When you consider the growing list of events that extend through much of the year — and reach affluent and niche markets on cable networks — you realize that the industry is rife with advertising possibilities that are often overlooked. Many of these opportunities are underutilized, particularly when it comes to entertainment awards shows and pre-shows, notes Beth Miller, vice president of national sales (pictured below) for New York Interconnect. "There's this misconception that awards shows only play well with audiences in Los Angeles," Miller says. So, the New York market can sometimes get short shrift, even when it comes to studios campaigning for nominations and awards.
Although major studios tend to concentrate their "For Your Consideration" campaigns in the L.A. market, plenty of awards show voters reside in New York. "New York is a powerful market for all types of brand categories, like beauty, lifestyle, travel and, yes, auto," Miller says. "Lots of prospective auto buyers — both men and women — are watching these programs."
While the Academy Awards are the glitzy apotheosis of the film awards season, buying time in the Oscars themselves isn't an option for every brand. But there are plenty of opportunities for those brands; the entire awards season is chockablock with other shows, many of which air on cable, so they can provide a more targeted reach.
These other awards shows occur nearly year-round, making them attractive for just about any kind of sustained brand awareness campaign. They can also deliver disproportionately large viewership, especially in an influential market like New York and, particularly, if you're looking to reach a certain kind of audience. The SAG Awards on TNT, for example, saw a massive 505 percent year-over-year increase in viewers within the women 18–49 demographic in New York, according to Nielsen.
What's responsible for that increase is not easily defined — though it was a good year for smaller-budget, female-focused films such as Little Women— but what Miller and her colleagues can define with certainty is the data that shows what kind of consumers are watching and the best way for a brand to reach them.
In the case of the SAG Awards audience, for example, 60 percent of the adult audience in New York are homeowners. Similarly, nearly 75 percent of the New York adult audience for the 2019 MTV VMAs have a household income of $100,000 or more.
And when you do an even deeper dive into the data from Nielsen (and through set top boxes), you notice some jaw-droppers such as New Yorkers who watched one of these entertainment awards shows were 32 percent more likely to buy a car worth $45,000 or more in the next year.
These are all people advertisers can reach. "If you have the kind of platform that we have with New York Interconnect," which reaches over 20 million people across multiple platforms and screens, "why wouldn't you take advantage of that?" Miller asks.
The reality is that there is plenty of TV audience crossover with entertainment shows — even those primarily considered to be targeted at younger viewers, such as the MTV VMAs or Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
"There are more awards shows and pre-shows than ever before. Awards season — which is throughout most of the year at this point — is the perfect way to reach specific markets," Miller says. "It's a great opportunity that sometimes gets overlooked by brands that could really benefit from putting themselves in front of these audiences. When it comes to prime inventory, these shows really roll out the red carpet. Brands would be wise to get in the game and capitalize on these opportunities."
Don't stop now! Stay in the know on New York Interconnect with more from New York Interconnect InSites.
Click the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friends.
The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of