Tuesday July 27, 2021

IN THE NEWS

The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics drew a US broadcast audience of 16.7 million, according to early data, down 37% versus the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and down 59% since the 2012 Olympics in Beijing. But the ceremony delivered significant impact for brands, according to Phoenix MI data comparing A25-54 numbers versus prior year benchmarks. Brand recall and message memorability were up +39% and +31%, respectively, vs. all brands in the 2016 Rio Opening Ceremonies, and brand recall and message memorability were up +25% and +21%, respectively, vs. the same brands’ prior year norms. “Enjoying the Games is not a linear sprint, but a multi-screen relay – and we know our platform will deliver for advertisers in delivery and impact,” said Mark Marshall, President Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “Our teams are speaking to our partners every single day to ensure we help them achieve their goals throughout the Games.”

The first full day of the Olympics rose 26% from the Opening Ceremony the night before, delivering an 8.2 HH rating across NBC, USA Network, NBCSN and CNBC, according to Nielsen. NBC reported its streaming service, Peacock, notched its most-consumed Saturday since launch, and NBC Sports Digital set a record for the most streamed Olympics primetime show ever, averaging 648,000 viewers per minute.

Total US TV ad spending will decrease 4% to $60.6 billion in 2021, grow to $63.2 in 2022 and stay flat in 2023, projects Zenith. The media agency forecasts a rise to $15.3 billion in 2021, up from $14.7 billion last year, with spending flat at $15.5 billion for 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, internet video spending in the US is expected to rise 40% to $34.2 billion in 2021, climbing to $38.7 billion 2022 and $43.3 billion in 2023. “This year has seen a return to growth, for brands and for the ad market, fueling a significant boost for most areas of ad spend,” said Lauren Hanrahan, CEO of Zenith. “Online video and other digital media have seen some of the biggest increases as audiences continue their digital migration to connected TV, streaming services, ecommerce, and social platforms. We predict this will continue, with advertisers following consumers with their investments.”

Tiered platforms, allowing viewers to choose between a paid, ad-free option and a less expensive (or free), ad-supported option, appeal to the largest cross-section of viewers, according to Hub’s new “Monetization of Video” study. “It’s true that some TV viewers will do almost anything, including paying a premium, to avoid ads. But there are many who will choose ad-supported TV if it saves money or lets them watch a show they can’t watch somewhere else,” said Jon Giegengack, one of the study authors. “Tiered plans give viewers control of their experience. Whether they watch with ads or not, everyone is getting an experience they chose, and not one chosen for them.”

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Blumhouse Television and WWE are teaming for scripted series “The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon,” about the Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. McMahon, Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution and Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold will executive produce the project.

Lifetime has greenlit original movie “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story” (wt), with Heather Locklear (“Melrose Place”) set to star in the true story of a woman who rebuilt her family after the unexpected loss of her husband. It’s the first project for executive producer Meghan McCain, who recently announced her departure as co-host of daytime talk show “The View” at the end of the month. The biopic will be filmed in Nashville and premiere later this year on Lifetime.

Patricia Heaton (“The Middle”) is set to star in an untitled comedy that has received a script-to-series commitment at Fox. Heaton will also exec produce the project, produced by Fox Entertainment and Kapital Entertainment.

Fabel Entertainment announced that author Cherie Dimaline (“Retreat”) and showrunner Kai Wu (“Hannibal”) have signed on to the production company’s first horror/fantasy series, “Empire of Wild.” Based on the bestseller by Dimaline, the atmospheric horror is grounded in indigenous folklore.

HGTV picked up 16 more episodes of “Fixer to Fabulous,” starring renovation and design experts Dave and Jenny Marrs, for a third season. The series attracted more than 35 million viewers in season two.

TIME Studios, Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions, Sugar23 and P&G Studios are teaming up on “The Tipping Point,” a docuseries that explores the rapidly shifting developments across our culture. Michael Sugar, Ashley Zalta and David Hillman of Sugar23, Ian Orefice and Alexa Conway of TIME Studios, and Trevor Noah and Haroon Saleem of Day Zero Productions will all serve as executive producers, with executive Ashley Dizon overseeing the project on behalf of Day Zero Productions. For P&G Studios, the executive producers overseeing the project are Carrie Rathod, Marc Pritchard, and Kimberly Doebereiner. Norman Aladjem, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin of Mainstay Entertainment will also serve as executive producers.

Universal Pictures and Peacock are teaming with with Blumhouse and Morgan Creek to grab worldwide rights for a new, three-film “Exorcist” franchise that has Ellen Burstyn reprising the role she played in the 1973 original. Leslie Odom Jr. (“Hamilton”) will play the father of a possessed child. The first film is slated to be released theatrically in October, 2023.

TV producer Jesse Fawcett, co-founding partner of Essential Media Group, has launched Fireworks Media Group, a North American-based production company to develop and produce premium unscripted and scripted content. The company is starting off with new series “Pamela Anderson’s Home Reno Project” (wt) for HGTV Canada.

