Sweeps, What Sweeps?

A few years ago it would have been difficult to miss the fact that February is a "Sweeps" month. It's the time of year, or should we say quarter (February, May, July and November), when networks set their advertising rates.

The goal during sweeps is to put on the most spectacular shows, features, and special guest (not a rerun in sight) all in order to get the largest audience. That bump in viewers equalled revenue for the next quarter.

So what happened? Clearly awards shows and the Oscars will be airing this month, but for the most part television viewing has changed. With HBO, Netflix and VOD some are predicting "sweeps could be history."