Tuesday Must-Reads for Social TV Industry
We go through a lot of links on a daily basis to find the freshest and most informative information on the social TV economy — from technology, to television, to programming. We publish at noon and invite your comments on Twitter where we are @socialtvdaily.
Today, we have tonight’s TV highlights, news from the hardware platforms, the networks and social media as well as our daily looks at the world of sports and Spanish-language TV.
Telemundo shifts focus in effort to boost share
The Miami-based network, which began in 1954 as a single Puerto Rico TV station, had long been viewed as an “East Coast” outlet infused with Caribbean flavor — not the right ingredients for the majority of U.S. Latinos, two-thirds of whom are from Mexico or are of Mexican descent.
Appealing to viewers with Central American heritage has become central to NBCUniversal’s campaign to grow Telemundo.
Read the article, via LA Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/industry/cotown/la-fi-ct-telemundo-20121211,0,1557974.story
Turner social turn
“Social strategy is increasingly a part of the overall approach to messaging and brand strategy,” Tricia Melton, senior veep of brand and entertainment marketing for TBS, TNT and TCM, told Variety. She recently hired Lincoln Lopez as VP of social media for the trifecta of Turner Broadcasting cablers, a newly created position. He joins from VH1 where he served as veep of digital marketing and social media and will report to Melton.
Read the article, via Variety http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063416
TV Highlights
Tuesday’s TV highlights include “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on ABC, “Raising Hope” on Fox and “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa” on the CW.
See the article, via Seattle Times and NYTimes http://seattletimes.com/html/television/2019877973_tvbriefs11xml.html
Weekend TV ratings: winners and losers
Fox’s Sunday late-afternoon national game — New Orleans-N.Y. Giants — wasn’t particularly close. But it drew a hefty 17.0 overnight, which translates to 17% of households in the 17 urban TV markets measured for overnights — and is up 33% from comparable coverage featuring a New England-Chicago game last year.
See the article, via USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2012/12/10/nfl-heisman-bo-jackson-la-lakers-nbc-cbs-espn-new-york-jets-san-diego-chargers/1759005/
Amazing Race Finale Ties Low
Season 21′s two-hour closer averaged 9.3 million viewers and a 2.6 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic to tie last season as the show’s lowest-rated finale.
Read the article, via Seattle PI http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/tvguide/article/Ratings-Amazing-Race-Finale-Ties-Low-4105914.php
College Football – Teams With the Best TV Ratings in 2012
Alabama lead the way with 2.6, followed by Notre Dame with 2.18, Florida with 1.92, USC with 1.86, LSU with 1.81 and Michigan with 1.8. Texas with a 1.44 had the best rating among Big 12 teams. Miami had the best among ACC teams with 1.14.
Read the article, via Sportige http://sportige.com/college-football-teams-with-the-best-tv-ratings-in-12-2012/
Hardware
- Apple could sell 13 million TV sets at $1,060 each
Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty issued a note to clients Tuesday about what she calls “iTV” (to distinguish it from the current Apple TV set-top box).
Read the article, via Fortune http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/11/apple-itv-morgan-stanley-huberty/
- The enduring Apple TV Fantasy
Jean-Louis Gassée, former Apple exec, peels the layers off the Apple TV onion.
Read the article, via Monday Note http://www.mondaynote.com/2012/12/09/5175/
- Google talking with suitors for Motorola’s set-top TV box business
LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO — British TV decoder maker Pace said on Monday that it had made an early-stage proposal to Internet group Google (GOOG) to acquire its set-top TV box maker Motorola Home.
“Discussions with Google are currently at a preliminary stage and there is no certainty as to whether any agreement regarding any transaction will be reached,” Pace said in a statement.
The offer is one of several bids for the unit, including from private equity firms, that Google received on Friday, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Read the article, via Mercury News http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22163615/google-talking-suitors-motorolas-set-top-tv-box
- In giant “garage sale”, Japan’s TV giants hawk $3 billion of assets
Panasonic and Japan’s other troubled TV makers, Sony Corp and Sharp Corp, are also selling buildings and businesses in a giant ‘garage sale’ that could raise a combined $3 billion.
Read the article, via Chicago Tribune http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-12-09/business/sns-rt-us-japan-assetsbre8b80ey-20121209_1_panasonic-plans-hideaki-kawai-asset-sales
Sports
- NBA surpasses 1 billion views on YouTube
The NBA’s YouTube page surpassed a billion all-time page views on Sunday night, making it the first professional sports league to reach the milestone.
Read the article, via ESPN http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/tech/post/_/id/3260/nba-surpasses-1-billion-views-on-youtube
- How Fox and CBS dealt with the aftermath of the most tragic day in Cowboys history
In the wake of the most tragic day in Cowboys history, Fox’s pregame and Cowboys-Bengals game coverage can be described as appropriate and responsible.
Read the article, via Dallas News http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/how-fox-and-cbs-dealt-with-the-aftermath-of-the-most-tragic-day-in-cowboys-history.html/
Video Content
YouTube Redesigned, Still a BitTorrent Site if You Dig Deep
The redesign will help users subscribe and watch channels on YouTube with ease, a move that should convey casual lurkers into diehard users. The redesign also enables users to bring their own subscription-filled YouTube Guide across the online version of the site, but also across all other devices (game consoles, smart mobile devices, tablets and television).
Read the article, via Search Engine Journal http://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-redesigned/54067/
Netflix for nerds: FORA.tv launches conference and event video subscriptions
FORA.tv’s new paid membership model, Front Row, gives subscribers streaming access to conference and event videos from companies like The New Yorker and The Economist for a flat fee
Read the article, via Paid Content http://paidcontent.org/2012/12/11/netflix-for-nerds-fora-tv-launches-conference-and-event-video-subscriptions/
Networks
Comcast adopts NBC peacock as part of new logo
Comcast has unveiled a new, but familiar, logo in the wake of its merger with NBC. The company’s site now boasts a logo topped by the NBC peacock, previously used only for NBC-affiliated channels.
Read the article, via The Verge http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/11/3754220/comcast-logo-nbc-peacock
Deals
Telstra to provide managed services to the ABC
Telstra has scored a five-year deal with the taxpayer-funded Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) to manage the company’s voice, mobile, and data services and provide a new digital video network platform.
Read the article, via ZDnet http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-to-provide-managed-services-to-the-abc-7000008586/
Social Media
What if “Seinfeld” was still on air today? A new Twitter account @SeinfeldToday proposes some plots for a modern “Seinfeld”, which incorporates contemporary problems to the classic TV show.
Read the article, via Ace Show Biz http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00056233.html
Latin Market
Telemundo Takes Over Times Square to Tout ‘T’ Power
The events of Dec. 10 are the culmination of a year-long effort that involved several focus group studies nationwide; a handful of brand consultants; and work from London-based creative agency DixonBaxi, which ultimately yielded an edgier onscreen identity for the Hispanic TV network.
“This is truly going to redefine how Hispanic television looks and feel,” said Jacqueline Hernández, COO of Telemundo Media. “The new identity provides the ideal environment for our content to really come to life.”
Read the article, via MENAFN http://www.menafn.com/menafn/ef949dbe-08df-4a71-9e36-32a41990cabc/Telemundo-shifts-focus-effort-to-boost-share?src=main
Releases
Univision To Carry Bounce TV In Seven Major Markets
Univision and Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com), a startup broadcast television network for African Americans, announced a distribution agreement in which Univision will carry Bounce TV as a multicast channel in San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Raleigh and Tampa.
Read the release, via SacBee http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/10/5043867/univision-to-carry-bounce-tv-in.html
