Nielsen Wire » movies

Reaching The Hispanic Moviegoer

Nielsen Wire — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:12:38 +0000

In the early days of the Silver Screen, immigrant characters were not necessarily embraced. Indeed, it wasn’t until Margarita Cansino changed her name to Rita Hayworth did she hit the big time. Today, such a move would not be necessary, as attracting Hispanics is one path for a movie to become a blockbuster. While Latinos make up about 15 percent of the U.S. population, they represent 28 percent of today’s heavy moviegoers. Almost half of Latinos age 12 to 34 watch 11 or more movies a year (compared to 7 for whites and 8 for African-Americans), and half like to see movies within the first 10 days of release.

So what are they watching? Family and action adventure films are popular, but Hispanics command the highest share of audience in the horror/thriller and romantic comedy genres. And they are not just going to the cinema; Hispanic households are 24 percent more likely to purchase DVDs than the average American household.

By understanding the unique consumption habits of Hispanics, the movie industry can tailor a portion of its advertising to a box office constituency that can build brand awareness and success for movies to come. Read more about the movie-going habits of Hispanics in the current edition of Consumer Insight.

Harry Potter: Wizard of All Media vs. Twilight Vampire

Nielsen Wire — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:57:07 +0000

With millions of copies sold, the Harry Potter book series does more than magically fly off the shelves, it has also been a force at the box office, on television, on the web, and even at the record stores. Similarly, a recent book series and film franchise, Twilight, has shown an ability to not only sell books, but also have an impact on the big screen and iPods as its brooding soundtrack has outsold the movie scores of the young wizard head to head. And while web buzz on Harry Potter still rules, The Nielsen Company has long known the power of the sci-fi and vampire community online.

As the sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is released this week, The Nielsen Company has prepared an overview of the impact of the two series across media.

Book Sales*

*Includes all formats of the book (i.e. hardcover, paperback, audio, etc.). Does not include sales prior to BookScan launch Janaury 2001.

Box Office

The first movie in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, opened on 11/16/01 bringing in $90.1 million in its opening weekend, and going on to haul in a total of $317.6 million domestically. The most recent release, 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, had the largest opening day total of the series with $44.2 million on Wednesday 7/11/07. With each movie in the series debuting at #1 on its opening weekend and raking in $200+ million in the U.S, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has some pretty big goblets to fill.

Twilight has also proved popular among moviegoers as the first installment of the series took in $69.9 million and the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend and a domestic total of $191.4 million.

Soundtrack

Although both franchises include big-budget theatrical releases, the style of their soundtracks is worlds apart. The Harry Potter soundtracks play more like the movie’s score with noted composer John Williams authoring the first three soundtracks in the series which have combined album sales of over a million copies to-date. Twilight’s soundtrack includes a compilation of songs performed by popular artists – film’s star Robert Pattinson even recorded an original track – and has sold just over 2.1 million copies since its release.

Television

So far this year Harry Potter movies have aired a total of 33 times on cable nets ABC Family, Disney Channel, HBO and Cinemax with ABC Family claiming four out of the five most-watched telecasts.

Online Buzz

Buzz tracking the two franchises shows that Harry Potter still dominates buzz, even amid the week where the Twilight movie is making its debut in the fall of 2008. [click to enlarge buzz graph]

Advertising Can Make Or Break A Movie

Nielsen Wire — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:02:34 +0000

Slumdog Millionaire, the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2008 was not a summer blockbuster. Nor were any of the other nominees in that category. But they all had a couple of things in common: they were primarily advertised in the second half of the year with a concentration in the fourth quarter, and they were all released in the months of November and December. So while the summer blockbusters get a great deal of attention, it is those films that are released – and tend to advertise – during the last half of the year that get recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, according to recent review by Nielsen.

A review of Best Picture winners over the past five years reveals that only one film – Crash, which took home the award in the 2005 – was released outside the fourth quarter (it was released in early May). But summer flicks hold their own when it comes to winning awards: the top 10 movies in 2008, based on advertising spending from May through August, included four films with nominations in other categories. Wall-E, which was ranked third after spending over $38 million in advertising during this period, was nominated in six categories – and raked in $63.1 million box office sales.

