Tonight’s Finale
VH1: Love & Hip Hop: Miami at 9p
For streaming TV premieres, go here.

IN THE NEWS

ABC’s Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor are donating medical supplies, including N95 masks, to medical workers and hospitals. “We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time, and in addition to these donations, we are doing our part to help them by staying home,” said Krista Vernoff, exec producer of Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19. Fox’s The Resident had donated protective equipment in Atlanta, where the medical drama is filmed; NBC’s New Amsterdam also jumped in to help area hospitals with supplies.

NBC News veteran Larry Edgeworth, 61, died March 19 of complications from coronavirus. “Many of you were fortunate enough to work with Larry over the years, so you know that he was the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were,” wrote NBC News Chairman Andy Lack to staffers. Edgeworth, who spent most of his 25 years at the network as an audio technician, and most recently worked in the equipment room, suffered from other health issues, according to his wife.

Four employees at Fox News Media have tested positive for COVID-19. All are based in the New York offices. They join staffers at ABC News, CBS News and CNN who have fallen ill.

“My own time and thinking is now wholly focused on COVID-19 and on how Amazon can best play its role,” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos told employees over the weekend. “Amazon will continue to do its part, and we won’t stop looking for opportunities to help.” Amazon is hiring for 100,00 new roles, and raising wages for hourly workers delivering to customers.

Netflix has created a $100 million fund to help workers in the TV and film industry hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the funds will go to workers on Netflix’s own productions, while $15 million will go to third parties and non-profits providing emergency relief. “This community has supported Netflix through the good times, and we want to help them through these hard times, especially while governments are still figuring out what economic support they will provide,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos in a blog post.

Sarandos noted on CNN that because Netflix works in advance on delivering shows, even though every one of its productions is shut down, disruption in programming shouldn’t occur, at least in the next few months. And with so many people hunkering down at home, TV viewing is up. “As Governor Cuomo said so beautifully, the best thing you can do is stay at home,” said Sarandos. “We are trying hard to help.”

After five weeks of games, the new XFL football league has thrown in the towel due to the coronavirus. “The COVID-19 pandemic, and the most recent state and local regulations, have left the XFL no choice but to officially cancel the remainder of the 2020 season,” said the league. Games on ABC and Fox had averaged 1.5-1.8 million while viewership on ESPN and FS1 scored about 800,000 viewers.

With events suspended due to COVID-19, where can advertisers find audience segments traditionally delivered by live sports? For viewers of NASCAR, the PGA, and college football, Wheel of Fortune and SportsCenter are the top two shows; for NBA fans, they’re SportsCenter and Good Morning America, according to an analysis by Alphonso. Other shows to make the top 10 on all four lists include The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, ABC World News Tonight, and Family Feud.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled for the week of May 24, has been suspended due to the coronavirus. “This was a difficult decision that unfortunately will disappoint students who have spent a great deal of time studying and preparing, along with their parents and teachers who have supported them,” said the bee’s organizer. “The focus now shifts to exploring all options to possibly reimagine a competition for later this year.” The finals air on ESPN….Also postponed is the 12th Annual Produced By Conference, which had been scheduled to take place June 6-7 in LA….NAB’s 2020 show in Las Vegas, slated for April 19-22, will be re-imagined as a digital platform called NAB Show Express. “This digital experience will provide a conduit for our exhibitors to share product information, announcements and demos, as well as deliver educational content from the original selection of programming slated for the live show in Las Vegas, and create opportunities for the community to interact virtually—all of which adds up to something that brings the NAB Show community together in a new way,” said National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith.

AT&T canceled its $4 billion share repurchase plan as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “While our business continues to operate effectively…we have decided at this time to cancel this ASR agreement and any other repurchases to maintain flexibility and focus on continued investment in serving our customers, taking care of our employees and enhancing our network, including nationwide 5G,” said CFO John Stephens. “These continued investments will help ensure the company is well positioned when the pandemic passes and economies begin to recover.”

SAG-AFTRA shut its LA headquarters “to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” said union president Gabrielle Carteris and national executive director David White. Operations will continue via phone, email and digital communication.

Based on the global hit game show Minute to Win It, Telemundo’s Minuto Para Ganar debuts tonight, March 23 at 7p. Contestants compete in one-minute challenges for a chance to win up to a $100,000 cash prize. Airing Monday through Friday, the game show will be followed by Exatlón Estados Unidos in its new time slot of 8p.

The premiere of AMC spin-off The Walking Dead: Beyond the World, scheduled for April 12, has been delayed due to production delays caused by the coronavirus. Zombie drama will debut later this year, the net announced on Twitter.

