Tonight’s Finale
Showtime: Inside the NFL at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Ad spend for Super Bowl LIV hit a record $435 million, according to preliminary estimates from Kantar Media. There was a total of 51 minutes, 15 seconds of national commercial time from paying sponsors, the NFL and Fox-owned networks – the third highest total on record – accounting for 24% of total broadcast time. Biggest spender was Anheuser Busch InBev (an estimated $41 million), followed by PepsiCo ($31 million), Procter & Gamble ($30 million) and Amazon ($26 million).

The most-viewed Super Bowl ads on YouTube on game day were Amazon (#BeforeAlexa), Facebook (Ready to Rock?), Jeep (Groundhog Day), Hyundai (Smaht Pahk) and T-Mobile (Anthony Anderson’s Mama Tests T-Mobile’s 5G Network). Viewership of Super Bowl ads on YouTube during the game were up 30% over 2019, said the company.

But what was the most effective Super Bowl ad? The spot most likely to have the biggest impact on brand and business metrics was Google’s tearjerker “Loretta,” according to video ad tech company Unruly, followed by Cheetos’ “Can’t Touch This” and New York Life’s “Love Takes Action.” Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” was most likely to make people laugh. For a complete list, go here.

In another take, Realeyes ranked Super Bowl ads according to viewer attention and emotion. This year’s top commercial spots, according Realeyes’ Interest score, were: Mountain Dew Zero Sugar’s “As Good As The Original”; Avocados from Mexico Shopping Network; Rocket Mortgage’s “Momoa at Home”; P&G’s “When We Come Together, an Interactive Super Bowl Party, America’s Choice”; and Pepsi Zero Sugar’s “Done Right.”

Jeff Bezos is being sued by Hollywood talent manager Michael Sanchez. The Amazon founder and CEO and his security consultant are being accused of defaming Sanchez, the brother of Bezos’ girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, by telling journalists that Sanchez had leaked graphic photos of Bezos to the National Enquirer. “My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit and we truly hope my brother finds peace,” said Lauren Sanchez.

LBI Media has renamed itself Estrella Media. “Our new name, logo and mission speak to our company today and for the future, while aligning our television, radio and digital platforms under a single overarching brand,” said Peter Markham, CEO of Estrella Media. “It also reflects the significant role Hispanics play in American culture and how we as a company can connect and inspire everyone we touch.” The Spanish-language media company, parent of Estrella TV, emerged from bankruptcy in October.

Just announced – Cynopsis’ Measurement & Data Conference is set for Tuesday, June 2 in New York City. The agenda is available and registration is open! Details are here.

National ad revenue for linear television slipped just 0.9% in 4Q19, according to Standard Media Index. Sports ad revenue was up 6.6%, and news revenue was up 4%. Primetime entertainment was down 14%, versus a ratings slide of over 20%.

Alphabet reported 4Q19 revenue of $46.07 billion, up 17% from 4Q18. The company’s investments in deep computer science, including artificial intelligence, ambient computing and cloud computing, “provide a strong base for continued growth and new opportunities across Alphabet,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google. “I’m really pleased with our continued progress in Search and in building two of our newer growth areas – YouTube, already at $15 billion in annual ad revenue, and Cloud, which is now on a $10 billion revenue run rate.”

Sports media greats are sharing their best moves from the past year, in the form of captivating content, fresh marketing campaigns, beneficial partnerships and individuals who are revolutionizing the space.

The Cynopsis Sports Media Awards gives industry titans and emerging startups the chance to compete on a level playing field and now is the time to show us what you’ve got.
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Smithsonian Channel has ordered Ice Airport Alaska, a six-parter from Rare TV. Filmed at Ted Stevens Anchorage International – the only hub airport in the world that operates in temperatures as low as -38 Fahrenheit and contends with regular wind speeds of over 100mph – the series is set to debut this fall.

Romesh Ranganathan (Just Another Immigrant) inked a first-look deal with Comcast-backed Sky Studios. The British comedian and his production partner, Benjamin Green, will develop new projects.

Production is underway in Atlanta for TV One original Coins for Love, reports the net. The film, a sequel to Coins for Christmas, is slated to debut in August.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

New episodes of Lifetime’s revival of Supernanny move to 9p starting Friday, February 7. The previous week’s episode airs at 8p; after the new ep at 9p, encores will air until midnight every week.

INSP’s The Cowboy Way is back for season six on Wednesday, February 5 at 8p. To hear from Cowboys Cody Harris and Booger Brown on their unlikely path to TV stardom – and why they have no plans to follow the script as presenters at Thursday’s Cynopsis Best of the Best Awards, which should be interesting – go here.

COMING UP

ID’s The Green River Killer: Mind of a Monster includes the chilling confessions of serial killer Gary Ridgway (sample: “I was just going for the count”). Special airs Monday, February 17 at 9p.

