2016: TV Media's Year In Review

The transition of TV into the digital age took a big step in 2016. In addition to streaming services like Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)’s Prime Video, over-the-top TV bundles like DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ: DISH)’s Sling TV and Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE: SNE)’s PlayStation Vue burst onto the scene this year.

Here’s a look at which media companies dominated the TV landscape this year.

Ratings

Above all else, advertisers care about a show's audience. These are the five highest-rates shows of 2016:

1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS)).
2. "NCIS" (CBS).
3. "The Walking Dead" (AMC Networks Inc (NASDAQ: AMCX)).
4. "Bull" (CBS).
5. "NCIS: New Orleans" (CBS).

In terms of total viewers, it seems clear that CBS was the network of the year this year.

Awards

Compelling programming is what wins over viewers in the long-term. Time Warner Inc (NYSE: TWX)’s HBO took home the 2016 Emmy Awards for both Outstanding Comedy Series ("Veep") and Outstanding Drama Series ("Game of Thrones"). Overall, there were 14 total nominees in these two top categories. Here’s a breakdown of which companies got the most nominations:

• Netflix: 3.
• Time Warner: 3.
• Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS): 2.
• Amazon: 1.
• AMC Networks: 1.
• CBS: 1.
• Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA): 1.
• Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ: FOXA): 1.

Revenue

Ratings and awards are all ultimately all about generating revenue. In terms of trailing 12-month revenue growth in 2016, Amazon and Netflix are head-and-shoulders above the competition at 19.6 and 20.6 percent, respectively. Of course, Prime Video is only a tiny fraction of Amazon’s overall business.

Looking at the more traditional TV competitors, Comcast and AMC Networks led the way this year with 5.5 and 4.8 percent revenue growth, respectively.

Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) is the only company mentioned with negative revenue growth in 2016 (-4.5 percent).

Share Price

All of the numbers above are certainly important, but investors only care about one thing: stock price. In the past year, Time Warner has been the best major media network stock, climbing 50.1 percent in a year that AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) agreed to an $85.4 billion buyout.

CBS was the other top market performer this year, climbing 36.8 percent.

Disney, Viacom and AMC Networks shares all declined in 2016 during a very strong overall year for the stock market. AMC was the worst performer of the group, declining 29.6 percent on the year.