Weekly Recap: Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports
Top items and takeaways from the week
Here are the top items and takeaways from this week’s newsletter.
MEDIA
TikTok, the video sharing app, had the most positive ratings among the top ten most downloaded apps in Apple’s US App Store this year, according to an analysis from Sensor Tower, an app research company. According to Sensor Tower analysis, 88% of reviewers of TikTok gave the app either a four-star or five-star rating in Apple’s US App store. Users weren’t as kind to Facebook-owned apps. Here’s what that means.
NFL programming accounted for eight of the top ten telecasts of the year, according to data from Nielsen. That suggests that the power of live programming — notably the NFL — still brings in the largest audiences for broadcasters. It’s also why NFL rights contracts with broadcasters, most of which expire at the end of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, should garner significant interest from both traditional players and newer, digital players like Amazon.
With just this weekend left in the year, domestic gross box office revenues look like they’re going to hit their lowest numbers since 1981, according to data from BoxOfficeMojo.com. Domestic box office revenue totaled about $11.3 billion last year, but interestingly, revenue totaled between about $11.1 billion and $11.9 billion per year from 2015 to 2019. As such, the nation’s movie theaters were already under pressure, and the coronavirus pandemic likely only accelerated what was already happening in the marketplace.
MONEY
Consumers are not as optimistic in December as they were in November, according to a key gauge of consumer confidence released this week. The Conference Board said that its Consumer Confidence Index slipped to a level of 88.6 in December, down from 92.9 last month. However, consumers feel a bit better about the next six months, according to this survey. Here’s why that’s important.
Personal incomes declined in November and consumer spending also fell for the first time since April, according to data released this week by the Commerce Department. As coronavirus cases reach record levels and as many Americans are staying at home this holiday season, December’s spending numbers could also be weak, which does not bode well for the economy in the beginning of the new year.
The laptop computer market appears to be a beneficiary of the work-from-home trend created by the coronavirus pandemic. Counterpoint Research, a global research firm, expects laptop unit sales around the world this year to grow to a record level this year — up 9% compared to last year. The work-from-home trend, which looks durable at least for the foreseeable future, should continue to give laptop sales some support.
SPORTS
Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame earned the four selections for this year’s College Football Playoff, which kicks off on New Year’s Day. College football’s power programs have truly separated themselves from the rest of the sport, and that doesn’t look to change any time soon.
With only two weeks left in the NFL’s regular season, the playoff picture is taking shape, and one team, the Indianapolis Colts, is quietly becoming a very interesting team to watch this postseason. If they do make the postseason, I suspect the Colts will make some noise thanks to a savvy veteran quarterback in Philip Rivers, who is in his first year with the team, and to one of the top, emerging head coaches in the league in Frank Reich.
The NBA’s most intriguing Christmas game is between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, which is currently airing on both ABC and ESPN. It pits the defending champion Lakers and the best player in the NBA, LeBron James, against the Mavericks, and arguably the top young talent in the league, in Luka Doncic. While it is only one game in a regular season where each team plays 72 games, it could take on additional importance for the league as a whole.
Jeremy Pink is COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company, and he is also currently an advisor to companies in the media and financial tech sectors. 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, and 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)