Manning's Return Welcomed -- Less On The Field Than Madison Avenue by David Goetzl

Cranky David Letterman will be happy. Viewers surely will too when Peyton Manning makes a comeback this fall as a member of the Denver Broncos. Forget about on the field as Manning returns after missing all of last season due to injury. It's the prospect of the reemergence of the superstar quarterback in so many ads as that ridiculous, wonderfully self-effacing character that is so welcome. ...Read the whole story

  • Broadcast Networks Complete Upfront by Wayne Friedman

    In the wake of CBS and ABC closing their upfront dealings on Tuesday night, Fox and NBC did the same on Wednesday evening -- all posting somewhat less-than-anticipated total dollar results. ...Read the whole story

  • Financial Analysts Find OTT No Threat To Broadcasters by Wayne Friedman

    What's the real threat to broadcasters from over-the-top services like Aereo? Very little, according to a report from Barclays Capital. Dropping cable still means paying for broadband and added services. The savings, it claims, is negligible. ...Read the whole story

  • Election Ad Dollars Skyrocket by David Goetzl

    Political ad spending continues to boom this year. In the period from May 6-June 3, total TV political spending for the year rose 53% to $473 million, according to a new Wells Fargo report. PACs and SuperPACs are poised to inject more money than ever. ...Read the whole story

  • Go Daddy Taps Deutsch For Olympics Campaign by David Goetzl

    Go Daddy, the Internet domain provider that has built a brand partly on Super Bowl commercials, has tapped IPG agency Deutsch for an Olympics campaign on NBCUniversal properties. Go Daddy has produced most of its yearly Super Bowl spots in-house, so the move to "official Madison Avenue" is notable. ...Read the whole story

  • Amazon To Offer MGM Classics by Gavin O'Malley

    Gunning for content-rich rivals like Netflix, Amazon just reached a major licensing deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Among hundreds of other classic films and TV shows dating back to the '80s, Amazon can now lure potential video-on-demand subscribers with "The Terminator," "Rain Man," and "The Silence of the Lambs." ...Read the whole story

  • Connected TV Users On Rise by Wayne Friedman

    So far this year, 21% of TV consumers have connected to the Internet through the traditional TV boxes. Connected TV users primarily use their systems for Web browsing, viewing videos through subscription services, such as Netflix, online gaming and visiting Facebook. ...Read the whole story

  • Report: Cable Companies in Antitrust Probe over Data Caps, TV Everywhere by Ross Fadner

    The Department of Justice is investigating cable companies for possible antitrust practices, particularly with respect to the threat posed to their businesses by online video companies like Netflix. Any decision taken in Washington would likely have far-reaching implications for online video and cable companies alike. ...Read the whole story

  • 'Uncle Drew,' Pepsi's YouTube Sensation, Becomes TV Spot by Ross Fadner

    'Uncle Drew,' a video produced by Davie Brown Entertainment for Pepsi Max, became a sensation when it debuted on YouTube in May. Now, the brand has turned the 5-minute video into a 30-second TV spot. ...Read the whole story

Online Video Use Boosts TV Viewing, Engagement, comScore Study Finds by Daisy Whitney

While the bulk of TV audiences are still reached via TV only, the online scope of TV networks is growing, according to a just-released comScore study. About 26% of audiences are reached with content online, and 12% specifically with online video, comScore said in analyzing the results of a study of 10 TV networks and media brands conducted for The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement, a group comprised of TV networks, media agencies and major consumer brands. ...More

  • Episode 513: Three Hotel Rooms, Two Bloody Mouths, One Stiff Upper Lip by Barbara Lippert

    Capping a season with story lines that recently featured prostitution and suicide (and Peggy leaving!) all within the Sterling Cooper Draper nuclear family, "The Phantom," the season 5 finale, had much in the way of mushrooms and clouds to live up to. For the first 50 minutes, however, it felt repetitive and desultory, like "Groundhog Day" with a touch of "Marathon Man" (OK, Don, find a dentist already!). But the last six minutes were colossally great, even awe-inspiring. There were no huge surprises, but it built up the kind of masterly payoff that comes only from the expert synthesis of ...More

  • What's The Rush? View Season Three of '24' When You Have Time by Wayne Friedman

    Ominous threats from the Internet during its early life suggested the erosion of traditional TV could turn into deep and dangerous Himalayan ice crevasses. But that fear was quelled for years by reports that any and all exposure from the Internet, social media, search and online video actually fostered more TV viewing. In a sort of reversal of fortune, the old fears have risen again, due to increasing evidence from subscription video on demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix, and other vagaries in the measurement of TV viewing ...More