Tuesday, June 29, 2010

When less isn't more


Ad Age reported that in the recent upfront for TV advertising, media buyers were paying more for shows this year that are expected to deliver fewer viewers than last year.

Basically this demonstrates the broken model of media and advertising.

With the increased penetration of cable, satellite, DVRs, online programming and even people watching video on their smart phones, the days of tens of millions of people sitting down in front of their sets at once to watch the same program are over.

So as inventories of shows with wide appeal dwindle, media buyers drive up costs for those few remaining hits.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to attract more viewers, Hollywood spends more money on star-studded casts and big production values, increasing the cost of the product that fewer consumers are willing to spend time watching.

The system is unsustainable.

Maybe it's time for a new reality show. Desperate Television Executives.

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