Commentary
CBS' Star Power: Linear TV Promotions Push Premium Digital Content
- by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 30, 2017
CBS is taking its high awareness program brand, “The Good Wife” -- which ended last season -- to spin off “The Good Fight.”
But as opposed to doing this for just a linear TV network’s programming prime-time schedule, it is asking consumers to make a leap -- finding its way to a CBS branded digital platform. For many, you just can’t hit the remote.
On CBS itself, “The Good Fight” has already enjoyed a slew of on-air promos -- eight in prime time, some 22 in all since January 12. Spots are 10 or 20 seconds in length, according to iSpot.tv, and have generated 20.8 million impressions in that period -- live, time-shifted, VOD, local and other exposures.
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In an effort to secure an even bigger connection: “The Good Fight,” which will be available on-demand on CBS All Access beginning at 8 p.m., will get a special broadcast on the CBS TV network also airing on the same night and time, Sunday 8 p.m.
This is the kind of promotion many original premium digital TV/video programs just can’t get.
For sure there has been other shows which have moved in part or whole to new digital video platforms: Fox’s “The Mindy Project,” now on Hulu, for example. And efforts like Hulu, whose owners include Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox, Comcast (NBCUniversal) and Time Warner, has been active in national TV media spending for the overall Hulu brand.
Since January 2015, iSpot.tv says Hulu spent $82.3 million in national TV media. Dish Network’s Sling TV has spent, $49 million in national TV Media.
What will be the impact of marketing efforts?
One might hope TV viewers’ TV sets are equipped to launch the CBS All Access app through an on-board wireless smart function or perhaps an OTT box: Sling TV, Apple T or Roku.
CBS is gambling many TV consumers -- young and old -- will find their way. The result? As with anything, it comes down the ROI -- what’s the engagement? The return on investment? In traditional TV program speak, it means how many of those 1 million or so CBS All Access subscribers will watch.
All this may just be a tease. Trust that CBS is looking to the stars for a bigger prize: Expect much more for the likes of “Star Trek: Discovery.”
Wayne Friedman is West Coast Editor of MediaPost. You can reach Wayne at wayne@mediapost.com.
Wayne, CBS is understandably, just testing the SVOD waters to see what distribution sequences work the best. In this case, it's taking a show that it aired on the network, trying it out on SVOD and later the program will, no doubt, go into conventional syndication --to independent stations, cable channels and non-CBS SVOD players.
As this emerging trend develops, we will see more of this use of SVOD, following a nework run, but before syndication, approach, coupled with the new "Star TreK" ploy of going SVOD first, to reduce or eliminate the risks of program costs, followed by network airings, then syndication. As I've noted before, the major broadcast Tv networks abd some of the cable entities are well positioned to play these games----unlike digital wannabies, who must take the far riskier approach of commissioning shows for "original" exploitation on their own platforms.
CBS runs more promotions, "stay tuned" and aadvertising and other materials than actual real programming! And, their current line-up in Prime time leaves much to be desired as a viewer. Moonves needs to find another job!! I spent 40 years in the business and have only seen things
get worse. Pay the writers and show runners a reasonable salary and maybe we'll get some decent programming like in the past! Oh, I forgot, it's all about the stock holders!!! Cable is the place to be!!!
C. Bachrach
Las Vegas. NV