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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2020.The Daily News of TV Sales Tuesday, July 7, 2020

IN PANDEMIC ECONOMY, E-COMMERCE SURGES After eMarketer’s February 2020 forecast projected modest growth of 2.8% to $5.621 trillion in total U.S. retail sales, the coronavirus pandemic then took the U.S. economy by storm, causing store closures, stay-at-home orders and declined demand for non-essential goods. As a result, the research firm now expects there to be a 10.5% decline in total U.S. retail sales this year, with a 14% drop in brick-and-mortar sales. But the news isn’t dire for all retail channels. E-commerce is poised to grow 18% following a 14.9% gain in 2019, further evidence of the digital shift. E-commerce sales have been driven by a surge in click-and-collect, specifically curbside pickup, allowing U.S. consumers to make immediate purchases while minimizing human contact. eMarketer now expects U.S. click-and-collect e-commerce sales to grow to $58.52 billion, up 60.4% from its initial forecast of 38.6% growth. The firm’s 18% growth forecast for U.S. e-commerce in 2020 reflects an increase in both the number of digital buyers and the average spending per buyer. These gains reflect the pandemic’s impact on new buyers joining the online retail space, including 12.2% growth for those ages 65 and older. In a pandemic economy, consumers have gravitated toward trusted and reliable retailers. As a result, eMarketer now expects the top 10 e-commerce retail businesses to grow at above-average rates (21.8%). Amazon will gain U.S. e-commerce market share this year, while Walmart’s accelerating e-commerce growth will take it to the No. 2 position for the first time.

HUB: VIEWERS WATCHING TV FROM 4.8 SOURCES According to Hub Entertainment Research, people are watching TV from more sources than ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hub conducted a study that found the average number of television sources being used by consumers in April was 4.8. These sources included everything from traditional pay-TV, to streaming platforms, to over-the-air with antennas. Respondents must have watched at least one hour of TV per week and had to have broadband access at home. The 4.8 sources compares to 3.7 in 2019, when Hub conducted a similar study and three sources in 2018, said Jon Giegengack, principal with Hub Entertainment Research on FierceVideo’s StreamTV Summer Research Summit. The number of sources is even higher for people following strict quarantine guidelines. Those people were using 5.3 sources in April. And people with kids at home were using seven sources. Most viewers are using a combination of pay-TV and traditional TV platforms. “This idea that people are deserting traditional TV is not accurate,” said Giegengack. “According to our research, people who use four or more sources are most satisfied.”

OUTLOOK: U.S. E-COMMERCE TO RISE 18% THIS YEARADVERTISER NEWS A repeat contender among the furniture stores vying for fastest-growing in years past, Lovesac rose from No. 3 last year to win the top spot this year, topping a number of other retail heavyweights. The Stamford, Conn.-based pub-licly held company gained position by placing among the top 10 fastest-growing retailers in four of the five measures used by Furniture Today to determine the leaders on the annual growth index. With its online sales up to 24% of to-tal sales in 2019, the retailer also sells through its show-rooms located in top-tier malls in 35 states, in lifestyle cen-

ters and in standalone locations... Bobbi Brown has dubbed its Artistry Like Never Before virtual consultancy service a suc-cess among its top-tier loyalty members and recently rolled out the program to

all consumers. Bobbi Brown notes that 46% of consum-ers converted to customers within three hours of using the service and 51% made repeat purchases… Amazon will open two more Go cashier-less grocery locations as part of a continued expansion of its grocery platform. The two stores will be located in Redmond, Wash., and Washington, D.C., while conventional stores are being planned for Los Angeles’ North Hollywood neighborhood and three sites in the Chicago suburbs… Lucky Brand Dungarees has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with plans to close at least 13 stores and sell the company. The denim retailer has struck a $191.6 million cash and credit deal to sell to a group of buyers led by SPARC Group, which operates Authentic Brands Group-owned retailers Nautica and Aeropostale... Costco Wholesale Club is altering its spe-cial shopping hours for members older than 60, reducing them from 9 to 10 AM every weekday to the same times on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. The new reserved shopping times for seniors and people with disabilities or medical con-ditions start Monday… Dunkin’ is testing several new drinks in the Northeast, including bubble tea, which is made with tapioca balls. The chain is also testing nonalcoholic citrus shandies made with coffee or tea as the base, instead of beer… Nordstrom has notified landlords of its full-line and off-price Rack stores that it will pay only half the occupancy costs for the remainder of the year, according to a letter from President of Stores Jamie Nordstrom to property owners. Meanwhile, the company has confirmed that it’s “realigning and reducing our workforce to support our market strategy, including in our corporate support teams.” The layoffs are part of a 20% reduction “to non-occupancy related overhead expenses,” the company says, although according to Retail Dive it declined to say how many people are affected... Pier 1 Imports has reached a deal with Retail Ecommerce Ven-tures and Pier 1 Imports Online to sell all of its owned intel-lectual property, data and other e-commerce-related assets to Pier 1 Imports Online. Retail Ecommerce Ventures will serve as guarantor. Pier 1 sold its IP and related assets for $20.075 million, according to a document filed with the SEC.

