Nielsen has revealed it will end its panel-based television ratings later this year, ending a decades-long practice that served as the industry standard.
In the fourth quarter, Nielsen will stop selling its panel-based ratings, instead focusing on its Big Data + Panel measurements. Last week, the company revealed the Big Data + Panel measurements had been accredited by the Media Rating Council. The new measurement metric combines figures from the company’s consumer panel data with those supplied by third-party vendors, namely smart TV manufacturers.
The decision from the ratings agency comes after years of stating its intention to move away from the panel-based formula. In 2020, Nielsen revealed it would move away from the system by 2024. However, due to pushback from advertisers that claimed the move was rushed, the company continued to operate as normal.
The change from Nielsen comes on the heels of increased digital measurement competition from companies like iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp, among others in a growing field.
According to a survey released by Advertiser Perceptions last year, 60% of advertising firms used an alternative to Nielsen in 2024. That does not mean those same advertisers didn’t also utilize data from Nielsen, but it does show the rise of challengers to the field dominated by the company.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Sponsorships are a big deal in sports. They’re one of the reasons why sports fans get to enjoy top-tier events with massive budgets and incredible productions. They’re also the primary reason why sports clubs can afford to pay players the amounts they pay, so they are a major factor in the level of sports we get to watch.
Gambling companies have been some of the largest sponsors of sports teams and events lately. From football stadiums bearing the names of betting giants to having their logos on jerseys – the influence of gambling operators on sports events is hard to miss. But is it a good thing? Are there any potential drawbacks in having gambling companies like Ohio casino sitessponsoring sporting events? That’s what we will discuss in this article, so stay tuned.
The Benefits of Gambling Sponsorship in Sports
We will start by pointing out the benefits of having gambling companies sponsoring sports teams and events. Some of them are obvious, but some go beyond the sport itself, so let’s check them out.
Financial Support for Sports Teams, Players, and Events
It’s no surprise that sponsorship deals with gambling companies bring in massive amounts of money to sports teams. Many of them rely heavily on this financial backing to cover their basic expenses, like player salaries, travel costs, and stadium maintenance. Simply put, without this funding, even big clubs would struggle to stay competitive. Smaller teams might even struggle with their daily operation. Betting companies have deep pockets, and their support helps teams remain solvent, just like Roulette77 France helps users learn all about roulette, and allows them to invest in their growth.
Let’s take the English Premier League as an example – one of the most-watched sporting leagues in the world. More than half of the 20 teams that participate in the league currently have sponsorship deals with betting companies, with all of them counting in the millions.
Perks for Fans
Gambling companies that sponsor sporting events often offer perks for these events, like free tickets, giveaways, or contests where fans can get free merch from the teams the company sponsors. These are all marketing strategies used by gambling companies to lure more users to their platforms, but they add entertainment for fans that goes beyond the game itself.
Job Creation and Economic Boost
One major benefit of the gambling industry’s partnership with sports is job creation. No, it’s not just the jobs of players, coaches, and team staff, but also for many marketing professionals, event organizers, media companies, and more. Here, we have the so-called ripple effect that contributes to local economies and contributes to the overall sports ecosystem. For example, many major tournaments that are sponsored by betting companies attract thousands of tourists, which boosts local hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses.
Increased Sports Popularity
Yet another obvious benefit is the increased popularity of sports. When more money flows into sports through sponsorships, it means better marketing campaigns and bigger events. The bigger the event, the wider coverage it gets, which, in turn, means a higher-quality experience for fans. A great example of this analogy are darts and snooker – two sports that have benefited massively from gambling sponsorships, which have played a large part in promoting these sports.
Potential Downsides of Gambling Sponsorship in Sports
We’ll take a look at some of the potential downsides that come with gambling sponsorships in sports.
Promotion of Gambling to Vulnerable Audiences
The primary concern is that gambling sponsorships may expose young and vulnerable individuals to betting. Sporting and gambling regulatory bodies have been trying hard to limit this exposure, but seeing betting logos on jerseys or ads during games normalizes gambling for younger audiences, which may potentially lead to problem gambling.
