What does it means when American Broadcasters air shows internationally?

[Rellik San]

So Sunday is a big deal on the American cultural calender: Memorial Day.

Now not being American, I've put my foot it in it a few times with American friends, by saying that they should go ahead and air it anyway: After all, I don't see episodes of Doctor Who being pulled because it's Guy Fawlkes night. Since then I've had it explained just how important a part of the cultural identity it is.

HOWEVER: HBO Air's this show simultaneously across a large swathe of Europe and we watch the show and have no such culturally significant events as far as my knowledge goes. The problem is in a globally connected society and one rampant with DVR's, if HBO is going to do this for an American Holiday, should they follow observances for other nations Holidays too? Or should the reliance on DVR and Catch Up services mean the schedule is maintained? After all the international audience contributes just as much to advertising profits as the domestic one.

Or should the show continue in other territories whilst those with notable events have the appropriate schedule redactions?

These problems and more become apparent, because if HBO is happy to take international advertisers money, do they not then have a duty to those advertisers which means airing an older episode (as they are intending in the UK) effectively short changes the advertisers by ensuring viewer turn away for that week?

How do you see the future of such things progressing? How would you handle this situation? Would you apply such concessions on an international stage or would you have it so the show just continued as normal in the unaffected territories? And once you start simultaneously airing a show, internationally, does your viewer and advertiser responsibility change to represent that fact?

 

[Zhukov]

Hang on, I'm confused.

What exactly are they airing or not airing and what does it have to do with Memorial Day?

(That's like Anzac Day for yanks, right?)

 

[Cecilo]

Yes Zhukov, Memorial Day is a day we pay respects to the fallen service members who have served in our Armies/Navies/Forces.

I believe that Europe is getting Memorial Day Programing, and he is asking why they are despite Memorial Day being an American thing.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yes Zhukov, Memorial Day is a day we pay respects to the fallen service members who have served in our Armies/Navies/Forces.

I believe that Europe is getting Memorial Day Programing, and he is asking why they are despite Memorial Day being an American thing.

You mean there is a televised service being shown? Why is that odd...lots of US citizens and former citizens (including service members) in Europe.

Similarly, ANZAC day is a big thing outside A, NZ and Turkey.

 

[Woiminkle]

Is this why there is no episode of Game of Thrones this coming Sunday?

No I don't believe they should have to make the episode available in other territories before their own domestic audience, and if they're not showing the new episode in order to schedule programs that remember their fallen men and women instead then we just have to respect that as part of their culture.

As for the advertisers I'm sure they are aware and that the pricing structure of advertisements shown during the period will reflect the smaller expected viewing figures. Even if not I care little for the plight of advertising agencies.

 

[Zhukov]

Similarly, ANZAC day is a big thing outside A, NZ and Turkey.

Wait... really?

Why on earth would the rest of the world give a damn about Anzac Day?

 

[Albino Boo]

chopity chop

I'm not sure what you are saying here, what is not being shown?

As more general point HBO channels outside the states don't show the US channel but make their own scheduling decisions. It doesn't matter if HBO US changes its schedule because the others do their own thing anyway. Ad space is sold on a regional basis. There is no point on showing Ads for chain of restaurants if they have no presence in the country and even the US Ad buys cost different amounts depending on the region that you buy in.

 

[Cecilo]

Similarly, ANZAC day is a big thing outside A, NZ and Turkey.

Wait... really?

Why on earth would the rest of the world give a damn about Anzac Day?

Well I can't speak for your country, but the US has military bases all over the world, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Memorial Day Service in Japan. We have quite a few people over there. South Korea too.

 

[InkySpines]

The U.S. is the largest western nation in population and GDP by a fairly large margin. Moreover, HBO is an American company. The EU isn't culturally unified in any way close to the U.S. and schedule anomalies would start getting even more ridiculous then it is now if even large countries like the UK and Germany had considerations granted similar to the primary market. We are just talking about the UK though right? I had the impression most American TV on the Continent was syndicated. It's nothing personal that you don't get new shows this week, they are just doing what is convenient for them.

I don't think it is even a matter of deep cultural significance to the network. True, many communities across the U.S., especially small towns, have a parade or other event for the holiday. The broader significance to most Americans however, is that they get a 3 day weekend. This enables them to do things like go on a weekend trip or have an outdoor lunch with their extended family or something along those lines. Consequently there are fewer eyeballs looking at TVs this weekend, and it doesn't make sense from an advertising revenue perspective to air new content when advertisers are less willing spend money.

Across the pond, whether or not you are celebrating anything, fewer people are also watching the reruns because they are old content. It's a lower than usual revenue week for sure, but there are a finite number of episodes of the Big Hits, and viewers will be up during that 'extra' week in late June. This is about Game of Thrones, correct?

However...HBO is a premium company that doesn't have commercials in the classic sense. What kind of network do you get HBO programming on? HBO proper? In that case, most of the above points still apply, rather HBO's motivating concern would be keeping customers happy by airing their Big Hits when people are able to see them. HBO's premium model is HIGHLY dependent on a few Big Hits, and a staggered regional release or people missing an episode because they were all at picnics would erode the investment people have with their shows. Pushing a show back one week on the other hand just gives you more time to think about how much you want to watch it.

EDIT: Rereading your question I am not sure what you are asking. Is HBO airing "Memorial Day: The TV Show" in Europe? That would be stupid. If they cutting that show from European programming and replacing it with a rerun of another show, or just not showing a new episode this week then see above statement.

 

[DoPo]

Similarly, ANZAC day is a big thing outside A, NZ and Turkey.

Wait... really?

Why on earth would the rest of the world give a damn about Anzac Day?

Well I can't speak for your country, but the US has military bases all over the world, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Memorial Day Service in Japan. We have quite a few people over there. South Korea too.

Erm, you answer still doesn't answer why the countries outside of Australia and New Zealand consider Anzac day a big thing. Which is what Zhukov asked. And which I also wander since today is the first time I even heard of it, so somehow I must have missed it even though it's supposed to be a big thing.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Similarly, ANZAC day is a big thing outside A, NZ and Turkey.

Wait... really?

Why on earth would the rest of the world give a damn about Anzac Day?

A lot of places have large communities from those places, though.

Also, not everyone in the ANZAC was from A&NZ. First, there were people serving in the militaries of nations they weren't from...a lot of Australian troops were British, for example (Simpson comes to mind). Tongan troops were part of the NZ expeditionary force...I'm not sure if they were as part of a Tongan military, or as NZ troops, though.

Secondly, contingents from other militaries got added to it from all over the Commonwealth. Some from the British Army, British Naval Division, India, Sri Lanka and the Jewish Legion as well. Might not have originally intended it too work that way, but formations got changed as the war went on.

 

[Rellik San]

Sorry: Yes to be clear, this is about Game of Thrones.

HBO runs in tandem with the broadcasting agency BSkyB to have it's own channel in the UK.

My question is more about this type of thing as simultaneous airing of TV globally and stream content online for a global audience becomes a more common practice.

 

[KaZuYa]

I'm sure you can watch Remembrance Sunday services which is the UK version of Memorial Day in the US since there's a lot of ex pats in the US and it remembers all commonwealth fallen which includes Canada.