STREAMING

When you can’t have the real thing: Monumental Sports Network and NBC Sports Washington are airing one-hour video game simulations of previously scheduled Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Capitals (NHL) games through Take-Two Interactive’s NBA 2K20 and EA Sports’ NHL 20, respectively. AI gameplay is presented in alignment with the teams’ remaining schedules of postponed regular-season games; matchups will be televised on NBCSW, and available via its 24/7 authenticated streaming platform. The Wizards simulations began Saturday; the Capitals schedule starts Tuesday, March 24 at 7p. “We hope that these fun and engaging video game simulations will entertain our fans and help provide a greater sense of normalcy during these challenging times,” said Zach Leonsis, SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Monumental Sports & Entertainment and General Manager of Monumental Sports Network.

With cinemas impacted by the global health crisis, Disney and Pixar film Onward is now available to buy digitally on Movies Anywhere and on will arrive on Disney+ on April 3 in the US. The film premiered in theaters on March 6.

Disney+, originally scheduled to drop in India on March 29, is delaying the launch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The streamer’s debut was timed to coincide with the now-postponed Indian Premier League season. Also delayed is Disney+’s debut in France, which has moved from March 24 at April 7. Like Netflix, Disney+ is limiting the streaming quality of its content for the next 30 days for users in Europe, to relieve stress on communications networks burdened by the coronavirus lockdown.

Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial to new customers. Viewers who sign up before May 3 can access the network’s programming online via the SHOWTIME streaming service by going to SHOWTIME.com or the SHOWTIME app, available on all supported devices.

New titles coming to Tubi beginning April 1 include Airplane II: The Sequel, The Big Short, Cellular, The Conjuring, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Head of State, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Last Witch Hunter, Set It Off, Shaft, Shrek Forever After and Total Recall.

COMING UP

Over the next several weeks, the AccuWeather Network will feature updates from the AccuWeather COVID-19 Report. The AccuWeather research and expert team will focus on weather-related information that might help better explain how such things as temperature and humidity may affect the virus spread.

ESPN will re-air eight-part series O.J. Made in America over four nights, tonight, March 23 throughMarch 26. The Oscar-winning doc premiered on ABC and ESPN in 2016.

TV One will celebrate the start of Holy Week with the cable-television premiere of Sinners Wanted on Sunday, April 5 at 4p, with encore airings on Saturday, April 11 at 12p and Palm Sunday, April 12 at 4p. Film focuses on an unconventional pastor who falls for a woman with a troubled past.

TECH UPDATE

Apple virtual assistant Siri has been updated to use information from the Centers for Disease Control and US Public Health Service to answer user questions about the coronavirus. A step-by-step questionnaire will help users determine if they have symptoms of the disease, and whether to call 9-1-1.

Programmatic ad platform Simpli.fi has released an OTT/CTV attribution feature aimed at direct-to-consumer and ecommerce marketers that measures the effectiveness of ads in near real-time. “We recognize that advertisers are in uncharted territory, and business needs are shifting,” said Frost Prioleau, CEO and co-founder of Simpli.fi. “Keeping revenue flowing is key to operating during a down-cycle. Advertising is an important way to maintain and grow revenue and it will be essential for advertisers to be able to measure against online actions.”

GOING GLOBAL

Noggin, Nick Jr.’s interactive learning subscription service for preschoolers, is now available through Apple TV channels on the Apple TV app in over 25 territories, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and multiple regions in Southeast Asia.

TCB Media Rights greenlit two factual titles: Hitler’s Supercars, produced by UK’s Wiser Films, and Extreme Ice Machines, by Canadian production company Architect Films.

Discovery Inc. and Nine Entertainment announced a partnership to launch an Australian free to air channel. 9Rush, a destination for young male audiences, will feature content from Discovery’s global pipeline, showcasing real-life stories of adventure and survival. A joint venture between the two companies, Nine will operate the channel and represent ad sales and Discovery will act as the primary content partner.

PODCAST POST

Chicago-based journalism nonprofit Invisible Institute, Topic Studios, and The Intercept in association with Tenderfoot TV, teamed up for new investigative podcast series Somebody, set to premiere March 31. Seven-parter documents Shapearl Wells’s quest to find out what happened to her son, Courtney Copeland, a 22-year-old man who wound up with a bullet in his back outside a Chicago Police station in 2016 and died.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which short-lived science fiction drama centered on a task force that investigated biochemical emergencies, led by a virologist who survived Ebola as a child? The Burning Zone (1996 to 1997). Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Susan Nessanbaum-ZGoldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, Dan Haberer-Creo Entertainment/Playa del Rey, CA, Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the superpower of Milo Ventimiglia’s character on Heroes (2006-2010)? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)