Without the heavy political spending, total spot revenue dropped 17.4% in the third quarter compared to last year, according to Matrix Solutions. And core was dragged into negative territory by weakness in a host of categories, including including quick service restaurants (down 42.5%), retail (down 28.5%), legal services (down 22.5%) and telecommunications (down 6.2%). Auto was up nearly 5%.
MATRIX LOCAL TV SALES REPORT
3Q 2013 Spot Recap: Total, -17.4%; Core, -1.2%
Feeling the full effect of the political advertising comps, total spot revenue dropped 17.4% in the third quarter compared to the same quarter last year, according to Matrix Solutions.
Core revenue, which factors out political spending, was also down compared to 2012, but only 1.2%.
The comparison with 2011 are much brighter. Total was up 6.4%, while core rose 7.5%.
Matrix is a Pittsburgh-based supplier of customer relations and sales management software. Its quarterly local TV sales report, exclusive toTVNewsCheck, is based on sales data from more than 400 client TV stations. It includes revenue from station-specific websites and digital subchannels.
The auto spending continues to be strong, rising 4.6% in the quarter, thanks mostly to a 21.3% gain from local dealerships (tier 1). That and a 5.8% increase from dealer associations (tier 2) more than offset a 17.6% drop in direct spending from the auto makers (tier 1).
“Matrix has been predicting that automotive will continue to grow through at least 2013 and that seems to be happening,” said Matrix President D.J. Cavanaugh.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
The strongest category was casual dining. It was up 134.3% over 2012 and 153.7% over 2011.
Another bright spot was services. It was up 50.4% for the quarter.
But core was dragged into negative territory by weakness in a host of other categories, including quick service restaurants (down 42.5%), retail (down 28.5%), legal services (down 22.5%) and telecommunications (down 6.2%).
Healthcare was off 14.1%, despite the roll out of Obamacare.
“Many people are expecting a rise in healthcare advertising, but Matrix hasn’t seen it in 2013, with a few market-specific exceptions,” Cavanaugh said.
Broadcast TV Sales, Third Quarter Comparisons
| Category Group | 2013 vs. 2012 | 2013 vs. 2011 |
| Alcoholic Beverages | +56.2% | +128.0% |
| Auto Total | +4.6% | +34.0% |
| Auto — Tier 1 | -17.6% | -7.2% |
| Auto — Tier 2 | +5.8% | +80.5% |
| Auto — Tier 3 | +21.3% | +20.5% |
| Department Stores | -1.4% | -27.3% |
| Education | -9.3% | 2.2% |
| Financial, Insurance, Real Estate | -0.9% | -4.5% |
| Food | +5.0% | -7.4% |
| Furniture | +11.4% | +31.1% |
| Government & Organizations | -50.4% | -34.0% |
| Health Care | -14.1% | -5.9% |
| Home Stores & Products | -8.5% | -13.3% |
| Legal Services | -22.5% | -25.3% |
| Leisure & Entertainment | +6.1% | +7.5% |
| Media | -1.1% | -6.1% |
| Non-Alcoholic Beverages | -0.3% | -2.5% |
| Political | -93.6% | -40.8% |
| Products | -6.3% | +8.0% |
| Restaurants — All | -9.5% | -19.7% |
| Restaurants — Quick Serve | -42.5% | -51.0% |
| Restaurants — Dining | +134.3% | +153.7% |
| Retail | -28.5% | -22.8% |
| Services | +50.4% | +88.5% |
| Supermarkets/Grocery | -11.9% | +3.1% |
| Telecommunications | -6.2% | +8.9% |
| Travel | +4.3% | +19.2% |
| GRAND TOTAL | -17.4% | +6.4% |
| EXCLUDING POLITICAL | -1.2% | +7.5% |
| SOURCE: Matrix Solutions |
Comments (19)
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 10:27 am
HopeuMakeit, eagleeye1 and Insider….any comments now?
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 11:42 am
Being down 1.2% hardly means the sky is falling, like many of the posters here would like to believe. That 17.4% means nothing when you factor in all the political and Olympic spending. Q3 2014 will be up from from 2013 when you factor in political.
Wagner Pereira says:
November 1, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Ratingsdrop is clueless. Apparently does not understand even/odd year of Broadcast TV Revenues. And missed key line “The comparison with 2011 are much brighter. Total was up 6.4%, while core rose 7.5%.”
