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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2021.The Daily News of TV Sales Thursday, May 27, 2021

DOMESTIC AIRFARES CLIMB 9% SINCE APRIL 1 The number of people traveling again is on the rise. So are prices. Airfares and hotel rates are climbing as travelers return in the highest numbers since the pandemic began, hitting beaches, mountains and visiting friends and family after a year of being cooped up, CNBC reports. Even the cost of a road trip is climbing as gasoline prices reach the highest levels since 2014. The rock-bottom fares hit during the depths of the pandemic were largely in the rearview mirror earlier this spring. Now airlines and hotels are gearing up for a bustling summer, and a rise in bookings is driving up prices even more. Add to that airlines are not flying as much as they did pre-pandemic, so travelers can expect some full flights ahead. Domestic U.S. fares are up 9% since April 1, while international fares are up 17%, according to research from Bernstein. And fares are continuing to rise. “For domestic travel, the June line is closest as it has ever been this past year to the pre-pandemic values,” the report said. Southwest Airlines last week said leisure fares are approaching 2019 levels. Further helping boost fares is that airlines are reinstating the strict rules on their more inflexible and cheapest fares, known as basic economy, according to Samuel Engel, head of the aviation practice at consulting firm ICF. Airline executives have said they hope travelers avoid such fares and buy standard coach tickets, which are more expensive. Airlines lifted the rules in the pandemic to get desperately needed travelers on board as carriers faced record losses. “Relaxing the rules in basic economy, I’m basically giving you a $30-$50 discount,” Engel said. “The intention of basic is not to sell basic economy; it’s to bring you in the door and make you realize you don’t want it.” Another thing driving up the cost of a trip is that more attractions like theme parks are reopening. COVID-era capacity restrictions and even masking guidelines (except during air, rail and bus travel), are lifting as well. The price of a hotel in some popular destinations are even higher than before the pandemic. Hotel rates in Cancun, Mexico were about $205 a night in early May, according to hotel data provider STR. That’s up from just $45 a year ago and $160 in 2019. In Hawaii, it was about $269, up from $122 last year and $263 the year before. But with more reopening, other cities are recovering. Orlando hotel rates in early May were $107 a night, up from $62 last year but still below the $133 in 2019. Even New York City, which plans to reopen Broadway theaters in September, is recovering. Rooms, which went for $123 a night last year, rose to $151 in early May — below the nightly rate of $269 in 2019. STR expects NYC room rates to rise to an average of $163 a night for June through August.

RISING AIRFARES, HOTEL RATES HIKE VACATION COSTSADVERTISER NEWS Walmart has inked a multiyear deal with Gap to create a home goods brand, as the discounter looks to drive more online sales and the apparel retailer hopes to strengthen its brand among shoppers. The brand, Gap Home, will launch on Walmart.com on June 24 and eventually bring the most popular items to some of the big-box retailer’s stores. It will start with about 400 pieces of bedding, bath and decorative accessories. The initial collection will range in price from $15.88 for a denim-styled pillow to $64.98 for a king comfort-er set... American Eagle Outfitters said fiscal Q1 earnings and sales topped estimates as shoppers spent their money on new styles of denim, summer swimwear, and comfortable bras and underwear from Aerie. The results follow strong showings from both Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch. Executives are pointing to pent-up demand, particu-

larly among younger consumers who are eager to get out of the house and social-ize again... Dick’s Sporting Goods said fiscal Q1 earnings and revenue topped estimates. CEO Lauren Hobart said the retailer saw resurgence in its team sports business as kids returned to ac-tivities following a year when many youth sports were canceled. The company also saw heightened demand in the golf cat-

egory. Same-store sales surged 115% year over year, which included e-commerce growth of 14%. Dick’s also raised its full-year financial outlook, citing building momentum… Busi-ness Insider reports that Amazon is considering opening retail pharmacies — either freestanding or inside its Whole Food Market stores. The talks are still in the exploratory stages, according to the report, and if Amazon does decide to go ahead, it could take more than a year for the compa-ny to start opening stores. In November, Amazon launched an online pharmacy for delivering prescription medications. Amazon Pharmacy is a distinct offering from PillPack, the online pharmacy startup Amazon acquired in 2018... Retail-ers stocked up on hand sanitizer and still sold out early in the pandemic as consumers scrambled for essentials. But demand is at a crawl, and retailers are trying deep discounts and promotions. The Wall Street Journal reports there’s a buy-one-get-three-free sale at Piggly Wiggly stores in Geor-gia and Alabama... Once considered a cheap alternative, store brands are gaining new emphasis from food retailers looking to change that image and turn their own brands into the first choice for shoppers. Target, Whole Foods Market, ShopRite and CVS are among several companies working to market their private labels as upscale, healthy alternatives that also offer value... Taco Bell has taken the Quesalupa off the menu once more, after bringing back the popular item on the same day in March that Chipotle Mexican Grill intro-duced its new quesadilla. The chain is replacing the item with another limited-time offering, the Naked Chicken Chalupa, which uses breaded chicken in place of a tortilla.

