Today’s Premieres
Apple TV+: Lovely Little Farm
Discovery: Hoffman Family Gold at 9p
discovery+/Max: The Cabin Chronicles
The Roku Channel: Morimoto’s Sushi Master
Starz: Outlander at 8p

Saturday’s Premieres
Nat Geo Wild: Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper at 10p
Netflix: King of the Land; See You in My 19th Life
TNT: All Elite Wrestling: Collision at 8p
Unimas: Montecristo at 10p

Sunday’s Premieres
AMC: The Walking Dead: Dead City at 9p
Food Network: The Great Food Truck Race at 8p; Beachside Brawl at 10p
HBO: The Righteous Gemstones at 10p
Paramount: 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story at 8p
PBS: Ridley at 8p; Endeavor on Masterpiece at 9p
The Weather Channel: Search Party With Brandon Jordan at 9p; Fast: Home Rescue at 10p

Monday, June 19 Premieres
E!: Black Pop: Celebrating the Power of Black Culture at 8p
Netflix: Not Quite Narwhal
PBS: The Great American Recipe at 9p
Vice: One Star Reviews at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Upfront TV prime-time advertising spending will dip 3.6%, to $18.64 billion this year, according to estimates from Insider Intelligencer/eMarketer. “This decline is being driven by economic instability, declining viewership ratings, the trend of cord-cutting, price-reduction pressures, a shift in audience from traditional TV to CTV, and a transition from conventional to digital media,” says the report. CTV deals are expected to be up 29%, to $8.66 billion.

As part of a multi-year naming rights agreement between NBCU’s Peacock and AEG, the 7,100-seat concert and special events venue formerly known as Microsoft Theater will be named Peacock Theater and the entertainment district’s 40,000 square foot open-air plaza, formerly known as XBOX Plaza, will be known as Peacock Place. The agreement strategically aligns the brands, and establishes Peacock as the exclusive streaming partner of L.A. LIVE.

Walmart has added NBCUniversal to its Partner Lab, testing a first-to-market offering: closing the loop on retail media-powered ads within live sports streaming. “This will mark the first time NBCUniversal’s live sports streaming inventory will be available through a retail media network – just in time for this autumn’s prime sports seasons and holiday campaigns,” said Sylvia Yam, Senior Director of Strategy and Business Development, Walmart Connect. “Brands will be able to use Walmart Connect’s unparalleled targeting and measurement to reach streaming viewers during live sports programs.” Added Joe Cady, EVP of Advanced Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, “Sports enthusiasts are an unmatched audience, and with the power and scale of NBCUniversal’s digital advertising capabilities, combined in a privacy-minded way, with Walmart Connect’s shopper data, we’re able to add even more value for advertisers. It’s a win-win across the board.”

Peacock’s “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” drew 18 nominations in the Seventh Annual Black Reel Television Awards, the most ever for a series. Peacock also scored the most nominations of any network, with 25. Netflix was second with 20. Also of note: acting categories are gender neutral this year. A ceremony announcing the winners takes place August 14 at 8p.

hoopla Digital, the app for public libraries, has launched a new BingePass in partnership with Hallmark Movies Now. Library patrons with access to hoopla will be able to access a seven-day BingePass to Hallmark Movies Now’s online content lineup. “Our partnership with hoopla allows us a unique opportunity to reach a new audience and expand awareness of Hallmark Movies Now,” said Hallmark Media’s SVP of Streaming Distribution, Lauri McGarrigan, “As we continue to amplify and evolve the platform’s content offerings, we look forward to giving library patrons access to our unique brand of feel-good content, including our beloved series and movies.”

Great American Media and Sony Pictures Television’s Pure Flix have completed their previously announced merger. The deal joins Great American Media’s family-friendly linear and FAST channels with the Pure Flix faith and family SVOD service. Great American Media retains a majority interest in the merged company and oversees day-to-day management of the independent organization under the leadership of Bill Abbott, who serves as CEO and reports to the company’s board of directors.

A call for free entries!

We want to know what you think the Best Show of 2023 is… that’s why we invite you to nominate your favorite for the Cynopsis’ Readers’ Choice Awards, for free! Help your favorite show shine bright, and let us know by filling out the short questionnaire below!

ENTER NOW

NBC has ordered a revival – the fourth – of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” produced by Hearst Media Production Group in an exclusive partnership with Mutual of Omaha. “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild” premieres Saturday, October 7 on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block. The series first aired on NBC from 1963-71, entering syndication until 1987. It was revived in 2002 for Animal Planet, then aired as a web series from 2013-18.