Dependence on Gambling Sponsorships Money
Relying too much on gambling sponsorships can create dependency for clubs. If, for example, regulations tighten, the public sentiment shifts or the gambling company simply decides to cut back on its sponsorship, the clubs and sports organizations that have been heavily funded by these gambling companies could find themselves in trouble.
The UK is currently debating stricter advertising rules that would apply to gambling company sponsorships, particularly about having their logos on the fronts of jerseys, and this new regulation could impact the clubs that depend on betting sponsorships.
Pros of Gambling Sponsorships in Sports
Potential Cons
Financial support for teams
Promoting gambling to vulnerable audiences
Job creation
Financial dependency for clubs
Boosting the popularity of smaller sports
Fan engagement
Comparing the Pros & Cons of Gambling Sponsorships for Sports
While gambling sponsorships have some drawbacks, the benefits are so big they’re hard to ignore. But, the key is to find a balance. One solution that has been proposed is to impose regulations that limit exposure to younger audiences and promote responsible gambling. Many betting companies already promote initiatives that encourage safe gambling and support gambling addiction programs.
77 WABC has become a powerhouse in New York. Station owner John Catsimatidis knows that and is seeing it up close as hosts Curtis Sliwa, Anthony Weiner, and Frank Morano are all reportedly mulling runs for political office.
During an appearance on Sid and Friends in the Morning on Monday, Catsimatidis shared that the station will likely see some attrition in the coming months.
“We have a good team,” John Catsimatidis said. “We’re gonna have to make some changes, maybe by March 1. Some people are running for office. I don’t know how that’s gonna be handled.”
While Catsimatidis didn’t directly say which of the station’s hosts would be running, Sid Rosenberg chimed in by saying that Curtis Sliwa, Anthony Weiner, and Frank Morano were who the owner was speaking of.
Sliwa, a Republican, is likely to vie for the party’s nomination in the upcoming Mayoral race, which will take place in November. He earned the nomination in 2021 before losing the election to Eric Adams (D).
Meanwhile, both Anthony Weiner — a Democrat who previously served on City Council, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives — and Frank Morano, a Republican, are likely to enter a race for City Council in The Big Apple. Morano officially announced his intention to run for office on Sunday, stating he had the blessing of outgoing councilman Joe Borelli.
John Catsimatidis has also publicly shared an interest in running for mayor. However, it does not appear as if the billionaire, who ran for the office in 2013, will not launch a campaign to earn the Republican Party’s nomination for the role.
Currently, Curtis Sliwa hosts on 77 WABC weekdays from 12-1 PM. Morano hosts the nationally syndicated The Other Side of Midnight, while Weiner hosts a pair of weekend programs for the news/talk station.
Primary elections in New York are currently scheduled for Tuesday, June 24th.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Rufio has exited “The Fred Show” and Top 40 103.5 KISS FM WKSC, Chicago.
Kevin “Rufio” Santiago announced on Facebook that he was leaving the station after 17 years with it and seven as part of “The Fred Show.”
In the post, he indicated that he had sought a pay raise when his contract was up.
“I believed it was an appropriate time to discuss a compensation increase, especially as the show continued to expand into new markets and demand more from its team. However, the company decided not to negotiate and offered a flat contract with no pay increase, extending my current salary for another three years.
“To add to the challenge, iHeart did not offer severance. While this outcome isn’t what I had hoped for, I made the difficult decision to stand up for myself and advocate for my worth.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Jon Gruden, a former Super Bowl champion head coach in the NFL, signed a multiyear deal with Barstool Sports. The hire occurred three years after he resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the revelation of emails that contained remarks that were homophobic and misogynistic. Gruden had previously worked at ESPN where he broadcast Monday Night Football games for nine seasons alongside various colleagues, some of whom included Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico and Sean McDonough.
During the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, WFAN co-host Gregg Giannotti saw Gruden watching the game with his colleagues at Barstool Sports. Morning show co-host Boomer Esiason replied that it was evident that Gruden has a disdain for the commercials playing on television. Giannotti added that it seemed the former head coach was “starting to become annoyed” with some aspects of the job. The countenance Gruden portrayed while watching a Taco Bell commercial captured on video conveyed ostensible frustration, resulting in Giannotti making a prediction on the air.
