The Big Business of Must-See Programming Happens Every Weekend -- In Movie Theaters

Thereamp8217s no question that the Super Bowl is the biggest mustsee event on TV today which is why The New York Times Media Equation columnist David Carramp8217s excellent article about how the Super Bowl Underscores the Big Business of MustSee Live TV caught my eye on the morning after the big gameI was especially struck by how right he was in noting that amp8220It is a fact of modern life that the mass has gone out of media with television ratings reflecting that each of us is building our own little campfire on our phone tablet and big screen at a time and place of our choosingamp8221 Weamp8217ve all seen the effects of fragmentation in the media industry and know that it is a real challenge for brands to reach a mass audience Whether it is people timeshifting TV or only watching onlinemobile video that meets their specific interests or getting their news and information via any number of social channels it is hard to find a common consumer media experienceCarr is just the latest media pundit to recognize the primal human urge to have something in common to talk about with our neighbors coworkers families and even casual acquaintances You need look no further than live sports the Oscars Golden Globes CMAs or Grammys to understand that live event programming still brings people together to watch content and share it either in person or via social media However when he mentioned a big screen he completely overlooked the biggest screen of all That same kind of appointment viewing and mustsee watercooler programming is happening every single weekend in movie theaters across the countryWhile TV network ratings have dropped US movie attendance remains strong with 134 billion Americans going to the movies in 2013 alone If you consider the summer blockbuster season to be the Super Bowl of cinema this past year was the biggest ever with 48504 billion in box office 127 over the previous summer and 103 in attendanceJust as it is with TV viewing audiences social media is playing an exciting role in creating even more of a shared experience and buzz surrounding movies And while live TV events still generate the kind of watercooler talk and shared experience that used to be associated with all TV the movies are the king of the ultimate amp8220shared experienceamp8221 and the amp8220original social mediaamp8221 In fact especially for those under 35 being amp8220in the knowamp8221 on the latest films is an important aspect of social currency according to the 2013 NRG American Moviegoing Report from Nielsenamp160Still when it comes to a true communal experience the kind that Carr references in his article the live experiential and group social aspects of going to the movie theater itself is what really makes the difference to audiences as illustrated both by Nielsen and past biometric research from Innerscope and NCM Media NetworksAccording to the same 2013 Nielsen Moviegoing Report the bigtheater experience and the rituals we associate with it are the top reasons for seeing a movie at the theater with this being especially true among males and those over 35 Females and those aged 12 to 24 are even more drawn to movie going because it allows them to spend time with their friends and familyOf course the Super Bowl ratings are in a class by themselves but other major live TV events such as the Golden Globes and Oscars telecasts would not exist to drive up TV ratings if it werenamp8217t for people going to the movies and falling under the spell of Hollywood stars week after week You donamp8217t have to have watched every NFL season game to truly enjoy the Super Bowl but just think about how many people you know who are clamoring to see every Oscarnominated film before they watch the Academy Awards on ABC on March 2I couldnamp8217t agree more with David Carr when he concluded that amp8220There is even in an age of individualized media cocoons a deep hunger for a common experience and all the ritual that accompanies itamp8221 I just think that he and many others in the media business simply need to pick their heads up from their small screens and see amp8220the bigger pictureamp8221The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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The Big Business of Must-See Programming Happens Every Weekend -- In Movie Theaters

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Cliff Marks

The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health - Ad Council InSites

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The Big Business of Must-See Programming Happens Every Weekend -- In Movie Theaters

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