PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
New York City started accepting film permit applications for work starting after June 30. The permits allow principal photography, with a limit of a cast and crew of no more than ten people, among other restrictions.
ViacomCBS International Studios and Miramax are teaming to co-produce The Turkish Detective, a TV series adaptation of the crime novels by Barbara Nadel. Jill Offman, former VP of ViacomCBS International Studios UK, will executive produce.
ITV America inked an overall deal with Christopher Potts and Jonty Nash’s recently established production label Nobody’s Hero. Under their agreement with ITV America, Potts and Nash will expand upon their brand of reality fare, creating, developing and producing projects alongside the ITV team.
Apple TV+ gave a straight-to-series order to comedy series The Afterparty, which will tell the story, from different points of view, of a murder at a high school reunion party. The show comes from Sony Pictures Television and TriStar Television.
MGM Television’s Unscripted & Alternative Television, and Orion Television division inked a first look deal with format sourcing company Small World IFT. Under the agreement MGM will have an exclusive first look at international formats sourced by Small World IFT and access to their existing catalog.
Skydance Television has partnered with CJ ENM (Parasite) and its subsidiary Studio Dragon to develop a television series based on the South Korean fantasy drama Hotel Del Luna. The new series will be reimagined for a global audience with Alison Schapker (Altered Carbon) developing and producing as part of her overall deal with Skydance.
Sky and AMC ordered season two of Gangs of London, produced by Pulse Films in association with Sister for Sky Studios. AMC is on board as co-producer for season two.
Toonz Media Group, Elijah Rock Productions, and Ericka Nicole Malone Entertainment have started pre-production on a feature length animated movie, JG & the BC Kids, which will be followed by a TV series following a super intelligent and athletic scientist and inventor who travels the world to find special kids. Janet Huber (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) will produce the show, inspired by her son.
NEWFRONTS
So, how are the “new” NewFronts going? “Against a backdrop of unprecedented change, we are pleased with the NewFronts week so far, and believe that we are bearing witness to the reinvention of large scale events right before our eyes,” David Cohen, President, IAB, tells Cynopsis. “With over 12,000 registrants and a diverse mix of presentation formats and topics, we are doing exactly what the reimagined virtual NewFronts set out to do. We are highlighting the best consumer insights, content and technology, as well as connecting buyers and sellers via a next generation marketplace. Some of these insights are a direct reflection of the social unrest and injustice that exists in the world, and presenters are tackling these issues head on. Yesterday, Monique Nelson, CEO of UWG led a Town Hall on diversity and opened the discussion with the ‘3A’s – acknowledgement, action and accountability’ – three words that we, as an industry need to honor and stay focused on in the months and years ahead.”
In the ever-expanding realm of audio, NewFronts newcomer Vibenomics, a location-based out of home audio advertising and experience company, is looking to entice brands with its data-driven, automated and measurable spoken-word business that targets consumers at the point of sale. Given that 16% of unplanned purchases are driven by in-store promos, “We’re introducing a new category, really,” Vibenomics President Paul Brenner tells Cynopsis. “Historically music and messaging didn’t have the tech behind them, the flexibility, the data measurement to really be able to jump into the digital out of home space.” The company, which counts NASCAR, Mondelez and Body Armour among clients, incorporates cloud-based tech, data integration and a library of licensed background music to elevate brand messaging. “We’re digital out of home, we’re shopper marketing and we’re CPG-friendly,” says Brenner. “The dialogue we’re having with advertisers is, ‘You can reach the shoppers where they matter the most and do it with the same planning tools and expectations you have with any other medium today.’”
VICE Media Group announced it is expanding its VICE News ecosystem globally with the launch of VICE World News. The brand will create hundreds of hours of international television, digital and audio news programming for audiences worldwide, and will see VICE significantly scaling its news operations globally beyond its existing footprint. Among shows in production, to be released in the US and internationally, are Border to Border, a look at lives on both sides of the line; Reset, exploring video games; Fanatics, delving into the lives of people whose fandom borders on obsession; and The Source, which goes behind the headlines of major stories. In partnership with iHeartRadio, the company is launching weekly investigative series VICE News Reports.
Vice Media Group also called on advertisers to consider the brand safety policy of keyword blocklists, offering research that shows the lists restrict content that promotes diversity and inclusion. And “The 8:46 Project” is company-wide commitment to expand coverage and reporting on systemic racism across all VICE brands.
