Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Top television shows of 2020, global economic growth and ACC men's basketball
In today’s newsletter, I discuss the top ten television shows of the year as chosen by the American Film Institute, the IMF’s global economic growth projections and ACC men’s basketball.
MEDIA: Top TV Shows of the Year
The American Film Institute (AFI) Monday named its top television shows of 2020, and shows produced by streaming services accounted for the majority of the top ten.
Netflix had four shows among the top ten — the most of any streaming service or television network — with Bridgerton, The Crown, The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox.
The Mandalorian from Disney+ and Ted Lasso from Apple TV+ also made the top ten list. Mrs. America also made the list, originally airing on FX on Hulu, a streaming service from the FX networks.
Pink's Bottom Line
While pay television networks like AMC (Better Call Saul), HBO (Lovecraft Country) and Showtime (The Good Lord Bird) each had a show chosen among AFI’s ten best, the overall list does indicate that the streaming services are producing extremely high quality content.
Additionally, some video streaming services — notably Netflix and Disney+ — are growing their subscriber bases rapidly while traditional entertainment television networks are struggling in many cases to keep viewers.
That suggests that the video streamers will continue to drive revenue and will continue to spend some of that money to produce original content, which shows once again how powerful these services like Netflix have and will become.
MONEY: Global Economic Growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects the global economy to grow 5.5% this year, following a projected contraction of 3.5% in the global economy in 2020.
In particular, the IMF expects strong economic performances in 2021 from both India, which it expects to grow 11.5%, and from China, which it expects to grow 8.1%.
For the United States, the IMF expects the economy in this country to grow 5.1% in 2021, following a projected contraction of 3.4% in 2020.
Pink's Bottom Line
The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc across the global economy in 2020, and its negative impact will reverberate throughout this year and beyond.
However, if the pandemic gets more under control and if global governments continue to buttress their economies through fiscal stimulus, the global economy could recover nicely this year.
It’s also likely that the United States will lead any global economic recovery so it’s critical that the US rapidly implements a national vaccination plan and quickly passes new fiscal stimulus measures.
SPORTS: ACC and College Basketball
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has traditionally been among the strongest men’s college basketball conferences in the country for many years.
However, in the most recently college basketball rankings, only four ACC teams rank among the top 25, and only Virginia — ranked 8th — is in the top ten in the country.
Florida State, 16th, Virginia Tech, 20th, and Louisville, 25th, are also ranked in the top 25.
Pink's Bottom Line
ACC basketball powers like Duke and North Carolina are noticeably absent from the rankings as is Syracuse, a recent addition to the ACC.
It likely means it’s just an off year for the conference as Duke and North Carolina still have the cachet and tradition to sign many top recruits.
That said, it also likely indicates the impact of top talent in men’s college basketball moving from traditional powers to other college programs — and in some cases directly to professional teams.
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)