Friday August 19, 2022

Saturday’s Premieres
A&E: Cold Case Files at 9p; American Justice at 10p
History: Hard Truths of Conservation at 9a

Sunday’s Premieres
HBO: House of the Dragon at 9p
ID: The Killer Nanny at 9p
Travel Channel: Ghosts of Devil’s Perch at 9p

Sunday’s Finales
CNN: United Shades of America at 10p
TLC: 90 Day Fiance at 8p; I Love a Mama’s Boy at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Big news for the Big Ten Conference, which landed record-breaking numbers for its new media deals, estimated to hit $7-8 billion over a span over seven years. FOX Sports retained its premier collegiate media rights agreement with the Big Ten Conference, and adds additional football and men’s basketball games to its elite schedule across its family of networks, while increasing FOX’s top game selections in addition to four of the next seven Big Ten football Championship games. Over 200 men’s basketball games will air across the FOX family of networks each year.

NBCUniversal, meanwhile, landed an agreement for NBC and Peacock to become the exclusive home of Big Ten Saturday Night football, beginning in 2023 and marking the first time ever that Big Ten Football will have a dedicated weekly primetime game on a national broadcast network. Peacock will also serve as the exclusive home for eight additional Big Ten Football games each season, and NBC Sports will present the 2026 Big Ten Football Championship Game on NBC and Peacock. The deal will feature dozens of men’s and women’s basketball games (including multiple games each year in the Men’s and Women’s Big Ten Tournaments), Olympic sports, golf and more, providing hundreds of hours of Big Ten content across Peacock.

Finally, CBS Sports deepened ties with the Big Ten with a multiplatform rights agreement for football and basketball, that will also see every CBS game in the package airing on the CBS Television Network and streaming live on Paramount+. CBS will present a marquee Big Ten football game every week in its traditional 3:30p slot on Saturday, beginning with the 2024 season. The Big Ten Football Championship Game will air on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ in 2024 and 2028. The deal also extends regular-season basketball coverage, with an increased number of games on the schedule beginning with the 2024 season and continuing through the remainder of the deal. CBS Sports will present both the Men’s and Women’s Championship games each season, along with the Men’s semi-final games.

HBO Max is removing 36 more titles from the service as it prepares for next year’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery sib discovery+. “As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+,” said a statement from HBO Max. “That will include the removal of some content from both platforms.” Twenty original HBO Max shows are among those being taken off, including “12 Dates of Christmas,” teen drama “Generation,” “Ellen’s Next Great Designer” and “Aquaman: King of Atlantis.” On a brighter note for subscribers, HBO Max is offering limited-term discounts for new and existing customers of up to 42%, timed to the debut of “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon.”

In more WBD news, the company is no longer a shareholder of UK news channel GB News. “Discovery was one of the first organizations to invest in GB News, doing so prior to the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery,” said Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in a statement. “GB News has built a growing and loyal audience in its first year, bringing another voice to British news broadcasting, and we wish the management and shareholders the very best in their future endeavors.”

On the news side of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN is ending “Reliable Sources” on Sunday, August 21, and host Brian Stelter is leaving the company. “Stelter came to CNN from the New York Times as the nation’s top media reporter. He departs CNN an impeccable broadcaster,” said Amy Entelis, EVP of Talent and Content Development at CNN. Said Stelter in a statement, “I’m grateful for my nine years with CNN, proud of what we accomplished on ‘Reliable Sources’ and so thankful for the viewers who tuned in every week for our examination of the media, truth and the stories that shape our world. It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential. I’ll have more to say on Sunday.”

Streaming accounted for 34.8% of viewership in July, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge report, versus 34.4% for cable and 21.6% for broadcast. It’s the first time streaming viewership was greater than cable. Total time watching TV for the month was similar to July 2021.

Amid the pandemic and its impact on kids, 93% of parents consider it important for kids’ entertainment to tackle mental health, according to a study from UTA addressing Gen Alpha’s (age 3-12) media habits. Other findings include:
· 74% of parents said their kids’ screen time doesn’t bother them if it’s productive or educational.
· 82% think it’s important that kids’ entertainment addresses diversity and representation.
· 72% believe it is important that kids’ entertainment tackles climate change.
That said, “Although parents want these very important topics addressed in kids’ content, they also cite a need to balance gravity with levity,” said Matt Feniger, UTA IQ’s Director of Cultural Insights. “Content that offers accessible education and positive inspiration, as well as pure fun, joy, and creative self-expression, will be best positioned for success with Gen Alpha and their parents.”

