Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

Cable news viewership, a key US unemployment statistic and college football's national title game

In today’s newsletter, I discuss record cable news viewership, a key US unemployment statistic and college football’s national title game.

MEDIA: Record Cable News Viewership

In a remarkable day in US history Wednesday as a mob infiltrated the nation’s Capitol, viewers watched the events unfold on television in record numbers.

CNN said that it had its biggest day of viewership in its history as more than five million total viewers on average tuned in to the network on Wednesday.

MSNBC and Fox News both also showed big viewership during the day, with MSNBC averaging about four million total viewers and Fox News averaging about three million total viewers.

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That record viewership on CNN shows the intense domestic interest in the events of last Wednesday and the fact that television still is often the best place to watch these types of events unfold in real time.

While many digital media news outlets also reported large audience numbers from last Wednesday, the strong cable news viewership attests to the enduring importance of traditional linear media like television.

MONEY: Labor Force Participation

Friday’s US unemployment report showed that the number of jobs in this country contracted on a monthly basis for the first time since April.

The government reported that in December the country lost 140,000 jobs, following mostly robust job gains from April to November, while the unemployment rate held steady at 6.7%.

Notably, a key statistic — the labor force participation rate — remains stubbornly low at 61.5%, according to that government report.

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The labor force participation rate is the percentage of Americans who are actually working compared to the number of Americans who could work at a given time.

A low labor force participation rate often indicates that many who want to work have either given up or have temporarily stopped looking for a job.

If that participation rate does not move higher in the next few months, that’s an indication that the jobs situation in the United States might be worse than many had thought.

SPORTS: College Football Playoff

With the kickoff of the College Football Playoff title game between top ranked Alabama and third seed Ohio State less than 24 hours from now, Alabama remains a prohibitive favorite to win the game.

FanDuel Sportsbook has Alabama 8.5 point favorites over Ohio State, and it has the Crimson Tide as -300 if you bet the moneyline.

(Note: Betting the moneyline simply means that you place on a wager on which team that you think will win the game outright — the point spread is not considered. In this case, if a bettor wagers $300 on Alabama to win and the Crimson Tide do indeed win, the bettor wins $100.)

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Interestingly, the over-under for tomorrow night’s title game is 75.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, which means that a bettor can wager whether the combined points scored between the two teams totals above or below 75.5 points.

This over-under also suggests that both offenses should be dominant in the title game, which is hardly surprising as three of the country’s five Heisman Trophy finalists — including Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith — all are on Alabama’s offense.

Ohio State has an outstanding offensive trio of its own in quarterback Justin Fields, running back Trey Sermon and wide receiver Chris Olave.

If Ohio State can keep the game close early and develop a strong running game to keep the ball out of the hands of Alabama’s offense, the Buckeyes have a chance to win though, sadly as an Ohio State alum, Alabama will likely prevail in the end.

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Jeremy Pink is COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company, and he is also currently an advisor to companies in the media and financial tech sectors. Jeremy 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, and 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)