Decades ago, at the birth of television, single-sponsor shows like “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “The Ford Show” were common. By the late 1990s, single sponsors had largely gone the way of those televised variety shows, a distant memory.
But lately, with advertisers becoming more concerned about commercial skipping and clutter, the single sponsor has been making a comeback, and nowhere is that more evident than on the evening news.
Over the past 15 months, all three broadcast evening newscasts have aired at least two single-sponsor episodes. The appeal is simple. It gives the advertisers exclusivity and, with fewer commercial interruptions, it frees the newscast up for long-form pieces.
The three networks estimate that single-sponsorship deals result in an extra five to six minutes of news time.
“It’s not uncommon now on the news programs,” says one network spokesperson. “It gives you a little more time to devote to the news.”
CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was the latest newscast to employ a single sponsor in a deal with Pfizer Tuesday night. It marked the second time CBS has used the format. The first was on Nov. 13, 2007.
NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” started the trend in November 2006, when Phillips Electronic became the newscast’s single sponsor for one night as part of a larger one-week deal encompassing two NBC Universal cable shows and a digital weather channel. Since then, “Nightly” has had five more single-sponsor episodes and plans another in March.
ABC ran its first single-sponsor newscasts in April 2007, when it used the format for four straight Mondays. That freed up time to devote to a series about important global issues like infant mortality in Africa.
“World News with Charles Gibson” has since used the format eight times, each time for a month’s worth of Mondays with a series of in-depth, interlinking features.
“The format has been a great success and you'll definitely see more of it on ‘World News’ in the future,” says an ABC spokesperson.
The networks won’t say exactly how much advertisers pay for the opportunity, but it’s surely a premium. The first Phillips sponsorship came as part of a greater $2 million deal with NBC Universal.
While the format doesn’t have a huge impact on viewership, it does sometimes give a newscast a bump, as seen with the initial “Nightly News” and “World News” stunts, which received decent publicity.
Meanwhile, in evening network news ratings for the week ended Feb. 10, NBC’s “Nightly News” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.69 million, as well as among 25-54s with a 2.4 average rating. ABC’s “World News” was second in viewers, averaging 9.05 million, and among 25-54s with a 2.3, while CBS’s “Evening News” was third for the week with 6.76 million total viewers and a 1.7 25-54 rating.
In other dayparts for the week ended Feb. 3, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was once again first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.23 million tuning in, and was also first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.2 rating. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was second in viewers with 3.61 million and among 25-54s with a 1.1, with ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” pulling 3.01 million viewers and a 1.0 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” wasn’t rated that week due to the network’s extended Super Bowl programming.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” finished first for the week, averaging 4.9 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” had 3.8 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.4 million viewers and a 1.0 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 2.0 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.5, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.6 million viewers and a 0.6, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.2 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 6.1 million total viewers and a 4.6 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.9 million viewers and a 3.8/13. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 3.3 million total viewers and a 2.5/8.
CBS once again had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 4.14 million viewers, but was third among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 3.09 million viewers, but was first among women 18-49 with a 1.5 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.86 million and was second among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending February 3, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.2 |
8 |
1.2 |
4.231 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.6 |
7 |
1.1 |
3.606 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.2 |
6 |
1.0 |
3.011 |
|
News Sunday* |
Fox |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
*Not rated due to the network’s Super Bowl programming
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending February 3, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
4.9 |
1.4 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.8 |
1.2 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.4 |
1.0 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
2.0 |
0.8 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.7 |
0.5 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.6 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.2 |
0.5 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending February 3, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.6 |
15 |
6.12 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.8 |
13 |
4.90 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.5 |
8 |
3.31 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending February 3, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
4.14 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
3.09 |
1.5 |
|
NBC |
2.86 |
1.4 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending February 10, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.4 |
9.691 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.3 |
9.045 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.7 |
6.756 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending February 3, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
8.2
|
9198
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.5
|
7325
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.9
|
6622
|
|
4
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.5
|
6187
|
|
5
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
5.3
|
5999
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
5.1
|
5804
|
|
7
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5571
|
|
8
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.7
|
5280
|
|
9
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
4.5
|
5065
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.2
|
4736
|
|
10
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.2
|
4719
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.2
|
4686
|
|
13
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.0
|
4467
|
|
14
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.7
|
4146
|
|
15
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.4
|
3890
|
|
16
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.3
|
3713
|
|
17
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
3.2
|
3603
|
|
17
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.2
|
3586
|
|
17
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.2
|
3585
|
|
20
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
3.1
|
3493
|
|
21
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
3.0
|
3337
|
|
21
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
3.0
|
3335
|
|
23
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3315
|
|
23
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3275
|
|
25
|
ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.7
|
3050
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