HBCU Go is teaming with CBS O&O stations in a carriage deal for markets including LA, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami, and Pittsburgh. The partnership starts September 3 with a preseason show featuring the top NFL and Black College Hall of Famers and HBCU alums. “We are honored to work with our partners at Allen Media Group to bring live broadcasts of HBCU football games to our audiences in 12 major markets,” said Wendy McMahon, President and Co-Head, CBS News and Stations. “As a Louisiana native and football fan, I am personally and professionally proud to play a role in having our stations shine a light on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the student athletes who are living out their dreams both on the field and in the classroom.”

Univision Noticias initiative UniVisionarios, celebrating Hispanic community leaders in the US, will consider the contributions of 25 nominees and choose ten who will be awarded $10,000 to the foundation of their choice. Viewer voting ends August 27.

Rates Increasing by $200 on 8/25

This two-day program brings together networks, agencies, brands, tech and research companies with opportunities for discussion, networking, and exposure to senior-level conversations focused on applicable business solutions to the ongoing fluctuations in the media industry. Tickets will increase on 8/25 by $200, so register now while rates remain low!

Claim your early bird rate today

Showtime ordered season six of “The Chi,” set to launch in 2023. Season five of the coming-of-age drama, currently airing, is pacing to improve upon season four’s streaming numbers by 20%.

A drama set amid the Black Death pandemic in the 14th century scored a series order from Netflix. “The Decameron,” from “Orange Is the New Black” creator Jenji Kohan and Kathleen Jordan (“Teenage Bounty Hunters”), follows nobles and their servants who retreat to a villa in Tuscany to wait out the madness. “Kathleen Jordan is the real freakin’ deal,” said Kohan “I am so excited and grateful that I get to work with her and we get to make this awesome, funny, timely, weird show together for Netflix.”

Ellie Kemper (“The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and Zach Cherry (“Severance”) will cohost Roku Original “The Great American Baking Show.” The series from Love Productions USA, an adaptation of “The Great British Baking Show,” is currently in production in the UK.

CASTING

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) will star in “House of Spoils” for Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Television. The thriller film follows an ambitious chef struggling to run her first restaurant.

Neve Campbell (“Scream”) landed the lead in ABC’s “Avalon,” a David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”) drama about a detective on Catalina Island pulled into career-changing mystery.

Scott Speedman is joining Ellen Pompeo in downsizing from series regular to recurring for the ABC drama’s upcoming 19th season. Speedman had appeared in a season 14 episode and returned for season 18 with a one-year contract.

The cast of ViX+ series “Mujeres Asesinas” will include Barbie Casillas, Macarena García, Jedet, Catherine Siachoque, Nicole Curiel, Claudia Martín, and Sara Maldonado, in addition to previously announced Yalitza Aparicio. The reimagined psychological thriller began shooting this past June.

Donald Sumpter (“Game of Thrones”), Brendan Patricks (“Downton Abbey”), Pippa Bennett-Warner (“Gangs of London)”, Mark Quartley (“Lucky Man”), Jonathan Livingstone (“Peacock”), Charlotte Louise Arrowsmith (“This is Going to Hurt”), and Kelly Wenham (“Merlin”) have joined the cast of “Entitled,” starring and executive produced by Brett Gelman (“Fleabag”). Filming began this week on the comedy, co-produced by Showtime and Channel 4 in the UK, in association with All3Media International.

ADVERTISING

In-content advertising not only delivers better outcomes for brands than TV spots alone, it is also preferred by viewers, according to research from Kantar and Mirriad. Among consumers who viewed both a TV ad and in-content product placement:
· Advertising awareness rose by 10 percentage points, from 68% to 78%.
· Favorability and consideration both increased by 5 percentage points, to 92% and 91%, respectively.
Asked about their perceptions of in-content ad placements, seven times as many people said they prefer in-content ad placement over traditional TV spots. “In-content advertising is an exciting new ad format for brands looking for differentiated ways to reach their audience at scale,” said Sparsh Pandya, client director at Kantar. “Not only do people like the experience of branding and product placement within video, the placements also drive higher performance across key metrics including awareness and purchase intent.”

