• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 9, 2021

The new TV season is coming in September. Can’t wait? Shrugging your shoulders? Or maybe you are inundated with way too many entertainment marketing messages?

For over a decade, traditional TV networks have positioned themselves as change-makers that follow consumers’ media shifts. In recent years, some of this came with midseason TV launches.

For many analysts, those shows might have been viewed as second-tier series, not able to carry the weight of the big fourth-quarter period -- one that marketers still favor when it comes to selling products and services.

Historically, automotive marketers used the September start of the TV season to sell new car models for the upcoming year.

Cable networks have used summer and other time periods to counter-program the broadcast networks. Now, add in all those major premium TV streamers launching TV series/movies year-round.

Perhaps there is more interest in the fall TV season this year -- now coming off a pandemic TV season where TV production disruptions were rampant.

No surprise what new streaming services want in preparation for the start of the September TV season. National TV paid advertising -- as well as the value of TV promos on networks promoting streamers' shows -- was up 40% in June.

Expect these high levels to continue in July and August.

Heavy promotion for both linear prime-time TV, as well as streaming platforms and movies, could create an overload for the fourth quarter.

Don't forget theatrical marketing.

Movie studio executives have promised big ramp-up releases for the fall -- all to make up for lost opportunities during theater closures. Comscore  says 90% of U.S. theaters are now open. (That said, we don’t have an exact estimate as to the level of reduced/limited seating.)

How should one negotiate the stress level of all the entertainment messaging coming in the next few months?

Perhaps some no-video based media sourced from a podcast would be a good summertime break.