Actress Jessica Alba and Sarah Jessica Parker along with action star Brendan Fraser are making a blockbuster Animated film called “Escape From Earth!” Sounds like a lot of fun with this cast~whoo_hoo!
Photo:David Aguilera
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By Dan HirschhornAdvertising AgeWith the basketball lockout dragging into Thanksgiving and even a partial season increasingly in doubt, networks that don’t carry the NBA are trying to poach advertisers from networks that normally do.Their sales pitches are focusing on sports programming and other entertainment options that cater to young men, according to interviews with multiple industry insiders, as well as integrated digital and social-media marketing opportunities that networks are painting as very much on the rise."I have three young male brands that can be a great alternative to the NBA," said Jeff Lucas, head of sales for Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment Group, confirming that his sales team is pitching NBA advertisers. "Business has to go on. Advertisers have to sell product. They can’t just sit on the sidelines and wait."Viacom has already "seen some ad dollars flow our way," Mr. Lucas said, though he wouldn’t name specific marketers making the jump."Every sales team on the street has an NBA alternative plan they’re pitching to advertisers," said Jeff Siegel, senior VP for global media sales at digital technology company Rovi and a former sales executive at ESPN. "I think people were holding on to money in the hope that the season would be saved. But people are more pessimistic now, and you’ll start hearing more about money shifting because people have to make plans."The lowest-hanging fruit for would-be poachers: brands that specifically need sports ratings points to market new product launches. Adidas, for example, had been slated to air an ad during NBA games of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose evading bull fighters for the launch of its new adiZero Rose 2 shoe. But with the NBA off the air, Adidas moved that money to pro football broadcasts, according to people familiar with the shift.Whether the poaching efforts resonate with marketers, however, remains to be seen. ESPN, which said it’s working closely with advertisers and is "prepared to re-express dollars currently committed to the NBA to other properties," is protected by a deep menu of sports programming options. Turner, whose TNT network airs NBA games, said it’s moving ad dollars to platforms like TBS and Adult Swim, and will be bolstered by its share of NCAA men’s college basketball tournament games in March.But missing the start of an NBA season is one thing. NBA advertising dollars are heavily backloaded toward the second half of the season and the playoffs, so if the lockout stretches past into next year, holding on to that money will become a taller order."To date [ESPN and Turner] have been fairly successful in maintaining some of the spend level they would have had in NBA programming," said Bryce Townsend, CEO of Group M ESP, Group M’s entertainment and sports marketing arm. "For both ESPN and Turner, as we get later into this year and into next year, it definitely becomes more challenging. You have brands that will exercise options to pull back their commitments."Among the most likely successful poachers could be CBS, Fox and its portfolio of sports programming, NBC and its soon-to-be relaunched sports network, and Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment Group, which includes Spike TV, Comedy Central and MTV2.By no means are the bottom lines of either network in peril yet, and there’s no indication of an impending mass exodus of NBA advertisers. But the sales pitches are sure to continue and intensify as time goes on."They know there are ad dollars in play," said a top sports marketing executive who used to work with the NBA. "Right now, it’s a buyers’ market. The other networks have to be creative in how they’re trying to provide opportunities to swing advertisers in their direction. Keep in mind that a lot of this is about trying to reach a male demographic, and there’s a significant amount of content that’s no longer available."It makes the scatter marketplace more robust, because you’ve got a billion dollars of inventory now floating around," this executive added. The "scatter" market is where marketers buy ad time close to air date, as opposed to the annual "upfront" market where they make commitments ahead of time.Christmas Day, when the NBA usually airs a full slate of big matchups on national TV, could become a turning point for advertisers and networks if it passes with no basketball, according to Mr. Townsend. "That would be a big loss," he said.
