Today’s Premieres
Bravo: The Real Housewives of New Jersey at 9p
BritBox: Make It at Market
Food Network: Superchef Grudge Match at 9p
History: History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan at 10p
Nat Geo: The 7 Toughest Days on Earth at 10p
Reelz: MLW Underground Wrestling at 10p
Unimas: Resistre at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Is Paramount hit “Yellowstone” roping in a new lead? Star Kevin Costner’s limited availability has prompted co-creator Taylor Sheridan, Paramount Global and Paramount Network to ponder replacing the series with a spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey, reports Deadline. “We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of ‘Yellowstone’ and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come,” responded a Paramount Network rep – who didn’t exactly repudiate a McConaughey connection. “Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”

It’s about money, not politics, said DirecTV, facing backlash from Republicans and conservatives over its decision to drop cable news net Newsmax. “Our differences with Newsmax are economic, not political or ideological,” said a statement from DirecTV. “Since we would not agree to Newsmax’s demand to pay them tens of millions of dollars in licensing fees, DirecTV was no longer permitted by Newsmax to air its content. DirecTV is disappointed by Newsmax’s position. We prefer Newsmax had never left and remain interested in bringing Newsmax back under the right financial terms.” Responded Newsmax, “Newsmax is seeking a very modest fee of about $1 a cable subscriber [per year] when we believe our market rate is $5… This is blatant political discrimination because DirecTV pays dozens of liberal- leaning networks fees higher than what we are asking.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group reported new and upgraded local broadcast affiliates and linear carriage for its free over-the-air, multicast television networks Comet, Charge!. The changes will increase nationwide coverage by 2.4 million TV households by the end of Q2 2023, bringing the total new coverage since the start of 2022 to nearly 17 million TV households.

Disney is exploring licensing more of its films and series to Disney+ rivals to raise cash, reports Bloomberg. That would be a shift from the company’s stance since it launched its streaming service in 2019, and continues a trend as companies are challenged with streaming losses.

Total national brand ad spend in 2022 reached $96 billion, expanding 22% compared to 2020 and topping pre-pandemic spend in 2019 by 13%, according to data from Standard Media Index. Other key findings include:
* Overall, linear TV & display erosion most heavily impacted the media landscape in December. Declines spanned all major channels for two consecutive months (Nov-Dec), which last occurred in June – July 2020 during the early Covid era.
* Digital investments reached 58% of total share while traditional investments fell to 42% of total share.
* Digital video ads held relatively flat in December 2022 vs. 2021 (down just 0.4%) showcasing the most stability of any channel while capturing 25% of the mix, on par with declining display (down 15% YoY).
* Across all media, year-over-year momentum shifted to a sharp -12% decline in December 2022. Both linear TV (-18%) and digital (-9%) primarily contributed to this trajectory.

Eighty percent of those surveyed in a poll by Cint plan to watch the ads during the Super Bowl this year. Of those planning to watch, 56% agree that it’s likely an ad running during the Super Bowl will change their perception of the brand and another 62% say they will impact their purchasing decisions. And 57% of consumers who saw Super Bowl ads were inclined to discuss them after the game, 48% liked to rewatch the ads on YouTube and other social media platforms and 40% were likely to share the ads they liked with friends and family.

FOX News Channel has signed CB Cotton as a New York-based correspondent. Since 2020, Cotton has served as a reporter for ABC affiliate KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado where she was the station’s lead night side reporter focused on crime, justice, and law enforcement.

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Showtime handed a straight-to-series order for “The Department” (wt), a political thriller based on the French series “The Bureau” to be directed by George Clooney. Clooney and Grant Heslov will executive produce through their Smokehouse Pictures with MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios set to produce. The series “will follow in the great tradition of ‘Homeland,’ one of the most successful and brand-defining shows at Showtime,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Showtime and Paramount Media. “Just as ‘Homeland’ elevated global espionage to new heights, ‘The Department’ will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge.”

