When the CBS Sports Network announced its historic new talk show featuring an all-female cast produced and directed by women, it promised something that had never before been attempted on any network. The show, which brings together women sportscasters, former executives and former athletes to discuss sports from their experiences and perspectives, is indeed something new.
2014 Cast of "We Need to Talk"
Photo courtesy CBS (C) Richard Mitchell
We applaud the idea and the potential for this show, but as the authority in women’s sports, we must also ask, has the exuberance about having the first sports show hosted, produced and directed by women created an inwardly focused show that is already in need of an overhaul?
Several weeks into the show’s run, the show doesn’t seem to have found its niche. The overwhelming subject matter has been focused on the NFL, NBA and MLB, with NCAA football and basketball also receiving extensive discussion. Guests have included current and retired athletes, fellow CBS sportscasters such as Boomer Esiason, and coaches from teams about to appear in major games, frequently games to be broadcast on CBS or CBS Sports Network.
Critical to any business’ success is defining your target audience and delivering a product or service that your audience will pay for, whether that be with money or with time, as is the case for a TV show. You also have to pay close attention to how you brand and promote the product.
In the case of “We Need to Talk,” which premiered Sept. 30, it’s unclear who the show is seeking as its target audience. Men and women watch and consume sports differently. Just watch Sunday afternoon football or the Olympics – are we talking stats and fantasy leagues or compelling stories?
With this show, the participants are presented in an “eye-candy” manner, with fashion tops, dresses and heels that are off-putting to many men and women from a contextual point of view, as they discuss personal stories about domestic violence and deeper conversations with, primarily, male athletes oftentimes sitting on a couch.
Key to success is also sports knowledge and insight credibility. The women involved with the show all have great sports or professional pedigrees, yet key to the onscreen-credibility test is developing trust and rapport with your audience.
There’s a proven broadcast model where acclaimed athletes transition into being successful color commentators. But just because you’re highly acclaimed in your sport, does not necessarily make you the sportscaster superstar that positions you to speak across a wider berth of sports and topics. Gaining confidence and trust with the show’s audience will not be easy. The bar is high and viewers will watch if this bond is created for insight and perspectives about the sports this show covers.
We wonder if a more effective model for building a solid viewership for the show’s 10 p.m. Eastern time slot might be to bring together passionate and purposeful women who can speak to the games and sports in a fluent way while leveraging color commentary from the star cast.
And lastly, we must ask about the decision for the name, and thus its brand. This goes back to the basic premise of who’s your target audience. If it’s women, then “We Need to Talk” might work if you build the associations to it quickly and deeply. Yet, if your audience is men, basic audience research should have highlighted that that particular phrase, “We Need to Talk,” stereotypically strikes fear in most guys.
This show has the opportunity to capitalize on being different and bring an audience together that values the thoughts and perspectives of women while discussing both men’s and women’s sports. It’s early, and interest and momentum are still high, so it’s important to act quickly. The CBS team should take a step back and reassess its game plan and come out with a revised look for the second half! There are a lot of fans who want to see the show succeed, including REAL SPORTS.
Publisher’s note: If CBS Sports network is not part of your broadcast lineup, you can see a variety of “We Need to Talk” segments on YouTube.
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