News

TICKER VIEWS – Who Wants to Win an Award?

Published

5 years ago

April 22, 2021

While viewers are fleeing TV Awards shows, advertisers remain.

Remember the old days of getting round the TV with your family, turning on the TV and watching the Academy Awards? You might have organised a fancy dress party where everyone comes as their favourite 1930s Hollywood character from the golden era.

Or perhaps you had a tipping competition for who would win Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Actor?

For decades, awards shows provided a front-row seat to TV viewers’ favourite performers.

But over the past year, awards shows struggled to gain eyeballs even though people were stuck at home watching countless hours of Hollywood content.

Both the CBS telecast of the 63rd Grammy Awards (9.2 million viewers on March 14) and NBC’s presentation of the 93rd Golden Globe Awards (6.9 million viewers on Feb. 28) dropped more than 50% from 2020 levels.

That’s bad news for awards shows and especially for the mother of all awards shows – the Oscars.

If the ratings of TV awards shows don’t bounce back after pandemic restrictions ease, the events will be an expensive problem for the networks carrying them.

In Australia, the TV industry’s Logie awards is essentially propped up by government funds and tourism bodies.

Despite the declining ratings, TV networks thus far persist with the shows.

The reason is simple, if not a bit demoralising for the TV industry: Even with mediocre ratings, these major events are still among the most-watched of any programming on linear TV, outside of sports.

And just like the TV industry, the ad industry is scrambling too.

US broadcaster ABC has sold out of commercial time in the telecast, with sales in part driven by a huge number of first time Oscars advertisers.

Oscars advertisers include: Google, General Motors, Rolex, Verizon, AARP, Adidas International, Apple, Corona, Eli Lilly, Expedia, GSK, Honda, Kellogg, Keurig, Mars, Procter & Gamble, Power to the Patient, and Subway, among others.

For them, the Oscars provide one of the only platforms to connect their brand to luxury and everything Hollywood glamour represents.

But the question is – how much lower can the ratings go before advertisers see no value. Increasingly, advertisers are looking for “return on investment” over “brand awareness”. That’s why cheesy jingles have been replaced by targeted commercials focusing on part of the brand’s target market.

The Oscars, and other awards shows, are big and bold, but are they still relevant? With the public, less so, but with paying advertisers, they are still providing bang for their buck.

News

SpaceX IPO could make Elon Musk’s Mars dream a trillion-dollar reality

SpaceX’s upcoming IPO could raise $25 billion and value the company over $1 trillion, igniting investor excitement for Mars missions.

Published

12 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

SpaceX’s upcoming IPO could raise $25 billion and value the company over $1 trillion, igniting investor excitement for Mars missions.

Investors are buzzing as SpaceX gears up for a potential IPO, aiming to raise more than $25 billion, possibly as soon as June. The offering could value the company at over $1 trillion, fueling Musk’s ambitious plans for Mars and beyond.

Despite the high-risk nature of space ventures, demand from retail investors is expected to be strong. Experts predict this IPO could become historic, with the company’s market value potentially soaring past $2 trillion once it launches.

Musk’s unconventional management style hasn’t slowed investor enthusiasm, even amidst regulatory hurdles. The funds raised could also support groundbreaking innovations, including energy-efficient space data centers.

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#SpaceX #ElonMusk #IPO #MarsMission #Investing #StockMarket #TrillionDollar #SpaceTech

News

Russia shoots down 280+ Ukrainian drones as Zelenskyy pushes new peace plan

Russia claims 280 Ukrainian drones shot down; Zelenskyy finalizes a new peace proposal amid rising tensions and military clashes.

Published

13 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Russia claims 280 Ukrainian drones shot down; Zelenskyy finalizes a new peace proposal amid rising tensions and military clashes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claims it has shot down over 280 Ukrainian drones, with 40 intercepted near Moscow, some targeting the city directly. Emergency services responded to debris, and temporary flight restrictions were enforced at Moscow’s airports amid the attacks.

Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy revealed his team is finalizing a revised 20-point peace proposal, introducing new ideas on territorial control. Ukrainian and American officials are set to consult online, focusing on security guarantees rather than the detailed points of the plan.

As tensions rise, both military clashes and diplomatic efforts continue to shape the future of the conflict. Keep up with the latest updates and expert analysis on these unfolding events.

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#UkraineConflict #RussiaUkraine #Zelenskyy #DroneAttack #PeacePlan #Moscow #WorldNews #TickerUpdates

News

Disney invests $1B in OpenAI to generate Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar videos

Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI for AI-generated videos featuring iconic characters, enhancing fan interactions and launching in 2026.

Published

13 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI for AI-generated videos featuring iconic characters, enhancing fan interactions and launching in 2026.

Disney is taking AI to the next level, investing $1 billion in OpenAI to create a licensing deal that allows users to generate videos featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. This partnership could redefine how fans interact with their favorite characters.

The deal will let users stream short AI-generated videos directly on Disney+, and ChatGPT will also produce images of Disney’s licensed characters. However, the agreement excludes talent likenesses or voices, keeping human performances separate.

Set to launch in 2026, the collaboration also gives Disney warrants to purchase additional OpenAI equity and use AI tools for product development, opening doors to new creative opportunities.

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