Showtime also has spin-offs in the works. “Dexter” prequel “Dexter: Origins” (wt) scored a straight-to-series order. The network is also developing a new version of “Dexter: New Blood,” depicting the emergence of Dexter’s son, Harrison. Potential “Billions” extensions (all working titles) include “Billions: Miami,” set in the world of private aviation; “Billions: London”; “Millions,” centered on moguls-in-training; and “Trillions,” focused on titans in conflict. All projects are exec produced by “Billions” showrunners Brian Koppelman and David Levien.

Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) has inked an overall deal with 20th Television, the studio behind her ABC series “Not Dead Yet,” premiering Wednesday. Rodriguez will develop, direct and executive produce new series across all platforms through her production company I Can & I Will, run by executive Molly Breeskin.

Added to the voice cast of Peacock animated comedy “In the Know” are Caitlin Reilly (“Loot”), Charlie Bushnell (“Diary of a Future President, “), J. Smith-Cameron (“Succession”), and Carl Tart (“Grand Crew”). Mike Judge (“Beavis and Butt-Head”), Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley”) and Brandon Gardner will co-create and executive produce with Judge and Woods both starring.

Corus Studios is continuing their partnership with Pamela Anderson with two new greenlights. “Pamela’s Garden of Eden” is currently in production on season 2, continuing the renovation of her family’s property on Vancouver Island. Anderson’s presence in the lifestyle space expands with the food-focused series, “Pamela’s Cooking With Love” (wt) beginning production this summer and scheduled to premiere in 2024 on Food Network Canada. Both series are produced by Fireworks Media Group.

Twelve new participants have joined Nickelodeon’s annual Writing and Artist Programs, back in person at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank for the first time since 2020. The Writing Program enters its 23rd year, while 2023 marks the 12th year for the Artist Program. Both programs are overseen by the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion and aligned with the company’s Content for Change initiative.

While suspicious minds may wonder if Matthew McConaughey is joining the “Yellowstone” universe, there’s no question about the “Interstellar” star’s participation in Netflix’s “Agent Elvis.” McConaughey will voice Elvis Presley the animated series following the King of Rock and Roll in his secret role as a government spy.

“Abbott Elementary” stars Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams will voice DC superheroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl in Valentine’s Day special “Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special,” premiering February 9 on HBO Max.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

“Sex Pod,” featuring experts answering questions about sex – alongside visual demonstrations from a couples who have agreed to have their most intimate moments filmed – premieres February 14 on Fuse+.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Hispanic division launched a new, original limited series for Discovery en Español’s GO app. Pedigree is taking an integrated position in the series, expanding on its Total Market deal with Animal Planet for the upcoming annual Puppy Bowl. Three-part series “Adóptame” unites architect/interior designer Erik Millán with adoption expert Tamara Ibarra to upgrade deserving animal adoption centers to their fullest potential, while also helping puppies find their fur-ever homes. Puppy Bowl sponsor Pedigree is also sponsoring Discovery en Español’s linear and Go App Spanish-language simulcast of Puppy Bowl, airing Super Bowl Sunday, on Feb 12.

Season five of Fuse’s “Made from Scratch” launches Wednesday, February 8. First in the kitchen is Dominican singer Natti Natasha.

COMING UP

Episode 5 of HBO’s “The Last of Us” will be available two days early on HBO Max, on Thursday, February 10 at 9p. That’s two days ahead of its debut on HBO on Super Bowl Sunday.

Kids Industries is hosting a conference in London to launch insights from its Global Family Study, on March 16. The event will focus on attitudes and media habits of families around the world; fandom; building brand love, and future challenges.

Great American Family and the producers of the “To The Rescue” are teaming up to raise money for animal rescue organizations via Forever Family Rescue Foundation, with its first annual “To The Rescue Pup-A-Thon 2023.” Featuring dogs that are available for adoption around the country, the event will be broadcast live Sunday, February 12 from 12p-4p.

