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That Big TV Conference

Today’s Premieres
E!: Growing Up Chrisley at 9p
Hulu: The Handmaid’s Tale
Netflix: Heartbreak High; El Rey, Vicente Fernandez; The Lorenskog Disappearance; Sins of Our Mother
Nickelodeon: NFL Slimetime at 7p
Prime Video: The NFL Pile On

Today’s Finales
CBS: Big Brother at 8p; The Challenge: USA at 9p
Fox: MasterChef at 8p
NBC: Password at 8p; America’s Got Talent at 9p

IN THE NEWS

General Motors will become the first brand to integrate with NBCUnified, the first-party data and identity platform that unites NBCUniversal’s consumer touchpoints into a scaled offering for marketers within One Platform. GM’s integration with NBCUnified is made possible through its media agency partner Carat, and leverages the agency network’s partnership with NBCUnified. “Leaning into more sophisticated addressable media opportunities, like the one we’re announcing here with NBCU and Carat, gives us a leading-edge in connecting with consumers today,” said Heather Stewart, General Director, Global Media & Marketing Services, GM.

Testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee, Twitter’s former head of security, whistleblower Peiter Zatko, claimed a Twitter employee could “take over the accounts of all of the Senators in this room,” adding that “if foreign assets work for Twitter, those foreign assets can also access the data.” While Zatko did not go so far as to accuse the messaging service of ill intent, he said security “has not been prioritized over other projects like increasing revenue and users.” Twitter has characterized Zatko as a disgruntled former employee whose claims are without merit.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk may not want Twitter, but company shareholders want him – or at least they want the $44 billion deal he signed to acquire the company. Although Musk is trying to get out of his contract, Twitter shareholders took the advice of the board and gave the deal a thumbs up.

Paramount Global is mulling the idea of shutting its Showtime streaming service and moving its content to Paramount+, reports The Wall Street Journal. “We are always exploring options to maximize the value of our content investment by giving consumers access to great Paramount content through an array of services and platforms,” a Paramount Global spokesman told WSJ.

The Golden Globes will return to NBC in January 2023, according to TheWrap. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been working to address criticism about corruption and racism after NBC declined to air the awards show in 2022, following allegations surfaced in LA Times articles.

The U.S. out-of-home ad market is pacing to surpass 2019’s record year, according to GroupM analysis. “Just looking at our out-of-home numbers in the U.S., we’re definitely expecting it to be back above 2019 levels this year,” said GroupM Global Director of Business Intelligence Kate Scott-Dawkins during her weekly podcast. “And obviously, whether the channel has recovered this year or next year varies by individual market.”

Although Google postponed the deprecation of third-party cookies until 2024, the media industry should be aware that the market has already lost approximately 50-60% of the signal fidelity from third-party identifiers, warns the IAB State of Data 2022 report. “This, coupled with impending changes to the regulatory landscape and potential actions by the Federal Trade Commission, demands an immediate re-evaluation of the ecosystem,” says the report, noting that “the biggest immediate threat to the industry is inconsistent and poorly crafted state-level privacy legislation.” The study looks at how brands, agencies, and publishers are evolving their approach to consumer privacy, as well as working with their internal and external partners to meet consumer privacy expectations.

2022 Tempest Awards

A night of accolades, awards, and achievement!

Are you or someone you know an up-and-coming star of the industry? Who, within the Esports world, can we expect to establish a presence and make their name known? Whether you’re in an office, behind the camera, or in front of it, the Watch List will shine a light on breakout industry stars. Nominate someone today! Entries close September 16th.

ENTER NOW

PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Former Hallmark Channel star Candace Cameron Bure will star in and executive produce holiday movie “Christmas…Present” for Great American Family. The film is part of GAF’s holiday programming franchise, kicking off October 21.

Shudder announced the start of production on the latest Shudder Original Film, “Birth/Rebirth.” The feature is produced by Mali Elfman and David Grove Churchill Viste from original script written by Moss and Brendan J. O’Brien. Shudder will release the film in North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

Tubi is expanding upon its collaboration with Canada’s Incendo on an upcoming slate of projects that includes a new film adaptation of Hans Holzer’s “The Amityville Curse” and horror film “Marry F*** Kill,” from Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin (“Terror Train”).

STREAMING

Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 is acquiring the remaining 50% stake in the German streaming service Joyn from Warner Bros Discovery. The streamer will now be owned wholly by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. Joyn users will continue to have access to free, advertising-financed as well as on-demand content from Warner Bros. Discovery.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

From pythons, to iguanas to lionfish, culinary arts explorer Yia Vang is ready to chase, cook and eat creatures that have overstayed their welcome when Outdoor Channel introduces new original series “Feral” on November 28.