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

AVAILS WKOW, the ABC affiliate in Madison, Wis., has an immediate opening for an account executive. A positive and motivated salesperson committed to winning will love working for Quincy Media, a growing family-owned company. The AE will grow and develop an account list while helping local clients grow their bottom line. You’ll have fun selling the Green Bay Packers, Big 10 Football, local sports and news in the fastest-growing market in Wisconsin. Live and work in the home of the Wisconsin Badgers! Resume

and references to: bbriney@wkow.com. No calls, please. EOE. Meredith’s Arizona television and digital properties, KTVK-3TV and KPHO-TV CBS5, are looking to add to a great team! We need dynamic, motivated individuals who will present, develop, manage and solicit new and existing business accounts. This position assesses the market potential of prospective accounts and meets with local businesses to learn about their

marketing needs. The AE achieves assigned revenue goals through sale of airtime, digital or other products and services to new and existing accounts. Apply HERE. EOE. WPMI/WJTC in Mobile, Ala., is seeking a Digital Sales Manager who will ensure all digital objectives, including internet and mobile, exceed or meet company revenue growth goals. This person will become an expert in Sinclair’s digital capabilities and be able to deliver unique and valuable digital solutions to new and existing clients. 5 years of digital management experience, preferably in TV. CLICK HERE for details or to apply now. Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace!

See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details.

POLL: VIEWERS UNINSPIRED BY SHOPPABLE ADS Consumers are showing little enthusiasm for buying products by clicking on ads that run during streaming programming, according to a new poll — a potentially worrying sign for networks that have invested heavily in the so-called shoppable ads, Ad Age reports. Barely one-third of respondents to the latest Ad Age-Harris Poll said they would be willing to buy a product or service directly from an ad during a show, with just 36% of consumers signalling that they’re open to the idea. The poll also found that 78% multitask during commercial breaks, including channel surf or check their phones. That preoccupation is potentially devastating to advertisers, particularly those who’ve toyed with the idea of creating interactive, shoppable media inventory during streaming services’ ad breaks. NBC, for example, has touted its PayPal-backed One Platform Commerce technology as a game changer for advertisers by allowing the public to buy products directly in-ad, rather than being redirected to a third-party retailer’s site. The rollout of shoppable video has been expanding in recent years based on the assumption that it would drive brands’ ad engagement. The poll was conducted online May 18-19.

FORD MOTOR UPS ANTE WITH EV INVESTMENT Ford Motor said yesterday it expects electric vehicles to make up almost half of its global sales by 2030 under the company’s latest turnaround plan, CNBC reports. Its plan includes increasing its investment in EVs to more than $30 billion through 2025. Ford announced the plans during its first investor day under CEO Jim Farley, who took over the helm of the automaker on Oct. 1. The highly anticipated event focused on Farley’s new Ford+ plan to turn around its operations and expand into emerging markets such as connected vehicles and subscription services. “This is our biggest opportunity for growth and value creation since Henry Ford started to scale the Model T, and we’re grabbing it with both hands,” Farley said. The increased investment in EVs is up from $22 billion that the company announced in February, of which about $7 billion had already been invested since 2016. With the new investment and plan, Ford said it expects 40% of its sales volume globally to be EVs by 2030. That compares with General Motors’ recently announced “aspiration” to exclusively sell EVs by 2035.

RESTAURANT JOBS BELOW PRE-COVID LEVELS Restaurant employment continued to trend higher in April, but staffing levels remained well below normal for most operations. Eating and drinking places added a net 187,000 jobs in April on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). On the state level, job-gainers outnumbered job-losers by a significant margin in April. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia added restaurant jobs between March and April, while only 4 states saw employment levels decline. California set the pace with a net gain of 44,600 eating and drinking place jobs in April. New York (32,700), Texas (25,000), Illinois (14,600), Washington (12,800) and Massachusetts (12,000) also posted solid employment gains in April. Overall, restaurant employment in 49 states and the District of Columbia remained below the February 2020 pre-coronavirus level. Only one state – Idaho – had more eating and drinking place jobs in April 2021 than it did in February 2020.

ELLEN’S EXIT A PLUS FOR ‘KELLY CLARKSON’ Kelly Clarkson is set to benefit from Ellen DeGeneres’ plans to end her show after the 2021-22 season, with NBC confirming that Clarkson’s syndicated talk show will move into DeGeneres’ prime afternoon time periods by next year. In New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s three largest markets, that will push The Kelly Clarkson Show up to the 3 PM slot, a lucrative time period that leads into local newscasts. Clarkson and The Ellen DeGeneres Show may even swap time slots in some markets before DeGeneres concludes her run next spring. At present, Clarkson’s show airs at 2 PM in the top three markets.

