Weekly Recap: Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Top takeaways and items from the week
Here are the top takeaways and items from this week’s newsletter. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
MEDIA
WarnerMedia said last week that it will simultaneously release its slate of new movies in the United States to both traditional theaters and to its streaming service, HBO Max, for all of 2021. It is yet more evidence of both how studios are coping with the pandemic and just how important video streaming services have become.
It’s not often that you’d see the names of musical artists Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks in the same sentence, but there’s a reason I’m mentioning them together. Both Nicks and Dylan recently sold all or part of their songwriting catalogs. Both sales commanded top dollar, and they indicate just how valuable music rights have become.
Google News and Apple News are top news aggregators that don’t do their own original news reporting, but, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a majority of people polled weren’t certain that was the case. That uncertainty has broad implications for news aggregators, original news reporting and for news consumers themselves.
MONEY
Investors are pouring money into exchange traded funds (ETFs) this year, according to data from ETF.com. That suggests that, despite the backdrop of economic and other uncertainty related to the pandemic, investors appear to be embracing risk.
Two California cities — Sacramento and San Jose — will be the two hottest housing markets in the United States 2021, according to Realtor.com. Nearly all of 2021’s top ten hottest markets identified by Realtor.com are quite pricey, suggesting that they may not be affordable for many people.
The coronavirus pandemic has pummeled the restaurant business, and results from a new survey by the National Restaurant Association only confirm that. The Association’s survey results show that nearly nine in ten restaurants say that revenue already has plunged 36%, and restaurant owners don’t anticipate that things will get better any time soon.
SPORTS
Two of the NFL’s top stars recently hit two different milestones. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers became the fastest quarterback to throw 400 career touchdown passes. Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, became the first player at his position to record five consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards. Each is a transcendent player.
It’s been a difficult few months for the Big Ten and its football plans this year. Earlier in the year, the Big Ten initially opted not to play football at all this season only to reverse that decision shortly thereafter to play its current shortened schedule. Earlier this week, the conference changed another rule to allow Ohio State to play in the Big Ten championship. It’s a remarkable series of events.
Perhaps the best game of this weekend in the NFL will be when Buffalo hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday night. The Steelers, while tied for first in the AFC with an 11-1 record, are coming off their first loss of the year on Monday. The Bills, meanwhile, demolished the San Francisco 49ers 34-24 on Monday. Are these two teams going in different directions or were Monday’s games not really indicative of where both clubs are headed?
Jeremy Pink is COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company. He is also currently an advisor to companies in media and financial tech. Jeremy 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. Jeremy 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)