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

AVAILS WCCB Charlotte / Bahakel Digital — Award-winning CW in the nation’s 21st television market, seeks a multi-platform marketer to join our already successful team. Ideal candidate has 3-5 years of experience in broadcast TV and digital media sales with an emphasis on new business development. Must demonstrate an ability to think creatively, sell strategically and communicate effectively in a multi-media environment. Four-year degree in business, communications, advertising, marketing or related field

is desirable. Please email resume to: Elaine Cox, Local Sales Manager: ecox@wccbcharlotte.com. No calls, please. EOE. Senior Account Executive: WMBF-TV, the NBC affiliate in sunny Myrtle Beach, S.C., is seeking an experienced, dynamic, self-motivated individual to join our winning sales team. This position is responsible for growing existing accounts and developing new business by providing excellent customer service

and offering multi-platform advertising solutions, which include: WMBF-TV, Bounce TV, and a suite of digital media products. Minimum of 3+ years in broadcast media and digital sales and a bachelor’s degree in business or a related degree is preferred. Please apply ONLINE and be prepared to attach a resume. EOE.

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SVOD MARKET SET TO DOUBLE FROM 2019-2025 Days after showing just how much the mobile platform is contributing to the rapidly growing market, Digital TV Research has released data showing that smartphones will provide two-fifths of 1.161 billion subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) customers by 2025, up from 642 million at the end of 2019. The SVOD Forecasts By Vendor report predicts that by 2025, 291 million SVOD subscriptions, a quarter of the global total, will come direct to the SVOD platforms via mobile apps. Yet even though there is set to be a robust mobile sector, global players can’t rely on direct fixed broadband subscriptions alone to boost numbers, the study said. It noted that fixed broadband penetration is low in many emerging markets, so smartphone connections are important and that SVOD subscriptions via direct fixed broadband connections will reach 526 million by 2025 – 45% of the total. Digital TV Research calculates that a further 176 million, or 15% of the global total, are set to be achieved indirectly via partnerships with pay-TV operators, while another 170 million are set to come indirectly via mobile operators. By 2025, 30% of global SVOD subscriptions – or 346 million – will be indirect either via a partnership with a mobile operator or through a distribution deal with a pay-TV operator. A major advantage to SVOD platforms of partnerships with local mobile or pay-TV operators is immediate access to their subscribers, said Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research. “Local players can also undertake billing in local currencies. The operators gain commissions and kudos from carrying the SVOD platforms,” he noted.

DISH, VIACOMCBS RENEW CARRIAGE DEAL ViacomCBS says it has reached a new multi-year renewal of its carriage agreement with Dish Network. The agreement keeps the ViacomCBS broadcast and cable networks on Dish and its Sling TV virtual multichannel video programming distributors. Financial terms were not disclosed. ViacomCBS signed distribution renewals with Verizon Fios in April and Comcast in January. Dish has been focused on its move into wireless with Boost Mobile. The satellite company has been balking at renewing its agreements with sports programmers, including the NFL, whose NFL Network and RedZone channels went dark last month. Amid subscriber losses, Sling TV president Warren Schlichting left the company in June.

NETWORK NEWS Rookie drama Katy Keene will not continue on The CW. The drama, starring Lucy Hale, debuted in February. The CW renewed 13 series in January. Katy Keene was not among them, but the network did order 13 additional scripts for the series. Ashleigh Murray, Jonny Beauchamp and Julia Chan are also in the cast... Meanwhile: The CW has ordered Season 2 of DC’s Stargirl. The show is about high school student Courtney as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. The show “reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in an unpredictable series,” The CW said. Brec Bassinger stars.