5/27/2021

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The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

TV SPENDING FOR SUMMER MOVIES DOUBLES YOY Ramping up the big summer movie season — as COVID-19 pandemic conditions abate — movie studios’ national TV advertising spending is slowly growing. But it still lags behind 2019 levels, MediaPost reports. For the most recent two-month period (March 24-May 24), total industrywide national TV spend is estimated at $83.2 million — producing 6.8 billion TV impressions, according to iSpot.tv. A year ago, during the most intense crush of the pandemic marked by massive theater closures, total national TV

spending was at $16.2 million (3.8 billion impressions). Typically, the big summer movie season starts with the Memorial Day weekend. Two years earlier, in 2019 — during a pre-pandemic period — movie studios came in at $236.9 million in national TV spending (with 28.7 billion total impressions). Warner Bros. has placed the most dollars in this current period at $34.4 million. It’s followed by Universal Pictures at

$8.8 million, 20th Studios with $8.2 million, Disney at $7.3 million, and Warner Bros. Animation with $5.7 million.

THIS AND THAT Even with 2020’s up-and-down ad business, Omnicom’s OMD remained the largest U.S. media agency by billings, according to agency tracker COMvergence. With a 7.6% market share, OMD’s total billings of $9.5 billion for 2020 were off nearly 13% given client spending cuts during COVID. All of the top five agencies ranked by COMvergence showed pandemic-driven billings declines for 2020... Peacock will release The Boss Baby: Family Business free on its premium tier the same day it opens in theaters, an indication that simultaneous debuts may stick around. Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney, recently said his company would remain flexible on the issue... Homes aren’t the only things getting more expensive. Rents for apartments rose 1.3% in April, according to RealPage, which is the fastest pace for a single month in about a decade. The jump comes right at the beginning of prime leasing season, as the majority of household moves occur between April and September. Single-family rental homes jumped 4.3% in March compared with a year ago, according to CoreLogic.

5/27/2021

iSpot.tv

For the period of March 24 to May 24, movie studios’ national TV ad spend is

estimated at $83.2 million, producing 6.8 billion TV

impressions.

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AMAZON MAKES $8.45 BILLION DEAL FOR MGM Amazon has finalized a deal to buy MGM for $8.45 billion, just days after AT&T agreed to spin off another movie studio — Warner Bros., part of WarnerMedia — in a new company with Discovery. The deal would give Amazon a catalog of 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows to help bolster Amazon Studios, its film and TV division, as well as Amazon Prime Video. The storied Hollywood studio is home to the James Bond and Rocky franchise movies. More currently, for TV, MGM produces The Handmaid’s Tale (on Hulu), Survivor (CBS); and Shark Tank (ABC). Analysts believe this is only the start of a new wave of mega-media deals, which could include movie-studio operations as well as TV networks and their associated digital platforms. “The next likely scenario is a more aggressive merger or acquisition of one of the remaining traditional assets, like an NBC or ViacomCBS,” says Scott Schiller, global chief commercial officer at the marketing/media services agency Engine. For Amazon, the proposed deal would be its second-largest acquisition. It paid $13.7 billion for Whole Foods in 2017. Amazon spent $11 billion on video and music content in 2020, rising from a total of $7.8 billion in 2019.

Q1 GLOBAL TV SHIPMENTS REACH 49.96M UNITS While demand for TVs underwent a slowdown in China and Europe due to the onset of the cyclical downturn, quarterly TV sales in North America reached a historical high in Q1, according to research from TrendForce. The analyst puts the quarterly trends down to the proliferation of the stay-at-home economy and U.S. government-issued economic stimulus plans, such as the March stimulus payments of $1,400 to most U.S. citizens. TV sales in North America propelled global TV shipments for Q1 to 49.96 million units, a 24.2% quarter-over-quarter decrease but an 11.5% year-over-year increase. The gradual rise of TV set costs means companies are finding it difficult to offer peak season discounts. TrendForce is therefore revising its forecast of TV shipments for 2021 downward to 221 million units.

ACCOUNT ACTION Global health technology leader Philips has selected Omnicom Group as its global integrated creative, media and communications agency partner. The win follows a competitive five-month review, led by consultant R3, that included Interpublic Group of Cos.; incumbents Dentsu and WPP; as well as Havas, which was the runner-up, a person close to the situation tells Ad Age. The partnership is subject to the signing of a final contractual agreement, according to a statement by Philips. WPP’s Ogilvy held the creative account since 2011. The media account was shared between Dentsu, which managed overall strategy and offline advertising duties, and WPP, which worked on the online media side. All business will be moving to Omnicom immediately except for WPP’s media business, which is said to be transitioning in six months.