In Depth
By Brian SteinbergAdvertising AgeThursday night — long a ratings smorgasbord and one of the best ways to reach consumers thinking about their weekends — may be yesterday’s news.A survey of ad buyers’ predictions of broadcast shows’ commercial ratings this fall suggests Sunday will, as usual, be the night that offers the most viewership for advertisements. This year, however, it will be followed by Wednesday evening, not Thursday as has often been the case.The survey, conducted annually by Advertising Age, gauges the number of viewers who actually watch commercials during a program instead of changing channels or fast forwarding. Viewers who watch ads live or within three days of airing are included in the ratings, known in the industry as "C3."To be sure, advertisers still value Thursdays, home to mainstays such as ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy" and CBS’s "The Mentalist." Fox will air the "results" episode of its much-anticipated "The X Factor" on that evening — a sign that Thursdays still bear importance. Even the CW, whose programs are among the lowest rated on broadcast TV, gets a decent boost when it comes to such Thursday-night selections as "Vampire Diaries" and "The Secret Circle."But the power of those programs isn’t enough to offset a decline in commercial ratings for the evening, according to the survey. New Thursday programs such as CBS’s "Person of Interest" and ABC’s "Charlie’s Angels" won’t deliver C3 ratings above the inhabitants of their time slots last season, "My Generation" and "CSI," buyers in the survey predicted.Indeed, CBS’s decision to move "CSI" to Wednesday is one reason that night will contain more commercial ratings this fall, along with better performances projected for ABC’s "Modern Family" and "The Middle." Fox’s decision to replace "Lie to Me" with each week’s first "The X Factor" episode won’t hurt either.Could the projections prompt major marketers to shift more ad weight to Wednesdays? That remains to be seen. For years, Thursday has been used as a promotional platform for Friday-night movie openings and weekend sales at retail outlets. In many marketers’ minds, Thursdays remain the best way to try to influence weekend purchase behavior.But technology may be changing that. With more people using DVRs and video on demand, programs that air on Wednesday nights could get viewed Thursday or Friday instead. The web, meanwhile, has opened new avenues to consumers starting to lean into their weekends — such as online advertising that appears during the workday on Fridays.Thursday’s place in TV’s stratosphere may be in question, but Sunday’s dominance is not in dispute. Filled with NBC’s Sunday-night football broadcast as well as Fox’s block of popular animated shows, the night has carried the day, so to speak, for the last several years — both in terms of commercial ratings and as the most expensive night for advertisers, according to Advertising Age research.Mid-season entries could change the picture for Thursdays. In the spring, Thursday night will feature the "results" show for "American Idol."
In Depth
[Adapted from the website of the Environmental Working Group]Chromium-6 levels in 25 cities’ tap water exceed safe limit proposed by California officials). Here is the list of cities and the Chromium-6 levels found (measured in parts per billion):1. Norman, Oklahoma 12.92. Honolulu, Hawaii 23. Riverside, California 1.694. Madison, Wisconsin 1.585. San Jose, California 1.346. Tallahassee, Florida 1.257. Omaha, Nebraska 1.078. Albuquerque, New Mexico 1.049. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 0.8810. Bend, Oregon 0.7811. Salt Lake City, Utah 0.312. Ann Arbor, Michigan 0.2113. Atlanta, Georgia 0.214. Los Angeles, California 0.215. Bethesda, Maryland 0.1916. Phoenix, Arizona 0.1917. Washington, D.C. 0.1918. Chicago, Illinois 0.1819. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 0.1820. Villanova, Pennsylvania 0.1821. Sacramento, California 0.1622. Louisville, Kentucky 0.1423. Syracuse, New York 0.1224. New Haven, Connecticut 0.0825. Buffalo, New York 0.07PROPOSED SAFE LIMIT BY STATE OF CALIFORNIA 0.0626. Las Vegas, Nevada 0.0627. New York, New York 0.0628. Scottsdale, Arizona 0.0529. Miami, Florida 0.0430. Boston, Massachusetts 0.0331. Cincinnati, Ohio 0.03Cities where Chromium 6 was not detected in their tap water:Indianapolis, Indiana; Plano, Texas; Reno, Nevada; San Antonio, Texas
In Depth
We’re excited to hear what’s coming next!
As Christina Aguilera continues to promote her new movie Burlesque, she’s also getting geared up to head back into the studio to record another album. During an interview with a New York radio station this morning, Xtina confessed that working on Burlesque really made her into a “new changed woman” and that she’s looking forward to putting this new person on the record.
She reveals that the album is “in the works” and a lot of the music is going to be reflective of the “introspective time” she’s been dealing with right now.
As for what else is going on with her musically, she also confessed that she collaborated with the recently re-incarcerated T.I. for his new album. The song, Castle Walls, should be dropping sometime soon.
We’ll make sure to look out for that! You all better do the same!
We’re happy to hear Christina is getting back to the studio and working on herself through her music. That’s the way to do it, if you ask us!
[Image via WENN.]
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