Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
New gauge on tv viewing, the US stock market and the College Football Playoff
In today’s newsletter, I discuss a new gauge on television viewing, the US stock market and the College Football Playoff.
MEDIA: New Gauge on TV Viewing
Viewers watched cable television more than streaming services or broadcast television last month, according to a new measure from Nielsen called the Gauge, which measures the percentage of total television viewing on broadcast television, cable television, streaming and more.
According to the Gauge, cable television viewing accounted 39% of all television viewing last month, followed by streaming at 26% and broadcast television at 25%.
Pink's Bottom Line
While streaming clearly is where major media and tech companies are making significant investments, traditional, linear cable and broadcast television still captures 64% of total television viewing.
Interestingly, YouTube and Netflix each accounted for 6% of total tv viewing, according to the Gauge.
That suggests that those two streaming services could be poised to capture an even bigger share of total tv viewing, likely at the expense of broadcast and cable television.
MONEY: US Stock Market
The S&P 500 lost 1.3% and the Dow dropped nearly 1.6% on Friday, capping one of the worst weeks of the year for US stocks.
It was indeed a rough week for the US stock market, though the S&P 500 is still up nearly 11% for the year.
Pink's Bottom Line
Notably, according to the Investment Company Institute, domestic stock funds saw net outflows of $13.6 billion for the week ending June 9 — the week prior to last week’s decline in the market.
That suggests that investor sentiment might not be particularly bullish at the moment — it also might suggest that many investors simply are taking some profits.
Either way, watch the next few weeks in the US stock market closely as it could be an indication of whether last week’s decline was transitory or if it was the beginning of a long term downward trend.
SPORTS: College Football Playoff
It looks very likely that the College Football Playoff will expand from its current four team format to 12 teams — and the change could happen as soon as the 2023 season.
While an expansion to 12 teams certainly will cast a wider net for teams to vie for the national title, it might also have a unintended, negative impact on college football — it could diminish the importance of the regular season.
Pink's Bottom Line
Nearly every game in college football’s regular season is meaningful, which distinguishes the sport from other major professional and college sports where the regular season games simply aren’t as important.
While an expanded playoff will allow more teams in to the post season, it will also likely allow teams with two — or even three regular season losses — to make the cut.
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)