Sell Summertime Scripted Shows — Advertisers Want Them

 

Sshhhh. I’ve got a secret for you. Advertisers want to buy time during scripted shows, not reality shows. “What?” You gasp. “I know,” I whisper back. Media buyers are reporting a small, slow shift in the paradigm.

Not only are advertisers changing their tunes, but apparently the TV production world is turning upside down — with production costs on reality series rising higher than those associated with scripted shows! “What is this crazy talk?” You ask.

I just read on TheWrap, that networks “that take the summer off” and don’t provide new shows for this season, aren’t cuttin’ it with the ad buyers anymore. Heck, advertisers are even ok with buying time during re-runs, as long as they’re scripted.

“Advertisers do like to see the broadcast networks putting on fresh scripted shows during the summer like ABC is doing this year,” one media buyer says in the article. “There are the top-tier summer reality shows that advertisers will embrace. But for the most part, an advertiser would rather take a lower rating in a new scripted show than a higher rating in a lower-tier reality show.”

The story goes on to say, “reality shows are getting more elaborate, and studios are finding creative ways to make scripted TV less expensive.” “The trend that started about 10 years ago to simply throw on reality shows during the summer is starting to come full-circle,” a network executive tells TheWrap. “You’re going to see more fresh scripted shows being put on broadcast schedules during the summer going forward.”

Tell your clients that shows perceived as flops to the networks are winners for advertisers. ABC is airing 3 new scripted series this summer, with so-called poor ratings. But TheWrap reports those shows actually have better ratings as compared with the same time slots of last summer’s shows.

And the model has worked well for cable in the summer. Cable doesn’t “take the summer off.” They get fresh ad dollars for original programming such as “Mad Men” and “Burn Notice.” Ad executives already are predicting more new shows for next summer.

“There are many advertisers who just don’t want to buy 16 weeks of summer game shows or reality,” one network executive says. “The thinking is that the audiences for many of these summer game shows are not the audiences they want to reach with their advertising.”

[Source: "Ad Buyers Sour on Schlocky Summer Reality: 'We Want Scripted'." TheWrap.com. July 12, 2010.]