Tonight’s Finales
BET: Tyler Perry’s The Oval at 10p
CBS: Game On! at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Nielsen is making sweeping changes to its digital measurement methodology, in an effort to help brands monetize in a privacy-first world. “Over the last year, we’ve been laser focused on transitioning Nielsen to become a platform company. With a privacy-centric lens, we are creating a flexible platform that we can adapt to new technology, data and regulatory changes,” said Karthik Rao, Chief Operating Officer of Nielsen. The new digital methodology is aimed at providing comparability and transparency across third-parties and the open web; broadening coverage and deepening granularity of reporting of personal and connected devices; and fostering more resilience in measurement by reducing reliance on third-parties and unreliable digital identifiers. The new methodology will start to roll out in 2021.

The COVID-19 crisis appears to be accelerating the cord-cutting trend. According to Roku’s annual Cord Cutting survey, about 32% of US TV households do not have a traditional pay-TV subscription and another 25% described themselves as cord shavers who cut back on their pay-TV service. Forty-five percent of cord shaver households were likely to completely cancel their pay-TV service in the next six months. “While we entered 2020 with significant momentum around cord cutting, we’re now seeing that the COVID-19 pandemic and the pause of live sports has caused consumers to rethink how they access home entertainment and what they are willing to pay,” said Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson.

ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy will address the pandemic during its upcoming 17th season “for sure,” said showrunner Krista Vernoff during a Television Academy panel streamed Tuesday night. Show writers have been consulting with doctors about the outbreak, “and they are literally shaking and trying not to cry,” said Vernoff. “They’re talking about it as a war – a war they were not trained for.” Due to the health crisis, Grey’s has not yet started production on the new season.

Netflix canceled production on Turkish relationship drama If Only, after producers were unable to secure a filming license because one of the show’s characters is gay. While Netflix is giving up on the project, it remains committed to Turkey. “We are proud of the incredible talent we work with,” said the streamer. “We currently have several Turkish originals in production – with more to come – and look forward to sharing these stories with our members all around the world.”

Cynopsis is conducting benchmarking study to be released this October on the State of the Media Industry; but first, we want to pick your brain. This may take 8-10mins of your time, but as a reward, we’re offering Amazon gift cards. Thank you in advance, as always, for your experiences and opinions as it relates to our great industry.

We’re searching for the most innovative executives in digital media who excel in digital content, marketing, advertising, social media to take their place on Cynopsis Digital’s “It List.” These are the people who shake up the status quo and are shaping digital media’s future.

NOMINATE BY AUG 11th

HBO handed a series order to Somebody Somewhere, a comedy starring and executive produced by Bridget Everett (Patti Cake$). Hannah Bos (High Maintenance) & Paul Thureen (Driveways) created the show and will serve as executive producers, along with Carolyn Strauss (Chernobyl), Patricia Breen (Betty), and Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn and Tyler Romary (Room 104). A production from The Mighty Mint/Duplass Brothers Productions, Jay Duplass directed the pilot last year.

Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) has launched prodco Love & Squalor, with former WME agent Lindsey McManus onboard as President of Film &TV. Under a new deal with Fox 21 Television Studio and Hulu, Love & Squalor will create TV and film content for all platforms, including anthology series Black Match, with Moss attached to star.

AMC ordered six additional episodes of the digital weekly series Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s, a 20-minute video-chat-based show hosted by Colman Domingo (Fear The Walking Dead,) from his home in LA. Viewers can watch new episodes on Sundays beginning August 23.

Production for the fifth and final season of Syfy’s’s Van Helsing is back on, with Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy), Ali Liebert (Bomb Girls), and Steve Bacic (Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda) added to the cast. The show is the first dramatic series to return to production in Canada, and is still expected to premiere this fall. The first three episodes of the new season were filmed on location in Bratislava, Slovakia in January and February before production was shut down March 15 due to COVID-19. The final 10 episodes are currently underway in Kamloops and Vancouver, Canada.

A drama based on Stephen King short story The Revelations of ‘Becka Paulson has been put in development at The CW. From writer Maisie Culver (Last Man Standing), Katie Lovejoy (Dead Inside) and Warner Bros. Television, Revelations (wt) focuses on a woman who accidentally shoots herself in the brain with a nail gun, then is chosen to save the world.