Max adult animation series currently in development include “Anything Factory,” from Tom Kauffman (“Rick and Morty”), following a man who returns home to reconnect with his ailing father and help his sister manage the family business; “Uptown Bodega,” focused on a woman who inherited her father’s old Bodega and vows to keep the business booming; and “Keeping Up With the Joneses,” about a family’s struggle to keep up with their rich neighbors. “We’re always looking for hard comedy with heart and edge, diverse and inclusive shows with underlying thematic resonance, and character design that showcases the hand of the artist,” said Suzanna Makkos, EVP, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, Max and Adult Swim, at the Annency International Animation Film Festival.

Fourteen-year-old Lenny Rush (“Am I Being Unreasonable?”) has been added to the cast the BBC’s “Doctor Who.” “This is what ‘Doctor Who’s’ all about, brand new talent from the next generation, and no one’s more talented than Lenny,” said showrunner Russell T Davies. “He joins the TARDIS team just in time for the Doctor’s greatest nightmare, so hold on tight.”

The CW greenlit a fourth season of “Superman & Lois,” but budget cuts led to the departures of seven series regulars: Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wole Parks, Tayler Buck and Sofia Hasmik.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Showtime’s “Billions” is back for its seventh – and, it turns out, final – season on Friday, August 11 on Paramount+ with Showtime, making its linear debut Sunday, August 13 at 8p. Damian Lewis, who left the series after season five following the death of his wife, Helen McCrory, will return as Bobby Axelrod.

Season four of INSP cowboy competition “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown” kicks off Wednesday, September 6 at 8p. The All-Stars edition brings back audience favorites from the past three seasons.

Four new true crime docuseries are headed to Hulu, courtesy of ABC News Studios. “The Ashley Madison Affair,” about the rise and fall of the notorious dating platform, premieres Friday, July 7; love story gone wrong “Betrayal: The Perfect Husband” drops Tuesday, July 11; “Mother Undercover,” centered on four women on a mission to get justice for their children, debuts Thursday, July 27; and “Demons and Saviors,” telling the story of a woman convicted of murdering her three-year-old daughter, debuts Thursday, August 3.

Season 12 of “Relative Race” premieres Sunday September 17 on BYUtv. September 30 brings a full digital drop of season three of “Ruby and the Well”; the series arrives on BYUtv on October 1.

TLC’s “90 Day Fiance: The Other Way” returns for season five on a new night: Monday, July 10 at 8p. The reality show previously aired on Sundays.

Law&Crime YouTube series “The Lineup,” aimed at fans of crime-in-action content, launches Sunday, June 18 at 4p. The series offers viewers criminal activity caught on dash cams, drones and surveillance cameras.

truTV’s “Tacoma FD” is back for season four on Tuesday, July 20 at 10p. Guest stars include Tony Danza and David Arquette.

STREAMING

FuboTV and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort are launching Maximum Effort Channel on Tuesday, June 20. The channel will feature the debut of the partnership’s first original show, “Bedtime Stories with Ryan,” in which the “Deadpool” star reads bedtime stories. The show is “a magical mix of joy and relaxation,” said Pamela Duckworth, Head of Fubo Studios. “These may be legendary stories, but Ryan’s voice and personality amplify each one, turning them into classics for a new generation. ‘Bedtime Stories with Ryan’ is the perfect original show to kick off Maximum Effort Channel’s programming slate of maximum comfort.”

The BritBox app has launched on Comcast platforms in the US. Following a trial over the past few months, the service is now widely available across Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Xumo TV.

TECH TALK

A bill that would allow broadcasters to bargain collectively with big tech platforms for payment for news content prompted a letter of protest from the Computer & Communications Industry Association. “The [Journalism and Competition Preservation Act] mandates that private companies must carry speech in direct violation of the First Amendment,” wrote Computer & Communications Industry Association President Matt Schruers. “This bill will also hinder the fight against misinformation by forcing digital services to publish and pay producers of dangerous content.” The National Association of Broadcasters maintains the bill is necessary to keep local broadcasters from losing an estimated $2 billion annually.

Twitter is being sued by a trade group National Music Publishers’ Association, which alleges the platform violates copyright law by hosting music without permission and ignoring repeat infringers. “Videos with music, including infringing copies of publishers’ songs, attract and retain account holders and viewers, and grow the body of engaging tweets on the Twitter platform,” said the lawsuit. “Twitter then monetizes those tweets and users via advertising, subscriptions, and data licensing, all of which serve to increase Twitter’s valuation and revenues.”

Eighty-one percent of creatives have a positive attitude towards generative AI and 79% have adopted generative AI at some level in the creative process, according to a study from Spotify Advertising and WARC that looks at advertising creatives’ attitudes. Other findings include:
· 81% plan to increase the use of generative AI in the creative process in the next 12 months.
· Adoption of generative AI in the creative process to-date is significantly higher among agencies (91%) than brands (75%).
· Creatives in the UK are almost twice as likely to say “the reality of using generative AI in the creative process has exceeded expectations” versus creatives in the US.
“We’re excited about the evolution of AI and, in particular, the potential with generative AI to help us work smarter to benefit artists, creators, advertisers and listeners alike,” said Rich Frankel, Creative Director at Spotify Advertising. “We are currently focused on education as we explore how best to utilize generative AI and machine learning to support advertisers and publishers and while we will proceed with caution, we’re hopeful about the opportunities of this technology to push audio advertising and creativity forward.”

