Analysis: ‘Spider-Man’ throws movie theaters a lifeline as they swing into the unknown

When they post a big rating these days, TV executives are often fond of saying, “The pipes still work.” They mean that while the audience has scattered among hundreds of options, old-time broadcasters can deliver a level of mass reach that’s hard to equal anywhere else.

When they post a big rating these days, TV executives are often fond of saying, “The pipes still work.” They mean that while the audience has scattered among hundreds of options, old-time broadcasters can deliver a level of mass reach that’s hard to equal anywhere else.