March 31 - April 4, 2008

[SteveFrame]

Oh it is great for SoapNet, but to say that they would add so much to the overall ratings is another story. I am like whoever said it before it is always thrown up that they should add SoapNet ratings.

If they did that it would be added to the current ratings. That would push Y&R of course higher at #1, and if the ratings are the same as my friend told me GH would go to 2nd, OLTL to 3rd, AMC to 4th and Days at 5th with B&B, ATWT, & GL bringing up the rear.

They would add all the airings and all of them have more airings on SoapsNet than Days so that is why I ranked them that way.

If they tried to be fair about it and take an average and add the average to the Network Ratings then all the shows would come out at a loss.

The thing is that SoapNet and the Networks are a total different thing.

SoapNet ratings according to my Nielsen friend are not even calculated the same way as network ratings are. She said all the cable channels are rated by the hour and not by the show whereas network ratings are.

They do it that because all the shows are pretty much aired at the same time across the country whereas the networks aren't. But she said they just release them to the ones who pay for them as an hour not for the show name in particular.

She did verify at the time that SoapNet was probably right in their release about AW's ratings. She siad there were a few hours at the time that SoapNet got close to a 0 rating for a particular hour or a portion of it. She didn't say which hour but that it did happen at some point.

[skiman12082004]

I have said this before I know, but ratings across the board are lower and not just for daytime. Whether or not SoapNet is included or even the other multimedia outlets, if the networks are able to make a profit on the soaps because of the other options the shows may have a fighting chance. Y&R and GH are still getting over a million 18-49 female viewers to watch their shows everyday and I think that is an accomlpishment in this day and age. If they can maintain that I think that will be an encouraging sign. I guess my point is that if the shows are still able to show they are profitable and by all accounts a billion dollars in ad revenue a year is still a lot of money coming from daytime, then soaps will survive. What they look like in five years is anyones guess, but I am going to try and remain optimistic.

[AnonNona]

But isn't it still the case that Peter Bergman is considered an oddity in the industry because he does watch all the soaps? It wouldn't be a shock if many actors weren't all that interested in their shows as shows, as opposed to day jobs, whether audiences like it or not.

[kzinlove06]

I have always wanted to know how SoapNet affects AMC's ratings in particular. In Dallas, the #5 market in the country, AMC is shown a daybehind. I live in Oklahoma City and we were a daybehind until the first of this year. It was far easier for me to DVR or watch AMC in its timeslot at 7pm CST on SoapNet then to wait until the following day.

Also, SoapNet is available with most cable providers in this region, including the satellite providers. I know that I automatically received SoapNet in the upgraded package I had to get with a DVR.

[marceline]

Yikes! I knew they cost. I didn't know they cost that much. Thanks.

[Carolyn52]

Looking at viewers only, I averaged the weekly data for 1Q 2008 and compared it to the weekly average for 1Q 2007:

Total viewers (weekly average for 1Q 2008)

(Compared to weekly average for 1Q 2007/%change)

1. Y&R 5,621,000 (-60,000/-1.1%)

2. B&B 3,990,000 (-34,000/-0.8%)

3. ATWT 3,133,000 (-11,000/-0.3%)

4. GH 3,003,000 (-689,000)/-18.7%)

5. DOOL 2,913,000 (-230,000/-7.3%)

6. AMC 2,657,000 (-592,000/-18.2%)

7. OLTL 2,632,000 (-557,000/-17.5%)

8. GL 2,622,000 (-223,000/-7.8%)

ALL SOAPS (ex. PSNS) 26,571,000 (-2,396,000/-8.3%)

Some observations:

-- remarkable stability for Y&R, B&B and ATWT

-- absolute tanking of ABC soaps. If it weren't for this, the year-to-year-comparison wouldn't be so bad.

-- DOOL and GL are mediocre. However, GL has been dead flat since 2Q 2007 (not shown here) and DOOL has been in recovery mode since Ed Scott took over. DOOL's weekly numbers are flat for 2008, however, except for a spike during Feb. The ball is squarely in Higley's court.

