Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

Viewership of the Grammys, retail sales and the NCAA men's basketball tournament

In today’s newsletter, I discuss viewership of the Grammys, retail sales and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

MEDIA: Viewership of the Grammys

Viewership of the Grammys Awards show, which CBS broadcast Sunday night, fell to its lowest level ever according to multiple news reports that cited Nielsen measurement.

(Click here to read an excellent story on the viewership of the Grammys in Variety, an entertainment publication.)

That follows low viewership numbers for the Golden Globes, another awards show, just two weeks earlier.

Pink's Bottom Line

While viewership of the Grammys likely will still rank higher than most programming on traditional television with the exception of live sports this year, the decline in viewership is notable.

It suggests that even awards shows are susceptible to the erosion of traditional linear television viewing in the United States.

As such, when the Academy Awards show runs on television at the end of April, look for that lower viewership trend to continue.

MONEY: Retail Sales

The government today reported that retail sales fell 3% in February compared to January, though sales last month were 6.3% higher than February of last year.

Additionally, the government reported that it revised its January retail sales estimate — sales grew 7.6% in January compared to December compared to the original estimate of 5.3% growth.

Pink's Bottom Line

While overall retail sales did fall in February, e-commerce sales — called sales from nonstore retailers in this report — actually grew 25.9% last month compared to February 2020.

Meanwhile, restaurant and bar sales declined sharply in February from a year ago, down 17% last month compared to the same month a year earlier, according to that report.

If bar and restaurant sales begin to recover as more of these businesses reopen and if the government’s stimulus package starts to take hold, retail sales could be poised to move sharply higher in the coming months even if the torrid pace of e-commerce slows.

SPORTS: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

The men’s NCAA basketball tournament tips off in just a couple of days, and I’ve been going through the brackets closely. (Click here to see the tournament bracket.)

While I expect a number of upsets in the early rounds, I do think that the Final Four will ultimately consist of only one seeds or two seeds this year.

Gonzaga, the top seed in the West, looks like it has the clearest path to the Final Four, and Illinois, the South’s top seed, also looks like it will advance.

Pink's Bottom Line

In the Midwest, it looks like Baylor, the top seed, should make it to the Final Four though the Bears would likely have to get past Ohio State, the two seed, and Villanova, the five seed.

The East looks the most competitive, but either the top seed Michigan or second seed Alabama will probably emerge and make the Final Four.

That said, LSU, seeded eighth, could play Michigan in the second round, and that could be the biggest upset of the tournament.

I’ll have my Final Four picks tomorrow, including the team that I expect to win the national championship this year.

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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)