Today’s Premieres
Acorn TV: Darby and Joan
TLC: sMothered at 9p
Netflix: Team Zenko Go
VH1: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta at 8p, Love & Hip Hop: Miami at 9p

Today’s Finales
HBO: Black and Missing at 9p
PBS: Secrets of the Dead at 10p

IN THE NEWS

HBO Max and discovery+ will merge into a single streaming platform next summer. “At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business,” JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, told analysts on an earnings call. Combining the two services post-merger is aimed at cutting churn and ensuring there is “something for everyone in the household,” said Perrette. And once that service is established, a FAST offering to serve as an “entry point” will be explored, said WBD CEO David Zaslav.

Warner Bros. Discovery also offered details on content write-downs in the second quarter, including $308 million for networks and $475 million for DTC, as well as $208 million for employee terminations. “Content impairments and development write-offs resulted from a global strategic review of content following the Merger,” said the company in an SEC filing. “Employee terminations relate to cost reduction efforts and management changes. These charges resulted from activities to integrate WM and establish an efficient cost structure.”

ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” took home the most prizes – four – at the TCA Awards, including Program of the Year. Hulu’s “Dopesick” won for Outstanding Movie, Miniseries or Special, and HBO’s “Succession” earned the Outstanding Achievement in Drama award.

Kevin Spacey was ordered to pay $31 million to the “House of Cards” production company. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana confirmed an award handed down in October 2020 of around $29.5 million in damages and $1.5 million in costs and fees. The production company, MRC, successfully argued that Spacey owed them millions in lost profits because his alleged misconduct forced them to remove him from the show’s sixth season.

Journalist Marc Lamont Hill has joined theGrio, the Black news and entertainment media platform. Hill will bring his take on culture, politics, race, sports and education to the television network, free streaming app, website and theGrio’s Black Podcast Network.

In the ongoing battle between Twitter and Elon Musk, the billionaire tweeted over the weekend that if Twitter provides their method of determining bot activity on the platform, then his $44 billion deal to buy the company should proceed. “However, if it turns out their SEC filings are materially false, then it should not.” A trial date has been set for October over Musk’s attempt to back out of the deal.

2022 Model D + It List Awards

The biggest and best yet!

With more categories than ever before, the 2022 Model D + It List Awards is shaping up to be one of Cynopsis Media’s best events of the year, attracting top tier innovators and creators of the digital media world. Some new categories we are proud to introduce include “Best New Measurement Tool” and “Best VR Innovation.” Why wait — entries now open!

Enter Today

PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Peacock announced a straight-to-series order for coming-of-age thriller “Hysteria!”. From executive producers and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the series follows a group of 1980s high school misfits as they exploit the hysteria surrounding teen occult activity.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

A&E ordered reality series “Court Night Live” from Big Fish Entertainment, producers of “Live PD.” A&E canceled “Live PD” in 2020 despite the show’s ratings success amid protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The new reality show will air on Wednesdays at 9p starting August 10.

“Ink Master” will return with new host Joel Madden on September 7. In the new season, fan-favorite artists will return to compete in a tattoo competition for a grand prize of $250,000. The 10-episode season is slated to premiere exclusively on Paramount+.

IFC’s “Documentary Now!” is slated to return for season 53 on October 19 at 10p with two episodes: “Soldier of Illusion,” written by John Mullaney, and “Trouver Frisson,” paying tribute to Agnes Varda films.

The seventh and final season of OWN drama “Queen Sugar” launches September 6 at 8p. Series creator Ava DuVernay will direct the finale.

COMING UP

MTV’s 2022 VMAs announced its first performers. Anitta, J Balvin, Marshmello x Khalid and Panic! At The Disco are among the artists set to perform live at the VMAs on August 28 at 8p

CMT special “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill” will feature performances from Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Ricky Skaggs, with more to be announced. The 90-minute event is slated to premiere September 16 at 9p on CMT.

Chayanne and Ivy Queen joined the lineup for Billboard’s Latin Music Week from September 29 through September 30. The artists joined previously announced talent including Bizarrap, Blessd, Camila, The Children of Jenni Rivera, Luis R Conriquez and more.

SPORTS

Week 7 of the BIG3 averaged 646,00 viewers in the U.S. and 674,800 viewers globally, marking an uptick of 10% from the same week in 2021. Through all seven weeks of the 2022 season, the BIG3 has averaged 499K total viewers on CBS, outpacing the 2021 season-to-date average by 12%.

ESPN announced that Yungblud will provide the musical backdrop for the 2022-23 college football season with the new single from the artist – ‘The Emperor’ – serving as the anthem for ESPN’s college football coverage, which kicks off on August 27. This continues the collaboration between ESPN and IGA, and the music from the labels’ biggest artists will be featured within ESPN’s college football programming, promotion and games again this season.