The Hidden Kingdoms of China, narrated by Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians), premieres Saturday, February 22 at 9p on Nat Geo. “We’ve been given extraordinary access to venture into China’s most remote, wildest realms to capture the real-life drama of some of its most magnificent and mysterious animals and reveal never-before-seen behaviors,” says Geoff Daniels, EVP of global unscripted entertainment for National Geographic Global Networks. Natural history event has an extended five-episode run on Nat Geo WILD, starting March 23.

CBS Saturday morning series Mission Unstoppable marks Black History Month with episodes spotlighting the accomplishments of women of color in science, technology, engineering and math professions. Series produced by Litton Entertainment is hosted by Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), who also exec produces with Geena Davis.

Smithsonian Channel kicks off its sixth-annual Black History Month initiative tonight with screenings of Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier across 19 markets this February. Working in partnership with Comcast, Charter and Altice, Smithsonian Channel is sharing film with local communities in an effort to shine a light on unsung heroes of the African-American community. “We are thrilled at our partners’ continued commitment to bring these diverse and illuminating stories to audiences across the country,” said Charles Poe, SVP Global Production and Emerging Technology, Smithsonian Channel.

For the first time, the 2020 Billboard Latin Music Awards Finalists will be announced during an exclusive global live stream. The InstaLive event will feature interviews with music industry personalities, finalists’ reactions and guest appearances, on Wednesday, February 5 at 12p.

To celebrate the 200th episode of Impractical Jokers, airing Thursday, February 13 at 10p, truTV is running a marathon of the show from Sunday, February 9 at 1p to Thursday, February 13 at 9p.

The next wave of presenters announced for the Oscars includes Utkarsh Ambudkar, Salma Hayek, Brie Larson, Spike Lee, Ray Roman and Rebel Wilson. Awards show airs on ABC Sunday, February 9 at 8p.

STREAMING SNIPPETS

ViacomCBS-owned ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV is set to launch in Latin America at the end of March, with Pluto TV Brazil slated to debut by the end of 2020. “The launch of Pluto TV across Latin America marks another huge step toward achieving our mission of entertaining the planet,” said Tom Ryan, CEO and Co-Founder of Pluto TV. “We see massive opportunity and consumer demand for a high quality, free ad-supported streaming TV service throughout Latin America.”

YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV had strong fourth quarters, said Michael Nathanson. “Although we do not yet have an accurate count of how virtual MVPDs performed in the quarter, industry contacts suggest that both Hulu Live and YouTube TV have crushed it,” wrote the MoffettNathanson analyst in a research note. While vMVPD should lower the rate of total video subscriber declines to 3.5% for 2019, traditional MVPD subscribers are expected to dip by 6.8% during the quarter, he said.

Apple News added special coverage of the 2020 presidential election to its AppleNews app. Among the sources are ABC News, CBS News, CNN, FiveThirtyEight, Fox News, NBC News, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and more. Also included are curated guides and resources for both Democrats and Republicans. Apple’s election coverage in partnership with ABC News begins February 7, starting with the debate.

UK-based performing arts streaming service Marquee TV is expanding into the US market with the launch of its programming within Comcast’s X1 platform. The $8.99/month service features opera, ballet, theater and arts-themed productions from around the world.

TECH TALK

BlackBerry and TCL are ending their four-year brand licensing and tech support partnership in August, the companies announced on Monday. TCL will stop making new models of BlackBerry handsets, but continue to support models on the market until August 2022.

CASTING

J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Bruce Dern (Mr. Mercedes) are onboard Amazon Prime’s Goliath for the legal drama’s fourth and final season…Mike Colter (Evil) is joining Hulu anthology series Monsterland, according to Deadline… Toni Collette (Unbelievable) is set to star in Netflix’s Pieces of Her.

KIDS CORNER

Apple’s Ghostwriter, Helpsters, and Snoopy In Space have been named 2020 Parents’ Choice Gold Award winners. All three series premiered on November 1, and are now streaming on Apple TV+. The Parents’ Choice Foundation recognizes excellence in the entertainment and advertising industries.

GOING GLOBAL

Endemol Shine Group announced that mini-seriesTsunami, set in Stockholm and produced by Swedish production company Filmlance, will air on SVT.

Pantomimus Media announced a TV development partnership for its YA fantasy brand The Red Harlequin. The company will work with Canada’s Omnifilm Entertainment to create a high-end action adventure fantasy series.

PODCAST POST

Marc Evan Jackson hosts Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Podcast. Each episode covers one season of the NBC comedy, with guests including co-creator Dan Goor, cast members Terry Crews, Joe Lo Truglio, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz and more as they share behind-the-scenes stories. Season seven of the TV series premieres Thursday, February 6 at 8p.

Cynopsis is excited to honor stand-out performers, innovators and emerging leaders in the media industry (view honorees). Honorees will be celebrated at the Cynopsis Best Of The Best Awards Luncheon amongst television’s elite.

Seating is limited, so register today!

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which sitcom character made her living known as the “Queen of Romance”? Ronnie Chase, on Veronica’s Closet (1997-2000). Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Tenaya Cleveland-Indigo Sky Productions/Atlanta, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, David Garber-Loyola Marymount/Playa Vista, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
Oscar’s Barber Shop was a setting for which sitcom? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)