Irvine Welsh and Bret Easton Ellis are teaming to co-create satirical drama series American Tabloid (wt), from UK producer Burning Wheel Productions. “To do this production justice we always knew we would require writers who don’t hold back and go way further than most would dare,” said producer Shelley Hammond. “We are just beyond delighted that we are ready to agree a deal to make this happen with the incredible talent of Bret and Irvine.”

PBS Masterpiece will co-produce six-part Magpie Murders, from Jill Green and Eleventh Hour Films. The murder mystery is based on the bestseller by Anthony Horowitz, who will adapt the novel for TV. “Magpie Murders is my most successful novel and it wasn’t easy to adapt. But I think the result is a completely original drama that will delight and beguile audiences in equal measure,” said Horowitz.

COMING UP

Six season three episodes of CBS All Access drama The Good Fight will air on ViacomCBS sib BET on Monday, July 27 and Tuesday, July 28 at 8p. The episodes will focus on issues impacting the Black community.

Tell Me a Story premieres on The CW on Tuesday, July 28 at 9p. The psychological thriller aired on CBS All Access for two seasons before being picked up to re-air on The CW.

Netflix’s Julie and the Phantoms premieres on Netflix September 10. The musical dramedy from Kenny Ortega centers on a high schooler inspired to sing by the ghosts of three dreamy musicians.

The 2020 “iHeartRadio Music Festival” will feature performances by BTS, Coldplay, Kane Brown with Special Guests Khalid, Keith Urban, Migos, Miley Cyrus, Thomas Rhett, Usher and more, streamed on The CW App and broadcast on iHeartRadio stations on September 18 and 19 at 9p. The CW will broadcast the event on Sunday, September 27 and Monday, September 28 at 8p.

Cynopsis’ Sports Awards virtual event is only 3 weeks away – will you be joining us? We’re excited to have the following guest presenters on deck: ESPN Host: Arda Ocal, MLB Host & Reporter: Scott Braun, SiriusXM Host: Bruce Murray, NFL Reporter: MJ Acosta, Olympian: April Ross, Telemundo sports reporter: Ana Jurka and more. Learn more here and register today (it’s free to attend!).

A primetime coronation finale special caps off Disney Junior’s Elena of Avalor on Sunday, August 23 at 7p. New episodes leading up to the finale will air Sundays at 5p starting July 26.

STREAMING SCOOP

Nipping at YouTube’s heels, Spotify announced the global launch of video podcasts, allowing users to watch video content on the Spotify app on mobile and desktop. A video podcast on Spotify will sync with the audio feed, allowing multitaskers a seamless switch out of the app.

Google is rolling out support for Netflix for the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max smart screens, the streamer’s debut on smart displays. Users can link their account in the Google Home or Google Assistant app to play Netflix shows and films, and watch via touch or voice command. YouTube, Hulu, Starz, CBS All Access and Sling TV are also supported on Google’s Nest smart displays.

As it tilts toward streaming, content distribution and marketing services investment firm 1091 Media has rebranded its holding company as Streamwise, while its film and TV distribution business will now operate under the banner 1091 Pictures. In addition, Simon Zhu, a media technology executive based in Palo Alto, has been named Chief Technology Officer, tasked with building Streamwise’s new technology platform that will power 1091 Pictures.

UAE operator Etisalat has launched SwitchTV, a new direct-to-consumer service based on Synamedia’s Infinite cloud TV platform and its end-to-end video portfolio. Infinite is pre-integrated with Evergent’s global revenue and customer lifecycle management platform. “SwitchTV is a game-changer for viewers across the region. Evergent complements the Synamedia service with pre-integrated, advanced and innovative monetisation options that contribute to a seamless customer journey,” said Vijay Sajja, Evergent founder and CEO.

Moonbug launched the Little Baby Bum channel on Pluto TV. Additionally, Moonbug has brought seven of its most popular shows to the platform’s collection of kids’ content: ARPO, KiiYii, My Magic Pet Morphle, The Ring-a-Tangs, The Sharksons, Supa Strikas and T-Rex Ranch.

TECH TALK

Snap reported daily active users rose 17%, to 239 million, in 2Q20. Revenue was up 17%, to $454 million, and net losses grew to $326 million, from $255 the year prior. “We continued to grow our community and business in a challenging and uncertain environment,” said CEO Evan Spiegel. “I am proud of our team for innovating on new experiences for our community and driving value for our partners, demonstrating the importance of our service in people’s lives. We are grateful that the resilience of our business has allowed us to remain focused on our future growth and opportunity.”

