After a year of delays, the Tokyo Olympics is finally here.
But the growth in streaming is expected to lower broadcast viewership numbers. About 27.5 million people tuned into the 2016 Rio Olympics each night during Primetime, and around 86 million households had a cable or satellite subscription that year. This time around, the Tokyo Olympics are at least 13 hours ahead of the U.S.' main broadcasting hours, and 11 percent fewer households still maintain their cable or satellite bundles. On top of this, NBC Sports is saving the live feed of several popular sports, including mens' and women's gymnastics and track and field, for its streaming service Peacock in order to drive viewers to the platform.
But despite the protests and concerns over safety during COVID-19, advertisers haven't stopped backing the Games. While sponsor Toyota announced it would pull its ads running in Japan during the Olympics, it is still moving forward with its plans in other countries. In fact, NBC Sports said it has at least 120 advertisers this year, 80 of which are brand new. It is expecting to bring in more than $1.2 billion in ad revenue, which was the last benchmark set by the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"I think it shows a sensitivity to their specific region and a respect, which the Japanese people are known for, so I think it was the right thing to do," said Influencer marketing agency Takumi CMO Kristy Engels about Toyota.
"When you look at the other advertisers out of the major ad sponsors, no one else has pulled out to date so they're all sticking with their existing programs so you'll still see the Toyota ads running here in the U.S.," she added.
Gabe Laques, MLB Editor & Reporter, USA Today Sports, joins Cheddar Bets to offer up his expert opinions on the start of baseball season.
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Baseball is as American as — Apple TV+. The National Pasttime has a new media partner this season, as the MLB will be streaming Friday night doubleheaders on the Apple streaming service. Noah Garden, the league's chief revenue officer, spoke to Cheddar News to break down the details of what's being offered in the new package and why Major League Baseball felt the need to make the move this year. "We've been in a situation where we've lost reach, even within the cable bundle. There are situations where people in the local market don't have access to watch their favorite team and their local team on top of that," he said. "You have cord cutters and even probably more importantly, cord nevers. So streaming offers of some ability to gain reach that we've lost over the the last couple of years, and Apple was really the perfect partner for us."
The 2022 Masters Tournament is slated to begin on Thursday, and one of golf's most iconic players is set to return to Augusta National, just 14 months after a devastating car accident. In a press conference, Tiger Woods told reporters that not only is he planning to play in the tournament, but that he also thinks he can win. Cam Rogers, national sports betting and golf analyst, and host of 'Lock It In'
for the Bleav Podcast Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains how his company is bolstering the platforms of sports betting and streaming networks, and discusses basketball legend and Sportradar investor Michael Jordan's role in helping the company grow.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 4, 2022, with reports of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, a weekend shooting in Sacramento killing six and injuring 12, Mexico ending its gas subsidization for U.S. drivers, and the University of South Carolina winning the women's NCAA basketball championship, and more.
Between Bells EP Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, while Baker Machado and Hena Doba test their knowledge, and maybe learn a thing or two. It's This Week in Trivia!
David Salituro, MLB and PGA sportswriter for Fansided.com, joins Cheddar Bets to break down his favorite futures bets in the MLB and at The Masters.
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