Magnite, the independent sell-side advertising company, introduced Magnite Access, a suite of omnichannel audience products aimed at making it easier for display, online video, and streaming media owners and their advertising partners to maximize the value of their data assets. “The industry is undergoing a major shift as audience and identity frameworks migrate closer to the sell-side,” said Adam Soroca, Chief Product Officer at Magnite. “This presents an opportunity for media owners to embrace new ways of activating audience data at scale. Magnite Access ensures we are well-positioned to provide our clients with omnichannel audience products across multiple formats, such as streaming and display, as well as multiple demand sources.”

The Brandtech Group has acquired 100% of Pencil, the generative AI creative and distribution SaaS platform. In addition, the Group is launching Pencil Pro, an enterprise-level generative AI product, specifically created to meet the needs of global brands. Unilever and Bayer are Pencil Pro launch partners. “Generative AI is going to change the world and the world of marketing beyond recognition. When we created the company, machine-generated content was a core foundation of the group and most people laughed and said it would never be a thing,” said The Brandtech Group founder and CEO, David Jones. “Since then we have made several investments in different AI companies, from chatbots to AI twins, to media planning, but this is our first acquisition.”

Innovid struck a first-to-market partnership with Upwave, an analytics platform for brand advertising, to use brand KPI signals for automated creative optimization across digital channels, including CTV. “Just as lower funnel campaigns can optimize creative to clicks or conversions, now upper funnel campaigns have an optimizable metric,” said Chris Kelly, CEO at Upwave. “With our robust data analysis, advertisers are able to optimize their creative serving strategy in real-time to maximize top-of-funnel results. With the combination of our brand measurement and Innovid’s platform, advertisers can create impactful campaigns that elevate overall brand outcomes.”

Dentsu has partnered with Clinch, dynamic ad serving and personalization company and creator of Flight Control, for its Dynamic Creative Optimization offering. The partnership includes complete access to Clinch’s SaaS platform Flight Control, enabling dentsu clients to deliver custom-tailored ad experiences across channels.

COMING UP

Hulu returns as the streaming destination of the Essence Festival of Culture. The Essence Fest Primetime livestream will feature performances from Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, and Megan Thee Stallion, among others. Hulu is also highlighting two films, “Summer of Soul “and “Chevalier,” offering narratives that delve into the cultural significance, and transformative power of Black music.

Disney+ will begin debuting a collection of 28 newly restored Walt Disney Animation Studios classic shorts starting on July 7, marking the centennial of the Walt Disney Animation Studios. Cartoons range from classics to lesser known titles.

Sean Hannity is hosting a town hall with Republican presidential candidate Senator Tim Scott on Tuesday, June 20 at 9p. The event will take place at the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Speedvision is commemorating Father’s Day with a mega-marathon of “Graveyard Carz Classics.” When the calendar flips from Saturday to Sunday at midnight, Speedvision will kick off 50 consecutive hours of the garage show, ending at 2a on Tuesday.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

The Nevada Legislature gave final approval for $380 million in public funding towards the proposed new, $1.5 billion Oakland Athletics stadium. Thumbs up from the Nevada governor and MLB are still needed, but expected. In a statement, the A’s said they look forward to securing the governor’s signature as they “work to bring the Athletics to Las Vegas.” Meanwhile, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said, “The A’s have been part of Oakland for more than half a century, and they belong in this city. There is no city that has worked harder to meet the needs of a team than Oakland.”

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon have asked the Justice Department to investigate the merger agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf. The deal “would make a US organization complicit – and force American golfers and their fans to join this complicity – in the Saudi regime’s latest attempt to sanitize its abuses by pouring funds into major sports leagues,” wrote the senators, adding the deal also violates US antitrust law. Responded the tour, “We are confident that once Congress learns more about how the PGA Tour will lead this new venture, they will understand the opportunities it creates for our players, our communities, and our sport while protecting the American institution of golf.”

The Professional Fighters League and DAZN have struck a partnership with Germany’s biggest publisher, BILD, which will co-broadcast a selection of fights from the Verti Music Hall in Berlin alongside PFL Europe’s existing partner DAZN. BILD will also be showing the full broadcast from PFL Europe 2 the day after the event across its platform and have branding on the SmartCage and canvas.

