Canadian media buyers and planners are in New York this week as the major U.S. broadcast networks reveal what’s in store for the next TV season. Marketing has asked some top agency executives to share their impressions of the week between presentations, parties and meetings.
Tuesday, May 15: ABC
While late night host Jimmy Kimmel was one of the highlights of ABC’s upfront presentation on Tuesday, the big highlight for me was ABC’s approach to one-screen selling.
ABC is the #3 network in the market with a strong stable of existing programs such as Modern Family, Revenge, Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, The Middle, Suburgatory, Happy Endings, Shark Tank, 20.20, Private Practice and Dancing with the Stars. ABC is also home to Saturday Night College Football.
The big question leading up to the presentation—what program will be put in the Desperate Housewives time slot?
The answer: Revenge.
Although Revenge’s ratings have flat-lined, the producers will definitely be dialing up the plotlines for the new fall season. It has a huge social media following and there is very positive buzz and ongoing active conversations about the show’s story and characters.
The strategy for ABC this fall is to focus on four areas:
• add 10 new programs—6 dramas and 4 comedies
• continue to build their comedy lineup
• revamp the Sunday primetime block to fill in the Desperate Housewives void
• dial-up Friday night, which the network sees as an under-developed ratings opportunity for family comedies
ABC tried to separate itself from NBC and FOX by claiming that, with an above-average-income audience, ABC delivers more consumer buying power.
Related
• NBC and Fox duke it out on comedies, drama
• CBC rolls out red carpet (and slippers) at 2012-13 preview
The network also demonstrated a focus on innovation with a unified television strategy to buy every single screen. This is fantastic news as our industry needs to move in this direction. It is great to see that ABC has deconstructed the old selling model and is rebuilding the one screen, one CPM and one guarantee approach. Hopefully our Canadian counterparts will follow suit with this aggregation selling model.
ABC’s 10 new programs
Dramas
•
666 Park Avenue – Sunday
• Nashville – Wednesday
• Last Resort – Thursday
Comedies
• The Family Tools – Tuesday, January start
• How to Live with Your Parents (for the rest of your life) – Tuesday, January start
• The Neighbors – Wednesday
• Malibu Country – Friday
Midseason
• Mistresses
• Red Widow
• Zero Hour
Robert DaSilva is managing director, trading at Mindshare Canada
