Upfront update:
Syfy gets real on Thursday
Adds new reality block one year after rebrand
By Diego Vasquez
Mar 17, 2010
Last year Syfy introduced its much-derided name change at its upfront presentation.
This year the network introduced something else, in addition to the slew of renewals, new shows and original movies at yesterday's presentation.
It's called the Syfy Effect, and it's designed to sell media buyers on the effectiveness of the Syfy brand by highlighting past successes and pushing the network's brand recall and program engagement.
A few factoids the network tossed out yesterday: Viewers who watched Syfy's 31 Days of Halloween, sponsored by Hershey's, were 53 percent more likely to purchase candy (more likely than who wasn't specified).
"Avatar" ads ranked first in title recall and intent to view on basic cable and broadcast. And Syfy's "Warehouse 13" was the most engaging new cable series among adults 25-54 during the second half of last year.
It's just another example of the vast research powers of NBC Universal, which put out a plethora of Winter Games data last month.
Another nugget: Syfy had the second-most hours of original programming among any cable network in primetime last year, presumably ranking up there with NBC Universal sister networks Bravo and USA, which also have extensive original slates.
Syfy also said yesterday it is launching its first Thursday reality block, coming after the success of "Ghost Hunters" on Wednesday.
The block will air from 9 to 11, launching July 15, and consist of three new shows: "Mary Knows Best," about psychic mother and radio host Mary Occhino; "Paranormal Investigations," which debunks supernatural myths; and "Beast Legends," which examines monster myths.
The network has a trio of scripted shows slated to premiere: "Three Inches," a superhero tale; "Being Human," adapted from a British series; and Stephen King's "Haven."
Tracy Morgan's "Scare Tactics" has been renewed, as has "Destination Truth," both heading into their fourth seasons. And the spinoff "Ghost Hunters Academy" is slated for later this year.
The network has also scheduled more than two dozen original movies, including its ongoing reimaginings of classic fairy tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood."
Syfy's rebrand last summer was neither a huge hit nor a miss. Its audience was down 1 percent year to year during 2009 among adults 18-49 in primetime, averaging 607,000, according to Nielsen, to rank ninth on basic cable. It also slipped 1 percent in 25-54s, where it ranked seventh with an average nightly audience of 690,000.
|
|
|