The Harlem Globetrotters return to broadcast network television in a partnership with Hearst Media Production Group, on the premiere of “Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward.” The 30-minute weekly series, debuting Saturday, October 1 at 11a on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block, follows the players as they explore ways to help communities through volunteerism, fund raising, and one-on-one connections.

Jewish Life Television will start airing “Servant of the People,” starring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Monday, September 19 at 8p.

COMING UP

Spectrum will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an On Demand collection of movies from the past three decades, including “Selena,” the 1997 musical drama starring Jennifer Lopez as the Tejano music star; “The Motorcycle Diaries,” the 2004 biopic featuring Gael Garcia as revolutionary leader Che Guevara; and “El Jeremías,” the 2015 Mexican comedy with Martin Castro as a genius child struggling to succeed amid poverty.

FX comedy special “Kate Berlant: Cinnamon in the Wind” drops on Hulu tomorrow, September 15.

TECH TALK

Eighty-six percent of retailers agree that first-party data is a core pillar for their app strategy going forward, as the advertising industry transitions away from cross-web and cross-app identifiers, according to a report from Kantar and Google. Nearly all retailers reported that their mobile app was a “crucial and valuable channel” and that their app users were “more loyal and have a higher lifetime value.” The report also found and further outlines three key strategies for success: prioritize omnichannel functionality to meet customer needs; build first-party data by fostering deeper customer relationships; and invest in app promotion to drive usage and engagement.

Tremor International, a CTV advertising company, had closed its previously announced acquisition of Amobee, the global advertising platform. “We are pleased to complete the strategic Acquisition of Amobee, which we anticipate will increase our global market presence, significantly enhance and expand our technology capabilities, add new linear TV capabilities and cross selling opportunities, and enrich our growth and competitive positioning within the industry,” said Ofer Druker, CEO of Tremor International.

SPORTS STATS

NBC’s Sunday Night Football continued to prove its mettle, as the franchise’s return this week notched a Total Audience Delivery average of approximately 25.1 million viewers, marking the largest audience for NBC’s Sunday night opener since 2015.Viewership across all platforms bested last year’s SNF opener by 35%. Coupled with last Thursday’s Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Rams NFL Kickoff Game, NBC Sports posted its largest two-game NFL Kickoff Weekend audience since 2016 with a TAD average of 23.4 million viewers.

Meanwhile, the NFL ON CBS kicked off the 2022 NFL season by delivering record viewership across its platforms as Sunday’s regional game window at 1p, anchored by the Steelers/Bengals, recorded the Network’s most-watched Week 1 regional game window since 1998, averaging 17.387 million viewers, according to Nielsen national ratings, up 21% vs. last year’s comparable window. Overall, CBS Sports averaged 17.042 million viewers for its opening weekend doubleheader, the best Week 1 average audience in four years.

In the collegiate ranks, FOX Sports is touting that its Alabama/Texas showdown on Saturday drew nearly 10.6 million viewers. That ranks as the most-watched college football game on any network so far this year. Nielsen reports that through week two, Big Noon Kickoff is averaging 1.611 million viewers up 32% year-over-year.

ESPN’s college football coverage this past week saw upticks and year-over-year gains, led by 4.5 million viewers tuning in to see Tennessee/Pitt. Across ABC/ESPN, college football coverage was up 24% over 2021 numbers.

ABC also saw Game 1 of the WNBA finals score an average of 555,000 viewers, for a markup of 18% over 2021. The game, won by the Las Vegas Aces, peaked at 872,000 viewers on Sunday.

For our final ratings act of the morning, the 2022 US Open on ESPN averaged 1.21 million viewers over the two weeks and nearly 168 hours of wall-to-wall live coverage, up 50% from last year and the third-best for ESPN since 2015. The semifinal between Alcaraz and Tiafoe on Friday, Sept. 9, averaged 2.96 million viewers – peaking at 3.6 million.

The LPGA Tour and the Pelican Women’s Championship announced today that Annika Sorenstam will become tournament host for Tampa Bay’s signature LPGA Tour event, beginning in 2023. In collaboration with LPGA Tour tournament partners Gainbridge and Pelican Golf Club, THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican will take place in November 2023 as the penultimate event of the LPGA Tour season.

GOING GLOBAL

BossaNova Media and Australia factual indie CJZ have entered into a partnership with Australia’s Network Seven to co-produce a four-part series about serial con woman Samantha Azzopardi. Paramount+, which launched in the UK and Ireland in June, has also acquired the series exclusively for local audiences. “Con Girl” is slated to air on Paramount+ and Network Seven later this year.

Bavaria Fiction is currently filming the young adult horror series “Unnoticed – What We Fear” for ZDFneo in Prague.

DeAPlaneta Entertainment has signed a global rights distribution deal for the pre-school animated series “Superdino” with Korean family entertainment company SAMG Entertainment.