STREAMING SCOOP
NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock will be available on VIZIO SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs at launch on July 15. A tier featuring more than 7,500 hours of movies, shows, and live and on-demand programming will be free, with Peacock Premium available for $4.99 per month, with more than 15,000 hours of content. Viewers can upgrade to Peacock Premium ad-free for an additional $5.00 per month.
Sports-focused live TV streaming platform fuboTV gets even sportsy-er, with a multi-year distribution agreement with Disney Media Networks for live TV and VOD. Beginning this summer, customers who subscribe to fuboTV’s fubo Standard base package will have access to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3, as well as ABC, ABC News Live, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, and National Geographic. Additional networks will also be available on fuboTV’s other packages. “With the addition to our lineup of the ESPN suite of channels, we continue to make good on our promise to sports fans to be the undisputed home of professional and college sports,” Fubo co-founder and CEO David Gandler said. “Fubo is equally delighted to add the storied Disney, ABC, FX and Nat Geo networks to round out a robust programming portfolio for the whole family to enjoy.” Said Sean Breen, EVP, Platform Distribution, Disney Media Networks, “With fuboTV’s multiple access points across all major streaming platforms and a competitive price point, we continue to serve a growing audience that consumes video on multiple screens and attract new customers into the pay TV ecosystem.”
Amazon is actively pursuing deals to license live and linear programming for Prime Video, according to a report in Protocol. The newsletter quotes from job listings for Amazon, including one scouting someone who can “redefine how customers watch 24/7 linear broadcast TV content” and design “the end-to-end customer experience for how customers discover and watch” linear TV content. Amazon has already licensed sports programming, including NFL Thursday Night Football, and streams live programming from news networks.
J2911 Media has closed a content package deal with Tubi for new title additions to its platform within the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia.
The Cynopsis Digital Model D Awards is looking for: Innovators. Inspirers. Creators of all kinds. For the 8th year in a row, we celebrate those in online video content and advertising who are at the forefront of the industry, elevating it with their state-of-the-art contributions to branded content, technology, ad campaigns, and original content. Entries due August 11th.
COMING UP
Added to the lineup for the 2020 BET Awards: Black Thought, Jay Rock, Karen Clark Sheard, Kierra Sheard, Mister Jahi, Nas, Public Enemy, Rapsody, Questlove, and YG. The show airs Sunday, June 28 at 8p, across BET, BET Her and CBS.
From Monday, June 29 through July 4 weekend, AccuWeather Network will offer tips on how to stay safe this summer, as well as daily Fourth of July and fireworks visibility forecasts starting June 30.
The PBS Short Film Festival is back for its ninth year, returning July 13-24 to all PBS and station digital platforms. The festival features 25 short-form independent films presented in five categories: culture, environment, family, humanity and race. “At PBS, we have been committed to bringing a diversity of voices into American homes,” said Ira Rubenstein, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer. “As we celebrate independent filmmakers once again this year, we’re especially proud to showcase a variety of features and perspectives across multiple platforms and help to elevate important stories.”
LMN’s is in the Wrong again with two new movies: Vivica A. Fox returns to star in and produce The Wrong Wedding Planner, premiering Friday, July 17 at 8p, and The Wrong Stepfather, debuting Friday, July 31 at 8p.
AMC is airing special Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad-related programming in July, including a day-long marathon of Better Call Saul’s fifth season on Thursday, July 9 at 9a, with bonus content from series stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn; a new digital short-form series with Giancarlo Esposito; and back-to-back airings of the films Wakefield and Godzilla, starring Bryan Cranston, with special interstitial content from the Breaking Bad star.
Call for judges! Cynopsis is gearing up to celebrate companies leading the charge in adtech innovation and we’re actively sourcing new members to join the judging panel. If providing your insight to help select this year’s entrants sounds like something you’d be a good fit for, please fill out this brief application.
The Paley Center for Media is hosting a program that will run on the Paley Center’s Facebook page. HGTV’s Property Brothers: A Conversation with Drew and Jonathan Scott will be available for view on Friday, July 10 starting at noon.
