Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Television viewership, jobless claims and Shohei Ohtani
In today’s newsletter, I discuss television viewership, jobless claims and baseball’s incredible Shohei Ohtani.
MEDIA: Television Viewership Gauge
Broadcast television accounted for a greater percentage of total television viewership in July than it did in August, according to Nielsen’s Gauge, a monthly look at how viewers are consuming video whether it’s on broadcast television, cable tv, a video streaming service or elsewhere.
According to Gauge, broadcast television accounted for 24% of overall television viewing in July compared to 23% in June.
Broadcast television enjoyed a stronger July likely due to popular sporting events like the Olympics and the NBA Playoffs.
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Cable television, meanwhile, accounted for 38% of total television viewing in July, compared to 40% in June, according to Gauge.
Finally, video streaming accounted for 28% of total television viewing in July compared to 27% in June — it is the second consecutive month that video streaming has shown a month-over-month percentage increase.
Notably, the data from Gauge indicates that video streaming’s popularity continues to grow, and in July, it appears it was at the expense of cable television.
MONEY: Jobless Claims
Weekly initial jobless claims fell to their lowest level since the pandemic began, according to data released from the government earlier today.
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For some context, initial jobless claims totaled 256,000 in mid-March 2020, showing that while claims have indeed declined recently, they have a way to go before they fall to their pre-pandemic levels.
Still, this week’s number seems encouraging as claims actually declined on a weekly basis despite the growing spread of the Delta variant — that’s a good sign for the overall job market.
SPORTS: Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani, the two-way baseball phenomenon who plays the Los Angeles Angels, turned in a spectacular performance Wednesday night.
Ohtani hit his major league leading 40th home run in his team’s 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Ohtani also pitched eight innings to earn the victory — he now has an 8-1 record as a pitcher this season with a sparkling 2.79 ERA.
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Ohtani’s overall season is truly unprecedented — he is simultaneously one of the top hitters and one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.
Look for him to win the American League MVP award in convincing fashion — he will even earn a few Cy Young award votes.
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)