“The Morning Show” sustained $44 million in losses due to the pandemic, say the Apple TV+ drama’s producers, and they want Chubb National Insurance Company to pony up. While Chubb claimed it didn’t have an obligation to cover Covid-related losses, Always Smiling Productions is suing the company, saying it “did nothing in selling the policy to Always Smiling to limit its liability for virus or pandemic-associated risks.” Season two of “The Morning Show” is slated to premiere Friday, September 17.

If you’re not attending That BIG TV Conference this September- you’re missing out. Our program keeps getting better, featuring executive speakers from AMC Networks, Dentsu, Discovery, ViacomCBS, Warner Media, and more. Plus, at the end of each day, we have sweepstakes where you could win a prize of Smart TV, Apple Watch, Flower of the Month Club, and more! Lock in our best rates before August 19. Register now.

Peacock ordered a five-episode limited series spun off from daytime’s “Days of Our Lives.” “Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem” will include both past and current cast members of the soap.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Fox set premiere dates for its fall slate, starting Monday, September 20 at 8p with the season five premiere of “9-1-1,” followed by the series bow of ballet drama “The Big Leap.” Tuesday, September 21 brings the season five debut of “The Resident,” preceding new drama “Our Kind of People,” while new competition series “Alter Ego” landed the plum spot of Wednesday at 9p after the season six premiere of “The Masked Singer.”

B.J. Novak’s upcoming comedy anthology series is untitled no more. “The Premise,” created and hosted by the “The Office” alum, uses comedy to engage with big issues. The first two episodes premiere Thursday, September 16 on FX on Hulu.

MTV’s “Ridiculousness” spin-off, “Messyness,” kicks off with a one-week special event starting Monday, August 23 with two episodes each night, at 7p and 7:30p. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi (“Jersey Shore”) hosts the comedy clip series.

Dog behavior expert Cesar Millan takes on challenging cases in “Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog” starting Friday, July 30 at 9p. The show will be simulcast on Nat Geo and Nat Geo WILD, with encores Sundays at 8p and 9p on Nat Geo WILD and Wednesdays on Disney+.

Showtime’s “Dexter” returns for a new, limited series run on Sunday, November 7 at 9p. The serial killer drama originally aired from 2006-13.

Season three of Fuse’s “Made From Scratch” launches Wednesday, September 15 at 10p. Artists preparing their favorite foods will include actress Becky G, Dominican singer-songwriter María Isabel, Mexican-American artist Omar Apollo, rapper Smino, R&B singer, Joyce Wrice, singer-songwriter and actress Tinashe, media personality and host Dumbfoundead and rapper Guapdad4000.

“The Wine Show” returns to Sundance Now for season three on Thursday, July 19. Matthew Goode, Matthew Rhys and James Purefoy are joined this time around by a new member of the team, Dominic West (“The Hour”).

Drama “Mystery Road” debuts on Ovation TV on Monday, August 23. The six-parter focuses on a detective forced to work with a tough local cop.

Verizon Media’s short-form video network, In The Know, announced “Money With Marsai Martin,” featuring the “black-ish” actress. The new series aims to teach diverse Gen Z the fundamentals of financial literacy.

“90 Day Fiance: The Other Way” returns Sunday, August 29 at 8p. The spin-off will include two new couples looking for happily-ever-after abroad, and four returning pairs fighting to make their relationships work.

COMING UP

Vontélle Eyewear is partnering with ViacomCBS Consumer Products for a children’s eyewear line centered around Nickelodeon characters. Vontélle will create eyewear frames using characters from Nickelodeon shows like “Baby Shark’s Big Show!”, “PAW Patrol,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Rugrats,” “Teenage Mutant Turtles,” and more.

The Producers Guild of America is getting personal. The 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards will take place Saturday, February 26, in person. The first batch of nominations will be announced January 27.

ID series “Disappeared” is being released as a podcast. Starting with the first of its nine seasons, the audio version of the show will be released on August 5, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.

TECH TALK

It’s going to be easier to countdown to Christmas thanks to new features on Crown Media’s Hallmark Movie Checklist App. The Countdown to Christmas Widget places a countdown clock on users’ home screens; the clock will stop at the start of the season’s first original holiday world premiere on the October 22. After that, the feature will reset and begin counting down to Christmas Day. When tapped, the widget takes users directly to the Checklist App on their Android and iOS devices.

Compulse announced its evolution into a marketing technology and managed services company, with an exclusive focus on making digital advertising efficient, cost-effective, and more profitable for local media companies and agencies. The company’s marketing technology solution, Compulse 360, an all-in-one software-as-a-service platform for digital media planning, execution, and analytics, combines planning, fulfillment, and data into one digital platform, and includes more than 100 integrations with other martech providers. “Compulse 360 is the result of our long-term plan to build a single, unified omnichannel platform for media companies and agencies. The time is right, and the resources are there to finally make omnichannel marketing live up to its potential,” says Compulse Managing Director Martin Kristiseter.

