Inaugural USA TODAY Movie Meter Announced

Rhea-AI Summary

USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI), has launched its first-ever USA TODAY Movie Meter, a new platform allowing movie enthusiasts to rate the 'Film of the Year' from Academy Awards nominees. From February 12-March 3, 2025, registered participants can watch nominated movie trailers and rate films on a 1-5 scale.

The initiative builds on USA TODAY's Ad Meter legacy, expanding into cinema ratings. The platform aims to reflect public sentiment rather than industry insider opinions. The winner will be announced on moviemeter.usatoday.com on March 3. USA TODAY Network reaches 147 million average unique visitors monthly across 200+ local markets, with the main platform attracting approximately 79 million monthly unique visitors.

Positive

• Launch of new revenue stream through Movie Meter sponsorship and For Your Consideration campaigns
• Potential for increased user engagement across USA TODAY's digital platforms
• Leveraging existing Ad Meter success to expand into entertainment sector

Negative

• None.

Empowering movie aficionados and consumers to rate their winning “Film of the Year”

NEW YORK, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), announced its first-ever USA TODAY Movie Meter, a new platform that engages movie enthusiasts to rate which film deserves the “Film of the Year” designation. USA TODAY Movie Meter harnesses the opinions of the public, not industry insiders, to rate the year's most beloved film based on the movies nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Academy Awards.

From February 12, 2025 through March 3, 2025 at 1 a.m. EST, registered Movie Meter participants will watch the nominated movie trailers and rate all the eligible movies on a scale from 1-5 to determine USA TODAY’s inaugural Movie Meter winner. The Movie Meter winner will be announced live on moviemeter.usatoday.com the morning of March 3.

“Building on the legacy of USA TODAY's iconic Ad Meter, Movie Meter expands panelist ratings into the world of cinema, creating a new standard for audience-driven awards,” said USA TODAY Senior Vice President, Monica Richardson. “USA TODAY is evolving our content to better serve our audiences, and Movie Meter is a testament to that commitment. USA TODAY Movie Meter seeks to be the industry’s leading opinion tool to gauge true public sentiment regarding films and their impact on consumers. We are creating a platform that truly reflects the voices of everyday Americans.”

The USA TODAY Network encompasses publications in over 200 local markets with 147 million average unique visitors each month. With expansive reach, the nation’s newspaper seeks to reflect the nation’s voice as it relates to the most esteemed film of the year.

To register as a Movie Meter panelist and participate in the ratings, visit moviemeter.usatoday.com beginning on February 12, 2025. Studios interested in USA TODAY Movie Meter For Your Consideration campaigns or sponsorship, please contact Vanessa Warner at vwarner@gannett.com.

ABOUT USA TODAY

Since its introduction in 1982, USA TODAY has been a cornerstone of the national media landscape under its recognizable and respected brand. It also serves as the foundation for our newsroom network which allows for content sharing capabilities across our local and national markets. Through USA TODAY, we deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Across our digital platforms we reach an audience of approximately 79 million unique visitors each month (based on December 2023 Comscore Media Metrix®).

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. We endeavor to deliver essential content, marketing solutions, and experiences for curated audiences, advertisers, consumers, and stakeholders by leveraging our diverse teams and suite of products to enrich the local communities and businesses we serve. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow, and USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, our events division, creates impactful consumer engagements, promotions, and races.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements relating to whether the initiative will drive Gannett’s revenue and cash flow growth, or result in an expansion of Gannett’s client base, are all forward looking statements. These statements represent our opinions, expectations, beliefs, intentions, estimates or strategies regarding the future, which may not be realized. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “ongoing,” “future” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are based largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially and/or significantly different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, see the risks and other factors detailed in Gannett’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Gannett’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and each of Gannett’s other filings with the SEC, in each case as such factors may be updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Gannett disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205044951/en/

MEDIA CONTACTS

Lark-Marie Antón

Chief Communications Officer

(646) 906-4087

lark@gannett.com

Heather Gidaly

Senior Director, Communications

(845) 304-3282

hgidaly@gannett.com

Source: USA TODAY

FAQ

When will USA TODAY's Movie Meter (GCI) announce its first Film of the Year winner?

The inaugural USA TODAY Movie Meter winner will be announced on March 3, 2025, on moviemeter.usatoday.com.

How does USA TODAY's Movie Meter (GCI) rating system work?

Registered participants watch nominated movie trailers and rate Academy Award-nominated films on a scale from 1-5 between February 12 and March 3, 2025.

What is the current monthly visitor reach of USA TODAY Network (GCI)?

USA TODAY Network reaches 147 million average unique visitors monthly across its 200+ local markets.