Beyond Rights picked up three kids’ shows: “Olga Da Polga,” centered on a guinea pig; arts and crafts show “Makeaway Takeaway”; and “Wow That’s Amazing,” featuring kids conducting experiments and magic tricks.

Studio 100 has inked a deal with the BBC for CGI comedy/adventure series “Vegasaurs,” a new take on the dinosaur genre.

Australia’s Stan announced the upcoming Stan Original Dating Series “Love Triangle,” from the creative minds behind “Married at First Sight.” The first two episodes of the eight-part dating series will premiere October 6.

Top Women in Media Awards

Celebrate what makes women, women!

Top Women brings out the best in all women and recognizes the most deserving of individuals with awards ranging in the entertainment, tech, and sports media arenas. Of the many events you have on your calendar for the remainder of the year, Top Women is an evening of dazzling excitement and achievement you simply cannot miss! Limited table’s remaining.

REGISTER NOW

RATINGS

The season six debut of Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” drew over one million viewers in Live+3 Nielsens, up 57% from its September 4 premiere. Among A18-49, the show was up 65%, to 713,000.

Up against the season debut of “Monday Night Football,” NBC’s Emmy Awards Monday broadcast delivered an all-time low 5.92 million viewers and a 1.1 rating, down 19% from last year’s show.

The season opener of HGTV’s “Love It or List It” garnered a .56 Live+3 rating among P25-54 and a .85 among W25-54. That includes ratings gains of 60 percent among P25-54 and 77 percent among W25-54 over the prior six weeks. The episode, which attracted more than 3.4 million total viewers, also delivered a .64 Live+3 rating among upscale P25-54 and a .96 among upscale W25-54, gains of 49 percent and 72 percent respectively over the previous six weeks.

Nielsen Basic Cable Ranker for the week of September 5
Network, P2+ AA (000)
Prime Time
ESPN 2679
Fox News 2017
MSNBC 1403
MSNBC 1022
HGTV 877
Hallmark Channel 800
ESPN2 773
INSP 753
TLC 747
CNN 696
USA 668
Total Day
Fox News 1390
ESPN 1096
MSNBC 721
CNN 605
HGTV 491
Hallmark Channel 447
INSP 404
USA 382
ID 376
TV Land 373

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Monday, September 12
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Monday Night Football 9.99 (2.1)
CBS: The Neighborhood 3.14 (0.3), Bob Hearts Abishola 2.86 (0.3), NCIS 3.21 (0.3), NCIS: Hawai’i 2.65 (0.2)
CW: Mysteries Decoded 0.42 (0.1), Penn & Teller: Fool Us 0.41 (0.1)
FOX: Don’t Forget the Lyrics 1.62 (0.3), Monarch 0.97 (0.2)
NBC: Emmy Awards 5.92 (1.1)
Telemundo: Top Chef VIP 1.00 (0.3), Fuego del Destino 0.85 (02), Infiel: Historia de un Engaño 0.92 (0.2)
Univision: La Herencia un Legado de Amor 1.38 (0.4), Ricos Tambien Lloran 1.34 (0.4)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Robert Iger, former CEO of Walt Disney Co., is joining venture-capital firm Thrive Capital as an advisor. Thrive Capital was founded in 2009 by Joshua Kushner.

Enrique Guillen has joined Estrella Media as Chief Content Officer. Guillen was most recently at NBCUniversal, where he served as EVP, Commercial Strategy and International Development for the Universal Studio Group.

Abacus Media Rights has appointed Will Stapley as Head of Acquisitions across both scripted and unscripted programming. Stapley had been Head of Acquisitions and Partnerships for TVF International since 2016.

Blue Ant Studios created two new leadership roles within its production and development divisions. Aileen Gardner has been appointed Head of Production, Canada, Blue Ant Studios and Zachary Frank is VP, Development, Blue Ant Studios.

VidMob announced that Mainardo de Nardis, former CEO of OMD Worldwide, and Laura Held, Partner of Shamrock Capital, are joining the company’s Board of Directors.

This Day in History
1954 – Hurricane Edna slammed NYC, causing $50 million in damage.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What is Cameron’s clown alter ego called in “Modern Family” (2009-2020)? Fizbo. Kudos to: Sandy Spiegel/Chicago; Natasha Manners-Disney Entertainment Distribution/NYC; Rick Dascher-WarnerMedia Studios/Atlanta; Paul Gluck-TUTV/Philadelphia; Paul Schur-WBD/NYC; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Sally Sluss-Spectrum Reach/St. Louis, MO; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; Cindy Powers-Martin Retail Group/Albuquerque; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Ken DuBow-Access Entertainment/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which sitcom was based on the life of one of the show’s creators, whose daughter was a sitcom star? (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