Monday August 2, 2021

Today’s Finales
TLC: sMothered at 9p, So Freakin’ Cheap at 10p

IN THE NEWS

The shift to streaming is leading to harsh words in Hollywood. Disney said there is “no merit whatsoever” to Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit claiming that Disney’s decision to air “Black Widow” on Disney+ at the same time the Marvel movie was released in theaters cost her millions of dollars in backend compensation. “The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Disney. In response, Johansson’s agent, Bryan Lourd, said Disney has “very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation.”

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell pulled ads from Fox News after the network refused to run a spot promoting an event linked to claims of election fraud. FNC doesn’t appear to be losing any sleep over the decision. “It’s unfortunate that Mr. Lindell has chosen to pause his commercial time on Fox News given the level of success he’s experienced building his brand through advertising on the number one cable news network,” responded the network.

Fifty-two percent of consumers stop paying attention when ads come on TV, according to a report from Midia Research. Since 2019, skipping video ads online has increased by 26 points among viewers age 20-24, and 18 points among those age 25-34, says the report. “Advertising has turned from brand recognition and loyalty to a click-through-to-purchase, instantaneous and one-off interaction – which is more of a roulette game to see which ad the user clicks on in their feed, rather than a long-term brand-consumer relationship,” said Hanna Kahlert, report author and Midia analyst.

Charter reported 2Q21 earnings of $5.29 a share and revenue of $12.8 billion, topping analysts’ expectations of earnings of $4.79 and revenue of $12.6 billion. Residential internet customers rose by 365,000 in the quarter, while video households declined by 63,000. Advertising was up 65% for the quarter, hitting $411 million.

FETV has joined the Frndly TV lineup. FETV features classic and inspirational programming, including series like “Bewitched” and “Barney Miller.” “FETV and Frndly are a fantastic fit,” said FETV President and CEO Drew Sumrall. “Our family-friendly entertainment perfectly matches Frndly’s market positioning as a wholesome content provider.”

MTV, launched August 1, 1981, will be celebrated this month with weekly programming blocks on MTV2 in the US and MTV globally that features memorable music moments as well as current and emerging artists. “We will undoubtedly find new and innovative ways to disrupt the norm, create epic music experiences for our global audience, and provide the ultimate platform for the next generation of superstars to showcase their artistry,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming and Events, ViacomCBS and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+.

Bob Odenkirk, rushed to the hospital from the New Mexicoset of “Better Call Saul” on Tuesday after “a small heart attack,” posted a message on Twitter thanking people for their outpouring of support. “I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery,” wrote the 58-year-old actor. “Also, AMC and Sony’s support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”

These women are moving the industry forward, and now it’s their time to take the spotlight. Join the Corporate Visionaries, Industry Leaders, Game-Changing On-Air Talent, and more at Cynopsis’ Top Women in Media Awards Gala on October 27 in NYC. Register now to secure a table for your team.

Walt Disney Co. is requiring all salaried and non-union employees on site to be fully vaccinated. “We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements,” said the company. All new hires will also be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning employment. Disney follows companies including Netflix, Twitter, Facebook and Google with a vaccine mandate.

The Creative Arts Emmys will be presented in three ceremonies over the weekend of September 11-12, with one ceremony on Saturday at 5p, and two on Sunday, at 1p and 5p. All three will be in front of limited live audiences in LA. An edited presentation of the ceremonies will air Saturday, September 18 on FXX, the night before the Primetime Emmys.

Note to Emmy Awards attendees: With COVID-19 cases rising, the Television Academy is requiring the audience at Emmy ceremonies to provide proof of vaccination.

SESSION SPOTLIGHT | Made to Measure: Exploring the New Cross Platform Measurement Solutions
Audience measurement capabilities continue to advance as consumers increasingly migrate across multiple platforms. Marketers can no longer take a siloed approach to their video plans, but in a fast-evolving landscape, which solutions are most effective right now… and what’s next?

On Wednesday, September 22, gain insights from executives representing A+E Networks, Discovery, Spectrum & the VAB.