ADVERTISING
Video advertising platform SpotX struck a new partnership with Acxiom to offer enhanced audience-based buying capabilities and improved inventory matching using Acxiom’s data. The new integration layers data on the supply-side, enabling advertisers who are purchasing media programmatically through a demand-side platform to get closer to their desired target audience. “Addressable advertising and the personalization of video ads have become increasingly important to upfront negotiations, so we want to ensure that data is made available with the most scale to help our clients reduce wasted ad spend and not only reach a larger audience, but also generate better results,” said Kristen Williams, VP, Strategic Partnerships at SpotX. “Our integration with Acxiom is an important step for SpotX’s commitment to client success as we guide them to make the smartest decisions by fusing ads with unique data.”
Apple’s upcoming operating system will let consumers know when an app wants to track them for ad purposes, and give them the option to either allow or prohibit tracking. Until the iOS14 debut, expected in September, Apple users have to dig into privacy settings to prevent advertisers from using its identifier for advertising. Leigh Freund, President and CEO of Network Advertising Initiative, is not a fan of the change. “If fewer consumers opt in to the use of anonymous data to support advertising, app developers will be forced to charge consumers for their apps, as well as in-app content, to offset lost advertising revenue,” she said.
Google Japan’s “Thank You” campaign topped the chart created by Unruly of the most emotionally engaging coronavirus-related campaigns in the world. The video ad tech company measured the emotional response of viewers while watching ads created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Google’s ad proved three times more emotional than the average Japanese ad. Spots from the Singapore government (“Together We Can”) and Tourism Australia (“With Love From Us”) came in second and third. The top-ranked US ad was Google’s “Thank You Healthcare Workers,” which placed seventh. Unruly created the chart using its emotional testing and targeting tool, UnrulyEQ.
Building awareness with high-reach, audience-based campaign strategies helps advertisers stay top-of-mind and attract new customers, according to research from Effectv. After analyzing tens of thousands of campaigns across approximately 17 million households, the company offers six strategies: * More networks: campaigns that aired across more networks delivered a reach more than double that of campaigns that aired across less than 10 networks. * Broad dayparts: campaigns that had 60%-70% of total impressions come from outside of prime viewing hours tended to deliver the highest reach. * Long flights: 90-day campaigns consistently achieved a higher household reach than 30-day campaigns. * Layered geo-targeting: adding local campaigns in specific key markets increased reach among a brand’s audience by nearly 25%. * High value programming: sports delivered a substantially higher reach than campaigns without sports.OTT: reaching hard-to-find audiences by using OTT inventory as a complement to TV.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Martha Stewart has two new shows coming up on Discovery Inc. networks. HGTV’s Martha Knows Best will show the lifestyle expert completing outdoor projects for her farm, and she’ll headline a holiday-themed series for Food Network, in addition to returning to the net’s Chopped. “Her skills, expertise and ability to connect with audiences in a fun, and sometimes cheeky, way is a good thing, but the best thing about Martha is that she makes everyone believe that they can try her tips and ideas in their own kitchens and gardens too and that makes her the perfect fit for HGTV and Food Network right now,” said Kathleen Finch, Chief Lifestyle Brands Officer, Discovery Inc.
Season seven of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks premieres Sunday, June 28 at 8:30p on Nat Geo. Competition will be stiff – traveling to the Outer Banks for the first time is Captain Dave Carraro of the FV-Tuna.com, who has won the competition in Gloucester an unprecedented five times.
Showtime picked up BBC Studios drama We Hunt Together, exploring sexual attraction and emotional manipulation. The series premieres Sunday, August 9 at 10p.
Water sports competition fans won’t have to wait until Cannonball officially premieres on USA Network on Thursday, July 9 at 8p. A special telecast of the new show will air on NBCU sib NBC on Monday, June 29 at 10p.
Travel Channel’s Believers uses actor portrayals and archival documentation to recreate events that turned eyewitnesses into paranormal believers. The new series debuts on Saturday, July 11 at 9p, followed at 10p by the debut of Dan Aykroyd-hosted Paranormal Predator.
EstrellaTV television network has added Chisme En Vivo, a one-hour entertainment newsmagazine, to its afternoon programming lineup. The show, hosted by Elisa Beristain and Javier Ceriani, airs weekdays at 4p
AVOD Fox Soul, iHeartRadio and Motown Records are partnering for Motown Countdown, a limited talk/music series set to stream Tuesdays in July. Angela Yee (iHeartRadio’s The Breakfast Club) will host. |