Read more about how advertising can make or break a film in the latest issue of Consumer Insight.

Top-10 Most-Watched Academy Awards Broadcasts

Nielsen Press — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:19:57 +0000

Nielsen’s list of the most-watched Oscar broadcasts since 1974:

RANK	DATE	NETWORK	BEST FILM	# OF VIEWERS P2+(MILLIONS)
1	3/23/1998	ABC	Titanic	55.2
2	4/11/1983	ABC	Gandhi	53.2
3	4/14/1980	ABC	Kramer vs. Kramer	49.0
4	4/3/1978	ABC	Annie Hall	48.5
5	3/27/1995	ABC	Forrest Gump	48.3
6	4/8/1975	NBC	GodfatherPart II	48.1
7	3/29/1976	ABC	One… Cuckoo’s Nest	46.8
8	3/26/2000	ABC	American Beauty	46.3
9	4/9/1979	ABC	Deer Hunter	46.3
10	3/29/1982	ABC	Chariots of Fire	46.2
source: The Nielsen Company (2009)

Why We Watch (Or Don’t Watch) Award Shows

Nielsen Wire — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:50:08 +0000

Movie buzz is up following the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and the nominations for the Academy Awards, but in recent years viewership for many award shows (including the Oscars) has actually been declining. Is it the host? The length of the broadcast? Or does it have something to do with the movies themselves?

According to a recent study by Nielsen Preview, viewership of the Academy Awards is directly impacted by the box office draw of the best picture nominees and the popularity of the host.

During the 2004 Academy Awards (hosted by Billy Crystal), there was a 28% increase in households tuning in. This was the year that “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” was nominated (and won) best picture. A blockbuster hit, generating over $350M in revenues, the movie’s broad appeal translated to a strong ratings boost to nearly all demographics.

Host popularity and awareness, as defined by Nielsen EDI, also has a profound affect on ratings. The highest rating for women 18-24 was in 2007 – the year Ellen Degeneres hosted. Ellen’s appeal with women also buoyed ratings (which had fallen in prior years) among women 35-55+.

For more information and an outlook for the upcoming 2009 Academy Awards, click here.

“Mall Cop” Locks Up Box Office Again

Nielsen Wire — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:09:19 +0000

For the second week in a row, the Kevin James comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” led the box office with $21.6M in earnings. Newcomer “Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans” clawed to second with $20.8M. Oscar nominees for best picture were reward with a box office surge as “Slumdog Millionaire” pulled in $3.6M more than last week, and “Benjamin Button” turned back the clock with a return into the top 10, bringing in more than $6M the weekend after nominations were announced.

RANK	Title	Studio	Weekend Gross Jan 19-25	Total Gross Thru Jan 25
1	PAUL BLART: MALL COP	SONY PICTURES	$21,623,182	$64,923,380
2	UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS	SONY PICTURES	$20,828,511	$20,828,511
3	GRAN TORINO	WARNER BROS.	$16,244,462	$97,819,975
4	HOTEL FOR DOGS	PARAMOUNT	$12,860,944	$37,455,759
5	SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE	FOX SEARCHLIGHT	$10,699,629	$56,065,245
6	MY BLOODY VALENTINE	LIONSGATE	$10,012,658	$37,687,394
7	INKHEART	WARNER BROS.	$7,601,379	$7,601,379
8	BRIDE WARS	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$6,868,664	$48,570,928
9	THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN..	PARAMOUNT	$6,085,919	$111,129,482
10	NOTORIOUS	FOX SEARCHLIGHT	$5,779,692	$31,874,538
Source: Nielsen EDI

“Marley & Me” Rings In New Year At Number One

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:45:23 +0000

U.S. Box office earnings for the first weekend of the new year reached $123.2 million – down 28% from the prior weekend ($169.9 million), but up 10% compared to the same weekend a year ago ($112.5 million), Nielsen reported Monday.

Twentieth Century Fox’s “Marley & Me” remained in the top spot for the second weekend running, with earnings of almost $24.3 million between Jan. 2 and 4.

