Business of Media
Activations and adjacent ads capitalize on Super Bowl buzz
Having an ad during the Super Bowl broadcast costs a lot of money. Aside from the $7 million for a 30-second ad buy, there are huge production costs and, most likely, a big celebrity fee on top, reports AdWeek’s Kyle O’Brien.
Many brands are opting out of the game in favor of being somewhere around it. Pre-Super Bowl campaigns can generate buzz, while experiences, parties and activations can target a coveted demographic while having a buzzy social media effect.
Pharrell Williams partners with LEGO for movie about his life
Pharell Williams’ life story is coming together brick by brick – literally in this case, cause he’s collabing with LEGO to bring the vision to life, reports TMZ.
The 50-year-old superproducer announced the big news Friday, saying he’s partnering with the toy giant to tell his tale – and sharing a first look at the poster for the movie.
Alphabet, Meta ad sales in Q4 unlikely to reflect gen AI investments
Despite the buzz over generative artificial intelligence last year, the technology’s impact on the advertising business of Alphabet, opens new tab and Meta Platforms, opens new tab is likely to be muted when the companies report fourth-quarter results this week, though investors are mapping out its future potential, reports Reuters’ Sheila Dang.
The search giant has rolled out AI tools that help advertisers target audiences in a less costly way and decide how their marketing budgets should be distributed across Google’s ad network. Facebook parent Meta is using generative AI to create different variations of ad campaigns.
Amazon is now charging Prime members extra for ad-free streaming. For some, that’s a deal breaker.
Andrew Scott Grace says he is perfectly happy paying $15 a month to get free shipping for all his Amazon orders and have access to the Prime Video streaming service, which he watches frequently. He draws the line at having to pay $3 more, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Suzanne Vranica.
When Grace was notified last month that Prime Video would soon include commercials unless he paid extra, he immediately cancelled his Prime subscription, forgoing the free-shipping perk and vowing to stop shopping from Amazon altogether.
“There is only one way to show them that this is not OK: to cancel,” said Grace, a 27-year-old gig worker from Sharon, Pa.
ABC hires ‘notoriously anti-worker’ US law firm, Seyfarth Shaw, in Antoinette Lattouf unfair dismissal case
The ABC has been accused of playing “hardball” by hiring a “notoriously anti-worker” law firm from the US to defend a high-profile unfair dismissal case involving journalist Antoinette Lattouf, reports the ABC’s Josh Robertson.
ABC Investigations can reveal the national broadcaster is being represented by Seyfarth Shaw, which has a decades-long reputation for anti-union practices in the US, to act in the Fair Work Commission matter against Lattouf.
News Brands
Nine News adds to political team
Two new reporters have joined the Nine News Federal Politics team in the Canberra Bureau, reports TV Tonight.
Claudia Vrdoljak joined Nine in 2019, producing for Nine News and Today.
Amanda Copp has been working in the Canberra press gallery for several years.
Daily Mirror faces £2m in legal costs over Prince Harry phone hacking
The Daily Mirror is facing a claim for almost £2m in legal costs after Prince Harry won substantial damages in his phone-hacking case against the publisher, reports The Guardian’s Haroon Siddique.
Justice Fancourt ruled at the high court last month that “extensive” phone hacking took place at Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) from 2006 to 2011, “even to some extent” during the Leveson inquiry into media standards.
The judge also found “widespread” unlawful information gathering at all three MGN titles and that the use of private investigators was an “integral part of the system”.
U.K.’s Channel 4 to cut workforce by 18 percent, become “digital-first public service streamer”
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 on Monday unveiled a five-year strategy to reshape itself and “accelerate its transformation into an agile, genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030,” reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.
Proposing to reduce headcount by 18 percent – including around 200 layoffs and the closure of approximately 40 unfilled roles, it said that “around 70 percent of roles closed would be out of legacy operations.” It added: “This would return head count close to 2021 levels, but with the organization in the right shape to deliver further digital growth and lead public service media into the future.”
Forbes’ unionized journalists stage first walk-out in magazine’s history
Unionized journalists at Forbes said they were staging a three-day walk-out from Thursday to protest alleged denial of rights and slow contract negotiations that have stretched for more than two years, reports Reuters.
The planned walk-out, which started at 9 a.m. ET and will continue through Jan. 29 till 11:59 p.m. ET, marks the first known work stoppage in the magazine’s 106-year history, the NewsGuild of New York said.
Television
Family reveals cause of death of former Neighbours actor Troy Beckwith
Former Neighbours actor Troy Beckwith has died, aged 48, according to a social media post by his one-time co-star Kym Valentine, reports Nine Publishing’s Karl Quinn.
Beckwith played Michael Martin – a character dubbed “Sicko Micko” on account of his sometimes antisocial behaviour – on the long-running soap from 1991 to 1998, appearing in 127 episodes.
“It pains me so much to have to say this,” she wrote. “Our dear old friend Troy Beckwith has passed away. Another member of our TV family gone way too soon.
“There will be no funeral as per Troy’s request. Thanks for all the memories, my cheeky mate, and all my love to your friends and family.”
The results are in: Here’s what Americans streamed in 2023
Last year, studios continued to pull back how much they spend on new TV shows. A pair of strikes effectively shut down Hollywood for several months, disrupting new releases of television shows and movies. And yet Americans kept on streaming, reports The New York Times’ John Koblin.
The time that people watched streaming services from their TV sets last year jumped 21 percent from 2022, according to a year-end review on streaming trends by Nielsen, the media research firm. There were nearly a million television shows and movies for Americans to choose from on over 90 streaming services.
From SBS doco vibes to reality gold: The evolution of Married At First Sight
Upon first glance, Sara and Tim – one of Married at First Sight’s newest couples – seem perfect for each other. Tim, a laid-back surfer from the Gold Coast, has an affinity for travel and Colombian culture. Sara, an outgoing nutritionist, emigrated from Colombia when she was five. They both speak Spanish, carefully weigh their food and have equally dazzling pearly whites, reports Nine Publishing’s Nell Geraets.
But during their wedding reception, Tim reveals he and his ex only split six months prior, squashing his plans to propose to her. Sara, who is looking for someone she can implicitly trust after being cheated on, immediately feels as if Tim is still in love with “the other woman”. Making matters worse, Tim’s best man proceeds to deliver a horrendous speech centred around his mate’s various dalliances in cars and emergency departments.
See Also: Do Married at First Sight producers script the unbelievable? Nope! You can’t make this stuff up
Grant Denyer: “They absolutely don’t know they’re going to be picked”
Rhiannon Maxwell, the first contestant on 10’s new Deal or No Deal, walked away with a $20,00 deal and plans to spend the winnings on a holiday, boat and tattoo, reports TV Tonight.
According to host Grant Denyer, contestants summoned from the studio audience have no idea they are about to get called to play the game.
“Absolutely not. We haven’t cheated that at all. They are completely blind,” he told TV Tonight.