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Tuesday December 7, 2021

Today’s Finale
TV One: Life Therapy at 10p

IN THE NEWS

A letter signed by a group of Democrats in Congress urged the Justice Department to conduct a thorough review of the $43 billion merger agreement between Discovery and WarnerMedia. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Justice Department antitrust head Jonathan Kanter, the politicians said, “This transaction raises significant antitrust concerns. In particular, the merger threatens to enhance the market power of the combined firm and substantially lessen competition in the media and entertainment industry, harming both consumers and American workers.” Speaking at UBS’s Global TMT Conference on Monday, AT&T CEO John Stankey characterized the antitrust concerns outlined in the letter “unfounded,” and said the deal remains on track to close in mid-2022. AT&T and Discovery announced the deal in May.

AMC has renewed “Fear the Walking Dead” for season eight. Kim Dickens, who payed Madison Clark for the zombie drama’s first four seasons, will return in the second half of season seven, on Sunday, April 17, and continue as a series regular in season eight. “If there were a Mt. Deadmore, Kim Dickens’ face would be on it,” said Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer of the Walking Dead Universe. “Kim Dickens’ raw talent, strength and brilliance will electrify the ‘Walking Dead’ Universe once more, and we couldn’t be luckier to have her back.”

HBO’s “Succession” scored the most Critics Choice Association nominations for a TV show, with eight. HBO earned 20 nods altogether, besting Netflix’s 18. The ceremony airs Sunday, January 9 on The CW and TBS.

Disney Channel has canceled “Gabby Duran & The Unsittables” after two seasons. The live-action comedy was based on the novel by Elise Allen and Daryle Conners.

The SEC is looking into SPAC Digital World Acquisition Corp., which plans to merge with former president Donald Trump’s startup, Trump Media & Technology Group. While the SEC has requested documents relating to meetings, policies and procedures, the inquiry “should not be construed as an indication that FINRA [the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority] has determined that any violations of Nasdaq rules or federal securities laws have occurred,” said DWAC.

The White House will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to China’s “egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday. But the Games will go on for the US – Psaki said Team USA has the administration’s “full support.”

Freeform has acquired non-exclusive rights to “The Office” from NBCUniversal Global Distribution. The Disney net will air two marathons over New Year’s weekend, then air the 2005-13 sitcom Mondays through Thursdays from 6p-11p. “I can’t think of a better way for Freeform to ring in 2022 when so many people are preparing to head back to their workplace offices,” said Chuck Saftler, Head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks and Acquisitions in Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution’s Networks division. “It’s a perfect primer and further positions Freeform as a go-to destination for bold, irreverent programming.” Peacock has streaming rights; Comedy Central had syndicated rights through the end of 2021.

“The National Desk,” Sinclair Broadcast Group’s national news program providing national and regional news from across Sinclair’s stations, announced the launch of TheNationalDesk.com. The website features breaking news, with content from The National Desk’s team of journalists as well as Sinclair’s newsrooms.

As the metaverse continues to emerge at a rapid pace, understanding the opportunity and challenges in this new sector is vital to your business. Join the Esports Business Community including experts from ViacomCBS, GreenPark Sports and Supersocial on December 14th from 1-3:30 PM ET for a Masters of the Metaverse webinar.

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Food Network is keeping Valerie Bertinelli (“Valerie’s Home Cooking”) in the kitchen. Bertinelli has extended her deal with the network, along with streamer discovery+. “Valerie Bertinelli has won Food Network audiences with her approachable warm personality and unique charisma,” said Courtney White, President, Food Network and Streaming Food Content, Discovery. “Our team is looking forward to working with her to bring her new projects to life.”

London-based independent producer Nevision is launching a new bi-coastal US operation, Nevision Inc. With offices in LA and New York, Nevision Inc. will be headed by Sandy Wax as President and Vincent Gabriele as COO. Nevision’s James Cabourne will be Chairman.

discovery+ has struck a development deal for a slate of new original series from Discovery-backed Group Nine Media. The deal includes content from a discovery+ genres including food; nature and adventure; documentaries; and true crime. The slate also includes companion series for discovery+ original documentaries. “This huge step in our relationship with Discovery allows us to continue telling bigger and bolder stories with a strategic partner that understands the value of combining great storytelling with the data and insights essential to the development and marketing of a successful show,” said Mickey Meyer, President of Group Nine Studios. “We’re excited to help build the next generation of entertainment alongside a cornerstone of the entertainment industry, while also introducing the Discovery world to an even wider young audience.”

Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) has been enlisted to write and direct a Marvel Universe series for Disney+. “Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.’ We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

Alcon Television Group has acquired comic book series “Battle Chasers,” with Derek Kolstad (“John Wick”) attached to write and executive produce. Alcon Entertainment’s Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, will serve as executive producers, alongside Ben Roberts of Alcon Television Group.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Season three of PBS’ “Legacy List” premieres in January 2022 (check local listings). Eight new one-hour episodes feature families from across the country who are ready to downsize, and have to sort through a house full of memories.

“The Larkins” premieres on Acorn TV on Monday, December 13. The British period drama is based on the H.E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May.

E! rounds up eight celebrity offspring to work on a ranch in Colorado in “Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules.” The series premieres Wednesday, January 12 at 9p, with a sneak peek of the premiere episode following the “People’s Choice Awards” tonight at 11p.

The reboot of hidden camera show “Punk’d” and cooking series “Dishmantled,” which started life on Quibi and were part of the short-lived streamer’s library acquired by Roku, will return with new episodes on Roku Friday, December 10 and Friday, December 31, respectively. The second seasons, produced by Quibi but never streamed, are being labeled “second seasons.”

ADVERTISING OUTLOOK

Globally, media owners’ advertising revenues grew by +22% to reach a new all-time high of $710 billion in 2021, following a decline of -2.5% in 2020, according to the December MAGNA Global Ad Forecast. The global marketplace is now 19% larger than pre-COVID levels and will continue to grow steadily in 2022 (+12%), predicts the report. Other findings include:
· Advertising revenues from traditional advertising formats (TV, radio, OOH, print, cinema) grew by $21 billion (+9%) following a -17% decline in 2020, to reach $268 billion; this puts traditional formats at 90% of the pre-COVID market size (2019).
· Digital advertising sales (search, social, video, banners, digital audio) increased by $105 billion (+31%) to reach $442 billion; digital formats now represent 62% of total advertising sales worldwide.
· Advertising growth is fueled by strong economic recovery (global GDP +5.9%) and personal consumption, but the magnitude of growth rates suggests it is more than just the marketplace catching up post-COVID and organic growth factors are driving the digital acceleration of 2021.

Zenith projects US ad spending on TV will increase 4%, to $65.15 billion in 2022 from pandemic lows, and to $67.23 billion in election year 2024 – lower than its peak of $68.46 billion in 2017. Meanwhile, spending on internet video is forecast to rise from $34.22 billion in 2021 to $41.06 billion in 2022.

Advertising in 2022 is poised to grow faster than GroupM predicted in June, advised Brian Wieser, President iof Business Intelligence. “We now forecast global growth of 9.7% versus 8.8% previously,” he said. “At a global level, the media we track here—TV, digital platforms, audio, newspapers and magazines, cinema and outdoor media—will collectively account for $766 billion in ad revenue. Combined, they should exceed $1 trillion in revenue during 2025 based upon our new estimates.” Of note:
· Television advertising is forecasted to grow by 11.7% in 2021, up from June’s estimate of 9.3%. Given 2020’s decline of 13.7%, the industry is not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023.
· Connected TV+ will account for about 10% of total TV advertising in 2022 ($17 billion of a total of $171 billion) and is expected to double by 2026.

COMING UP

Circle Network is partnering with the United Service Organizations for the “Opry Live: USO Holiday Special.” featuring stories and performances from country music talent including Lauren Alaina, Luke Combs, Jessie James Decker, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, and The War & Treaty. The one-hour show airs Saturday, December 18 at 9p.

H.E.R. has joined the lineup of performers for the “People’s Choice Awards,” airing tonight at 9p on NBC and E!. SNL’s Kenan Thompson hosts.

HGTV’s annual “White House Christmas” special premieres Sunday, December 12 at 6p. First Lady Jill Biden leads host Genevieve Gorder on a room by room tour.

“Shatner in Space,” following William Shatner’s space flight at age 90, premieres Wednesday, December 15 on Prime Video. “This special documenting my journey gives a dramatic view of that experience, and my hope is that it inspires the world to see we must go to space to save Earth,” said Shatner.

