MediaBizBuzz: The Super Bowl, Comcast, ESPN, Viceland and More

What a $5 Million Super Bowl Ad Can Buy in Digital Media

Over a billion Facebook impressions, reach every Twitter user 10 times over, 2.63 billion display ad impressions, take over NYTimes.com for more than two weeks, or 40 agency staffers (via Digiday).

+ Super Bowl Ad Tracker: Everything We Know About 2016's Commercials(via Adweek)

+ Stuart Elliott: Super Bowl Ad Vets vs. Rookies -- Who Will Win?

Comcast Eyes More Advanced Ad Targeting As Q4 Brings Video, Cable Subscription Growth

Comcast added 89,000 customers for video service Xfinity in the fourth quarter, the most of any quarter since 2006. NBCU’s broadcast network saw a 7% increase in ad sales driven mostly by higher rates (via AdExchanger).

+ NFL Will Stay Profitable for NBC, NBCU CEO Says Pay TV Bundle Will Remain "Very Good Business"(via Hollywood Reporter)

+ Comcast executives confirm company’s desire to purchase spectrum at auction (via The Next Web)

+ ESPN Says Skinny Bundles Are Big. Comcast Says They’re Not. The Future of TV Is Confused (via Re/code)

Nielsen Revises Viewing Numbers to Help ESPN

Nielsen (under client pressure) removed broadband-only homes from its sample and now shows that, as of December, 1.2 million homes had cut the cord, a much smaller number than its earlier figure of 4.33 million (via New York Post).

+ ESPN Signs Digital Distribution Deal with Chinese Internet Giant Tencent (via Hollywood Reporter).

+ Leslie Wood of Nielsen Catalina Solutions on Knowing Consumers

For the First Time, More Than Half of Americans Will Watch Streaming TV

In 2016, 164.5 million Americans will watch digital TV -- 50.8% of the US population. That's a jump from 47.8% last year (via eMarketer).

Google's Ad Revenue Rises in Q4 2015 Despite Continued Price Decline

The average price per click declined by 13% in Q4, but Google was able to get people to click on 31% more ads, sending total advertising revenue up by 17% to $19.1 billion (via Ad Age).

+ Google Search King Amit Singhal Retiring, Artificial Intelligence Research Head Taking Over (via Re/code)

From Yahoo to Fox, Corporations Slash Workforces to Adapt

Media giants aren’t sure exactly what kind of employee skill sets they need to be competitive going forward, as digital disruption reshapes the economic foundations of Hollywood’s core film and TV production business (via Variety).

Yahoo for Sale, Says Yahoo, Finally Admitting the Obvious

“They are emotionally supportive of Mayer and her desire to keep at it, but some of the board just wants to get the company sold for as much money as possible” (via Re/code).

+ Yahoo! – Yet Another Hierarchical Officious (re)Organization

Under Verizon, AOL’s Tim Armstrong Sees Massive Growth for Mobile Media, Ads

“I thought the Internet was the biggest thing to ever happen in my lifetime … I think mobile will dwarf that.” AOL is also testing a way to display consumer ratings about ads to help the industry fight against ad-blockers (via Variety).

Accordant Media's Pulse Report Shows Marketer Focus on Quality

Agency trading platform reports global RTB volume for Q4 2015 soared over 200%, average CPMs were higher and viewability rates improved 50% in 2015 (via PR Newswire).

+ Data, Consumer Insights and Breaking With the Past

Facebook's iOS Glitch Caused ComScore to Overestimate Time Spent

Total time spent across Facebook mobile apps dropped 19% after glitch was fixed, and fell 40% on iPhones (via Ad Age).

Viceland arrives in February with Spike Jonze and Eddy Moretti Named Co-Presidents

Jonze and Moretti will be responsible for Viceland’s brand identity, and will oversee content for the network, from primetime programming to “Vice Lab” interstitials and acquisitions strategy. A+E Networks’ Executive Vice President of Marketing, Guy Slattery, will take on the role of General Manager (via The Drum).

+ To Get People to Watch Viceland On TV, Vice Uses A Newspaper (via Variety)

Hulu Said to Seek Sundance Films in Push for First-Run Movies

Company reportedly expressed interest in acquiring films screened at the Sundance Film Festival, striving to join streaming rivals Netflix and Amazon as a buyer and distributor of original movies for the first time (via Bloomberg).

+ Hulu Might Lose the Best Reason to Pay for Hulu (via SlashFilm)

Rubicon Project Kicks Off Global Partnership with Gameloft

Deal will automate mobile advertising across the digital and social game publisher’s 147 million monthly users as Rubicon aims to connect brands to players (via MediaPost).

The Largest U.S. Radio Operator is Saddled With $20 Billion Debt

iHeartMedia, the radio broadcaster struggling under $20.6 billion of debt, is reportedly considering a potential bond or equity offering to pay off its most pressing obligations and buy time to improve earnings (via Bloomberg).

Accounts on the Move

Carat USA Lands a Lot More Business With The J.M. Smucker Co.

Dentsu Aegis-owned agency wins Canadian media planning and buying chores for Smucker's legacy brands, plus North American duties for Big Heart Pet Brands, which Smucker acquired last year (via Adweek).

People on the Move

Viacom Names CEO Philippe Dauman as Chair as Redstone Exits; Daughter Protests

Announcement comes a day after CBS Corp. said Sumner Redstone, also the CBS majority owner, was stepping down as executive chairman and being replaced by CEO Leslie Moonves (via Reuters).

ESPN Announces Key Roles Across ESPN Digital and Print

Patrick Stiegman takes on the new role of Vice President, Global Digital Content; Chad Millman becomes Vice President, Editorial Director, Domestic Digital Content, and Alison Overholt becomes Editor-in-Chief of ESPN the Magazine in addition to espnW (via Broadway World).

Etherton Promoted at Warner Bros. TV Distribution

Allen Etherton has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Planning & Analysis, at Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution. He will continue to report to Andy Lewis, Executive Vice President, Finance and Contract Administration (via Broadcasting & Cable).

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