Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Top items and takeaways of the week from the worlds of media, money and sports
Here are the top items and takeaways of the week from the worlds of media, money and sports.
MEDIA
Pink’s Bottom Line: Notably, just ten years ago, the nation’s top pay-tv providers had 95.5 million subscribers compared to 70.2 million today, a long-term secular trend of cord-cutting that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Pink’s Bottom Line: That forecast coupled with cord-cutting of traditional pay-tv offerings indicates that consumer spending on video services likely peaked last year.
Pink’s Bottom Line: While Netflix and Hulu ranked second and third, respectively, YouTube’s superior reach indicates that inexpensive, short-form, user-generated content competes for viewers nicely with expensive, professional, highly-produced content.
MONEY
Pink’s Bottom Line: That sharp monthly increase in used car prices will contribute to higher overall wholesale inflation numbers for February, which will put more pressure on the Fed to maintain its hawkish interest rate stance.
Pink’s Bottom Line: If wage growth continues to moderate for the next few months, that might allow the Fed to become more dovish on interest rates in the second half of the year.
Pink’s Bottom Line: Gas prices are the most visible indicator on inflation in the country, and if prices remain elevated that could quickly crimp consumer spending and erode consumer confidence.
SPORTS
Pink’s Bottom Line: Those odds indicate that a strong favorite hasn’t emerged and that, in turn, could lead to a wide open tournament and an unlikely champion this year.
Pink’s Bottom Line: That means Durant will return in the regular season, and if he remains healthy throughout the playoffs, the Suns should win the Western Conference and compete for the NBA title.
Pink’s Bottom Line: In the NHL, though, great regular season teams often don’t win in the playoffs, but Boston won’t suffer a similar fate this postseason — the Bruins will glide to a Stanley Cup this year.
Jeremy Pink consults for media, sports and tech companies around the world. 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. He started his career as a sportswriter for two newspapers in Columbus, Ohio, and he is a contributing author to two books.
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)