“I bet that after he does the Super Bowl and watches the Super Bowl with those guys, you’re not going to see him watching any more games with those guys,” Giannotti said.
“If State Farm is doing a commercial with Patrick Mahomes and the coach, why not shoot five commercials that day and rotate them?,” Al Dukes, producer of Boomer & Gio on WFAN, said later in the segment. “That’s the problem people have – it’s like the same commercial over and over and over again.”
Earlier in the conversation, Esiason explained that CBS Sports had 69 commercial units for the AFC Championship Game that the company needed to include in the broadcast. As someone who worked on The NFL Today studio show for 22 years, he is aware of how things need to be moved around to ensure these units are successfully executed. Giannotti expanded on the disquiet surrounding commercials by delineating how some consumers view games during the year.
“The other problem is that for the entire regular season, you don’t watch a single commercial,” Giannotti said. “If you’re someone who has RedZone or the Ticket or whatever, you’re just not watching the commercials, and then when you get to standalone games, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is the longest day of my life.’”
Esiason voiced that he would tell Gruden and other players that the commercials are how rightsholders go about making the money back that they invest in NFL broadcasts. Furthermore, he articulated that the league is bringing other broadcast partners into the fold and is trying to expand its schedule to 18 games. When that threshold is reached, Esiason surmises that there will be a full schedule of international games because of the interest in these marketplaces.
“And then on top of that, the NFL then can go and auction of all these games,” Esiason said. “They auction off the Saturday playoff games, they auction off the Friday night after the Thursday night game – that gets auctioned off. It’s an unbelievable business model that the NFL has created and continues to create and continues to generate just gobs and gobs of money.”
Giannotti estimates that the ratings for the AFC Championship Game are going to be massive, contending that it was a compelling matchup until the end and that many people may have been hoping for the Chiefs to lose. The AFC Championship Game last season averaged 55.47 million viewers on CBS when the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens, earning the right to represent the conference in Super Bowl LVIII. Kansas City will look to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships in approximately two weeks against the Philadelphia Eagles. Final ratings and viewership for the NFL Championship Games in the AFC and NFC have yet to be divulged.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, the political affairs program produced by Hearst, will end its run in syndication at the conclusion of the current season.
The program has been on the air for 10 seasons, with O’Brien joining in the second season.
“It’s been a privilege to serve as host and producer of Matter of Fact,” said O’Brien. “I look forward to continuing my relationship with HMPG and hosting and producing meaningful and impactful projects.”
“The Matter of Fact team, led by Executive Producer Rita Aleman, had a tremendous 10-season run and is going out on top. We have new projects in development with Soledad and are looking forward to what’s ahead in continuing our successful partnership,” Hearst President Frank Biancuzzo said.
The final episode of the program helmed by Soledad O’Brien will air in August.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Dimitri Sotis, the WTOP evening anchor who spent two decades in the daypart, died this weekend after being found unresponsive at his home.
“It is with the utmost sadness and shock that I write this email to let you all know our friend and coworker, Dimitri Sotis, has passed away,” said WTOP General Manager Joel Oxley wrote to employees in an email on Sunday.
Sotis helmed the 7-11:30 PM anchor chair for the venerable all-news station, where he worked since 1999. He previously worked at the UPI Radio Network in the mid-90s after graduating from Ball State University. He also spent time at WMAL in Washington D.C. before joining WTOP.
The station will air a one-hour tribute special to Sotis on Monday evening at 7 PM ET.
Dimitri Sotis was 55 years old.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
ESPN recently announced its broadcast schedule for the early regular-season slate of games on its Sunday Night Baseball property. Throughout the prime time presentation, there are several marquee matchups featuring teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. Yet as the network prepares to embark on another season of broadcasts, it could reportedly consider opting out of its existing seven-year media rights deal with the league. Negotiations, however, are said to have started between ESPN and MLB ahead of spring training, according to a report by Mollie Cahillane of Sports Business Journal.