AT&T RAISES PRICES FOR AT&T TV AND DIRECTV AT&T has quietly initiated cross-tier price increases for its new IP-based pay-TV platform, AT&T TV, as well as its legacy satellite TV brand, DirecTV. The base Entertainment package for AT&T TV will see its first-year promotional price shoot up $10 a month to $60. The mid-tier Choice plan is rising from $55 a month to $65; the Xtra bundle is going from $65 a month to $75; and the top-end Ultimate AT&T TV tier is rising from $70 a month to $80. The price increases only apply to first-year promotional bills. For example, after the first 12 months, the price of the Android TV-based service’s base Entertainment package still increases to same $93 a month. The price increases were first discovered by analyst Phillip Swann. They apply only to new customers. AT&T TV launched nationwide March 2. The wireless giant has yet to disclose subscriber metrics for the new service, which has contracts, early termination fees and all the trappings of traditional pay-TV, even though it’s delivered over the open internet to an Android TV device. AT&T did disclose that it lost 897,000 customers in the first quarter across its linear pay-TV platforms. Presumably, most of those losses came from DirecTV. But that isn’t stopping AT&T from upping its satellite TV pricing, too. Also across tiers, new DirecTV customers are paying $10 a more a month, starting with the base 155-channel Select bundle, which is rising from $50 a month to $60.

7/7/2020

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The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

‘HAMILTON’ DRIVES DISNEY+ MOBILE DOWNLOADS A hard-won summer programming event amid the ongoing pandemic drought of original content appears to have scored for Disney+. According to mobile download figures from research and analytics company Apptopia, the Disney+ app was downloaded more than 266,000 times in the U.S. from Friday through Sunday. The pre-recorded iteration of a 2016 Hamilton performance, obtained by Disney for $75 million, premiered Friday. The U.S. download figure represented a 72.4% uptick

over Disney’s four-week average for the comparable Friday-Sunday period. The Apptopia figures are merely indicators — there’s not a direct correlation between a consumer downloading an app and signing up for a service the first time, although a significant number of folks who perform that function are indeed first-time subscribers to a video streaming service. In addition, Apptopia is measuring mobile downloads, and not all the app

activity happening on connected TVs.

THIS AND THAT Microsoft’s Xbox Series X virtual showcase is coming July 23, offering players a glimpse of upcoming titles, including the much-anticipated Halo Infinite. The event, which will stream on platforms including Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, may also include debuts for Grounded and Wasteland 3... The top 100 U.S. Facebook advertisers spent roughly $11.2 million on platform promotions on July 1, the first day of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign boycott, an 18.3% drop from the same day in 2019, according to Pathmatics, which noted the absence of leaders such as Starbucks, Target and PepsiCo.

7/7/2020

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CLOTHING BUSINESS SEEING PATCHY DEMAND Fashion brands and retailers re-opening around the world to inconsistent demand and carrying unsold stock from spring have cut fall orders by as much as two-thirds, Reuters reports. With shoppers wary of catching the coronavirus at stores, retailers are leaving buying decisions to the last minute and planning on selling all-season basics such as men’s chinos and t-shirts leftover from spring through into fall. The destructive weight of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to contract the $2.5 trillion global fashion industry by up to 30% in 2020, according to investment bank Bryan, Garnier & Co. Nike said it has already cancelled around 30% of its pre-pandemic factory orders for the autumn and end-of-year holiday season. Last month Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein owner PVH said it was being very cautious on buying for fall as it reported a drop in same-store sales of around a quarter for re-opened stores in North America. Stores have opened in most of the U.S. and Europe, but many consumers are staying at home, with almost 60% in the U.S. surveyed by Coresight Research on June 24 saying they were avoiding malls.

PARKS: ONLINE VIDEO CONSUMPTION SURGES... Online video continues to grow in popularity, as a recent Parks Associates study shows the amount of time spent watching online video per week has doubled since 2017. The study, Set-Top Box Innovations and Trends, shows viewers are currently watching nearly seven hours of online video per week; in 2017 the number was 3.6. Other findings of note in the Parks study include that traditional pay-TV services have declined from an adoption rate of 75% in Q1 2017 to 62% in Q1 2020 among U.S. broadband households. Conversely, OTT continues to gain in popularity — 74% of households have at least one OTT service and nearly half have two or more. Parks Associates says this increase in OTT allows households to access premium content without a set-top box, causing a change in the relationship between set-top box makers and cable/satellite operators.

... WHILE STAND-ALONE BROADBAND GROWS Meanwhile, in a separate study, Parks found that stand-alone broadband — typically defined as broadband not sold in a bundle with pay-TV — is growing in popularity. The stand-alone broadband adoption rate increased from 34% of U.S. broadband households in 2017 to 42% in the first quarter of this year, researchers said. According to Parks’ report, 360 Deep Dive: Broadband Value-added Services, the average stand-alone broadband subscriber now pays $60 per month and experienced a 36% cost increase from Q1 of 2012 to Q3 of last year. Customers who purchase both pay-TV and broadband increased monthly payments from $107 to $127 over the same period. The study looked at the impact of value-added services (VAS) and found that increased broadband speed is a bigger driver of increased ARPU.