Here's a rare circumstance of any Upfront or NewFront event season -- two media organizations carving out different media pathways who agree to fuse their respective presentations at one day, time and space. In this case, the day and time is late afternoon April 10th. The space is Classic Car Club, across from the Javitz Center on the West Side Highway's pedestrian walkway/bikeway. The players: ReachTV, the programming service best known for its presence at terminal gates inside 90 airports coast-to-coast, and Pod Digital Media, a leading distributor of multicultural podcast series.
The Big Message: The same from both companies -- we reach more consumers than generally believed every month, because we show up way beyond our core distribution path with a variety of original content. In addition to airport terminals, ReachTV is available in 500,000 hotel rooms nationwide and gets carried on a number of multichannel bundles through smart TV products. Pod Digital Media has a strong presence on social media and historically Black college and university campuses, including co-sponsored events. "Whatever you need, we can do," insisted ReachTV Chief Executive Officer Lynnwood Bibbens. "We can ensure your messages can be amplified," added Gary Coichy, Pod Digital Media's chief executive.
Hosts: Coichy offered his company's presentation first, followed by Bibbens.
What Worked: Solid, meaty 10–15-minute presentations from both entities that hit all the key bases, from details on first-run programming coming to audiences the rest of 2024 and 2025 to how advertisers are producing unique campaigns and outreach. Well-constructed videos and slides enhanced each pitch.
What Also Worked: Those distinctive, eye-catching classic cars occupying one side of the presentation room. Likely inspired some attendees to come back another day and take a test spin with at least one of them. Save the auto with artistic graffiti all over for my ride.
Data Points: Pod Digital Media's content lineup from more than 400 podcasters attracts more than 30 million impressions every month. About 400 advertisers are on board, including Walmart, Lexus, McDonald's, Vitamin Water, NerdWallet and PepsiCo. ReachTV's combination of terminal gate, hotel and smart TV bundle availability draws more than 50 million viewers each month, attracting such sponsors as Hilton, Bose, Netflix and Sony. Average viewing time: 70 minutes. Thousands of hours of live sports from various linear broadcast and cable networks are simulcast on ReachTV, more than 1,100 NBA games this season alone.
News: Expect a leap in new ReachTV series launches and development over the 2024-25 season. Entertainment news host and entrepreneur Maria Menounos will be involved in two series -- Maria Discovers More, covering a mix of travel and pop culture topics, and a trivia-centric game show. Both series are expected to debut before the end of 2024. Bill Rancic, the businessperson who became The Apprentice's first winner, will host and produce Dollar Bill With Bill Rancic, a series presenting tips and takeaways for entrepreneurs on the rise. Along with adding new podcasts to its roster, Pod Digital Media will team up with ReachTV to co-produce content available in both audio and video formats in the near future.
Bonus Points: Celebrity testimonials In-person from Kenny Burns, host of The Kenny Burns Show podcast, Menounos and Rancic.
Parting Words: "Any genre you have in the podcast space, we have. It's all about authenticity. In the podcast world, you can have an opinion and stand on that opinion. We need authentic voices to speak on behalf of you." - Gary Coichy, Pod Digital Media Chief Executive Officer
"How do we talk to each and every person on their (airport) journey in a unique way? For us, it's live sports, business content and travel shows." - Lynnwood Bibbens, Chief Executive Officer at ReachTV
"If you're not learning, you're dying. My objective with Dollar Billis to make lives better."-Bill Rancic
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