Pink’s Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

Olympics viewership, home prices and the NBA's Stephen Curry

In today’s newsletter, I discuss Olympics viewership, home prices and the NBA's Stephen Curry.

MEDIA: Olympics Viewership

Total viewership in primetime of the Winter Olympics across the different media platforms of NBC Universal (NBCU) fell to a record low this year compared to four years ago.

According to widely reported data including this story in The New York Times, 11.4 million per night in primetime tuned in to coverage across platforms compared to 19.8 million four years ago.

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However, NBCU said that viewers streamed 4.3 million minutes of this year’s games, which the company said was a record high for any Winter Olympics.

Additionally, the Olympics generated viewership across other non-NBCU platforms like YouTube and Twitter, indicating that viewership of the Games this year still reached a huge audience.

MONEY: Home Prices

Home prices rose sharply for all of 2021, the second consecutive year of strong gains, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S National Home Price Index.

According to that index, home prices rose 18.8% last year, following a 10.4% gain in 2020.

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Among major cities, home prices rose fastest in Phoenix, up 32.5% in 2021, with Tampa and Miami next, up 29.4% and 27.3%, respectively.

Still, home prices should see lower gains in 2022 as mortgage rates, which had been hovering near historically low levels for the past two year, are already moving higher, and will almost certainly be on the rise for the rest of the year.

SPORTS: NBA’s Stephen Curry

The NBA’s regular season resumes today following the All-Star break, and the All-Star Game itself was truly special.

That’s because Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the All-Star Game MVP thanks to his league record 16 three-pointers.

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During this weekend’s All-Star festivities, the league honored the top 75 players in the history of the NBA.

Curry was among those top 75, and it is likely that his legacy — and the fact that he changed the way the game is played globally because of his incredible three-point shooting ability — will shape this era of basketball more than any other player of this generation.

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Jeremy Pink 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 is currently CEO of Essay Group.

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)