LOCAL BROADCAST TV: $24 BILLION NEXT YEAR? In a report released on Thursday, BIA Advisory Services has estimated that the local broadcast TV industry will bring in $23.8 billion in advertising revenue, with more than 90% of that coming from over-the-air (OTA) ads. This represents an 11% percent increase over 2023 projections. It’s not just an escalation in off-year political spending that will drive revenue, but also increases in ad spending from law firms and automotive companies. For OTA, this represents the largest year-over-year increase since 2019. (BIA: September 21, 2023)
LINEAR TV BOUNCED BACK IN AUGUST In a rebound from July’s dip below 50%, linear TV once again represented a majority share of TV usage in August. Together, Broadcast and Cable garnered a 50.6% share, with Broadcast seeing its first share increase since January of this year. (Broadcasting & Cable: September 19, 2023)
YELLOWSTONE’S STRONG BROADCAST DEBUT In what could become a viable strategy to build a fall programming slate in the face of dual WGA/SAG strikes, CBS has begun broadcasting content borrowed from its sibling outlets. The network aired the first episode of the Paramount/Paramount+ hit Yellowstone this past Sunday night (with some edits to tone it down to a TV-14 rating), and 6.6 million viewers tuned in. This put them ahead of Fox and ABC but behind NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Yellowstone benefited from its lead-ins of football and 60 Minutes and can only help the affiliates’ late local news viewership. (Variety: September 18, 2023; Esquire: September 19, 2023)
THIS WEEK IN (VIDEO) HISTORY: September 22, 1994: Friends debuts on NBC, airing between Mad About You and Seinfeld. The show has long ago been forgotten and nobody watches it anymore. The cast now lives in poverty. Check out the original show promo here.