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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Wednesday, May 1, 2019

REPORT: DEALERS SPENT $9.4 BILLION ON ADS The National Auto Dealers Association’s (NADA) annual report detailing where local auto and truck dealerships made and spent their money shows that so-called “Tier 3” clients invested a combined $9.42 billion on advertising in 2018. That’s a decline of 3.2 percent, or $311 million, compared with what they spent in 2017. But last year’s tally was still $245 million ahead of what was spent in 2015. NADA says dealers sold a combined 17.22 million new cars and light trucks last year. Despite worries of a slowing market, the year-end tally was an uptick versus the 17.14 million reported in 2017. In terms of advertising, NADA senior economist Patrick Manzi says that means for 2018 advertising expenditure per new unit sold was $624. That’s $5 per vehicle less versus 2017. In recent years, the high point was $633. That came in 2015, when a record 17.3 million new vehicles were sold. Where did the ad dollars go? The average car dealer spent $99,013 on television advertising last year, according to NADA. That’s a 14 percent increase over 2017. And TV’s share of advertising was 18 percent last year, up from 15 percent in 2017 but less than 2016’s 24 percent share. The report shows the typical dealer spent a total of $562,575 on advertising overall last year. Once again, the largest portion of that money was allocated to digital media and not television. NADA says the average dealer spent $316,730 on digital advertising. But after a big burst of growth, the data shows dealers actually pulled back slightly from digital last year, with the average spent online falling about $5,000. Nevertheless, in a year with lower ad spending levels, the internet’s share ticked up one point to 56 percent of all ad dollars. The remainder of dealer ad dollars went to radio, which captured a 10 percent share, direct mail (7%), and newspapers (6%). All three saw their shares hold steady. The data is collected by NADA from the nation’s 16,753 franchised dealers. After the ranks of dealers shrank in recent years, that’s on par with the 16,802 reported in 2017. New car and truck sales contributed 57 percent of dealer revenue, with 31 percent coming from used vehicle sales, and 12 percent from the service and parts department. “As margins on the sale of a new car have fallen since the Great Recession, dealers have done an excellent job focusing on their service and parts business,” Manzi says. “Since 2009, service and parts sales in the average dealership have increased by 5.5 percent per year on an average annualized basis.” NADA’s annual dealer report also reveals the average price paid on a new car hit a new high last year: $35,608. That’s up nearly $1,000 compared with 2017’s average retail price. And the average new car price has risen 15 percent between 2011 and 2018, according to NADA. Used car sales averaged $20,586 last year. Prices on pre-owned vehicles have been trending up during the past decade as well, although it’s been at or near $20,000 for the past three years.

AUTO DEALER TV SPENDING, SHARE TICKED UP IN 2018ADVERTISER NEWS Amazon may have scored points on Wall Street last week with plans to invest $800 million so its Prime subscribers can receive merchandise in one day. But analysts aren’t concerned the e-commerce giant’s brick-and-mortar competitors like Walmart and Target, with hefty online businesses themselves, have been caught off guard. Walmart

issued its own news in a tweet, while taking a jab at Amazon: “One-day free shipping... without a membership fee. Now THAT would be groundbreaking,” the company said, teasing plans to cut its free two-day shipping (for purchases $35 and up) down to one, while making a reference to Amazon’s annual $119

Prime membership. Although Walmart declined to provide Fortune with further comment, research from A.T. Kearney shows the company would only need to add eight additional distribution facilities to its existing 156 to implement one-day service... Staying with Walmart: It will reportedly invest in at least six original shows in the next 12 months in an attempt to boost its Vudu streaming service and attract advertising dollars, Bloomberg reports. “They’ve struggled to figure out their role in the new streaming environment,” said Edward Yruma of KeyBanc Capital Markets... Neiman Marcus said it expects a decline in same-store sales of up to 1.9 percent in the third quarter that ended Saturday, The Dallas Morning News reports. The decline follows six straight quarterly gains for the luxury retailer. Neiman Marcus also said it was considering a sale of its European subsidiary MyTheresa... McDonald’s posted its 15th consecutive quarter of global same-store sales increases. The fast-food giant reported earnings per share of $1.78 exceeding the $1.75 expected by analysts... Apple reported earnings for its March quarter yesterday that fell in line with expectations, although revenue was down from the same period last year. However, Apple’s guidance for next quarter was higher than analysts expected, and it said it planned to spend $75 billion buying back its own shares. Apple stock spiked more than 4 percent as it approached a $1 trillion market value in extended trading... Weis Markets is boosting capital expenditures this year to fuel store remodels, supply chain improvements and information technology upgrades, as well as continued online grocery expansion, Chain Store Age reports. During 2018, Weis Markets opened two new stores, closed five and completed expansions/remodels of three locations, finishing the year with 202 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia. The supermarket chain now operates 200 stores, following the closure of two locations in January... A new study from branded payments company Blackhawk Network found that 41 percent of Gen Z consumers and 39 percent of millennials surveyed buy e-gift cards at least once every three months, compared to 26 percent of Gen X consumers and 14 percent of baby boomers, Retail Dive reports.

