Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Podcasts, plant-based meat sales and a sports rivalry
Over the weekend, I received many kind words from readers about the newsletter. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Here’s today’s edition.
MEDIA: Spotify’s Top Podcasts for the Summer
As today is officially the last day of summer, I wanted to find out the most popular podcasts of the season, so I turned to Spotify.
Spotify says that the three most popular podcasts from June 1 through August 15 were: The Michelle Obama Podcast, NPR News Now and The Daily. (Note: The New York Times produces The Daily.)
Pink's Bottom Line
Spotify has made podcasts a priority for its service, and it appears that news and current affairs topics are proving popular among its listeners.
Look for that trend to accelerate as the fall brings a potential second wave of the coronavirus, the presidential election and a shaky economy.
Those topics likely will drive podcast listeners to news and current affairs even more than they did this summer.
MONEY: Plant-Based Meats
Consumers are showing a healthy appetite for plant-based meats, according to a survey conducted by Supermarket Perimeter.
More than three out of every four people surveyed said they have purchased some plant-based meat item in the past six months. Interestingly, of those who purchased plant-based meats, four in ten also ate traditional meat.
Pink's Bottom Line
The plant-based alternative food trend, particularly plant-based meats, is here to stay. Sales are growing rapidly, and plant-based meats appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
For example, consider the performance of Beyond Meat, a publicly traded company and one of the leaders in plant-based meat sales.
Beyond, which reported earnings last month, said sales rose 69% last quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019 to $113 million.
SPORTS: Renewing the NBA’s Greatest Rivalry
If the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals series Wednesday night, the Celtics would even up that series at two games apiece.
More interestingly, Boston would also take another step toward what could be the next chapter in arguably the greatest rivalry in the NBA — the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers and Celtics have played 12 times for the NBA title, but the teams haven’t met in an NBA Finals since 2010. The Celtics have won nine of the 12 times the teams met for the championship.
Pink's Bottom Line
Right now, the Lakers lead their Western Conference Finals series against the Denver Nuggets 2-0, and look likely to play in the NBA Finals. The Celtics have a lot more work to do against the Heat, but they could face the Lakers for the title if they rally against Miami.
If the Celtics and Lakers do meet again this year in in the NBA Finals, look for the Lakers to capture the title. Look also for huge television ratings for this potential series.
Jeremy Pink is former CEO of private-equity backed Broadcast Sports International where he led the company to a successful sale and exit during his tenure there. He is also a former CNBC executive in New York, London and Singapore. He currently serves as an advisor to companies in media, technology, sports and financial tech.
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