Audacy and CBS Sports Digital locked in a partnership where Audacy will serve as the exclusive, multi-year ad sales and distribution partner for CBS Sports’ network of sports podcasts. “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with CBS Sports in the podcasting space – properties I know well from my time spent there,” said Ken Lagana, Executive Vice President of Digital Sales, Audacy. “Adding this family of content to our roster provides Audacy with a number of the leading sports, fantasy sports and betting podcasts, areas we have enjoyed significant success to date and are important to our clients. This partnership could not come at a better time with football season fast approaching.”

Opendorse and Twitter revealed an expanded partnership, built to help student-athletes monetize video content by sharing personalized game highlights, enabled by Tempus Ex, to Twitter via their own handle. Throughout the 2022-23 college football season, PAC-12 Football players will publish personalized highlight clips following games. Once published, pre-roll advertising secured through Twitter Amplify will run on the video and the student-athlete will be compensated, marking the first time student-athletes can monetize their own game highlights in this way.

CSM Sport & Entertainment was re-appointed to support Major League Baseball in bringing regular season games back to London in 2023, 2024 and 2026. Baseball will return to the capital next year with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs playing a two-game series at London Stadium on June 24-25, 2023.

Nippon Express Holdings signed on as a Global Sponsor for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, running March 8-21 next year. A total of 20 countries/regions will vie in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

CASTING

Alexander Skarsgård and Nicholas Braun joined the 53rd season of “Documentary Now!” premiering October 19. The two-part season premiere episode was written by John Mulaney and will pay tribute to the films of Agnes Varda. The upcoming season will include six new documentary episodes.

Rosanna Arquette is flying to ABC’s “Big Sky.” Arquette will be featured in a key recurring role opposite Katheryn Winnick in the show’s third season, which premieres on September 21.

Laura San Giacomo has joined the of Disney+’s “The Santa Clauses” as a Christmas witch. This marks the reunion of San Giacomo and executive producer Jack Burditt, who worked together on “Just Shoot Me.”

GOING GLOBAL

Paramount+ UK and Ireland tapped Lionsgate, NBCU, Sony and Dynamic Television for scripted series. From Lionsgate are adult sibling comedy “Home Economics” and “Son of a Critch”; from NBCU “La Brea” and “The Thing About Pam”; Sony added “Chapelwaite,” “Jerusalem’s Lot” and “Savage River.” Paramount+ launched in the UK and Ireland in June and has added nearly 5 million worldwide subscriptions in Q2, with President and CEO Bob Bakish this week predicting a “big year” for it in Western Europe.

Prime Video unveiled its first Amazon Originals from Nigeria. Action flick “Gangs of Lagos” and unscripted series “LOL: Last One Laughing in Naija” came as the first local marketing campaign launched.

2022 Tempest Awards

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RATINGS

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Thursday, August 4
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Press Your Luck 3.71 (0.5), Generation Gap 3.34 (0.5), The Con 2.05 (0.3)
CBS: Young Sheldon 3.20 (0.3), Ghosts 2.70 (0.3), Big Brother 3.60 (0.7), CSI: Vegas 1.70 (0.2)
CW: Walker 0.41 (0.0), The Flash 0.22 (0.0)
FOX: MasterChef 1.00 (0.2), Welcome to Flatch 0.52 (0.1)
NBC: Football Night in America 2.79 (0.4), NFL Weather Delay 4.16 (0.9), NFL Preseason 5.48 (1.4)
Telemundo: La Casa de los Famosos 1.31 (0.3), Amor Valiente 0.88 (0.2), Infiel: Historia de un Engaño 1.00 (0.2)
Univision: La Mexicana y el Güero 0.74 (0.2), La Herencia, Un Legado de Amor 1.17 (0.3), Mujer de Nadie 0.88 (0.2)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

CBS upped Mackenzie Mitchell to VP, specials, music & live events. Mitchell has previously worked on events such as the Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors and the Tony Awards.

AMC Networks has promoted COO and CFO Christina Spade to CEO, with Patrick O’Connell taking over the CFO role. Spade will lead the cable channel AMC and streaming services AMC+, Sundance Now and Acorn TV from September 9 when she steps into the new position.

Vice News has elevated Beverly Chase to vice president of current programming, development. Chase was previously the executive producer of long form for the company.

This Day in History
1786 – US Congress unanimously chose the dollar as the monetary unit for the country.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What is the name of the bar that the characters in “The Office” (2005-2013) frequent? Poor Richards. Kudos to: John Ferlazzo/London, Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta, Eric Dunefsky-Crossmedia/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./New York, Shelly Schaeffer-UBS/Ossining, NY, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, Sandy Spiegel/Chicago, Kevin DuBow-Access Entertainment/LA, Sean Douaire-Warner Bros. Discovery/Chicago, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank, CA, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA, Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago

Today’s Trivia Question
What is Chandler’s middle name on “Friends” (1994-2004)? (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.)

Cynopsis Team