Just some more food for thought. The total soap picture may not be as bad as it looks (except for ABC).

[SteveFrame]

I agree with you a lot. The biggest things soaps have against them is that ad revenues are down and production costs are way up.

Days for instance in 1975 (according to Afternoon TV magazine) cost a little over $100, 000 per week to produce.

By 2002, the show had increased its production cost to 1.9 million dollars per week. Tha's almost $385,000 per episode. In 2003, the budget decreased a little to $340,000 per episode. By 2006, the weekly budget was cut to 1.3 million per week.

Even with the rate of inflation figured in that is a big jump.

In 1975, Days pulled over 100,000 per day in ad revenue. It doesn't do that any longer.

The only soap that has been cut drastically at this point is Guiding Light. If the ad revenus continue dropping then either the shows will price themselves out of the business or cut budgets drastically to make up for it.

Ad revenues are way down while production costs are going up.

[emilyq]

Ok so if I am reading this right, add revenues for DOOL now are less than 500K per week and production cost is 1.9 million per week which means they are losing money or maybe I misunderstood How much add revenue do thy actually make per day now?

[Darcy]

DVR same day ratings (I think if you watch within 24 hours) are counted in these ratings reported. I thought that the Soapnet ratings have been going down and didn't think they were that great to begin with.

[SteveFrame]

I don't know what ad revenues are right now as I have not seen them posted in any mags or message boards. I just know they are going down each year for the last several years.

The networks are even having to give away free advertising on primetime shows to make up for promises they make to daytime advertisers. I think they promise advertisers a certain amount of coverage or something or proposed increase from their advertising. If the ratings don't live up to what the advertiser is promised then they have to give them free advertising on another show.

The last thing that I read is that the percentage that production costs has gone up is not where near what ad revenues are today. So in other words where the networks and production companies used to recoup a large portion of procution costs they are no longer doing that.

[emilyq]

Can someone explain this to me? I know ABC/Disney owns their soaps while Sony owns DOOL and Bell owns a couple of the CBS Soaps. Whle continuing to be perplexed at why ABC has done nothing major to try and make improvements while their shows continue to nosedive, a friend mine who was an avid soap watcher said she thinks ABC is actually in better shape financially because they own their shows. Is this actually true? I am not sure I understand the logoic here.

[SteveFrame]

ABC owns their shows and does not have to pay any licensing fees to outside companies.

Sony only owns a portion of Days. Corday Productions owns the biggest portion of Days.

[Jess]

The networks have to do make-goods if they charge based on a certain saturation rate and it doesn't hit that rate. Most of the daytime shows are losing viewers -- some really quickly. Because they estimate saturation based on sweeps months, when it drops so dramatically from one year to the next, daytime isn't getting anywhere near its saturation guarantees.

From a long time, daytime was able to subsidize nighttime. Productions costs were so low, they raked in profits and those profits could be used to help offset primetime costs. I suspect daytime still makes a profit or it would be gone. I really don't see how many of these shows can survive much longer in their current state. Overall, I guess CBS shows can carry each other for a while. All of ABCD is in the tank (rightfully so in my opinion. All three of them are dreadful).

[emilyq]

Ok so call me ignorant I guess. How does that mean it is less costly for ABC. Does CBS for example still have to pay production costs for Y&R plus licensing fees or does Bell pay the production costs and CBS pays the licensing fees. I am still trying to understand why it would be less costly for ABC than it would be for CBS for example or NBC for Days.

I am also wondering since DOOL, Y&R, B&B, ATWT, and GL are broadcast overseas how substantially does this help offset the cost. I am not aware of any of the ABC/Disney shows being shown outside of NA but maybe they are.

[SteveFrame]

Because ABC does not have to split what little profits that the soaps are making these days.

NBC has to pay the licensing fees and then has to split the profits for Days up among themselves, Corday and Sony.

CBS has to give a chunk of ATWT & GL to P&G; for B&B they give to Bell; and for Y&R they give to Sony and Corday.