The US advertising market declined 12.7% in July 2022 versus July 2021, according to Standard Media Index’s US Ad Market Tracker. Travel (up 28%) was a bright spot, along with apparel (up 4%) and retail (up 1%). The entertainment and media category slid 23%.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Tubi docuseries “TMZ NO BS,” hosted by Harvey Levin, Charles Latibeaudiere and guest TMZ contributors, will feature never-before-seen stories and fresh reporting on pop culture names, beginning with Britney Spears on August 24.

“A Friend of the Family,” starring Jake Lacy, Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks and Mckenna Grace, premieres October 6 on Peacock. The true crime drama series follows the story of the Broberg family, who were manipulated by a charismatic predator.

Spoiler alert: While filming the upcoming original series from National Geographic for Disney+, “On the Edge with Alex Honnold” (wt), climbers Honnold (“Free Solo”) and Hazel Findlay made the first-known ascent of Ingmikortilaq, a cliff, composed of 3-million-year-old granite and gneiss, rising 3,750 feet out of a remote peninsula jutting into a fjord on Greenland’s eastern coast. Honnold and Findlay were able to free-climb the entire route of the 3-million-year-old rock. For the last 150 feet of the climb, they were able to disconnect from their ropes and walk safely to the summit.

Bobby Flay puts chefs to the test in Food Network’s “Bobby’s Triple Threat,” premiering Tuesday, September 27 at 9p. “I have spent my entire career opening restaurants and battling in the toughest culinary competitions, but on ‘Triple Threat’ I have the chance to call all the shots, inviting the most talented chefs into my secret kitchen to take on my titans,” said Flay.

COMING UP

LL COOL J and Nicki Minaj, along with rap star Jack Harlow are set to emcee the 2022 “VMAs,” airing live from Prudential Center on Sunday, August 28 at 8p.

Lifetime has two new Ripped from the Headlines movies slated for October. “Swindler Seduction,” featuring Colton Haynes (“Arrow”) in a dual role, premieres Saturday October 22, followed the next week by “An Amish Sin,” starring Kellie Martin (“Army Wives”), Dylan Ratzlaff (“A Million Little Things”) and Rukiya Bernard (“Yellowjackets”).

STREAMING

About three out of four viewers of streaming programming watch the top shows within the first two weeks – which means streamers might want to reevaluate their strategies for rolling out highly anticipated content, suggests a report from Samba TV. According to The State of Viewership, by the 30th day top tier titles were available, they had drawn 86% of their 50-day viewership. With the introduction of ad-supported offerings, “It could foreshadow the future of an AVOD model that ‘windows’ original content in SVOD for 15 to 30 days before being released to ad-supported ties,” said the report.

It appears Netflix will not be allowing users of its upcoming ad-supported tier to download content for offline viewing. Text inside Netflix’s iPhone app, found by developer Steve Moser and reported in Bloomberg, stated, “Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads.”

Love Stories TV FAST Channel, featuring real wedding films, is now available on Allen Media Group’s Local Now and theGrio Streaming App. Local Now, theGrio and AMG’s Sports.TV will also carry Asian entertainment channels from NEW ID.

TECH TALK

Chalk up a legal victory for Google. A high Australian court found that Google cannot be liable for defamatory content that readers can access through a hyperlink in search results because it cannot be considered a publisher of material on other websites. The decision differed from lower courts, which found Google could be considered publisher. In a decision it appealed, Google had been ordered to pay damages to a lawyer who alleged a Google search of his name led to a link to a defamatory newspaper article.

Enterprise software platform Whip Media has partnered with Vault AI, a predictive research company that delivers AI-powered consumer insights. Vault AI will use global audience engagement data from Whip Media’s TV Time app to provide AI-powered content and character insights for its entertainment industry clients. “Our cross-platform TV Time viewer data is an ideal and wholly additive asset that complements Vault AI’s consumer behavior insights – a combination that will offer Vault AI’s clients new dimensions for worldwide content insights,” said Whip Media’s Vincent Muscarella, Vice President of Sales.

SPORTS

Penn Entertainment is going all in on Barstool Sports, announcing in a filing that the company would exercise its right to acquire the remaining shares of Barstool Sports, completing the purchase by February 2023 and paying an additional $387 million to pick up the remaining 64% of the company it didn’t already own.

