Are major TV events past their prime?

Miami lamented the lack of TV coverage of its beautiful city during February’s Super Bowl, owing to cutaways to a revitalized New Orleans and its celebrations. Adding to the disappointment, Fort Lauderdale was listed on the dateline of most print stories, further diluting the spotlight of its South Florida neighbor.

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver soon followed. A New York Times article recently recounted the qualms of Vancouver residents, who saw their newly lean government funds siphoned-off for security and building costs, estimated to be near $1 billion. Were the Olympics worth the investment for the publicity of encouraging future investment and tourism? In this age of everyone looking for ROI, it’s hard to gauge. Only time will tell, but many think that it will be tight financially.

I happen to think that these blockbuster events, with runaway budgets to match, were once very successful in reaching mass audiences, which justified the expense. However, in this day and age, just as mass media audiences are splintering across an ever-widening spectrum of neo-tribes (see our newsletter on new niches – Riding Out The Rough Seas: Some New Ideas For Success, April 2009), I expect that these events will be scaled down, both in scope and in expectations.

By: Karen Weiner Escalera