NCM Declares Movie Theaters a “Politics-Free Zone”
October 15 2015 - 4:39PM
Business Wire
Largest Cinema Advertising Network Won’t Run
Political Ads in FirstLook
With the presidential election looming and TV ad spending on the
2016 races predicted to hit $4.4 billion, National CineMedia (NCM),
the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S., has declared
that its 1,600 movie theaters will be politics-free zones.
NCM’s FirstLook pre-show, seen on over 20,100 movie screens, and
its Lobby Entertainment Network (LEN) in AMC, Cinemark, Regal
Entertainment Group and over 40 other leading affiliate theaters
across the country, will not include ads for any political issues
or candidates.
“There is no way to change the channel in a movie theater. So we
must respect the fact that people go to the movies to enjoy the
FirstLook preshow and lose themselves in the magic of the movies,
and we believe that it is important to honor this entertainment
experience,” said Cliff Marks, president of sales and marketing
with NCM. “That’s why the only politics you’ll see on the big
screen are upcoming films with political plots.”
The move to forgo accepting political ads is significant because
it is not only good for movie audiences, but for marketers as well.
TV stations in key presidential markets, or markets hosting
multiple races, often allocate significant advertising inventory to
political candidates and issues. This not only causes more
advertising clutter, but in some cases, a brand’s spot may even be
bumped in favor of a higher-paying political advertiser.
“Political clutter and pre-emption are things that our
advertising partners will never have to worry about in NCM’s
FirstLook,” Marks continued. “While we compete aggressively against
other video platforms for ad dollars, making the decision to walk
away from political spending is yet another thing that makes NCM
exceptional. Brands can not only position themselves alongside the
most exciting new movie content, but they can be sure that their
message will be heard by a highly-engaged audience without the
distraction and negativity of political ads surrounding their spot.
And, NCM is the largest reach network on weekends, making cinema
the perfect place for marketers to protect their brands from being
associated with the negative messaging that will invade all other
video networks this election season.”
Reaching over 700 million moviegoers annually, FirstLook’s
average weekly audience translates to a Nielsen rating of over 7.0
in adults 18 to 49, making it one of the top 10 primetime shows in
the U.S. every week. NCM’s FirstLook pre-show program showcases
entertainment content from ABC Networks, A+E Television Networks,
CBS Entertainment, Disney, Hasbro, Microsoft, NBC, Nintendo, Turner
Broadcasting System, and Yahoo along with national, regional and
local advertising. FirstLook is designed with the audience in mind,
ending approximately at the advertised movie show time when the
film trailers begin.
About National CineMedia (NCM)
National CineMedia (NCM) is America’s Movie Network. As the #1
weekend network in the U.S., NCM helps brands get in front of the
movies that shape the national conversation. More than 700 million
moviegoers annually attend theaters that are currently under
contract to present NCM’s FirstLook pre-show in over 40 leading
national and regional theater circuits including AMC Entertainment
Inc. (NYSE:AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) and Regal
Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC). NCM’s cinema advertising network
offers broad reach and unparalleled audience engagement with
approximately 20,150 screens in approximately 1,600 theaters in 187
Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). NCM Digital goes
beyond the big screen, extending in-theater campaigns into online
and mobile marketing programs to reach entertainment audiences.
National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) owns a 45.2% interest in,
and is the managing member of National CineMedia, LLC. For more
information, visit ncm.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151015006733/en/
National CineMedia (NCM)Amy Jane Finnerty,
212-931-8117amy.finnerty@ncm.comorLeslie Obletz,
212-931-8119leslie.obletz@ncm.com
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