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Before we get into this week’s OutKick Media Mailbag questions, I’ll have an interview posted on the location this week with one of the extra influential voices in media. Look for that. You’ll take pleasure in.
“Has cable information and their hosts peaked?
“The numbers are down big. People are spending more time online. TV isn’t for the younger generation.”
Peaked in phrases of TV scores? Probably. Though only one yr in the past, all three networks broke their very own data.
The information is based on storylines. Cable information rises and falls primarily based on the information cycle. There will likely be one other tragedy, one other scandal, and one other disaster. Those by no means finish or fail to attract viewers. But in phrases of a four-year-long storyline to the diploma that was President Donald Trump, I doubt we’ll see that once more. Even if Trump have been to run and win in 2024, the novelty of his phenomenon can have worn off.
The concept in cable information, nonetheless, is to offset anticipated TV declines with digital progress. MSNBC and Fox News have constructed direct-to-consumer applications round their largest stars on Peacock (Morning Joe, Chuck Todd, Nicolle Wallace) and Fox Nation (Tucker Carlson and Dan Bongino). And CNN+ is probably Warner Bros. Discovery’s major focus of 2022.
In addition, all three cable information networks have the chance to extend monetization on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
To reply your first query: cable information has seemingly peaked in phrases of constant, day-to-day linear viewership. That stated, Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC may quickly elevate their advert charges to offset anticipated viewership declines whereas they bolster their digital properties. Morning TV has used this tactic for the previous few years.
As for cable information personalities, it’s two-fold. First, regardless of the decline in uncooked numbers and attain, particular person media abilities could make extra now than ever earlier than, so long as they’ll singularly draw an viewers.
Social media and podcasting have eradicated the worth of the media’s center class. The elevated quantity of alternate options has fragmented the trade. A 4 p.m. host doesn’t have the identical affect it did in 2011. Though, on the identical time, media fragmentation has bolstered the standing of star hosts, who now have better worth above their potential replacements.
For instance, Tucker Carlson will not be as nicely generally known as Bill O’Reilly (although, it’s a minimum of a debate). However, given the plethora of exterior choices that now exist, Carlson has extra worth to a community than O’Reilly did through the O’Reilly Factor.
Mainly, Carlson has leverage O’Reilly didn’t. And I say this as somebody who believes, indubitably, O’Reilly is probably the most gifted cable information host I’ve ever seen. Carlson may begin a digital present and make over $10 million within the first yr.
The query is: what number of stars are there? Can Fox, CNN, and MSNBC proceed to place new personalities to stardom?
“Who are the winners and losers in the Maria Taylor-NBC Deal?”
The largest winners, of course, are the ESPN abilities who will ultimately exchange Maria Taylor on NBA Countdown and College GameDay.
Despite its out-of-context origin, ESPN stays petrified of the social media-created narrative that it holds black ladies again.
ESPN changed Rachel Nichols with Malika Andrews because the lead sideline reporter for the NBA Finals. Perhaps ESPN views Andrews (26) as extra expert than veteran reporters Cassidy Hubbarth (36), Jorge Sedano (43), and Israel Gutierrez (44). It’s subjective and Andrews is uber-talented after, all. But it’s not a stretch to confess Andrews’ pores and skin colour was a think about ESPN’s choice. Skin colour performs a task in each choice at ESPN.
ESPN will strongly contemplate handing NBA Countdown to Andrews.
GameDay is extra difficult. ESPN has a number of skilled choices: Laura Rutledge and molly McGrath, notably. Though ESPN is almost in as a lot of a rush to raise them as they’re Andrews. Therefore, Taylor’s former GameDay function stays a extra open competitors.
In reality, there’s already a push on social media to strain ESPN into going with Andrews on GameDay, as nicely.
Malika Andrews is and would be the largest winner of Taylor’s departure.
ESPN additionally received. Maria Taylor would’ve by no means been pleased on the community. ESPN had given her every little thing: cash, distinguished roles, freedom, and exceptions. Unfortunately, Taylor’s poisonous dealing with of her contract additionally was acknowledged by her ESPN colleagues. Had ESPN given into Taylor’s contract calls for, the community would’ve set a precedent that blatantly leaking audio and knowledge is suitable in contract negotiations.
There isn’t a transparent loser within the scenario but. ESPN is healthier off, NBC poached a number from its competitor, and Taylor provides the Olympics and Sunday Night Football to her resume.
That stated, Taylor’s technique was a failed effort.
Maria Taylor needed $8 million a yr. Because of dangerous recommendation, Taylor rejected ESPN’s $5 million yr provide. And ultimately, she needed to accept much less.
But most significantly, Taylor had energy inside ESPN. Power by concern, that’s. Had she simply saved her requests to Level 2 Insanity, ESPN would’ve pushed Taylor on-air so far as anybody other than Stephen A. Smith.
Winners and losers take a bit to determine, anyway.
“[W]ith the rumors of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, how valuable of a property is AEW?”
This is a superb query—credit score to Tony Khan. In slightly below two years, Khan has turned AEW Wrestling into one of the fastest-growing TV properties.
AEW Dynamite, which airs Wednesdays on TNT, has averaged over 1 million viewers in back-to-back weeks. (Dynamite had been preempted to Fridays for a couple of weeks through the NBA playoffs.) And with out head-to-head competing from WWE’s NXT, Dynamite may maintain that common for the months forward. Furthermore, AEW now leads cable broadcasts on Wednesdays within the coveted 18-49 demographic.
https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1418323908210544643
In 2020, WarnerMedia prolonged its contract with AEW by way of 2023 at slightly below $45 million per yr. The extension contains an choice for an elevated rights price in 2024. If AEW can preserve its progress by way of 2023, its $45 million a yr rights deal ought to enhance considerably in 2024.
AEW may additionally appeal to a second associate. While Turner will seemingly look to maintain AEW on its weekly linear tv lineup — AEW is transferring from TNT to TBS in 2022 — a competing streaming service is more likely to make an aggressive provide for AEW’s pay-per-view occasions.
WWE and UFC struck vital offers to completely stream their pay-per-views on Peacock and ESPN+, respectively, up to now three years. While AEW received’t get WWE or UFC cash, these two offers set the marketplace for manufacturers like AEW.
WarnerMedia has to date aired AEW’s pay-per-views on B/R Live, a second-rate service. And whereas HBO Max can compete with different high providers, HBO Max doesn’t but have a characteristic to air occasions reside, although it’s coming for the NHL.
ESPN+, Amazon Prime Video, and AppleTV+ may all logically make sturdy presents to AEW for its pay-per-view library. And relying on the declining hole between linear TV and streaming, it’s believable {that a} streaming service may outbid a community for AEW’s weekly product.
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