{"id":13009,"date":"2024-04-09T15:16:31","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T22:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tegnacorpstage.wpengine.com\/advertise\/?p=13009"},"modified":"2024-04-25T11:28:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T18:28:41","slug":"dissecting-the-pivot-in-appointment-tv-with-tegnas-al-reynolds-director-of-research-analytics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tegna.com\/advertise\/dissecting-the-pivot-in-appointment-tv-with-tegnas-al-reynolds-director-of-research-analytics\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Appointment TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

TLDR: <\/b>Live events are experiencing a renaissance, drawing in massive audiences amidst a sea of on-demand content. A scarcity of live programming in an era dominated by streaming services and on-demand viewing options fuels this resurgence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the wake of record-breaking viewership for live events \u2014 the Oscars, Super Bowl, and Grammys all come to mind \u2014 the landscape of <\/span>TV advertising<\/span><\/a> is undergoing a profound transformation, especially with appointment TV, live events, and sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Appointment TV Viewing is Changing<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cIn the past, the idea of appointment TV viewing was that \u2018this is the only time I can watch\u2019 a favorite show or program unless it was recorded on a VHS or TiVo,\u201d says Al Reynolds, Director of Research & Analytics at TEGNA. \u201cViewers would worry that if they waited to watch a show, they\u2019d miss out on the watercooler conversation the next day.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And this phenomenon – now known as FOMO – was a big one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m old enough to remember the Dallas finale, which culminated in this huge event attracting 33.3 million viewers,\u201d Reynolds notes. \u201cThere was this cultural phenomenon that saw Networks manipulate audiences into tuning in and watching big season finales, like Dallas, which saw 33.3 million viewers, or Seinfeld with 76 million viewers,\u201d he notes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But today, things have changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo many streaming companies have created their own content, which is the watercooler talk these days,\u201d says Reynolds. \u201cSo streaming services are blurring the lines between how you watch movies and how you watch television. With entertainment programming being available on so many platforms and everyone watching at different times, there will never be another event like the Seinfeld finale again. It\u2019s almost mathematically impossible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Appointment TV Meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To clarify, appointment TV simply refers to television programming that viewers can watch only at specific times, as opposed to streaming or on-demand TV. This might include live sports events, popular series airing weekly at specific times, or special events.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Millennial<\/a><\/p>\n

A Big Hit: Live Sports & The NFL<\/b><\/h2>\n

While entertainment content may never see 76 million viewers for a live finale, that viewership number pales in comparison to the numbers we\u2019re seeing today for live sports, specifically the NFL:<\/span><\/p>\n