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

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CONSUMER CONFIDENCE RISES IN APRIL Consumer confidence rebounded in April after declining the previous month. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index increased to 129.2 in April, up from 124.2 in the previous month. Confidence hasn’t been below 120 since June of 2017 and below 100 since July of 2016. Meanwhile, the Present Situation Index, which is based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions, jumped from 163.0 to 168.3. The Conference Board also said consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved. Those stating business conditions are “good” increased from 34.7 percent to 37.3 percent, while those saying business conditions are “bad” decreased from 12.4 percent to 11.7 percent. Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was also more upbeat. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased from 42.5 percent to 46.8 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” decreased from 13.8 percent to 13.3 percent. Short-term outlook also improved. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions will be better six months from now increased, while those expecting business conditions will worsen declined.

NETWORK NEWS CBS has renewed its entire daytime lineup for the 2019-20 season, including chat show The Talk, long-running soaps The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless, and veteran game shows The Price Is Right and Let’s Make a Deal. The bring-backs aren’t a big surprise, as the network boasts a 32-year winning streak in daytime ratings... The Lyons are officially coming back to Fox for a sixth season, but the future of Jussie Smollett on Empire remains in flux. “By mutual agreement, the studio has negotiated an extension to Jussie Smollett’s option for Season 6, but at this time there are no plans for the character of Jamal to return to Empire,” Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV said in a side statement yesterday. The move to more Empire without Smollett isn’t much of a surprise. Despite the spotlight on Smollett and hate crime he claimed was perpetuated against him, the hip-hop drama is still a big draw for Fox, even with recent string of series low ratings... CBS says that after The Big Bang Theory finale on May 16, the network will air Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell, a half-hour special in which stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco take viewers behind the scenes of the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in TV history. In the special, Galecki and Cuoco will share backstage secrets and favorite memories from their 12 years on the show, as well as leading a tour of the show’s sets. The retrospective airs Thursday, May 16, after The Big Bang Theory’s one-hour series finale at 8 PM (ET) and Young Sheldon’s Season 2 finale at 9 PM (ET).

SURVEY: IN-STORE SHOPPERS TURN TO MOBILE Mobile technology plays a major role in brick-and-mortar shopping, according to a new survey. Results of a recent study of U.S. consumers conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of RetailMeNot indicate 69 percent of in-store shoppers would rather consult a product review on their phone than ask a store associate. More than half (53%) would rather use a mobile device to find deals and offers on products they’re considering purchasing than discuss promotions with an in-store associate. In addition to using phones as assistants in stores, the survey demonstrates consumers are leveraging their devices to seek out deals that can be redeemed in-store. Nearly half (49%) of respondents have an app that collects and provides deals and discounts across retailers on their smartphones, and 65 percent of respondents say receiving mobile coupons they can redeem in-store is important when shopping in physical stores. In good news for brick-and-mortar and omnichannel retailers, survey results also show that physical stores still play a major role in retail. Eighty-five percent of respondents shop in a non-grocery physical retail store during a typical week, visiting up to three stores on average. That average goes up to four stores per week among millennial shoppers and 5.25 among Generation Z, excluding grocery and convenience stores.

5/1/2019

Seth Meyers

Joe Biden has officially announced he’s running for president. And he’s already

a front-runner, which is ideal because nothing good

happens when he comes from behind.