The NHL announced that the 2023 NHL Awards and the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will both take place in the City of Nashville in June, marking the first time both events have been held in the same city since 2006. The 2023 NHL Awards are scheduled for June 26, while the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be hosted by the Nashville Predators and will be held at Bridgestone Arena over two days: June 28 (Round 1, televised on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports) and June 29 (Rounds 2-7, television information to be announced when available).

ESPN is offering fans a new viewing option for the first time in its coverage of UFC events this Saturday for UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2, serving up the Gronkowski Family – including Rob, brothers Chris, Dan, Glenn and Gordie Jr. and father Gordon – who will host the alternate presentation titled UFC 278 with The Gronks. This will be Rob’s first appearance on ESPN in a host role. Guests will include UFC legend Chuck Liddell, UFC welterweight Kevin Holland and up and coming UFC stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann and debut at 9p on ESPN and ESPN+ before moving to ESPN+ for the PPV.

Meanwhile, UFC also announced a partnership with 4D Sight to launch a pilot program to introduce new virtual ad tech aimed to localize broadcasts for viewers and sponsors beginning with Saturday’s show, where UFC will implement 4D Sight’s technology to digitally insert sponsor branding on the canvas of the Octagon.

Tre Boston and Taylor Tannebaum are joining ACC Network as co-hosts of ACCN’s new daily studio show, ACC PM. Debuting Monday, Aug. 22, at 4p, ACC PM will feature Mark Packer, Boston and Tannebaum live from the studio home in Packer’s basement in Charlotte on weekdays from 4-7p.

IBM and the United States Tennis Association inked a five-year renewal of their 30-year partnership. Throughout the duration of the 2022 tournament, IBM will use AI and hybrid cloud technology to analyze millions of data points from matches. Two new additions to the digital fan experience on the US Open mobile app and on USOpen.org include: Win Factors – providing fans with an increased understanding of the elements affecting player performance and Have Your Say – where users can register their own predictions for match outcomes on the US Open app and USOpen.org.

Riot Games and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. announced a new multi-year global partnership with League of Legends Esports, making Tiffany & Co. the official trophy designer of the League of Legends World Championship Trophy. The ultimate design unveil for the new trophy will take place Aug. 29 at 10a across Riot Games, LoL Esports, and Tiffany & Co. digital and social channels.

GOING GLOBAL

Go Button Media’s “Bake & Make Up” has been commissioned by Canada’s VisionTV for a premiere on Monday, August 29.

Join in on the fun!

Tempest Awards is a fun-filled night of excitement and awards, recognizing the key leaders and innovators that drive the competitive gaming industry. Held in conjunction with 2022 Esports Business Summit, you won’t want to miss out on this unforgettable night. With our regular entry deadline just this past Friday 8/12, it’s not too late to enter – spots are still open!

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Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Wednesday, August 17
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Abbott Elementary 2.00 (0.4), Abbott Elementary 1.49 (0.3), Abbott Elementary 1.36 (0.3), Abbott Elementary 1.28 (0.3), Press Your Luck 1.64 (0.3)
CBS: Big Brother 4.06 (0.8), The Challenge: USA 2.19 (0.4), S.W.A.T. 1.56 (0.2)
CW: Mysteries Decoded 0.43 (0.1), Wellington Paranormal 0.19 (0.0), Wellington Paranormal 0.15 (0.0)
FOX: MasterChef 1.97 (0.4)
NBC: America’s Got Talent 5.64 (0.6), Password 4.36 (0.4), Chicago PD 2.14 (0.2)
Telemundo: Top Chef VIP 1.03 (0.3), Amor Valiente 0.80 (0.2), Infiel: Historia de un Engaño 0.91 (0.2)
Univision: La Mexicana y el Güero 0.92(0.2), La Herencia 1.12 (0.3), Mujer de Nadie 0.99 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Garrett Kemble has joined Anonymous Content’s AC Studios as EVP of Development. Kemple was most recently Head of Development at Universal Content Productions.

Friday Fun Fact
Snakes can sense a coming earthquake up to five days before it happens.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which sci-fi sitcom centered on a garbage collection crew in outer space? “Quark” (1977-78). Kudos to: Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; David Rubinshon-American Public Television/Boston; Andrew Goldman-Grooveee/NYC; Ted Linhart-NBCU/NYC; Wendy Holmes/Denver; Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; Kevin Moran-Blarney Productions/Pasadena, CA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
What was Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ first series regular role post-“Seinfeld”? (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.)