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 5, 2013 at 5:05 pm
No you are clueless…of course it’s better than 2011 which was three years outside of the worst economic crisis since the depression so everything looks rosie when comparing the last 5 years. So, comparing now to 2011 is not what I am interested in….long term is what your problem is….who wants a model that relies on even/odd broadcasting….you want to rely on politcal ads in only certain markets to fuel your revenue based on LUR’s? And olympics suck the money out of the market for most other Networks….when you combine that with more people fast forwarding ads (I am sure you are a fan of C7 too) the party is over. You clearly dont have a clue.
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 11:46 am
Olympic spending is for one Network and it’s cable properties…hardly helps the other stations. Political is only meaningful in a handfulf of States/DMA’s. New York and LA for example get very little Presidential Political bc they are Blue states and always will be. SOme of the Midterm elections do fuel the DMA’s a bit more but it’s over….the party is over
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Then how do you account for spot tv being down 17.4% including political and only 1.2% excluding political? That’s a huge difference. Yes of course political means more in Virginia and Ohio than New York and California but it still adds up to a lot overall, as evident by this story.
Wagner Pereira says:
November 1, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Only your party is over. “The comparison with 2011 are much brighter. Total was up 6.4%, while core rose 7.5%.” Clearly you do not understand how TV Revenue Tracks.
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 12:32 pm
the point is that it’s down and continuing to slip. Who would have ever thought Local Spot would have to rely on disgraceful political ads to help it along? The problem is that more and more consumers do not want to view annoying television commercials and they are a complete waste of everyone’s time when they pack 22 minutes of ads in an hour long drama. Who in their right mind wants to waste that precious time. DVR it, play it back in 38 minutes and exercise for the other 22 minutes. Have you seen how fat America is? Take control, watch Netflix without ads, read, talk do your kids….just don;t sit there and watch tv ads! More and more people are doing just that and that is why local spot and network ratings have eroded. Thats all i am saying
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 12:48 pm
Yep, the reason why America has an obesity problem is because too many people are watching TV commercials instead of exercising! By the way, your response sounds like more like a pep rally full of your personal views for why people should not watch TV as opposed to anything constructive.
kendra campbell says:
November 1, 2013 at 1:52 pm
90% of TV content is garbage – whether it be network, local, or cable. Paying an insane monthly fee compounds the misery. Toss in the obscene commercial glut and you have a toxic mess.
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 2:20 pm
Of course because you think 90% of TV content is garbage it is safe to assume that everyone thinks the same way, right? Another useless post without any real constructive facts. Plus, the quality of content isn’t really the argument that the anti-tv posters are making here.
Wagner Pereira says:
November 1, 2013 at 3:15 pm
There you go stating incorrect stuff again. “down and continuing to slip”. Can you read? “The comparison with 2011 are much brighter. Total was up 6.4%, while core rose 7.5%.”
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 12:58 pm
thats part of it (obesity) and sedentary behavior in general, and it doesnt take agenious to figure that out. And my personal views seemed to be shared by many because ratings are down and fragmentation is up..
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Your new argument is about why someone should work out over watch TV, but your prior argument was specifically about people should still watch TV, but just get a DVR and spend that precious extra 22 minutes of the hour exercising instead of watching commercials. I hate to break the news to you, but DVR’s and nextflix aren’t going to get people to exercise more.
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 2:50 pm
my point is if you watch tv without commercials you have more time to do things like work out, wheras if you watch tv and sit their like an obese lazy drone (which is not the true audience that advertisers want anyway) watching the content of show AND the idiotic commercials then you are lazy and stupid.
Debra winans says:
November 1, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Yes, fast-forwarding through commercials does give you more time to do whatever you please, but if not having a DVR is the main reason why someone isn’t exercising, then getting a DVR isn’t going to make them work out. Get a clue. Plus, DVR’s and netflix only encourage more TV viewing instead of discouraging it.
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 5, 2013 at 5:14 pm
keep watching tv boys and all the ads that go with it, but better yet keep fooling yourself into thinking the audience with the buying power (the affluents) watch all teh ads….to quote Dean Wormer from Animal House…”Fat, Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life son”
Henry Chmielefski says:
November 1, 2013 at 1:05 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/14/tv.watching.unhealthy/
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/drmao/4-reasons-turn-tv
get a clue
Wagner Pereira says:
November 1, 2013 at 3:31 pm
And clearly CNN viewers have taken that advice as their ratings continue to go in the dumper.