CD Sales Spikes After CMA Show on ABC

Sales of the Martina McBride CD "Timeless" jumped a whopping 184 percent after the CMA Music Festival aired on national television. Singer Sara Evans' CD "Real Fine Place" climbed 174 percent in sales over the week before the show, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Both are on the RCA Nashville record label, a division of Sony BMG - and the second-wind sales push both experienced after the July 23 airing of "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" on ABC shows the economic impact of the four-day event stretches well beyond the $20 million spent locally by fans.

During the week following the two-hour show that featured festival performances in downtown Nashville, several featured artists also saw their sales on the upswing.

Besides McBride and Evans, Josh Turner, who is signed to MCA Nashville Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group Nashville, saw his "Your Man" album sales increase 45 percent after the show. "We are reaching people that weren't at the stadium," says Ben Kline, executive vice president of sales, marketing and new media for UMG Nashville.

About 191,000 fans attended the CMA Festival, while 6.5 million viewers saw the show.

Tammy Genovese, CMA chief operating officer, says the special is one of ABC's highest-rated shows of the summer. "It's a huge opportunity to showcase the city of Nashville," Genovese says.

Seeing increases in album sales is one of the methods used to measure the success of the show, Genovese says.

The show exposes singers to a different fan base, which is one of the reasons why producers like to spotlight new artists. But not all artists got a spike in sales. Sony BMG Nashville Chairman Joe Galante says there are many variables that come into play, such as the time slot when the artists appeared on the show, and whether the artist sings a new song that fans are being introduced to for the first time. But in general, Galante adds, the industry sees a boost after a show such as ABC's CMA special.

Galante says McBride, who is on his label, had several other television appearances during the week of the show that could have also contributed to her album sales. Evans' bump is mainly from the CMA show, he says.

Artists are selected for the show by the producer, ABC and a CMA committee. "It's not a walk in the park to get on..." Galante says. "Everyone is trying to make the best show and get the best ratings."

Thanks to Cynthia Yeldell