Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

Netflix original programming, college savings and NFL running backs

The NFL season kicks off a week from Thursday, and pre-season moves from NFL teams are already well underway. I talk about those and more in today’s newsletter.

MEDIA: Netflix Originals

After a quick glance at Netflix today, I noticed that seven of the top ten most viewed programs on the streaming service were Netflix original productions. (Note: Netflix introduced a feature earlier this year where you can see the top ten most watched programs — movies or tv shows — on any given day on the service.)

In August Netflix unveiled a deep slate of original content and it looks like a similar amount of original programming will debut in September.

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As the broadcast and cable networks struggle to cobble together their fall seasons, Netflix, at least for the moment, keeps chugging right along with new content.

While it speaks to a deep production slate for the company, production schedules around the world have been severely disrupted due to the impact of the coronavirus. Let’s see if we start to notice a slowdown in original programming on Netflix in the next few months.

MONEY: College Savings Plans

College savings, at least in popular tax-advantaged 529 accounts, appear to have escaped relatively unscathed so far from the potential negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from College Savings Plan Network.

That data showed that total assets in the nation’s 529 accounts stood at $373.5 billion at the end of June, up slightly from $371.5 billion at the end of last year. (Note: 529 accounts are tax-advantaged college savings plans that vary by state.)

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It’s an encouraging sign that assets in the 529 accounts held steady through the first six months of the year despite a very turbulent stock market during that time period.

When we look at total assets in those 529 accounts at the end of 2020, though, we will get a much clearer picture of whether those account holders are continuing to save money. It’s also possible that the stock market might lose ground in the next few months, which would also impact those 529 accounts.

SPORTS: Running Back

In a possible sign that the running back position in the NFL isn’t nearly as important as it was just a generation ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars today released Leonard Fournette, their starting running back.

The team reportedly couldn’t even make a trade for Fournette, the fourth pick in the 2017 NFL draft, who ran for more than 1100 yards last season. The team said it waived Fournette solely based on his performance, not because of any off-field issues. (Some cynics might say that the Jaguars are tanking to get a better spot in next year’s draft, which they speculate is the real reason the team released Fournette.)

Pink's Bottom Line

At any rate, most agree that the NFL is a quarterback league. In other words, the quarterback position matters by far the most to any team.

The next most important positions for most franchises generally are wide receiver, offensive tackle and defensive edge rusher these days.

The running back? There are some great ones — Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley to name a few — that can lead and carry teams.

However, the fortunes for most NFL teams now aren’t tied to a dominant running back.

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Jeremy Pink is former CEO of Broadcast Sports International and a former CNBC executive in New York, London and Singapore. He currently serves as an advisor to companies in media, sports and financial tech.

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