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

NIELSEN SEES REDUCED EARNINGS IN Q1 Nielsen reported lower first-quarter earnings as its strategic review continues. Net income fell 40 percent to $43 million, or 12 cents a share, in the quarter, from $72 million, or 20 cents, a year ago. Revenue dropped 2.9 percent to $1.6 billion. The company said that revenue was up 0.4 percent minus the effect of currency changes. The company didn’t talk about its ongoing strategic review, which could result in the sale of parts of the company or the whole company, other than to say that it aims to complete the review in a timely manner.

The company said it was maintaining its financial guidance for the year and that revenue growth would be flat to up 1.5 percent on a constant currency basis, with net income of $230 million to $285 million. First-quarter revenue for Nielsen’s Global Media segment was up 0.2 percent to $826 million, and Audience Measurement revenue was up 1.5 percent as demand for its Total Audience Measurement system was

offset by pressure in local TV measurement. Plan/Optimize revenue was down 3.1 percent. Revenue for the Global Connect segment was down 6.2 percent to $737 million.

THIS AND THAT Amazon has unveiled a voice model for Alexa that will allow developers to build skills for Spanish-speaking users in the U.S. Engadget says in addition to being available in Echo devices, Alexa in Spanish will be supported by devices from companies including Bose, Facebook and Sony... ESPN has arrived at the same conclusion as many other magazine publishers in a challenged marketplace, deciding to halt publication of its monthly print edition in September after a 21-year run. ESPN began publishing its magazine in 1998, giving Sports Illustrated a run for its money during the infancy of the internet. But both titles were eventually surpassed by the rise of digital properties. YouTube and Major League Baseball have set a groundbreaking deal that will see 13 games live-streamed for free across the Google-owned video platform in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Specifics will be announced at a later date.

5/1/2019

Conan O’Brien

I can’t believe this Avengers movie will be the last one before the next one comes out.

MONDAY NIELSEN RATINGS - LIVE + SAME DAY

NEXT FOR AMAZON PRIME: ONE-DAY DELIVERY Last week, Amazon announced its latest move to attract and retain Prime members: an $800 million investment in one-day delivery. This expansion initiative comes when growth among its most lucrative shoppers is waning. eMarketer estimates that U.S. Prime user growth will be less than 9 percent this year, vs. 12.5 percent in 2018. An overwhelming majority of Prime members say their favorite offering from Amazon is free two-day shipping, according to a February 2019 Feedvisor study conducted by Zogby Analytics. Consumers of all ages are willing to pay for quicker delivery, and Amazon’s free shipping upgrade will likely make Prime more appealing. According to a 2018 LaserShip survey conducted by Hanover Research, next-day shipping was something 32 percent of those ages 18 to 25 would pay for, as well as 26 percent of those 26 to 54. This topped the 31 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds who said the same of two-day shipping, as well as the roughly 20 percent of respondents 26 to 54. Amazon Prime has nearly 119 million subscribers. By 2021, that figure will grow to nearly 134 million, accounting for more than half of the U.S. population. But Prime membership growth will slow to just 4.4 percent. Amazon’s focus on Prime member growth is logical, as these consumers are the most lucrative for the business — Prime members spend an average of $1,400 per year on Amazon, vs. non-members’ $600, according to an October 2018 study from CIRP.

ROKU VETERANS LAUNCHING CTV AD NETWORK A pair of veterans of the OTT platform Roku are launching a new advertising network, focusing on connected TV, Digital News Daily reports. The new company, called Tetra TV, will pool video inventory from more than 100 streaming video channels. Advertisers will be able to buy inventory across platforms, with Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Playstation and Xbox on board as partners. So are Sony, LG, Samsung and Vizio, which produce smart TVs. Tetra was founded by Steve Shannon, previously GM and senior VP, content and services at Roku, and Jim Lombard, who launched Roku’s video ad sales business. Shannon serves as CEO of Tetra, with Lombard serving as CRO. Shannon tells Digital News Daily that Tetra is bringing a singular product to the marketplace. “Roku and Hulu are the only two places an advertiser can buy connected TV inventory at scale,” he says. “Neither of these outlets span across multiple publishers and multiple device platforms. Tetra is the first connected-TV focused ad platform that delivers scale across publishers and devices.” The company will focus on direct sales to agencies, with an emphasis on data-driven campaigns and outcome-based measurement. “Tetra TV unlocks premium ad inventory and provides transparent reporting with universal measurement standards for advertisers looking to reach the growing streaming TV audience,” Lombard says.