Intersport announced the debut of the Arizona Tip-Off, an early season college basketball tournament scheduled for Nov. 17-19. DePaul, South Carolina, Grand Canyon and San Francisco make up the inaugural four-team Cactus Division, while Northern Arizona, Purdue Fort Wayne, South Dakota and VMI will compete in the Desert Division. The Arizona Tip-Off will take place at Desert Diamond Arena.

The International Olympic Committee has awarded Infront the exclusive broadcast rights in 22 countries in Central and South East Asia for the XXV Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad Los Angeles 2028, the XXVI Olympic Winter Games in 2030 and the Games of the XXXV Olympiad Brisbane 2032, as well as for the Youth Olympic Games in the period.

OutKick, the multimedia sports platform, finished May with its third highest month of total multiplatform unique visitors with over 10 million, up 283% versus May 2022, according to Comscore. The platform delivered 41 million total multiplatform views, up 30% from April 2023 and 45 million total multiplatform minutes, up 24% versus April 2023.

GOING GLOBAL

Keshet International has acquired Flicker Productions’ disaster documentary “38 Minutes to Live,” which investigates the events of January 13, 2018, when people across Hawaii received an emergency alert to their phones informing them of an incoming ballistic missile attack.

Zephyr, the production arm of APC Kids, has secured its first presales for 2D animated adventure-comedy “Lana Longbeard,” co-produced with Canadian animation studio Copernicus.

Red Arrow Studios International has closed deals for dating format “Stranded on Honeymoon Island” with Germany’s SAT.1 and Portugal’s SIC.

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ENTER TODAY

The Stanley Cup Finals averaged 2.6 million viewers, down 43% from last year, and was the least-watched (excluding the pandemic fan-free games) finals series since 2007. Game 5 delivered 2.72 million viewers, the lowest number since 1994.

The NBA Finals average 11.64 million viewers, down from 12.4 million for last year’s six-game series. But the NBA Playoffs on ABC, ESPN and TNT averaged 5.47 million viewers per game, the most-watched playoffs in five years.

The TV audience share in May for for UK’s Channel 4 dropped to a record low 4.48%. Digital was up 20% year-over-year.

Top 10 Streaming Programs for the Week of May 15
Program, # of Episodes, Minutes (millions)
The Mother (Netflix), 1, 1160
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix), 6, 1056
NCIS (Netflix/Paramount+), 443, 858
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), 32, 769
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Disney+), 1, 766
Bluey (Disney+), 129, 708
Cocomelon (Netflix), 22, 676
S.W.A.T. (Hulu/Paramount+), 128, 635
A Man Called Otto (Netflix), 1, 621
Queer Eye (Netflix)m, 58, 558
Source: Nielsen

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Wednesday, June 14
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Judge Steve Harvey 3.16 (0.33), The Wonder Years 2.09 (0.22), The Wonder Years 1.80 (0.18), Superstar 1.34 (0.20)
CBS: Ghosts 2.75 (0.24), Ghosts 2.44 (0.21), Let’s Make a Deal Primetime 2.14 (0.20), CSI: Vegas 1.54 (0.12)
CW: Nancy Drew 0.40 (0.06), Riverdale 0.21 (0.03)
FOX: MasterChef 2.28 (0.42), Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars 1.64 (0.26)
ION: Blue Bloods 0.19 (0.09), Blue Bloods 1.03 (0.1), Blue Bloods 1.04 (0.11)
NBC: Night Court 1.83 (0.22), Night Court 1.50 (0.19), Chicago Fire 2.19 (0.20), Chicago PD 2.17 (0.23)
Telemundo: Top Chef VIP 0.93 (0.23), Betty en NY 0.57 (0.16), Secretos de Sangre 0.65 (0.15)
Univision: Perdona Nuestros Pecados 1.14 (0.22), El Amor Invencible 1.26 (0.28), Mujer 0.91 (0.20)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Banijay Benelux has named Anouk Kamminga as Head of Non-Scripted of Scenery, effective in October. Kamminga joins from VPRO, where she was a Chief Editor.

Heidi Schorn has been appointed VP of Development at Original Content Lab. Most recently, Schorn was VP of Development and Executive Producer of Unscripted at Alibi Entertainment.

IN MEMORIAM

Acclaimed actress Glenda Jackson died June 15. She was 87. In addition to Oscar-winning film roles, Jackson was awarded three Emmys. After leaving the acting arena to pursue politics, she returned to acting and picked up a Tony Award in 2018.

Friday Fun Fact
The oldest hotel is an inn in Japan named The Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan. It has been open since 705 AD and has been run by the same family for 52 generations.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who guest-starred as Murphy’s 93rd and final secretary on “Murphy Brown” (1988-1998)? Bette Midler. Kudos to: Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Jim Kelly-Jim Kelly Consulting/Central Islip, NY; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL;
Dory Petsrillo-Locality/Dallas; Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta; Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX; Michael Coscia/LA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
In which series was a cult led by a man named Holy Wayne? (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.)