Documentary “Don’t Leave Me Behind: Stories of Young Ukrainian Survival” premieres commercial-free on MTV Tuesday, February 21 at 10p in recognition of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Filmmaker Nathaniel Lezra chronicles the lives of Ukrainian teenage refugees as they process the trauma of being displaced from their country.

Vision Films has acquired action crime film “Crossfire.” The feature will have a day-and-date limited theatrical run with the transactional VOD release across the US and Canada on May 12.

STREAMING

Paramount+ has debuted its first Valentine’s Day-inspired collection, Peak Romance. The new collection is made up of over 200 rom-coms and love stories across an assortment of movies and seasonal episodes.

Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” ranks as the most-watched Marvel film premiere on Disney+ globally, based on hours streamed in its first five days.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Tom Brady will start calling the shots as a Fox broadcaster during the 2024 NFL season, he told Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd. Why the year off? “Decompression’s important,” Brady explained.

NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick is joining the FOX NASCAR broadcast booth full-time to call NASCAR Cup Series races following his retirement, beginning with the 2024 season. Harvick will partner with FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and former NASCAR teammate and analyst Clint Bowyer.

Major League Baseball has formed an economic study committee that will meet next week amid concerns about a possible bankruptcy for Diamond Sports Group, according to the Associated Press. The subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group owns local broadcasting rights to 14 of the 30 MLB teams.

Fox officially sold out its Super Bowl ad inventory the week of January 23, according to Fox Sports EVP of Ad Sales Mark Evans. The price for a 30-second spot averaged between $6 million and $7 million.

Street League Skateboarding has revealed the first details of its 2023 calendar. SLS will open the 2023 SLS Championship Tour in the Windy City at Wintrust Arena on April 29. The 2023 SLS season will consist of three SLS tour events, then culminate with the Super Crown World Championship. SLS Chicago will host the first stop, with the remaining three events taking place in marquee international cities on three different continents. More location details will be announced in the coming weeks.

GOING GLOBAL

LA and London-based 42 (“The Flatshare”) has acquired OB Management, an integrated director management and production company for commercials and music videos. Founder Otis Bell will stay on to helm OB alongside COO Frida Nilsson, which will be rebranded as OB/42.

Paramount+ has joined forces with Three UK, the streaming service’s first major mobile partner in the UK, as Paramount+ continues to grow its direct-to-consumer distribution.

WildBrain has secured the first wave of international sales for animated series “Summer Memories.” The new broadcasters on board for season one include Prime Video for Germany, Austria and Switzerland; ABC Australia; and Showmax for Africa.

Abacus Media Rights has acquired worldwide sales rights (excluding the UK) to Amos Pictures’ feature documentary “(In)Famous: Andrew Tate,” which examines the rapid rise of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate.

Beyond Entertainment has entered into a new partnership with independent animation and creative studio, Custom Nuts. The partners have agreed on a slate development deal to co-produce animated series for the international market, with the first three projects (“Jock and Sunny, “Shape & Shapers” and “Classical Chaos”) launching this month at Kidscreen.

Infront Bettor, the betting-focused division of Infront, has announced a global agreement with bet365, the world’s largest online betting brand. The deal will see bet365 distribute 18,000 hours of content from over 30 rights holders to more than 80 million customers from over 160 countries around the world.

Motion Pictures, the production and distribution company, and VlogBox have teamed to boost the preschool animated show “Mya Go” on CTV. The show’s three seasons were led by UK head writer Sam Morrison “Peppa Pig”).

9 Story Distribution International has secured worldwide distribution rights to the new Irish animated preschool series “Atom Town,” a co-production from Treehouse Republic and Turnip + Duck.

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RATINGS

Things are looking up – again – for “The Last of Us.” Episode four of the drama hit a series high 7.5 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max. That’s up 17% from week three, and up 60% versus the first episode’s same-day audience.

CBS’ broadcast of the Grammy Awards on Sunday drew 12.4 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, up 30% from last year’s least-watched-ever ceremony but significantly below the 18.7 million viewers who tuned in in 2020.

Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of January 30
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Outer Banks (Netflix), 5.9m, 6, 983,792, 5.5m
The Last of Us (HBO Max), 3.4m, 69, 49,419, 429,462
Wednesday (Netflix), 821k, 1, 820,562, 3.9m
Ginny & Georgia (Netflix), 736k, 5, 147,279, 1.3m
Get Organized with the Home Edit (Netflix), 707k, 29, 24,394, 7.1m
You (Netflix), 651k, 21, 31,015, 2.0m
Game of Thrones (HBO Max), 579k, 4, 144,860, 39.3m
The Mandalorian (Disney+), 570k, 8, 71,296, 2.6m
The Chosen (Prime Video), 472k, 26, 18,159, 1.2m
Gossip Girl (HBO Max), 360k, 36, 9,991, 16.0m
Source: Comscore Social Powered by Shareablee

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, February 3
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Shark Tank 3.37 (0.5), 20/20 2.65 (0.4)
CBS: S.W.A.T. 5.55 (0.5), Fire Country 6.37 (0.5), Blue Bloods 6.19 (0.4)
CW: Penn & Teller: Fool Us 0.69 (0.1), Criss Angel’s Magic 0.36 (0.1)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.38 (0.6)
ION: Hawaii Five-0 1.08 (0.1), Hawaii Five-0 1.00 (0.1), Hawaii Five-0 0.96 (0.2)
NBC: Lopez vs Lopez 1.83 (0.2), Young Rock 1.26 (0.2), Dateline 2.74 (0.3)
Telemundo: La Casa de los Famosos 1.23 (0.3), El Señor de los Cielos 1.42 (0.5), Amor y Traición 1.06 (0.3)
Univision: Vencer la Ausencia 1.42 (0.4), Mi Camino es Amarte 1.46 (0.3), Cabo 1.25 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

The CW has hired Chris Spadaccini as Chief Marketing Officer. Most recently, Spadaccini was CMO for Warner Media Entertainment.

Dominc Pagone has been tapped to serve as Head of Communications for Paramount Television Studios. Pagone was previously SVP of Entertainment PR and Awards for Showtime.

Banijay has appointed Stéphane Préfol as Head of M&A. Préfol joins from Publicis Groupe, where he was Associate Director.

TelevisaUnivision has promoted Jennifer Rogers to EVP for Consumer and Corporate Marketing of the US Networks. In this new role, Rogers will elevate the consumer and corporate marketing team, guiding both strategy development and the application of budget, resources, and talent.

Endeavor has named Maura McGreevy as Chief Communications Officer. McGreevy has been head of communications for Endeavor subsidiaries IMG and 160/90

Jennifer Ebell was upped from SVP of EMEA Sales to EVP of EMEA Sales and Acquisitions at Fifth Season and Fabio Tinchant was promoted from Executive Director Sales, French Europe, CEE, MENA & Turkey to VP Sales for the same markets. Maria Grazia Ursino has joined as Director, Southern Europe; Simon Algie has been appointed as Executive Director, Digital Sales; Ann Schröder was elevated from Director, Sales: Nordics, Benelux and Ireland to Executive Director for the same markets,; and Kaia Roemer has joined as Senior Sales Manager for Germany and CEE.

tvScientific has appointed Chris Johnson as the company’s first VP of Technology. Johnson was previously VP of Engineering at Infillion.

IN MEMORIAM

Actor Charles Kimbrough died January 11. He was 86. The Tony Award winner was best known to TV audiences for his role as Jim Dial on “Murphy Brown.”

This Day in History
1974 – Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” premiered.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Whose original name was Jasper on “Tom and Jerry” (1965-1972)? Tom. Kudos to: Linda Walker-Smith-Comcast Cable/Orlando, FL; Joe Swaney-Purchasing Power/Atlanta; Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Boyd-WGN/Chicago; Dave Sikula-San Francisco State University/San Francisco; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; Ken DuBow-Access Entertainment/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
What was Chrissy Snow’s full name on “Three’s Company” (1977-84)? (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.)

Cynopsis Team