Was 2008 the best sports year ever? At least in terms of viewer interest, there’s plenty of evidence to support that argument. Consider these TV sports highlights from 2008:
-The most-watched global event ever (2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: 4.7 billion viewers)
-The most-watched Super Bowl ever (Giants-Patriots, Super Bowl XLII: 97.5 million viewers)
-The most-watched cable broadcast of all time (Cowboys-Eagles, Monday Night Football: 18.6 million viewers)
-The most-watched cable golf event of all time (Tiger vs. Rocco, U.S. Open Playoff: 4.8 million viewers)
-The most-watched cable baseball game ever (Red Sox-Rays, ALCS Game 7: …
Nielsen Claritas tracked consumer behavior across a wide range of telecommunication products and services to identify this year’s key trends.
Cord Cutting Craze
Wireless/cellular only homes, which grew by 20% in 2008, now account for 18% of all U.S. households. One-third of the wireless-only households have never had a landline, while the remaining two-thirds are cord cutters. Not surprisingly, cord-cutter households tend to be younger and are more likely to rent/lease their home. Expect the wireless-only trend to grow, as homes continue to drop their landlines and young adults start new households …
Are American moviegoers an accurate predictor of overseas box office success?
Yes and no, according to a new study released Monday by Nielsen PreView.
According to Nielsen, U.S. movie box office receipts do not necessarily predict how well a movie will perform in Japan — this is particularly true of American dramas. However, movies of all genres that did well in the U.S. consistently fared well among Australian movie-going audiences.
Curious to see how other countries fared? View Nielsen PreView’s complete study.
For the past few years, we’ve seen the transition from random weight to pre-packaged, UPC-coded meat. In 2009, as more retailers look for ways to cut costs, fresh meat will continue shift from the butcher to the shelf.
Look for less meat to be cut in the store, and more UPC-coded meat to be packaged centrally and sold on the shelf.
Retailers will need to decide whether they want to compete on price or rely on their butchers and deli counters to create differentiation and customization.
Read Nielsen’s complete 2009 Industry Outlook in …
Even in a sluggish economy with slow population growth, there are expansion opportunities in overlooked markets. Seven key indicators for growth give retailers a quick assessment of a market’s potential even in tough economic times…
[read more]Web traffic from home and work to sites included in Nielsen Online’s Holiday eShopping Index increased 10% year over year on Cyber Monday, Nielsen Online reported Tuesday.
Unique visitors to the sites included in the Index reached 35.9 million, a 13% increase over this year’s Black Friday Web traffic.
Many of the top online retail destinations on Cyber Monday were the same as those on Black Friday. eBay drew the largest unique audience (10.6 million), while Amazon and Wal-Mart claimed second and third places, with 9 million and 5.2 million unique visitors, …
Analysis of local ratings for the start of the NHL season shows 12 U.S. teams with double-digit percentage increases in viewership compared to the same time period a year ago. The Buffalo Sabres remain the highest-rated NHL team with an 8.9 average household rating in their market –and boast a 14% increase in viewership from 2007 as well. The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the number two slot, with a 5.7 local rating, a 21% increase over last season.
NHL Local Ratings Box Score
• The Washington Capitals‘ ratings are up 140% compared …
As credit card companies continue to raise fees on retailers, there is more motivation than ever before to offer discounts for shoppers paying cash.
Look for convenience stores to take the lead on cash discounts, as many already offer lower gas prices for cash purchases.
As other retail channels offer cash discounts, the credit card companies may get enough pressure to reduce fees for retailers.
Read Nielsen’s complete 2009 Industry Outlook in “Consumer Insight.”
View the latest issue of “Consumer Insight.”
American households headed by people age 65 and older spent 55% more on vitamins and 45% more on medications and remedies than average American households during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008, according to Nielsen.
Households headed by Americans age 65 and older account for 14.4% of all U.S. households. These households represented 22.3% of vitamins product dollar sales and 20.8% of medications and remedies product dollar sales.
Other categories skewing to households with older people include pain remedies, canned fruit, and coffee, as well as canning/freezing supplies and floral/gardening supplies.
Rank
(by highest index)
Top 10 Categories:
Households …
In this video preview of a Dec. 4 Nielsen Online webinar: “Super Buzz or Super Blues? Maximizing Media Returns” Pete Blackshaw, EVP Digital Strategic Services, Nielsen Online, discusses how search, social media engagement, and word of mouth contribute to ROI in the Super Bowl advertising playbook.
Webinar details at Nielsen Online.
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