Oh the things you can find, if you don’t stay behind! Dapper Labs, the company behind blockchain game CryptoKitties, is partnering with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to create new digital collectibles to the Flow blockchain. Featuring characters including Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, Horton and Thing One and Thing Two, the web-based experience will enable fans to collect digital packs of characters and wholly own them on blockchain forever.

ADVERTISING

Brands that successfully empower young consumers can have a positive impact on their business – with 60% feeling more positively about the brand and half saying they intend to purchase or recommend their products or services – but brands that disempower stand to lose more than those that don’t try, according to a new study from Fuse Media. “Our previous research showed the importance of inclusivity to young people, as a way to their goal of unity, but there is an opportunity for brands to do more than simply appear inclusive or diverse,” said Michelle Auguste, Fuse Media VP of Research. “If done authentically and transparently, brands that speak up and take a stand can empower and engage with these consumers on the next level.”

Not surprisingly, experiential marketing has taken a major hit during the pandemic. According PQ Media’s new “Experiential Marketing Forecast,” the business will decline 15% in 2020 worldwide – down nearly $13 billion, to $71 billion – after years of expansion. The live consumer event marketing sponsorship segment is expected to decline 14%.

Nielsen’s decision to combine its national in-home and OOH television viewing measurement numbers into a single stream will negatively impact the ability of agencies and marketers to distinguish data streams to support pricing, analysis and audience understanding, according to the 4A’s. “Agency buyers and marketers have the right to negotiate for the inventory pricing and related metrics including data access, and the use of a single data stream eliminates that choice,” said 4A’s CEO Marla Kaplowitz. The organization wants Nielsen to devise a way to avoid combining the two measurements without the ability to separate them out, and asks for a delay in a combined data stream until it is accredited by the MRC.

Brands will be guaranteed real-time impressions and complete campaign transparency when advertising on The Westfield Network, a DOOH media network located in 18 Westfield shopping centers in the US. “So much has changed this year, and brands now need increased transparency and security when it comes to buying media and measuring advertising campaigns,” said Ghadi Hobeika, US CMO and Group Director of Digital and Data. “Knowing this, we’ve reimagined what our digital out-of-home network can do to better meet those needs.”

SOCIAL GOOD

Viewers in more than 40 markets across the country served by The E.W. Scripps Company have contributed over $2 million to food banks during the pandemic. Funds are being distributed to food pantries in the markets where Scripps operates TV stations and its national brands Newsy, the Katz networks and the Scripps Washington Bureau. “The outpouring of generosity we’ve seen from Scripps audiences across the country is an incredible testament to the connection between our brands and their communities. In addition, this effort underscores the role both local TV and our national brands continue to play in creating a sense of togetherness, particularly in times of need,” said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson.

Nickelodeon, Michael Phelps and Michael Phelps Foundation are making waves with a new PAW Patrol Safety First! water safety campaign. The program launched Tuesday with a PSA that stars Olympic phenom Phelps, who also serves as the PAW Patrol Safety First! Global Water Safety Ambassador. The spot will be featured on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. linear channels, their complementary social media platforms, the Noggin interactive learning service for preschoolers and the Nick Jr., Dora TV and Nick Jr. Spanish channels on Pluto TV in the US.

GOING GLOBAL

BBC Two announced Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge (w/t), a four-part series looking back the filmmaker’s body of work spanning 25 years.

41 Entertainment announced that HBO Max in the US has taken first window exclusive SVOD rights and Super RTL in Germany has secured exclusive content rights for German-speaking Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to its S.M.A.S.H! animated series slated to launch in 2022. Discovery Family Channel and Discovery Familia in the US grabbed exclusive linear rights.

UniMás’ weeknight 10p newscast Noticiero Univision increased its audience by double-digit margins week-over-week among Total Viewers 2+ (+10% to 326,000) and A18-34 (+30% to 52,000). The newscast also delivered audience growth to the time period year-over-year among A18-49 (+12%) and A\18-34 (+73%).

HGTV’s Good Bones is on track to deliver its highest-rated season ever and currently ranks as a top 5 cable program among P25-54, W25-54, upscale P25-54 and upscale W25-54 on Tuesday nights. The series is averaging a .79 Live+3 rating among upscale P25-54 and a 1.07 Live+3 rating among upscale W25-54. Among M25-54 and upscale M25-54, Good Bones is a top 10 ranked cable program.