The world is getting smarter in at least one way – over 665 million homes globally owned at least one smart TV at the end of 2020, according to Strategy Analytics. Smart TV sales increased 7.4% last year, said the research company, and 51% of global households, or 1.1 billion, will be smart TV homes by 2026.

DMR (digitalmediarights.com), a digital media and entertainment company that serves niche fandoms, has officially launched DMR Social, its new social video channels division. Led by the company’s VP Digital Content Will Chao and VP Channels Danelys Sidron, the new business unit is focused on curating content for social platforms to drive new distribution, revenue, marketing and opportunities.

STREAMING

Outdoor Sportsman Group is adding a new feature to its SVOD service MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) with the launch of MOTV Huntstream. The ad-free channel features 24/7 hunting shows.

GOING GLOBAL

Banijay Benelux announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Dutch sports producer, Southfields. The label will combine with EndemolShine Sport and be led by the business’ current management, Ernst Veldkamp, Arthur Zuijderwijk and Emiel Gobes.

Australia’s A Stark Production and Canada’s WildBrain, together with Singapore’s Infinite Studios, are teaming to co-produce a fourth season of animated series “The Deep.” Commissioning broadcaster ABC in Australia has greenlit 13 new half-hour episodes alongside Mediacorp, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and with the support of Screen NSW.

Insight TV has partnered with TV and smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi to bring its FAST channels to Xiaomi mobile phones and TVs. The distribution agreement will have lifestyle channel Insight TV, action sports-focused channel inTrouble, science/technology channel inWonder and nature and wildlife channel InWild available to Xiaomi TV and smartphone customers in India, Indonesia, Russia and Spain from August 2021 and Europe and the rest of the world starting in September.

French animation studio Xilam Animation’s new original series “Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life” and “Oggy Oggy” are launching worldwide this summer on Disney+ and Netflix, respectively. The launches mark the first time a pair of original series created and produced entirely in France will head to these platforms.

READY.SET.ENTER.

Shareablee Top 10 TV Shows for the week of July 19
Program, Network, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Hannity (Fox News), 2.3m, 225, 10,035, 11.4m
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC), 2.1m, 139, 14,788, 26.6m
Today Show (NBC), 1.7m, 885, 1,923, 13.8m
The Daily Show (Comedy Central), 1.6m, 92, 17,186, 28m
Entertainment Tonight (CBSMV/syndicated), 1.4m, 550, 2,471, 9.3m
The Flash (The CW Network), 1.3m, 35, 37,610, 12m
Good Morning America (ABC), 811k, 918, 883, 14.4m
Rick and Morty (Adult Swim), 772k, 14, 55,167, 11.7m
Ellen DeGeneres (WB/Syndicated), 757k 25, 30,260, 213.5m
America’s Got Talent (NBC), 667k, 102, 6,535, 16.9m

Shareablee Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of July 9
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Never Have I Ever (Netflix), 2.1m, 50, 41,508, 724k
Lucifer (Netflix), 1.4m, 7, 195,890, 7.7m
The Grand Tour (Amazon Prime), 986k, 33, 29,879, 5.9m
Gossip Girl (HBO Max), 601k, 79, 7,607, 16.2m
Get Organized With The Home Edit (Netflix), 403k, 23, 17,533, 5.8m
High School Musical: The Series (Disney+), 374k, 3, 124,652, 612k
Sky Rojo (Netflix), 292k, 28, 10,428, 207k
Gilmore Girls (Netflix), 278k, 6, 46,357, 4.5m
Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix), 259k, 1, 258,747, 995k
Virgin River (Netflix), 208k, 5, 41,614, 309k

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, July 23
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Shark Tank 3.29 (0.3), 20/20 2.31 (0.3)
CBS: Secret Celebrity Renovation 2.10 (0.2), Love Island 1.41 (0.3), Blue Bloods 1.64 (0.1)
CW: Charmed 0.68 (0.1), Dynasty 0.50 (0.1)
ION: Hawaii Five-0 1.20 (0.2), Hawaii Five-0 1.43 (0.2), Hawaii Five-0 1.25 (0.2)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.18 (0.6)
NBC: Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony 10.90 (2.3)
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos 0.95 (0.3), Hercai: Amor Venganza 1.30 (0.4), Café Aroma de Mujer 0.81 (0.3)
Univision: Disenando to Amor 1.40 (0.4), Si Nos Dejan 1.37 (0.4), Hija del Embajador 1.40 (0.4)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Amanda Barclay is joining Netflix as Director of Original Series, Comedy. Barclay joins from ABC Signature, where she was Executive Director, Comedy Development.

Nextstar Media Group has named Lee Ann Gliha as EVP and CFO, effective August 9. Gliha was most recently Managing Director at Jefferies LLC.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Former “Superior Donuts” co-stars Katey Sagal and Judd Hirsch guested on the same episode of which series? “The Big Bang Theory.” Kudos to: Steve Lablang-SL Media Enterprises; Charles Lore/NYC; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Sandy Spiegel-WTTW/Chicago; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo,CA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
What year were the first Summer Olympics telecast in North America? (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.)