In case you missed it,
TheWrap recently
published an interesting story about the future of daytime soaps and the take of media buyers on the future.
As daytime soaps move toward extinction, it's not just restless housewives and the unemployed who suffer -- it's advertisers, who prefer soaps to the game and talk shows that are replacing them. Though the alternatives are cheaper and easier for networks to produce, media buyers tell TheWrap that soaps are still one of the most cost-effective buys on broadcast television. Broadcast network executives tell TheWrap that changing viewer tastes and escalating costs are conspiring against the genre.
"We're not prepared to say soaps are becoming extinct yet," one executive said, "but we are definitely less soap-centric."
And media buyers aren't enthralled with game shows as replacements.
"If they are replacing a soap opera, a talk show like THE VIEW or some other type of genre would be better than a game show," one media buyer told TheWrap.
Losing viewers or not, from the advertisers' point of view, the six soaps combined still reach 14.6 million viewers per day, and that's a sizable number that they can still buy at reasonable rates. And YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS reaches 1.1 million women 18-49 each day, the largest number of women in that demo of any of the soaps.
ABC's GENERAL HOSPITAL has the youngest median age viewer at 52.3, while CBS' THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL has the oldest at 59.5.
There is one silver lining Let's Make a Deal is down 1.7, that's about were GL numbers were when got canceled. But the greedy cheep bastards on the networks probably don't care long has it's saving them money. ATWT had a 50 Million budget compared to a 5 million dollar game show, a 2 million dollar talk show.
ReplyDeleteI am still confused by the fallacy that "older viewers" are not a viable market. Most people I know have more disposable income at age 55 than they did at age 25. Why are advertisers so ashamed and discouraged about appealing to individuals over 50?
ReplyDeleteWe are in a generation zero shit world, but who gives the money to buy all their ipod and other tech shit? Mommy and Daddy that's who.
ReplyDeleteDamon, I think the reasoning behind the advertisers' going after the 18-34 demo instead of older ones is that 18-34 people aren't set in their ways and have less built-up brand loyalty.
ReplyDeleteFrank, you are right about how the demo started. But there have been studies in the last several years that have disputed the fact that once you're over 50 you aren't open to new products. Plus, there are more and more baby boomers who are in that range. CBS primetime does a good job of catering to this audience. I think in general, as with the Nielsen system, everyone is afraid of change so they keep basically the same systems in place.
ReplyDelete904-633-8882 CBS Programming Dept.
ReplyDelete212-474-5888-TeleNext-Live person
513-983-1100-P&G-Live person
866-695-1860-ATWT Hot-line-Live person (Toll Free)
718-780-6402-Christopher Goutman Ex Producer
CBS Advertising (310) 390-574 4 email: info@cbsadvertisingdistributor
DO NOT CALL cbs. I TRIED CALLING THEM A FEW TIMES LAST WEEK. All I got was voice mailboxes that were full. After I finally got to talk to someone they hung up on me.
ReplyDeleteI'M NEVER WATCHING cbs AGAIN!!!!