Walt Disney Studios’ ”Bedtime Stories” claimed second place, with earnings of $20.5 million, and Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” rounded out the top three, with an $18.7 million box office draw.

Below are the top 10 Box Office totals for the weekend of January 2-4, 2009, according to Nielsen EDI.

Rank (By Weekend Gross)	Title	Studio	Weekend Gross (1/2 – 1/4)	Total Gross (Through 1/4/09)
1	MARLEY & ME	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$24,263,763	$106,664,046
2	BEDTIME STORIES	WALT DISNEY STUDIOS	$20,501,339	$85,539,168
3	THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON	PARAMOUNT	$18,691,248	$79,297,086
4	VALKYRIE	MGM STUDIOS	$14,094,617	$60,743,921
5	YES MAN	WARNER BROS.	$13,910,477	$79,507,388
6	SEVEN POUNDS	SONY PICTURES	$10,068,518	$60,147,298
7	THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX	UNIVERSAL	$6,939,295	$43,661,775
8	THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$5,049,698	$74,424,256
9	DOUBT	MIRAMAX	$5,000,893	$18,705,481
10	SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE	FOX SEARCHLIGHT	$4,690,769	$28,676,598
Source: The Nielsen Company (January 2 – 4, 2009).

Holiday Moviegoers Flock To “Marley & Me”

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:10:39 +0000

U.S. Box office earnings over the weekend following the Christmas holiday reached $169.9 million – up 120% over the prior weekend ($77.4 million), but down by 27% compared to the same weekend a year ago ($232.9 million), Nielsen reported Monday.

Twentieth Century Fox’s “Marley & Me” took over the top spot, with earnings of almost $36.5 million between Dec. 26 and 28. Last weekend’s number one movie, Warner’s Brothers’ “Yes Man,” fell to fifth place — though its weekend gross fell only slightly: from $18.2 million during the weekend of Dec. 19-21, to $16.7 million in the weekend of Dec. 26-28.

Below are the top 10 Box Office totals for the weekend of December 26-28, 2008, according to Nielsen EDI.

Rank (By Weekend Gross)	Title	Studio	Weekend Gross (12/26 – 12/28)	Total 2008 Gross (Through 12/28/08)
1	MARLEY & ME	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$36,357,586	$50,738,566
2	BEDTIME STORIES	WALT DISNEY STUDIOS	$27,450,296	$38,029,113
3	THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON	PARAMOUNT	$26,853,816	$38,725,647
4	VALKYRIE	MGM STUDIOS	$21,027,007	$29,520,979
5	YES MAN	WARNER BROS.	$16,657,046	$49,798,560
6	SEVEN POUNDS	SONY PICTURES	$13,203,236	$38,762,647
7	THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX	UNIVERSAL	$8,932,625	$27,448,085
8	THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$7,697,799	$63,480,184
9	THE SPIRIT	LIONSGATE	$6,463,278	$10,305,501
10	DOUBT	MIRAMAX	$5,339,742	$8,484,863
Source: The Nielsen Company (December 26 – 28, 2008).

Movie-goers Say “Yes” To Carrey Comedy

Nielsen Wire — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:24:25 +0000

Jim Carrey’s “Yes Man,” took over the top spot of the weekend box office for the weekend of December 19-21 with a take of more than $18M, placing it ahead of other weekend debuts including Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds,” and the animated “The Tale Of Despereaux,” featuring Matthew Broderick.

Below are the top 10 Box Office totals for the weekend of December 19-21, 2008 according to Nielsen EDI.

Rank	Title	Studio	Weekend Gross	Gross
1	YES MAN	WARNER BROS.	$18,262,471	$18,262,471
2	SEVEN POUNDS	SONY PICTURES	$14,851,136	$14,851,136
3	THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX	UNIVERSAL	$10,103,675	$10,103,675
4	THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$48,366,989	$9,890,105
5	FOUR CHRISTMASES	WARNER BROS.	$100,110,827	$7,701,375
6	TWILIGHT	SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT	$158,423,218	$5,189,319
7	BOLT	WALT DISNEY STUDIOS	$94,900,059	$4,146,856
8	SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE	FOX SEARCHLIGHT	$12,037,510	$3,053,760
9	AUSTRALIA	TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX	$41,796,525	$2,174,188
10	QUANTUM OF SOLACE	SONY PICTURES	$161,200,412	$2,051,882
Source: The Hollywood Reporter / Nielsen EDI

Tops In 2008: Best Selling Books, Audio Books

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:18:32 +0000

Nielsen has issued a year-end look at the most popular trends among Americans during 2008, covering everything from the top TV programs to the most popular consumer packaged goods.

