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From the NYT: It all punctuated an end-of-era feeling at the Emmy Awards on Monday night. “Succession” was one of many nominated shows that had farewell seasons, joined by a list that included “Ted Lasso,” “Better Call Saul,” “Barry,” “Atlanta” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” But that was not the only reason that there was an elegiac theme to Monday night. The ceremony felt in many ways like a bookend to the so-called Peak TV era itself. Nearly every year from 2010 through 2023, the number of TV programs rose in the United States, reaching 599 scripted television shows last year. It may never hit those heights again. For more than a year now, studios and networks — including streaming giants like Netflix , cable stalwarts like HBO and FX , and the broadcast channels — have hit the brakes on ordering new series. Executives, worried about hemorrhaging cash from their #streaming services, customers cutting the cable cord and a soft #advertising market, have instead placed more emphasis on profitability. The monthslong screenwriter and actor strikes last year also contributed to the slowdown. With a more frugal approach, there is widespread fear throughout the industry about the fallout from a contraction. The #Emmy nomination submission list gives a snapshot. The number of dramas that the networks and studios submitted for Emmy consideration dropped 5 percent, according to the Television Academy, which organizes the awards. Entries for limited series fell by 16 percent, and comedies by 19 percent. Some #television genres seem to be in some degree of peril. Limited series — six to 10 episodes shows that became a sensation over the past decade, particularly after the 2014 debut of “True Detective,” the 2016 premiere of “American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson” and the 2017 start of “Big Little Lies” — have been a hallmark of the Peak #TV era. Not anymore. As part of programming budget cuts, executives now see significantly less benefit to deploying lavish resources to a show that ends after a matter of weeks. Once again, investing in series with lots of seasons is a much bigger priority. And there is a good chance that television may start to look a lot like television from a couple of decades ago. Of course, Peak TV-era quality television is not going away. Even the origin story of “Succession” seems tailor-made for the new television era. When HBO executives ordered the series, they wanted to put their spin on a classic television genre — a family drama — but had low expectations. The show did not command “Game of Thrones” or “Stranger Things” budgets. It was light on stars. Armstrong was not a brand name yet. And yet, it became a hit.

Samba TV’s second annual State of Diversity on TV report is out! Read about it in the Forbes article below, and you can access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gfRaSQ9Z

🚀 Jon Stewart's return to conventional TV raises questions about audience retention in a changing TV landscape. As TV viewership declines, the focus shifts to digital platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Perhaps the real measure of success lies in the performance of Stewart's show clips on social media. There's an opportunity for Stewart to leverage Comedy Central's platform to gain social currency and reach diverse audiences. Will Stewart's comeback signify a significant shift in the TV industry's dynamics? #JonStewart #TVIndustry #DigitalPlatforms #ComedyCentral #SocialMedia #TVAudience #MediaDynamics

Interesting thoughts on what's being dubbed as the end of the TV peak era. The trend suggests a decline in the popularity of limited series, a fan favorite format, with studios shifting back to the traditional full-time TV seasons. From 2010 to 2023, the number of TV programs in the US rose each year, reaching 599 scripted television shows last year. However, there's speculation that we might not see those heights again in the near future. Points from the article worth highlighting: "As part of programming budget cuts, executives now see significantly less benefit to deploying lavish resources to a show that ends after a matter of weeks. Once again, investing in series with lots of seasons is a much bigger priority. And there is a good chance that television may start to look a lot like television from a couple of decades ago." Also, from the #WashingtonPost: "Now television’s boom cycle has gone bust, and Peak TV is winding down, like prestige TV did before it. There are hints of what might come after. The contraction now in progress suggests (given the kinds of projects being canceled) that streamers are embracing more conservative, less experimental programming even as they look for the next “Game of Thrones.” There will probably be more revivals. More reboots. And, if some executives have their way, a heavier reliance on formulas and algorithms, perhaps assisted by new technologies such as artificial intelligence." (https://lnkd.in/gsPiSsvq)

The TV industry is at a crossroads, and the path forward is clear: follow the audience and embrace diversity. Samba TV data reveals that viewers are hungry for inclusive storytelling, with diverse audiences consistently driving higher viewership for shows featuring non-white leads. By prioritizing representation, networks and streamers can tap into this engaged and loyal viewership, ultimately boosting TV consumption and revenue. Use the data to understand and serve your audiences. The data doesn't lie - when the industry invests in diverse talent and stories, everyone wins.