STREAMING

FX is simplifying its branding for streaming, phasing out FX on Hulu. FX programming will be curated on the new FX hub. “For 20 years, we have worked tirelessly to make the FX mark synonymous to the consumer with original programming that is distinctive and excellent as well as entertaining,” said FX Networks Chairman John Landgraf. “This change furthers the natural evolution of FX….We are confident that the FX brand, wherever the consumer finds it, will continue to deliver the highest quality programs any service has to offer.”

GOING GLOBAL

Banijay has confirmed production of “La Sposa” (The Bride), a new six-part series from Endemol Shine Italy, co-produced with Rai Fiction. Set in the late 1960s, it will air on Rai1 in 2022. Banijay also announced the return of “Big Brother” to Mzansi in South Africa, following a seven-year hiatus.

APC Studios has secured new international sales for its documentary “WANTED: Women in Science.” NHK has taken free TV rights for Japan, along with RTL for Belgium and Téléquébec for Canada.

Studiocanal landed global sales for “Ridley Road.” Created by RED Production Company, a the drama, commissioned for BBC One and co-produced with MASTERPIECE, will air in the US on PBS MASTERPIECE and in France on CANAL+, and has also been acquired by Now Studio Hong Kong, ABC Australia, Nova Greece, YLE Finland, SVT Sweden, NRK Norway, DR Denmark, RTE Ireland, HOT Israel, CANAL+ Poland and Disney+ Benelux.

French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo is set to adapt the children’s book series Gaston’s Emotions to television. The books featuring a unicorn with a rainbow-colored mane have sold over 900,000 copies in France alone over the past three years and have been translated into 24 other languages.

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Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship” posted a 1.0 P25-54 / 1.5 W25-54 Live+3 rating, up +118% vs. year-ago timeslot benchmarks and up +22% vs prior six-week benchmarks. The episode was the #1 non-sports cable program in the timeslot for both P25-54 and W25-54.

Shareablee Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of November 29
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
The Witcher (Netflix), 1m, 45, 23,250, 1.9m
Cobra Kai (Netflix), 751k, 12, 62,622, 3.3m
Gossip Girl (HBO Max), 715k, 60, 11,916, 16.2m
The Grand Tour (Prime Video), 545k, 11, 49,581, 5.9m
Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch), 392k, 22, 17,822, 6.1m
Get Organized With The Home Edit (Netflix), 348k, 33, 10,535, 5.9m
Lost in Space (Netflix), 338k, 42, 8,053, 201k
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video), 337k, 19, 17,726, 717k
Nanatsu No Taizai (Netflix), 290k, 80, 3,624, 1m
Netflix is a Joke (YouTube), 212k, 42, 5,039, 2.5m

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, December 3
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: PAC-12 Championship 4.25 (1.0)
CBS: S.W.A.T. 5.33 (0.5), Magnum P.I. 5.34 (0.4), Blue Bloods 5.81 (0.4)
CW: Penn & Teller: Fool Us 0.,73 (0.1), Nancy Drew 0.27 (0.0)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.03 (0.5)
ION: Hawaii Five-0 1.04 (0.1), Hawii Five-0 0.81 (0.1), Hawaii Five-0 0.92 (0.1)
NBC: Baking It 2.28 (0.3), Dateline 3.54 (0.4)
Telemundo (Thursday): Por Amor o Por Dinero 0.96 (0.2), Hercal: Amor 1.02 (0.3), Malverde: Santo 0.74 (0.2)
Univision: La Rosa de Guadalupe, 1.39 (0.4), Vencer el Pasado 1.27 (0.4), La Desalmada 1.49 (0.4)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Megha Tolia has been appointed Shondaland’s first President and CO. Tolia previously served as Vice President, E-commerce and Strategy of the Lifestyle unit of SC Johnson.

Crown Media Family Networks has promoted Leah Rivlin to Director, Advanced Advertising. In the newly created role, Rivlin is charged with supporting the company’s data-driven linear and advanced advertising sales efforts.

PubMatic has appointed Regional Director, Australia and New Zealand, Peter Barry to a global role, naming him VP of Addressability. Barry joined the company in 2016.

Altice USA has named Ben Collier as Senior Vice President of Brand, Marketing, and Media. Collier most recently serving as the Executive Director of Brand Experience and Development at J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
In which short-lived sitcom did John Lithgow play a character named Pitty McPatpat? “Homeboys in Outer Space” (1996-97). Kudos to: Charles Lore/NYC; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank;Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which series followed the crew of spaceship Serenity? (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.)