Podcast Industry Reins in Costs After Years of Rapid Growth

The overheated podcast sector has hit an iceberg, according to recent reports citing staff layoffs and the end of the big-money talent deals that until recently had become  commonplace. Spotify, Amazon, NPR and SiriusXM have been trimming budgets while allowing costly agreements to expire without renewals. The sector grew explosively in the past decade, with the number of U.S. listeners age 12 and over who have tried podcasting more than doubling to 62 percent, or 177 million users, according to Edison Research. But now that the euphoria has worn off, a mature market is learning sustainability. Continue reading Podcast Industry Reins in Costs After Years of Rapid Growth

Why Marketers Are Pursuing Gen Z YouTube Star Liza Koshy

The Gen Z audience, defined as those born after about 1996, gravitates to the kind of irreverent self-made YouTube stars embodied by Liza Koshy, a comedian with 1.6 billion views, who produces short content for social media platforms. Reaching this audience is a challenge since it values DIY stars as much or more than professionals and moves among platforms and apps with ease. Two years after she first appeared on YouTube, Koshy has been featured in Vogue’s 73 Questions (which she recently parodied) and advertisers are chasing her. Continue reading Why Marketers Are Pursuing Gen Z YouTube Star Liza Koshy

Historic Super Bowl Marks Firsts and Generates Social Activity

This year’s Super Bowl made a major splash on a number of fronts. It marked the NFL’s first overtime game in Super Bowl history, a fifth ring for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a historic fourth quarter comeback, the first time a squadron of drones were featured during the halftime show, some impressive overall ratings, and a collection of ads that focused on social issues such as gender equality, ethnic diversity and immigration. The game delivered Fox an average viewership of 111.3 million, making it one of the top-five most-watched Super Bowls. Nielsen notes the broadcast generated a 45.3 household rating, while 70 percent of U.S. households turned in. Continue reading Historic Super Bowl Marks Firsts and Generates Social Activity

Under Armour Collects Data for Smart Shoes, Digital Pajamas

In his keynote address at CES 2017, Under Armour founder/chief executive Kevin Plank had a long wind-up to the afternoon’s highlight: multiple gold-medal Olympian Michael Phelps on stage, encouraging everyone in the auditorium to get up and “Jump Around” to the infectious beat of the House of Pain anthem. Phelps was doing more than dancing. All it takes is six jumps for him to activate his brand new Under Armour shoes, connected to the company’s MyFitnessPal app as of February 1. The company also introduced a new focus on sleep. Continue reading Under Armour Collects Data for Smart Shoes, Digital Pajamas

Sunday’s Super Bowl Sets New Live TV and Streaming Records

Yesterday we reported that NBC Sports had announced Sunday’s matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks delivered a 49.7 overnight rating, the highest in Super Bowl history. Numbers released later in the day by Nielsen indicate that the broadcast set a new U.S. television record with 114.4 million viewers, up 2.2 million from last year’s game. The event also set live streaming, social media, and halftime show records. Katy Perry drew 118.5 million viewers, about 3 million more than last year’s performance by Bruno Mars. Continue reading Sunday’s Super Bowl Sets New Live TV and Streaming Records

Super Bowl XLIX Tops Broadcast TV and Social Media Records

Early numbers indicate that last night’s Super Bowl broadcast was a big win for NBC. According to NBC Sports, the New England Patriots’ 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks delivered a 49.7 overnight rating, which marks the highest in Super Bowl history. NBC says the total number of viewers will be announced later today, and could prove to be a new TV record. Twitter announced the evening marked the most-tweeted in Super Bowl history, with more than 28.4 million tweets referencing the game, Katy Perry’s halftime show and the commercials. Continue reading Super Bowl XLIX Tops Broadcast TV and Social Media Records