Report: Talk Shows, Soaps, Streamers Most Vulnerable to Writers’ Strike

MediaRadar has found that advertisers spent $633.2 million last quarter on the three categories most vulnerable to the writers’ strike: talk shows, soap operas and OTT streaming platforms.

Ad spend on TV talk shows totaled $221.4 million in Q1 2023, up 11 percent year on year. Ad spend on TV soap operas was $59.4 million in Q1 2023, up 23 percent. Ad spend on streaming platforms was $352.4 million in Q1 2023, down 28 percent.

Movies and movie-related events also have much to lose, according to MediaRadar data. During the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, over 100 advertisers invested $25.7 million to showcase nearly 160 brands. Top categories included media and entertainment, technology, medical and pharmaceutical, retail, and finance, totaling $18.5 million—or 66 percent of the total spend.

The data sample also showed advertising for movies and films during Q1 2023 exceeded $771 million, a 24 percent year-on-year increase. Depending on the length of the writer’s strike, movie production may be impacted.