TV networks are bracing for possible new
rules and laws with regard to healthcare/pharmaceutical TV advertising. But there might be more to come.
Estimates from Emarketer say pharma TV advertising represents 8% ($4.6 billion) of the
$60 billion spent on TV advertising per year.
This continues to impact more live, linear TV networks -- and to a lesser extent entirely, with the streaming platforms. Streamers tend to have
viewers younger than linear TV in general.
The median age on prime-time broadcast networks is 60 years and older.
National TV news networks -- which skew older than average linear TV
networks -- could be affected the most, since prescription pharmaceutical advertising is targeted to older Americans.
Local TV stations in particular could be hit as well. According to a
RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University survey, the average local TV station broadcasts around 6.6 hours of news programming per weekday.
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The Trump Administration wants to take away
pharma ads in other media -- radio, digital, and other media. Overall, Emarketer says pharma accounts total around $22 billion, representing 7.3% of the $310.2 million in U.S. digital ad spend.
Why eliminate pharma ads? Critics say promotions of medications don’t make Americans healthier and often are more expensive than effective alternatives. Other countries like New Zealand
severely restrict ads.
In the pharma industry’s favor is that the U.S. has strong freedom-of-speech rules -- something the U.S. courts routinely back except in extreme cases.
In
the pharmaceutical industry’s favor is that any effort to shut down those ads -- through executive order, rulemaking or legislation -- can be immediately challenged in the courts -- with a
strong result in their favor. Nothing will happen quickly.
Still, if this happens, will the Trump Administration then pursue other industries that advertise on TV if those messages are
considered questionable when it comes to making Americans "healthier?" What about the food industry .... and the vitamin/supplement industry?