The Numbers Show Cyber Monday is Stronger Than Ever
The turkey and stuffing might all be gone by now, but the online deals generated over the Thanksgiving holiday are still being served. The data is in, with reports announcing that more consumers took to doing their shopping online this Thanksgiving season than ever before. Cyber Monday had its strongest showing in history, with consumers spending $3.45 billion online. That’s 12 percent more than Cyber Monday turned out in 2015. And according to Adobe Digital Insights, Black Friday had a strong showing as well. It trailed behind Cyber Monday by $110 million in online sales. Over $1 billion of
Making Transgender and LGBTQ Storytelling on Television a Priority
Transgender awareness week kicked off earlier this week, with organizations and communities in the internet and television industry paying tribute to transgender people across the country. Diversity is an important component of who we are as an industry and we take pride in reflecting the diverse faces and voices in the programming that we air. This week we celebrate transgender communities, but recognizing the LGBTQ community is something our industry supports year-round. Pay TV and internet providers have taken steps in recent years to highlight the stories of transgender people and the
How On-Demand Content Has Changed the Way We Watch Television
Cable operators still dominate when it comes to video-on-demand viewing, according to a new report from the Video Advertising Bureau. In a time when more alternative viewing platforms are available to us than ever before, The State of MVPD’s Video-on-Demand 2016 Report, which uses stats reported by Nielsen, found that 54 percent of VOD viewership came from cable service providers. Online services and satellite followed with 35 and 30 percent of viewership, and “other” platforms came in at 2 percent. VOD usage actually proved to be very high across all generations of consumers who subscribe to
Live TV is Breaking Free
It will come as no surprise that technology is dramatically changing how we watch TV. We’ve written about it a few times on this blog precisely because the change is so fundamental. We’re familiar with how on-demand services have changed viewing habits, but what about live TV? Can technology transform live entertainment? There’s some new information that helps answer that question. In a survey we commissioned from Morning Consult, 44 percent of respondents say they watch live TV on a device other than a television outside their house or apartment at least once a month. That tells us that not
ESPN’s The Undefeated is Taking on Sports, Race, Culture, and Defining Modern Journalism
ESPN may be the best known brand in the world of sports. But they do more than simply report the nightly scores. Their commitment to covering sports and athletes of all types from around the world has transformed not just how athletics is covered, but how stories are told and how sports journalism is defined. So when ESPN commits itself to opening a dialogue on the issues facing African-American communities in America and how those issues intersect with sports, it’s something worth paying attention to. That’s where we get The Undefeated, ESPN’s new website dedicated to race, sports and culture
Report Reveals Programmers are Optimistic About Future Video Technology
A new report released from Akamai surveying companies that offer (or plan to offer) “direct to consumer” or over-the-top (OTT) video services reveals an optimistic and rapidly maturing marketplace. Apps like Hulu, HBO Now, and SHOWTIME are changing consumers’ relationships with streaming entertainment and while adoption is increasing, they key watchword among survey participants remains quality. According to the report, these companies are focused on how to offer scalable, interactive, live ultra-high-definition (UHD) quality experiences today while still looking towards what consumers will
Another Dominant Night as Premium TV Takes Big Emmy Wins
They’ve done it again! Premium TV creators dominated the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, taking home an impressive 73 Emmys, including both Creative Arts and Telecast Emmys. HBO and FX Networks were the big winners with 22 and 18 Emmys, respectively. All told, pay TV creators took 61 percent of all Emmys and 60 percent of Primetime Telecast Emmys. Notable wins went to HBO’s Game of Thrones, which took home its 38th Emmy, officially making it the winningest television show in history unseating NBC’s Frasier. HBO’s Veep principal Julia Louis-Dreyfus won again for Outstanding Lead Actress in a
The Surprising (and Not-So Surprising) Results of a New Streaming TV Survey
NCTA commissioned a new poll from Morning Consult which revealed many more Americans are watching TV on devices other than a television. The poll asked key questions on programming preferences, device usage, and the importance of watching live TV. 36 percent of poll respondents say they have never used a device to watch TV other than a television, leaving a full 61 percent who say they use a device like a computer, tablet, or smartphone to watch TV at least once a month. We’re pleased to see so many people taking advantage of non-traditional TV devices. It’s a sign that TV Everywhere efforts
How Did You Watch the Rio Olympics?
The results are in from the 2016 Summer Olympics, and aside from the remarkable achievements of the many American athletes who dazzled audiences around the world, NBCUniversal also snagged a few victories of its own with its coverage of the competition in Rio. According to Nielsen, 78 percent of U.S. TV homes tuned into NBC Olympics Rio Games coverage. This year’s coverage also earned the silver medal for garnering the second-highest primetime average audience on record for any non-domestic Olympic Summer Games. NBC’s Olympics coverage, which spanned 15 days of the competition, reached an
How Do Independent Networks Stand Apart in Today’s TV Environment?
During the cable portion of the TV Critics Association tour in Los Angeles last week, TV shows of all kinds – big budget shows with superstars, documentary series on social issues, visually stunning dramas and more – were given a first look by critics. While many people spend hours watching HBO’s grand dramas or sports on ESPN, the big takeaway is that there is now a variety of network programming for everyone, regardless of age, special interests or background. In 2015 alone, networks large and small invested over $35 billion in programming to meet the varied interests of consumers everywhere