Michele Harris
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Two months after The Retirement Living Network debuted, the popular new cable operation is poised to make a bold step into national programming by signing a deal with DIRECTV, the nation’s leading satellite television service provider.
Since September, Retirement Living TV has been providing four hours a day of new programming on The Comcast Network’s CN8, which serves more than 9 million homes in 12 states, stretching from Maine to Virginia. This new deal will add approximately 15 million more households nationwide to Retirement Living’s reach and expand daily programming to eight hours.
TV Finally Grows Up
With “TV Finally Grows Up,” as its slogan, Retirement Living produces programming for an audience that has traditionally been overlooked and underserved by mainstream television— people over the age of 55. In the few short months it began broadcasting, “the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Patrick Baldwin, director of strategy for The Retirement Living Network.
“Our Nielsen ratings are far exceeding expectations and we’ve been flooded with requests to expand our distribution into other regions. That’s part of the reason we chose DIRECTV—they immediately open access to Retirement Living programming to anyone in the country.”
There are currently 67 million Americans over the age of 55 and by the year 2035, that number is expected grow to 116 million. Despite the vast numbers, this demographic is routinely ignored by traditional television networks who continue to cater to younger viewers.
For example, DIRECTV currently offers its customers over 250 channels of digital programming, 24 hours a day—yet not one of those channels is fully committed to serving the needs and interests of older viewers— until now.
“To date, there is no national television network that specifically delivers to this group,” says Mel Tansill, senior director of public affairs for Erickson Retirement Communities.