Dr. Phil topped syndication talkers the week of July 6, with a. six-week high 2.0 Live+SD Nielsen rating (up +5% from the week prior). Live With Kelly and Ryan (a steady 1.6) was second, followed by Ellen DeGeneres and Maury (both unchanged with 1.1).

Basic Cable Top 5 Ratings for the Week of July 13
Primetime (P2+)
Fox News (3,002,000)
MSNBC (2,081,000)
CNN (1,612,000)
HGTV (1,265,000)
TLC (1,223,000)
Total Day (P2+)
Fox News (1,597,000)
MSNBC (1,174,000)
CNN (1,021,000)
HGTV (607,000)
Hallmark Channel (529,000)

Top 10 M-F Syndicated Strip Series for the week of July 6 ranked in order by HH Rtg
Family Feud (CTD) 5.9 AA
Judge Judy (CTD) 5.8 AA
Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.1 AA
Jeopardy (CTD) 5.0 AA
The Big Bang Theory (WB) 2.9 AA
Inside Edition (CTD) 2.5 AA
Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.3 AA
Last Man Standing (DAD) 2.1 AA
Hot Bench (CTD) 2.0 AA
Dr. Phil (CTD) 2.0 AA
Source: Nielsen

Late Night Average Broadcast Ratings for the Week of July 13
CBS: Late Show 2.50 viewers, 0.31/3 A18-49
NBC: Tonight 1.49 million viewers, 0.27/3 A18-49
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live! 1.41 million viewers, 0.23/2 A18-49

TV Time’s Binge Report for the Week of July 13
Modern Family (ABC) – 2.55%
Dark (Netflix) – 2.47%
Friends (NBC) – 1.65%
The Office (NBC) – 1.58%
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC) – 1.30%
Cable Girls (Netflix) – 1.27%
The 100 (The CW) – 1.26%
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 1.26%
Warrior Nun (Netflix) – 1.19%
One Piece (Fuji TV) – 1.13%
The weekly Binge Report ranks shows with the most binge sessions. A binge session is when four or more episodes of a show are watched and tracked in the TV Time app within a given day.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Monday, July 20
Show, P2+ 0000s, (A18-49)
ABC: The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever 1.80 (0.3)
CBS: The Neighborhood 3.76 (0.5), Bob Hearts Abishola 3.50 (0.4), All Rise 2.65 (0.3), Bull 3.07 (0.3)
CW: Whose Line Is it Anyway? 0.93 (0.2), Whose Line Is it Anyway? 0.82 (0.2), Penn & Teller: Fool Us 1.02 (0.2)
FOX: 9-1-1 2.25 (0.4), 9-1-1: Lone Star 2.08 (0.4)
NBC: The Titan Games 3.82 (0.8), The Wall 3.01 (0.5), Dateline NBC 3.38 (0.5)
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos 1.22 (0.3), 100 Dias Enamorarnos 0.96 (0.3), Enemigo Intimo 0.71 (0.2)
Univision: Te Doy la Vida 1.90 (0.6), Medicos Linea de Vida 1.56 (0.5), Como Tu No Hay 1.619 (0.5)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

ABC News cut ties with Barbara Fedida, SVP for Talent and Business, after an outside inquiry found she had “managed in a rough manner and, on occasion, used crass and inappropriate language,” said Walt Disney Television Chairman Peter Rice in an mail to ABC News staff. Fedida had been placed on administrative leave last month. Rice also said business affairs will now function separately from talent and recruitment.

IN MEMORIAM

Attorney Michael Franklin died July 20. He was 96. Franklin served as executive director of the WGA West, then moved to the DGA as its national executive director. “Michael was a leader who, in partnership with the National Board, worked steadily towards improving the modern infrastructure of the DGA,” the DGA said. “He founded the legal, residuals, membership and signatories departments, and established the Guild’s ability to enforce contracts through the arbitration process.”

Good Morning America producer Daisha Riley died unexpectedly at age 35. “She rose through the ranks over the years on our show, working on stories that have made so many of you, our viewers, smile and tear up,” said co-host Michael Strahan. “Her legacy lives on in a powerful voice she shared through storytelling.”

CBS2 New York reporter Nina Kapur died July 18 after a moped crash. She was 26. Kapur joined CBS2 in June 2019.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who replaced Lynn Redgrave when she was let go from House Calls (1979-1982)? Sharon Gless. Kudos to: Bernice Moschini/Burbank, Charles Lore/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment Company/LA, Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL

Today’s Trivia Question
What was ABC’s longest-running drama before Grey’s Anatomy surpassed it? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)