Did you catch our latest insights report, the 2024 State of Diversity on TV? If so, maybe you were surprised to learn that the proportion of diverse TV leads was down year-over-year📉. Samba TV Co-Founder and COO Alvir Navin sat down with Forbes to chat through some of our findings and how they can be used to help our industry improve💡. “With the growing proportion of diverse Americans, studios have a strong incentive to invest in diverse talent. This has the potential to lead to significant, sustained change in the coming years with continued effort and a clear business case.” - Samba TV 👉 Read more via Forbes here: https://lnkd.in/gCJ_dsyz #SambaTVInsights #DiversityMatters #TVData #TVMeasurement

Need of the hour: TV Guide As per one article published DTH industry saw a sharp decline in the subscriber base in the period July – September 2023 period. Here’s are few suggestions to get subscribers hooked to television again. Point # 1 >Publish schedule on Twitter handles or even Whatsapp channels at least 2 days in advance. As of now the viewer hardly knows telecast date and timings. Let the viewer be aware of the day and time of the show. If the viewer wants to watch, they will switch on the channel. Point # 2 > Broadcast the timing of the repeat episodes as well. This allows the viewer to catch up on the show missed during the regular telecast timings. Point # 3 > Display timeline bar at the bottom of the screen. There are times where while switching from one channel to another, you come across a show that interests you. However, the viewer is unaware the time that has elapsed and remaining time as well. Point # 4 > Keep weekday and weekend schedules different. Weekend and weekday viewership is different. Telecasting a weekday series on a weekend will fail to gather views or loyalty for the series. Point # 5 > Let every series have a season. A weekly show might run for 26 episodes and then go for a break, or a daily show will take a break after 130 episodes. This allows the producers and writers to come up with different ideas and make the content more meaningful and gripping. Once a show has run for 6-9 months and then goes for a season break, allows the cast, crew and viewer a breather as well. Point # 6 >The content of these soaps must include variety. There are so many areas to explore for a television series. The content of the television shows must showcase emotions suitable for family viewing and family laughter. #television #tv #OTT #actor #actress #tvshow #entertainment #music #love #comedy #series #radio #television #tvseries #media #actors #drama #sony #zee #colorsinfinity #star

Mad Men. Breaking Bad. The Sopranos. The Wire. Some of the most compelling series ever produced for television. TV transformed; it wasn’t the also-ran to the movies. It wasn’t the white noise in the background. It required something from the viewer. It demanded your focus. Your sole attention. These shows helped spur the success of streaming and accelerate the era of bingeing-where you could lose yourself in a few hours of complex storytelling with well-developed characters. We continue to dissect the impact of social media, particularly Insta and TikTok, on our lives and industries. How does this impact our attention spans, our desires for the long series, the more complex storytelling? A major warning sign from David Chase in The Guardian piece here fits with what I’ve been seeing anecdotally. Studio execs asking show runners to dumb down their scripts for an audience—unwilling or unable—to pay attention to extended storytelling that requires focus. What happens once we’ve altered our attention spans? Your thoughts? #TV #consumerbehavior #multitasking #socialmedia #attentionspan #peakTV #contentcreation #TikTok #communications

Last week Super Bowl wasn’t the only hot TV show in town. At Comedy Central, the iconic Daily Show premiered the return of Jon Stewart, the host that led it to become one of the most watched and followed shows on American television. The Daily Show's unique way of telling the news, mixing comedy and satire with real, well-structured and researched analysis, grabbed the attention of audiences across the US and became one of the most watched daily telecasts in the country. With the upcoming Presidential election looming, Jon Stewart is once again at the helm of the show, even if only hosting the Monday show. Last week marked the return of Stewart at the desk and it started the new season of the Daily Show with a bang. Not only did the show get an audience rating of 1.9 million viewers across all broadcasts - the show’s biggest audience in the last 5 years (source: https://lnkd.in/d9CdA3Ky), but it also brought a highly engaged audience. With an Emotional Impact Score (EIS) of 614, last Monday's Daily Show was 14% more engaging than Mediaprobe’s benchmark for all US TV telecasts. Jon Stewart’s opening analysis of the news got an EIS of 689, which was 20% higher than the rest of the show, and 36% above the benchmark for US television. The moment when Stewart went from cheering President Biden’s leaving his press conference to mock despair as the President returned to address more questions, to ill fortune, was the highest peak of engagement of the show with a score of 1,287 EIS. Not quite a Super Bowl touchdown, but definitely a memorable moment for the audience. #JonStewart #TheDailyShow #Mediaprobe #audienceinsights #mediameasurement #emotionalimpact #television #comedy

🚀 The Daily Show's audience has drastically shrunk and aged since Jon Stewart's departure in 2015, with a 75% drop in viewers and a median age increase from 48.2 to 63.3. This reflects a broader trend of TV audiences declining, particularly among younger viewers. Despite efforts to reach audiences on digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok, TV networks still rely heavily on traditional TV for revenue. The challenge now is for Comedy Central to revitalize the show's appeal and engage a younger audience. #MediaTrends #TVAudience #DigitalTransformation #ComedyCentral #TheDailyShow #JonStewart #TrevorNoah #BusinessInsider #DataAnalysis