Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
HBO and HBO Max subscribers, key economic data this week and Big Ten football
In today’s newsletter, I discuss HBO and HBO Max subscribers, key economic data this week and Big Ten football.
MEDIA: HBO and HBO Max Subscribers
AT&T, the parent company of Warner Media’s HBO, reported quarterly results last week.
Additionally, HBO and HBO Max subscribers increased by 1.9 million globally in the third quarter compared to the second quarter of this year though they did decline by 1.8 million domestically on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
Pink's Bottom Line
Last quarter, HBO’s relationship with Amazon Prime ended — as of mid-September, consumers could no longer subscribe to HBO or HBO Max through Amazon Prime.
The end of that relationship likely accounted for the decline in domestic subscribers of HBO and HBO Max last quarter.
Still, HBO and HBO Max subscribers grew nicely outside of the US market last quarter, suggesting that the global market remains strong for HBO and HBO Max.
MONEY: Key Economic Data
There’s a host of economic data that will be released this week, and two reports on Tuesday will shed some light on the strength of the overall economy.
The first, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, will show if home price increases in this country are maintaining their torrid pace.
The second, the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, will give an indication of the confidence level of the average American consumer.
Pink's Bottom Line
If Case-Shiller shows continued strong home price increases, that bodes well for the overall economy as the housing market as been a bulwark of the economy during the pandemic.
If the Consumer Confidence Index also shows strength, that would indicate that the consumer is optimistic heading in to the important holiday shopping season.
As consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of all economic activity in the United States, a confident consumer in the fourth quarter should benefit the overall economy.
SPORTS: Big Ten Football
There are two marquee games next week in The Big Ten Conference, which currently has three schools ranked in the top ten in the country including two teams with undefeated records.
Those two unbeaten teams, Michigan and Michigan State, play each other in their annual intrastate rivalry game next week.
Also, Ohio State, the highest ranked Big Ten team, next week faces Penn State, which lost in a stunning nine overtimes — yes, nine overtimes — to Illinois yesterday.
Pink's Bottom Line
Either Michigan or Michigan State will have a loss on its record after next week’s game — and each team faces Ohio State later this season.
Ohio State, with a loss already on its record, needs to beat Penn State next week, and then likely would need to win against both Michigan and Michigan State later this season to make the College Football Playoff (CFP).
In any case, these two games next week will go a long way toward determining the Big Ten champion, and even a one-loss Big Ten champ could still make the CFP this year, though it’s not a certainty.
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)