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Steve Sternberg

Member since September 2009Contact Steve

Steve Sternberg is currently Editor-in-Chief of The Sternberg Report. He has more then 30 years of television and video analysis experience, having held top research posts at Bozell, TN Media, Magna Global, and ION Media Networks. He also authors The Sternberg Report (www.sternbergreport.com)

Articles by Steve All articles by Steve

  • At The Upfronts: What They Said, What It Means, And Why It Matters in Research Intelligencer on 06/04/2025

    The official start of the fall television season is still about four months away. But for insiders at media companies, agencies, and advertisers (as well as television analysts like me), the upfront season has placed thoughts of September squarely into May and June. Of course, in today's video world, the very notion of a fall TV season is antiquated. Only the broadcast networks still adhere to seasons that begin in September and end in April or May (and promote "fall finales" like they're special episodes). Cable series tend to premiere throughout the year, and streaming platforms debut new shows and new seasons whenever they happen to be ready, which is not always in the same month as the previous season (and viewers often have to wait more than a year for the next installment).

  • A Brief History Of The Upfronts: Do They Still Matter? in Research Intelligencer on 04/15/2025

    As they do every year in mid-May, the major media companies are about to unveil their multi-platform strategies for the upcoming broadcast year, which includes their respective fall TV schedules. This marks the start of the "upfront" season, when advertisers will spend upward of $20 billion buying commercial time on national television shows slated to air during the 2025-26 broadcast year. It's called "the upfront" because advertisers spend their money on programming well before the shows actually air and before they know which new series will succeed or flop. In return for getting advertisers to spend all this money upfront, buyers receive guarantees that if they don't reach an agreed-upon number of people, they will get free commercials until they do. In this week's edition, I make a case for whether they still even matter.

  • A Brief History Of Television Audience Measurement in Research Intelligencer on 03/26/2025

    Nielsen and Paramount Global finally reached an agreement on a new multi-year deal, which, not surprisingly, coincided with CBS' Grammy Awards telecast. In this week's edition I provide a brief history of TV audience measurement, and discuss why it is so difficult for anyone to compete with Nielsen to become marketplace currency (although there might now be minor - and I stress minor - cracks in Nielsen's armor). This report will cover several topics, including: How and why Nielsen is an industry-mandated monopoly. Are legacy research companies nimble enough to keep up with rapid and continual change? Why virtually no one really wants more accurate TV/video audience measurement. Can samples still measure the TV universe? When Nielsen was forced to improve its measurement. When research started taking a back seat to marketing. Shifting alliances: why TV research is not what it used to be. Measuring live vs. DVR viewing - implications for streaming ads. Why alternatives to Nielsen have traditionally failed to sustain industry support. Why industry committees traditionally don't accomplish much. Does big data = more accurate data? How to determine the accuracy of Nielsen (or anyone else's) ratings and actually improve audience measurement (and why it won't happen).

  • The Oscars: A Few Bright Spots Amid The Boredom in Research Intelligencer on 03/04/2025

    I'm an avid movie fan, and before the pandemic I was a reasonably heavy moviegoer. Today I watch more movies on streaming platforms (A Complete Unknown was the only Best Picture nominee I saw in an actual movie theater). Of course, that's partly because before awards season, I hadn't even heard about several of the best picture nominees. But I still look forward to watching The Oscars broadcast every year. And every year I find myself asking the same question: "Is it always this boring?" In this week's edition, I provide my answers to that question.

  • Reviews: 'Missing You,' 'Murder Mindfully,' Squid Game' in Research Intelligencer on 01/20/2025

    Beginning with this week's edition, The Sternberg Report will publish a monthly critique of TV series falling within my definitions of "The Good, The Too Bad, and The Ugly." This edition features two "Goods" ("Missing You" and "Murder Mindfully") and one "Too Bad" ("Sqid Game). Click to read and find out why.

  • Counting Down The 40 Best TV Shows Of 2024: #10-1 in Research Intelligencer on 01/03/2025

    The first three parts of my "40 best TV shows of 202" contained a wide variety of program genres. In this week's edition, I reveal the top 10, which have just as much program diversity, but more significantly has the greatest amount of platform diversity. They come from eight different platforms - only Netflix and HBO (with two apiece) are represented more than once. This is a sign of a robust television landscape. Drum roll please...

  • Counting Down The 40 Best TV Shows Of 2024: #20-11 in Research Intelligencer on 12/27/2024

    The first two parts of my counting down the 40 best TV shows of 2024, which included #40-21, contained a wide variety of program genres. In this week's edition, I look at #20-11, which have just as much diversity (even though four vastly different and unique spy/crime thrillers made this section). This is a sign of a robust television landscape. Even as press headline shout that streamers are cutting back on spending and there are fewer new shows being produced, there are still so many linear and streaming series on so many platforms, that there's something (actually many things) for everyone. The era of Peak TV+ is far from over.

  • Counting Down The 40 Best TV Shows Of 2024: #30-21 in Research Intelligencer on 12/19/2024

    Twenty years ago, most TV critics lists of best series of the year tended to include largely the same shows. Viewer choices for original scripted series were, after all, limited to broadcast networks, and a few ad-supported cable and premium cable series (which made everyone's list since they were the only series on television that did not have the same content restrictions of ad-supported networks). In this week's edition, I give you my case for the 40 best TV shows of 2024, picking up with those ranking 30 through 21.

  • Counting Down The 40 Best TV Shows of 2024: #40-31 in Research Intelligencer on 12/11/2024

    There was a time, not too long ago, when I struggled to come up with 20 TV shows that deserved to be on my "best of" list for the season. Today, I have twice as many on my list and struggled deciding which excellent shows to leave out. Ten years ago, streaming was a new word in the media lexicon. In this week's edition, I give you my case for the 40 best TV shows of 2024, beginning those ranked 31 through 40.

  • Don't Do That: The Problem With NFL Analytics in Research Intelligencer on 11/26/2024

    With the NFL season just past the halfway point, in this week's edition I'm updating version of a column I wrote last season on NFL Analytics. Over the past few years, one the more controversial aspects of NFL football games is the idea of going for it on fourth down when a team needs two or three (sometimes more) yards for a first down. The reason? Something called "analytics," which has upended decades of NFL truism and tradition. This analysis takes a look at how the ESPN analytics model works as it relates to recommending whether to go for it on fourth down, attempt a field goal, or punt. Different teams use their own analytics models, but they likely contain many of the same elements - as evidenced by the common refrain that "analytics says go for it." I haven't heard any broadcaster or analyst (or coach) say that analytics says don't go for it on fourth-and-one or two.

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