Ratings Archives - Page 3 of 17 - Documentary Business

Today’s discovery+ launch spotlights David Attenborough’s 10 years of ratings dominance

2021 January 3 / Africa, discovery+, Internet Economy, Netflix, Public Television, Ratings, Streaming Video, UK

David Attenborough is a promotional hook for Monday’s long-awaited launch of discovery+. The 94-year old legend narrates A Perfect Planet, a blue chip series that stands out among the new streamer’s higher quality programs. I am in awe of Attenborough’s lifetime contribution to documentary filmmaking. I earned a credit on one of his hit series. …

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PBS’s Science Strand NOVA: The production pipeline, sources, new digital platforms and more…

2020 December 2 / 'Sweet Spots', Archive, Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Funding a Documentary, Internet Economy, Network Profile, Public Television, Ratings, VOD

I turned my spotlight on to the NOVA strand in time for next week’s virtual World Congress of Science & Factual Producers. NOVA is PBS‘s science documentary powerhouse brand. Now enjoying its 5th decade on broadcast, NOVA is expanding across multiple digital platforms including YouTube, podcasting and more. Read more here about NOVA’s pipeline, funders, co-pro …

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How the channels are responding to the rise of the streamers. A podcast with Dan Salerno

2020 November 19 / Commissioning Process, Coronavirus, Disney +, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Netflix, Pitching, Podcast, Producers' Tool Kit, Ratings, Streaming Video, VOD

How are the channels responding to the rise of Netflix and the streamers? They’re launching their own streamers like NBC and Peacock, providing their brand and content, like Nat Geo to Disney +, or maybe just getting caught in the headlights. Dan Salerno is deeply specialized in documentary and unscripted programming, and together we pull …

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Sports viewers are leaving the channels. Why? What it means for the Documentary Economy

2020 November 4 / Coronavirus, Digital Video, Disney +, Distribution, Documentary Production, Internet Economy, Netflix, OTT, Ratings, Streaming Video, Unscripted TV, VOD

Sports ratings in the U.S. are in sharp decline. Why? What does it mean for the Documentary/Unscripted sector? What’s driving Sports viewing? Some industry analysts blame Covid: Empty stands take away the noise, the fan reaction shots and fan storylines that both energize games and deepen the viewer’s emotional engagement. Many fan-free top-flight games in …

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BBC STORYVILLE: Mandy Chang guides her legendary documentary strand through COVID turbulence. Our panel at virtual CCDF-CNEX

2020 October 15 / 'Sweet Spots', Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Coronavirus, Distribution, Documentary Production, Panels, Public Television, Ratings, UK, Webinars

Mandy Chang, commissioning editor BBC-STORYVILLE recently joined my panel at Taiwan’s virtual CCDF-CNEX Documentary Conference. In this post, we recap Mandy’s valuable insights into the legendary STORYVILLE stand, and the impact of COVID on the BBC’s documentary commissioning process. Our fellow expert panelists were: Hong Kong-based, Phoenix TV exec Haibo Huang And from Washington DC, veteran …

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Latest U.S. Cable Network Universes and Population Trends. Annual Nielsen Household/Persons. Update from Dr John Morse

2020 September 14 / 'Sweet Spots', Distribution, Producers' Tool Kit, Ratings, VOD

My valued colleague Dr John Morse shared his latest Annual Nielsen Household/Persons Update for September 2020. These widely used Nielsen universe numbers provide an important context for advertising targets, and thus for programming strategies. Nielsen updates all its universe national base counts once per year that go into effect each September. Total Universe This year …

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Younger UK viewers turn to Netflix and the streamers in COVID

2020 September 4 / Netflix, Ratings, Streaming Video

Young UK viewers made a dramatic turn to streamer services like Netflix during Covid. That’s the key Takeaway from a report from the BARB ratings agency on TV set usage in April ’20 versus April ’19. For Kids and Adults 16-34: Their time spent watching the channels remained quite steady. Time spent watching Netflix and …

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UK Wildlife: Top 25 programs in the year of Covid. What next?

2020 September 4 / Commissioning Process, Coronavirus, Documentary TV, Producers' Tool Kit, Ratings, UK

Here are the Top 25-rated British Wildlife and Pets/Lifestyle programs in 1H 2020. The nostalgic “Land & Country” theme that I described in my Top 100 UK Factual and Top 25 History posts is less prominent in the Natural History category. Viewers who love Wildlife enjoy being transported to remote locations that are mostly beyond …

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