MEDIA COMPARISONS 
The GfK 2022 Media Comparisons Study, commissioned by the TVB, looks at multi-media usage and effectiveness, and explores the “different ways individuals consume traditional, digital, and streaming media.” Key findings include TV’s position atop the highest reaching platforms, as well as the media with the “most time spent”. In a comparison among news sources, local broadcast remains #1 for trust, with 74% agreeing. The next closest video source, Network broadcast news ranked #4, with 65% agreement. Cable News was ranked #9 with 58% agreeing. (TVB Website: as of 2/15/22)
ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS STUDY: NEWS
Traditionally, advertisers have been placing their ads in news content that “might prove upsetting, depressing, or controversial to some viewers.” However, a new study from Disney Ad Sales and Magna found that “ads appearing in news are perceived by viewers as being more relevant (+8% versus a control group), more valuable (+6%) and more trustworthy (+4%).” The study also emphasized the importance of the news sources’ credibility. “Ads on a high-quality, trusted and well-respected news source led to increased research intent (+25%), brand favorability (+21%), and purchase intent (+21%).” The study also looked at measures across news-type (e.g. hard news, entertainment news, sports, and political news) as well as message type (e.g. story-telling vs. direct product focused). (TVTechnology: 2/9/22)
TV VIEWERSHIP: THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE
Nielsen’s recent deep-dive looks at TV viewership throughout the house. Currently, “only 19% of US homes have just one TV”, while “the average number of TVs in a US home today is 2.3” and 44% of them (cord-cutters) don’t rely on cable or satellite boxes for content. Other noted insights; the living room/family room is still the location of choice, with a 58% share among people 2 and older. It’s also the location most often watched with others and the most likely to be a Smart TV, have an internet-connected device, and a game console attached (among households with two or more sets). And finally, the report drills down to take a look at the share of traditional TV usage vs. device use by room for age groups. Highlights: 87% of 12-17-year-old basement TV usage is on connected devices, and 88% of P65+ primary bedroom usage is watching traditional TV. (Nielsen: 2/8/22)
AVOD TO SURPASS SVOD
According to “The Stream”, the annual research report from Fox and its AVOD platform, TUBI, free ad-supported AVOD services are set to move ahead of subscription services (SVOD’s) with more users. Propelled by tremendous growth (16% for AVOD; 8% for SVOD) in 2021, the current 5% gap is expected to close later this year. (NextTV: 2/9/22)
OLYMPIC MASCOT PANDA-MONIUM
Forget about the skiers, skaters, and snowboarders. The breakout star of the Beijing Olympics isn’t an athlete … or human. Bing Dwen Dwen is a “slightly chubby panda, squeezed into a plastic bodysuit, that’s causing a supply crisis of its own, with long lines, sold-out shelves, and scalpers charging 5x the price. As a fall-back, people on-site are posing with life-size versions of the mascot and DIYers are crafting their own souvenirs. While production is ramping up, the three authorized factories only make 4,000 per day. NBC: 2/15/22)
