Tv Guide Situation Analysis

Situation Analysis

For over 50 years, TV Guide has been the grand dame of entertainment publishing. Known for its deep listings and astute coverage of the industry, the magazine has been a fixture in millions of American homes longer than the remote control.

TV Guide magazine is one of the most popular weekly magazines in the country. From behind-the-scenes looks at broadcast, cable and syndicated shows and their stars and characters; to sneak peaks at television's most intriguing plotlines, and the hottest new DVDs -- TV Guide magazine has every corner of the television medium covered. The premiere comprehensive source for entertaining news, guidance, information, and TV listings since its debut in 1953, TV Guide magazine continues to entertain and inform readers about America's most popular leisure time activity. On October 11th 2005, after a 52-year run, the digest-size TV Guide magazine was replaced by a full-size TV Guide, with fewer television listings and more photos and features on celebrities.

Market Summary

TV Guide has been a household name since its debut decades ago, but the current television landscape is vastly different than it was in 1953. Viewers had three channel choices then; today, they have 300. Competition has boomed, too. Newspapers have beefed up their listings, more magazines offer television coverage and the Internet gives viewers a whole new avenue to plan their channel surfing. This increased competition also extends into the advertising world, where advertisers now have more magazines, as well as television alternatives, at their disposal.

Market Demographics

The profile for TV Guide's customers consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behavior factors:

Geographics

* United States

* Newsstands via various retailers

* The total targeted population is 55 million television viewers

* Subscriptions delivered via direct mail

* 119 editions

* Capital cities - 683,000

* Country areas - 220,000

Demographic

* 21 million television viewers.

* The individual income range is $38,000-$75,000.

Hard copy

14.5 million subscribers

Internet

67.9% have Internet access

12.4% made online purchases in the past 30 days

$53,579 is the median household income

Average issue is opened four times per day - 28 times per week

51% Male/49% Female readership (Larstan, 2006).

Market Needs

TV Guide is changing with the times in order to stay relevant. Customers have adjusted to a television viewing experience that has changed dramatically, particularly over the past 10 years. There has been an explosion of programming choices, with a 500 to 1,000 channel universe. TV Guide is striving to be in a position to serve these viewers by offering them a contemporary and vital publication that will provide added value as they continue to enjoy television. TV Guide seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to their customers: They

* Customization - Customers articulated a need for more information to help them navigate through their multiple viewing choices, and TV Guide responded to that need. TV Guide is now offering a customized full size magazine with more features. TV Guide is striving to be the best resource available for readers who want to enhance their television viewing experience.

* Convenience - Customers will not use the service if it is not convenient. CF recognizes this and strives to make their services as convenient as possible for the targeted customer groups. There are numerous television shows and channels out there, TV Guide aims to dissect these shows to tell readers what they need and want to know about their favorite shows and stars.

* Variety - In addition to TV Guide magazine, there is TV Guide.com and IGuide. These tools give the customers a variety of options to choose from, whether through the internet, via mail, or off the newsstand. All these tools will appeal to a wide variety of customers.

Market Trends

* TV Guide made history with television because it came into existence shortly after television's invention. There will continue to be advances in the industry, this is a changing medium, and the TV Guide must reflect the industry as it evolves. Onscreen listings have made print listing somewhat obsolete.

* Collaboration with mobile technology partners. TV Guide Mobile Entertainment will launch the next-generation of TV Guide Mobile, a television IPG designed for mobile devices, featuring a familiar, TV-like interface and access to exclusive TV Guide content. Consumers will soon be able to personalize and control their entertainment experience by scheduling program reminders, sending program alerts to friends, and accessing the latest recommendations and news. Additionally, consumers will be able to remotely access the features of their digital video recorders through mobile devices and the Internet. This collaboration is likely to grow in the wireless market. These new services will allow millions of wireless consumers to have access to up-to-the minute information on their favorite shows and programs -- anywhere, anytime.

Market Growth

When TV Guide was founded in 1953, its primary function was to inform consumers what was on television, when, and on what channel. But with the recent proliferation of onscreen programming guides, its role in our culture has changed. To compete in today's online media market, TV Guide needed to become a forum for both information and connection. A few years ago, online TV guides were just a paperless version of what was arriving in the mail or the middle of Sunday papers. Today, however, as we get closer to the world of TV over IP and video on demand in every home, the space is evolving, giving customers more than they can get in paper.

At the same time, advertisers are realizing that TV guides with demographically targeted content present a promising