ESPN is reportedly aiming to reduce its number of games while using leverage to renegotiate the contract, whereas MLB continues to try and bundle local media rights. The league has conveyed a desire to pool some of these rights to sell more inventory nationally when its broadcast deals expire in 2028. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has previously expressed the company being able to assist in the distribution of local rights and would be willing to consider deals with teams and leagues. The emergence of Diamond Sports Group from Ch. 11 bankruptcy, now known as Main Street, has resulted in the subsidiary broadcasting local games for nine MLB teams this upcoming season across its FanDuel-branded regional sports networks.
ESPN experienced viewership success on its broadcasts of Major League Baseball throughout the 2024 regular season, achieving an average of 1.51 million viewers for its Sunday Night Baseball property. The prime time broadcast achieved its most-watched season since 2019 and was up 6% year-over-year and registered growth in various key demographics. The subsequent Wild Card Series was the most-watched on ESPN platforms, augmenting 25% from the previous year with an average of 2.82 million viewers across nine games. ESPN has broadcast MLB games since 1990, the first year of a four-year agreement reportedly worth $400 million in which it televised 175 games per season.
In addition to ESPN, MLB games are broadcast across a variety of other broadcast, cable and digital platforms. FOX Corporation is the broadcast home of the World Series and also presents other games throughout the postseason and regular-season under a seven-year media rights deal. Warner Bros. Discovery presents regular-season matchups and select postseason rounds on its TBS broadcast network. Streaming options for MLB games in the regular season includes Apple TV+ on Friday nights and The Roku Channel on Sunday mornings.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Week 2 of Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024 presented by Radio.Cloud begins with the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop radio shows of 2024. In addition, we’ve revealed the Urban/Hip Hop format’s Top 20 program directors. For all format results, visit the website, follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters.
We’ve run annual Top 20 series for years in the Sports and News/Talk formats, but this is our first time highlighting music radio. It’s by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives didn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when this process began given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with many accomplished radio professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats. This is due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. Some comply, but most don’t. That’s consistent with voters in our sports and news/talk series too. It forces us to spend a lot of time digging for images to highlight everyone. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically focuses on United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 96 Urban/Hip Hop radio shows received votes on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 selections using the following criteria: Quality of Show (ear test), Originality, Ratings Success, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best, and avoid situations where managers with less format familiarity are impacting the results. 35 programmers, consultants, and executives with experience in the Urban/Hip Hop format voted on the category.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
The Breakfast Club finished 58 points ahead of Angie Martinez and earned a category high 10 first place votes.
Spots 21-25 went to The Bushman Show, Liz Hernandez, Ferrari Simmons, DJ Funk Flex, and Mike Street.
3 tight battles had shows separated by two points each. Those races included Rick Party over DeDe in the Morning, Orlando and the Freakshow in front of Stan Bell, and Justin Credible nipping The Morning Hustle.
Of the 96 shows to receive votes, 14 received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
Week 2 of Barrett Media’s Top 20 of 2024 presented by Radio.Cloud begins with recognizing the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop radio program directors of 2024. In addition, we’ve revealed the Urban/Hip Hop format’s Top 20 radio shows. For all format results, visit the website, follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters.
We’ve run annual Top 20 series for years in the Sports and News/Talk formats, but this is our first time highlighting music radio. It’s by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives didn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when this process began given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with many accomplished radio professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. Some comply, but most don’t. That’s consistent with voters in our sports and news/talk series too. It forces us to spend a lot of time digging for images to highlight everyone. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically focuses on United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 71 Urban/Hip Hop program directors received votes on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 selections using the following criteria: Quality of Shows (ear test), Originality, Ratings Success, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best, and avoid situations where managers with less format familiarity are impacting the results. 35 programmers, consultants, and executives with experience in the Urban/Hip Hop format voted on the category.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Urban/Hip Hop Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Thea Mitchem scored a 12 point win over Skip Dillard to claim the top ranking in this category. Mitchem also received the most first place votes with 8.
Spots 21-25 went to Devin Steel, Myron Fears, Michael Saunders, Mark McCray, and J.B. King.
The closest battles saw DJ Buck, Derrick Brown, and Erik Bradley separated by 2 points each.
Of the 109 shows to receive votes, 11 received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
