Search results matching tag 'Advertising'

Pssst, want to buy a prime-time commercial? Here's the menu.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:21:29 GMT

Healthcare costs may be on the rise, but it's getting cheaper to advertise on medical dramas. Every fall, Advertising Age tries to figure out how much a 30-second spot (what civilians call commercials) costs on every broadcast television prime-time show....

Anheuser-Busch taking over 'Saturday Night Live'

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:37:32 GMT

Maybe if we drink enough the show will actually seem funny. As part of its push for Bud Light Golden Wheat, Anheuser-Busch has cut a deal with NBC Universal to be the exclusive sponsor of this week's "Saturday Night Live,"...

Ad spending 2009: Even media is buying less media

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT

How brutal is the advertising market? Even big media isn't spending as much on big media. Advertising tracker TNS Media Intelligence this morning issued the grim news that ad spending plummeted 14.3% to $60.87 billion during the first six months...

Big media's new research coalition's mixed message

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:16:48 GMT

It's not an academic exercise. No, it's a research foundation. It's a competitor to Nielsen. No, it's not a slap at Nielsen at all. Confused? We are too. The conference call detailing the media industry's creation of the Coalition for...

AMC moves back to Hollywood

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:18:01 GMT

Start popping the popcorn: AMC Entertainment, the nation's second-largest theater operator, is moving back to Hollywood. The Kansas City, Mo., chain, which operates 307 theaters, said Thursday it will open a new film office in Century City to strengthen its...

Networks' big advertising gamble on economic recovery may not pay off

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:18:17 GMT

As my colleague Meg James reported today, the upfront market where the majority of television commercials for the fall season are sold, is finally winding down. Normally done in a fury over a weekend in May, this year's bad economy...

Television ad sales winding down, down, down

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:30:18 GMT

Broadcast television networks typically sell the bulk of their advertising for the coming season in a handful of days in late May and June. But this wasn't a typical year. With the sour economy, declines in consumer spending and sagging...

IRS has questions about buying ad time (and they're asking us)

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:53:46 GMT

Who does the Internal Revenue Service call when it wants to know how the television business works? Apparently journalists. Several Los Angeles Times staffers got an e-mail from the IRS asking questions about how commercial time is sold. Maybe they're...

I got those upfront blues

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:15:47 GMT

A scathing and hilarious take on what's going on in the ad world set to Don McLean's classic "American Pie." Enjoy! Unless, of course, you are a network executive, in which case it's never too early to hit the martini...

A Win-Win for ‘Biggest Loser’

Anonymous — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:25:00 GMT

With seven seasons under its belt, NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” is still growing—particularly in developing alternative revenue streams beyond advertising. “Loser’s” consumer-product lines, which include items such as CDs, weight-loss plans, DVDs, workout equipment and now a Nintendo Wii video game, has garnered around $75 million in revenue, NBC said. The game, announced last week, will use the Nintendo Wii’s balance board, and will track users’ weight and nutrition goals. “Loser” trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels will be prominently featured in-game. As shows and producers contend with shrinking advertising revenue and tighter budgets, “Loser” is shaping up to be a model for programs whose product lines might outlive the programs that spawned them. Mark Koops, managing director and co-head of domestic television at Reveille, co-created and executive produces “Loser.” He said the show was originally conceived as a series about plastic surgery, but was reworked to use the “old-fashioned” way to lose weight. In conceiving the show with Reveille founder Ben Silverman, part of the pitch was to mold the program into the 21st century version of Weight Watchers, Mr. Koops said. “That remains our goal and aspiration,” he said. “I think we’re on the path to fulfilling that.” They’re shooting for that goal with enterprises including BiggestLoserClub.com, a subscription service that allows users to track their eating and exercise patterns online. Mr. Koops said that while subscription numbers tend to fluctuate, currently around 50,000 people have memberships. There’s also a partnership with home-shopping channel QVC, which brings the recent winners of “Loser” on to promote goods. Mr. Koops is quick to point out that the creative quality of the television show, produced by Reveille, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions, is the most important part of the business. Alternative revenue streams, including consumer products, brand integration, and international sales aren’t the main focus, he said. “They all come secondary to a television show that resonates with its audience,” Mr. Koops said. Still, the allure of the consumer product opportunities is growing, especially during rough economic times. Kim Niemi, senior VP of NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group said additional cash-flow streams can help nudge a show to air, and can bring momentum to a program. “People are looking for those opportunities, but the creative has to drive it,” she noted. Ms. Niemi said she’s not concerned about overextending the franchise because NBC Universal and Reveille are careful to apply the “Biggest Loser” brand only to products that fit the show’s ethos. “It’s not about putting ‘Biggest Loser’ on something that exists,” Ms. Niemi said, “but making sure it fits with the philosophy of what we’re teaching people.” While “Biggest Loser’s” finale in mid-May posted its highest ratings since 2006, it’s not beyond the realm of the possible that the show’s offshoots would survive past its TV run. Mr. Koops said licensees understand the possibility of cancellation. Those companies trust the brand enough, he said, to sign multiyear deals with Reveille—despite the lack of a long-term official commitment from NBC. “From my view, I think it’s set up and has the potential to have a long shelf life,” Ms. Niemi said.