During the first commercial break of a recent CNBC Fast Money broadcast, Mary Duffy, vice president and senior executive producer of strategic initiatives and talent development, quickly showed the audience the visual cues they needed to know when to start and stop clapping when they appeared onscreen.
They were more than happy to comply.
This particular audience was made of nearly 130 enthusiastic superfans of Fast Money who had traveled from near and far to be part of an in-person event experience, exclusively reserved for the few and the loyal.
Nestled in a room right next to Fast Money’s studios at the NASDAQ headquarters in New York’s Times Square on Thursday, Dec. 11, these superfans were part of CNBC’s latest live experience event, Fast Money LIVE: Trading the Holidays.
Fast Money is one of CNBC’s popular programs. Fashioned as a business version of ESPN’s SportsCenter, it finished November with an average of 160,000 total viewers and 30,000 Adults 25-54 viewers at 5 p.m. ET.
Given its popularity, the after-market program’s executive producer, Sandy Cannold, said it is the perfect vehicle for a live event experience.
“People feel so attached to the program,” Cannold said, adding that the on-air crew’s connection to its audience has given it a family feel. “And it’s this post-game show that people feel really attached to.”
The latest event provided loyal viewers a chance to go behind the scenes and get up close with Fast Money host Melissa Lee and her band of Wall Street traders, including Guy Adami, Tim Seymour, Karen Finerman, Dan Nathan, and Steve Grasso.
“These folks are just thrilled to have two things, access and utility, when they come to this event,” said Duffy, noting that the smaller size of the audience gave fans a chance to ask questions directly to the show’s traders.
It’s all part of a strategy to strengthen the show’s connection to its audience and provide unique experiences that viewers won’t find anywhere else.
International fandom
The nearly 130 fans came from all over, including 26 U.S. states and Guam, as well as internationally, arriving from Canada, France, and Switzerland. Of the attendees, 69% were male, and the remaining 31% were female. In addition, 21 of them were retirees, and 14 were families/couples attending the event.
Showcasing the power of the fandom, 27% of attendees were CNBC Pro subscribers, and 11% were Investing Club members. Nine of the attendees had attended prior Fast Money Live and CNBC Pro Live events, and 27 had attended a prior Fast Money Live event.
