with more than 12 million unique listeners.
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Notably, iHeartRadio attracted that huge audience with 632 active shows, NPR built its audience with only 49 active shows and Wondery had 128 active shows.
It appears that commercial publishers like iHeartRadio and Wondery have produced a large number of shows to grow their audiences. (NPR is a non-profit media organization.)
As such, a diverse podcast product offering looks like the best path to reach a wide range of listeners and ultimately to attract advertisers for commercial publishers.
MONEY: Consumer Spending
Consumer spending jumped in October compared to September, according to a government report released earlier today.
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Those overall strong spending numbers in October bode well for the nation’s economy as consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of all economic activity in this country.
If household spending remains robust during the all important holiday shopping season that kicked off in earnest this week, the economy should remain strong the rest of the year.
SPORTS: Men’s College Basketball
The two top ranked men’s college basketball teams faced each other last night, and the number one team in the country, Gonzaga, routed second-ranked UCLA 83-63.
Gonzaga looks like it is clearly the strongest team in men’s college basketball, and most sportsbooks agree.
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Gonzaga has arguably the deepest roster in men’s college basketball, including Drew Timme, potentially the national player of the year, and Chet Holmgren, one of the top freshmen in the country.
While it’s still very early in the season, it does look like Gonzaga already has separated itself from the pack so don’t be surprised if the Zags cruise to a national title.
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)