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NY Proposes à la Carte Cable
Plus, California wants to Make America Film Again
Welcome to The TV Room. Your weekly digest of television, streaming, and digital media insights that matter.
This week we're covering:
🍎 NY Looks for a New Program Paradigm
💥 Second-Screen Blew Up During Big Games
🎥 Creative Spotlight: Del Real Foods - “Introducing Del Real Foods- Powered by Abuela Intelligence”
🎬 CA Wants to Make America Film Again
New York Proposes Channel-by-Channel TV Subscription Model
On May 5, New York lawmakers introduced the "Television Subscriber Choice Act," a measure that would require broadcasters and cable networks to negotiate carriage agreements per channel instead of bundling them.
Recent blackout battles
New York viewers have felt the pain of distribution disputes firsthand:
Altice's Optimum TV dropped MSG Networks (home to Knicks and Rangers) on New Year's Day
Optimum also removed all Nexstar Media Group channels a week later
Charter's Spectrum TV customers lost access to ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, and other Disney-owned networks for weeks during a dispute two years ago
Both recent disputes centered on fee increases and were eventually resolved, but the fundamental problem persists: viewers held hostage during corporate negotiations.
Legal hurdles ahead
The bill faces significant legal challenges. Courts will likely question whether state lawmakers can override the Federal Communications Commission's jurisdiction over carriage agreements.
"We applaud Senator Comrie, Assemblywoman Solages, and the New York Legislature for standing up for consumers, this legislation is an important step to rein in broadcasters from forcing consumers into expensive programming bundles with unnecessary costs."
A similar 2019 Maine law requiring à la carte channel options was struck down by federal courts, which ruled lawmakers couldn't prove the measure would actually lower consumer costs as intended. New York legislators will need to overcome this precedent for their bill to survive inevitable legal challenges.
Read More:
TV Industry Updates
Telly’s triple play: Telly’s NCAA test of its second-screen shoppable ads tripled engagement compared to standard CTV formats.
Walmart’s screen test: Vizio gave advertisers a first look at how Walmart plans to integrate with CTV, including early tests of “add-to-cart” ads.
Remote control to cart: Samsung Ads launched ShoppingBreaks, a new format that lets viewers buy products directly from their TVs using their remotes.
WPP drops the M: WPP is set to retire the GroupM brand, folding its media agencies under a new banner: WPP Media.
TikTok chases TV dollars: At NewFronts, TikTok expanded its Pulse Premiere lineup with publishers like Formula 1 and Red Bull Media.
Stay up to date on the latest in TV advertising by joining our Slack community!
Creative Spotlight: Del Real Foods - “Introducing Del Real Foods- Powered by Abuela Intelligence”
Del Real Foods launched its "Abuela Intelligence" campaign, which cleverly positioned grandmother wisdom as superior to artificial intelligence while showcasing their authentic Hispanic cuisine.
The Details:
The ad features a nostalgic call center staffed by abuelas (grandmothers) who dispense cooking tips and life advice in both English and Spanish.
The ads hit CTV in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, alongside online video ads on YouTube, social media, and the brand's website.
Del Real is offering an "Abuela Road Trip" mobile sampling experience at select retail locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and the Sacramento area through July.
The campaign launched strategically just before Cinco de Mayo, emphasizing real ingredients, human connection, and authenticity as the brand's core values.
What We Loved: The campaign brilliantly subverted the AI trend by reclaiming the "AI" acronym as "Abuela Intelligence," celebrating cultural heritage while cutting through the tech-dominated advertising landscape.
Marketing Mix
Make America Film Again: California Governor Gavin Newsom challenged Donald Trump to back a federal tax incentive for US film and TV production.
Convenience store power play: Circle K's owner and 7-Eleven's parent have signed an NDA as they explore a nearly $50 billion mega-merger.
Slurpee goes punk: 7-Eleven and Green Day dropped the "Kerplunk Kandy Grape Slurpee," featuring cups with QR codes linked to a Spotify playlist.
Rite Aid on the block: Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again and is seeking a buyer and new financing to keep stores running during the sale.
YouTube’s retail remix: Google infused retail media data into YouTube ads via DV360, as living room screens overtake mobile as the top way Americans watch.
Regulators circle Google: The US government is pushing for a breakup of Google’s ad businesses, again.
The TV Room is your go-to source for staying ahead in the world of television and digital media. Want to chat about these stories with other industry pros? Join our Slack channel to continue the conversation.