William P. Young’s ”The Shack” was the top-selling fiction book through November 30.

Among non-fiction books, “A New Earth,” by Eckhart Tolle was the top-seller.

The audio version of Tolle’s “A New Earth” was the top-selling audio book of the year.

Top 10 Book Sales: Adult Fiction

Rank	Book Title	Author	Format	Publisher	Publication Date
1	The Shack	William P. Young	Trade Paperback	Hachette Book Group	7/1/08
2	The Appeal	John Grisham	Hardcover	Random House	1/1/08
3	The Host	Stephenie Meyer	Hardcover	Hachette Book Group	5/1/08
4	The Friday Night Knitting Club	Kate Jacobs	Trade Paperback	Penguin Books	1/1/08
5	Water For Elephants	Sara Gruen	Trade Paperback	Workman Publishing	5/1/07
6	The Kite Runner	Khaled Hosseini	Trade Paperback	Penguin Books	1/1/03
7	The Lucky One	Nicholas Sparks	Hardcover	Hachette Book Group	9/1/08
8	The Story Of Edward Sawtelle	David Wroblewski	Hardcover	Harper Collins	9/1/08
9	Playing For Pizza	John Grisham	Hardcover	Random House	7/1/08
10	Fearless Fourteen	Janet Evanovich	Hardcover	McMillan	6/1/08
Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – December 28, 2008).
Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays.

Top 10 Book Sales: Adult Non-Fiction

Rank	Book Title	Author	Format	Publisher	Publication Date
1	A New Earth	Eckhart Tolle	Trade Paperback	Penguin Books	2/1/08
2	The Last Lecture	Randy Pausch	Hardcover	Hyperion	4/1/08
3	Eat Pray Love	Elizabeth Gilbert	Trade Paperback	Penguin Books	2/1/07
4	Three Cups of Tea	Greg Mortenson	Trade Paperback	Penguin Books	2/1/07
5	The Secret	Rhonda Byrne	Hardcover	Simon & Schuster	11/1/06
6	Eat This Not That!	David Zinczenko	Trade Paperback	MacMillan	1/1/08
7	The Audacity of Hope	Barack Obama	Trade Paperback	Random House	11/1/07
8	Skinny Bitch	Kim Barnouin	Trade Paperback	Pereus Books	1/1/06
9	Dreams from My Father	Barack Obama	Trade Paperback	Random House	8/1/04
10	The Power of Now	Eckhart Tolle	Trade Paperback	PGW TR	8/1/04
Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – November 30, 2008).
Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays.

Top 10 Audio Book Sales: Adult and Juvenile

Rank	Book Title	Author	Publisher	Publication Date
1	A New Earth	Eckhart Tolle	Penguin Books	2/1/08
2	The Secret	Rhonda Byrne	Simon & Schuster	11/1/06
3	The Last Lecture	Randy Pausch	Hyperion	4/1/08
4	Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving …	Joel Osteen	Simon & Schuster	10/1/07
5	The Audacity of Hope	Barack Obama	Random House	11/1/07
6	The Appeal (unabridged)	John Grisham	Random House	1/1/08
7	When You Are Engulfed in Flames	David Sedaris	Hachette Book Group	6/1/08
8	Twilight	Stephenie Meyer	Random House	10/1/05
9	The Power of Now	Eckhart Tolle	PGW TR	10/1/01
10	The Shack	William P. Young	Oasis	6/1/08
Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – November 30, 2008).
Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays.

View the press release.

Relive the greatest hits of 2008 — stay tuned on Nielsen Wire for more Tops In 2008 coverage.

Look ahead to the new year with Nielsen Wire’s 2009 Industry Outlook series.