REGISTER NOW

An untitled comedy project starring and executive produced by Marlee Matlin (“Children of a Lesser God”) has been scooped up by NBC, which handed it a script commitment plus penalty. Focused on the world of sign language interpreting, the show comes from Ben Shelton (“Candy Jar”), Kapital Entertainment and Universal Television.

YA comedy “Love Victor” has been renewed for season three by Hulu. Season two aired in June.

PBS Kids renewed animated series “Nature Cat” for seasons 4 and 5. The order includes 20 new episodes and two one-hour movies specials.

Stephanie Folsom has stepped down as co-showrunner of Amazon’s “Paper Girls,” reports Deadline, making Christopher C. Rogers solo showrunner. Folsom had developed and executive produced the series, currently fiming, based on Cliff Chiang’s graphic novel.

Casting notes: “The Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell is onboard season four of “A.P. Bio,” moved to Peacock after it was canceled by NBC…Clea DuVall (“Veep”) and Charlie Plummer (“Lean on Pete”) have joined the cast of Showtime anthology series “The First Lady”…Jake McDorman (“What We Do in the Shadows”) has been added to the cast of Paramount+ film “Jerry and Marge Go Large,” starring Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening.

How can networks and brand ensure they are hitting the right note when it comes to DEI efforts? Discovery and Cynopsis are partnering for The Diversity and Inclusion Virtual Event, featuring insights on how to connect with audiences in substantive and culturally relevant ways. We hope you’ll join us on September 13 from 1:00-3:30 PM. Register now for free!

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

All eight episodes of Hulu’s “The D’Amelio Show” drop Friday, September 3, starring TikTok’s first family.

Nat Geo’s “9/11: One Day in America” premieres Sunday, August 29. Produced in partnership with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the four-night limited docuseries humanizes that day with stories from survivors and first responders.

STREAMING

Cinedigm announced that three of their channels are now available on SLING TV. Cinedigm’s launch includes Dove Channel, CONtv and documentary destination Docurama.

GOING GLOBAL

Pokémon animation is heading to the BBC for the first time this August, with the UK broadcaster’s acquisition of two complete story arcs from the “Pokémon the Series” collection for BBC iPlayer, along with “Pokémon the Movie” films for linear and iPlayer.

ENTER BEFORE 8/3

Discovery took a bite out of ratings during Shark Week, landing as the #1 cable network in Primetime among P/M25-54, P/M18-49, and P/M18-34 (excluding sports programming).

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Thursday, July 29
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: NBA Draft 1.48 (0.4)
CBS: Big Brother 3.86 (0.9), Love Island 1.78 (0.4), Bull 1.5 (0.2)
CW: Roswell, New Mexico 0.45(0.0), The Outpost 0.45 (0.0)
FOX: Beat Shazam 1.18 (0.3), MasterChef 1.18 (0.3)
NBC: Tokyo Olympics 16.2 (3.6)
Telemundo: Exatlon 1.06 (0.3), Hercal: Armor y Venganza 1.29 (0.3), Cafe Aroma du Mujer 0.81 (0.2)
Univision: COPA ORO 1.68 (0.6), Futbol Central 1.98 (0.8) COPA ORO 3.26 (1.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Univision is bolstering its streaming team with the additions of Augusto Rovegno as SVP, Acquisitions and SVOD Programming; Cameron Carr as EVP, Data and Insights, Streaming; Mariela Stescobich as SVP, Marketing, User Growth and Retention for AVOD; and Daniel Sanders as SVP, Engineering, Streaming.

Margaret de Luna is joining CNBC as SVP and GM of its Direct-to-Consumer business. De Luna comes to CNBC from Tribune Publishing, where she was GM of Digital Subscriptions.

Chanel Pysnk has joined Archewell Productions as Head of Unscripted. Pysnik most recently served as Director of International Content for Disney+.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the name of the originally conceptualized comedy series that turned into drama “Upstairs, Downstairs” (1971-1975)? “Behind the Green Baize Door.” Kudos to: Pete Hazell-Discovery/London; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Charles Lore/NYC; John Ferlazzo/London; David Prinz von Teck/Spokane, WA; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station,TX; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista,CA; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton,FL; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
On which series was Zac Efron a series regular before gaining pop stardom status on “High School Musical”? (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.)