12/22/22: Netflix wants viewers to shape up

Cynopsis Medias First Morning Read
Thursday December 22, 2022

Today’s Premieres
AllBlk: Snap
HBO Max: The Head; I Hate Suzie
Hulu: Ekin-Su & Davide: Homecomings
Netflix: Alice in Borderland
Peacock: The Best Man: Final Chapters

Today’s Finales
HBO: Branson at 10p
WE tv: Hip Hop Homicides at 9p

IN THE NEWS

As the streaming bubble burst in 2022, the top 30 companies in the Dow Jones Media Titans Index lost over $500 billion. Increased competition, rising costs, an advertising slowdown and newly cost-conscious consumers contributed to historic declines in share prices for media companies, reports World News Era. “It’s been a perfect storm of bad news,” said Michael Nathanson, media analyst at MoffettNathanson. “I’ve been covering this sector a long time and I’ve never seen such a bad collection of data points before.” The Dow Jones Media Titans index, which tracks the performance of 30 of the world’s biggest media companies, was down 40% this year, with its total market value decreasing from $1.35 trillion to $808 billion.

“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job!” tweeted Elon Musk after Twitter users called for his resignation in a poll Musk himself posted. Once a replacement is found, Musk said he will “just run the software & servers teams.” Since acquiring Twitter in October, Musk has alienated many users and advertisers with layoffs and haphazard policy changes. Or, as Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities put it, “It’s essentially been a debacle of epic proportions.”

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have secured a $20 million investment for their AI startup, Deep Voodoo. The new funding, led by Connect Ventures, will be used to “accelerate Deep Voodoo’s development of its leading deepfake technology, cost-effective visual effects services and original synthetic media projects,” said the company’s announcement.

Broadway icon Patti LuPone has taken a role in Disney+ “WandaVision” spinoff “Agatha: Coven of Chaos,” reports Deadline. LuPone joins Kathryn Hahn, reprising her role as Agatha.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Season three of Nat Geo’s “Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller” premieres Wednesday, January 18 at 9p. The docuseries follows journalist van Zeller as she explores the underworld’s illegitimate markets.

“Velma” makes its debut on HBO Max on January 12. The animated series tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Mindy Kaling), the brains behind the Scooby-Doo gang of mystery solvers.

“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” is back for lucky season 13 on Tuesday, February 7 at 9p, with the Garden State ladies learning that when it comes to love and betrayal, you reap what you sow.

BYUtv announced its slate of winter 2023 programming, including season eight of hidden-camera series “Random Acts,” season five of “All-Round Champion” featuring para-athletes, and season three of family competition “Survivalists,” all premiering Sunday, January 15, and season five of the service-focused “Making Good,” arriving February 19. Also joining the network lineup is teen sci-fi drama “Silverpoint”; the full first season drops digitally on February 5.

COMING UP

AXS TV’s “Women of Country” Saturday Stack event starts January at 12p, with the spotlight on Tanya Tucker and Dolly Parton in “The Big Interview.”

United in Song: Ringing in the New Year” celebrates the diversity of American music, on New Year’s Eve at 9:30p on PBS (check local listings). The special was filmed before a live audience in Marietta, Ohio.

“Access Hollywood” host Mario Lopez and Ana Gasteyer (“American Auto”) will host NBC’s broadcast of the 134th Rose Parade on January 2 in Pasadena, CA. It’s NBC’s 96th year broadcasting the parade, first on radio and then, starting in 1954, on television.

Musical guests for “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party,” hosted by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, include singer-songwriter Fletcher, rapper Latto, LA rock band Liily, hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, and Sia. “Saturday Night Live” cast members Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman and comedy group Please Don’t Destroy will also make appearances. The party starts December 31 at 10:30p on NBC.

STREAMING

Fifty-seven percent of viewers who describe themselves as intolerant of advertising in video streaming services nevertheless watch AVOD streamers to save money, according to a new survey from Hub Entertainment Research. Only 16% of respondents said they would never consider a service with ads no matter how much they like the content.

Netflix is launching 30 hours of workout videos from the Nike Training Club, starting December 30. Workouts will be available across fitness levels and in 10 languages.

Coming to Pluto TV in January are 24/7 channel Blue Bloods, Rawhide and Top Gear. Also on the way: movies “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” and “Kurbo and the Two Strings,” among others.

FAST channel Cowboy Way is now available on Samsung TV Plus. The channel offers a library of original shows from Western-themed content creators, including Imagicomm Entertainment and INSP.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

With Apple having taken itself out of the running, Google’s YouTube is reportedly in advanced talks for exclusive rights to subscription-only package NFL Sunday Ticket, which allows viewers to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. Discussions have included a payment of $2.5 billion a year for the package, plus additional payments for hitting performance targets, reports The New York Times. DirecTV currently holds the rights for Sunday Ticket, which has about 1.5 million subscribers.

FuboTV and Sinclair struck a carriage agreement that will bring Bally Sports’ 19 regional sports networks to Fubo in the coming weeks. The Bally Sports RSNs are owned and operated by Diamond Sports Group, a subsidiary of Sinclair. An existing partnership already includes the carriage of Sinclair’s owned local broadcast stations, Tennis Channel and Marquee Sports Network (television home of the Chicago Cubs), on FuboTV. “RSNs are integral to FuboTV’s sports-first content strategy and our mission to superserve local passionate sports fans,” said Henry Ahn, chief business officer, FuboTV. “We are very pleased to bring Fubo subscribers significant local sports coverage through our new partnership with Bally Sports.”

Endeavor Streaming and the SuperMotocross League have launched a new streaming service, SuperMotocross Video Pass, featuring Supercross, Pro Motocross, the SuperMotocross Playoffs and Super Motocross World ChampionshipTM events on one platform. It’s the first time a combined package has been offered to fans on an international basis.

PPG and the National Hockey League inked a three-year extension of their North American partnership. The paint company will continue as the official paint of the NHL in the US and Canada. The deal includes PPG receiving exposure through digitally enhanced “Dasherboards” during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

AXS TV is continuing its partnership with professional wrestling organization New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with the acquisition of 45 new episodes of the promotion’s weekly series. Five weeks of NJPW’s “Wrestle Kingdom 17” coverage kicks off Thursday, January 12 at 10p. The NJPW series follows “IMPACT!” at 8p.

The Bleacher Report app wrapped the year #1 in time spent against its competitive set in sports, with 116.8 minutes/month spent per user, and the B/R Web + app audience up 171% year over year among users 18-34. House of Highlights was #1 in all of sports on social for followers and views, boasting 62.6 million cross-platform followers, up 41% year over year and 27.7 billion views, up 154%.

GOING GLOBAL

Despite a rant against Meghan Markle that drew widespread outrage, Jeremy Clarkson, host of ITV’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, will not lose his job. “We have no control over what he says and hire him as a consummate broadcaster of the most famous quiz on TV,” said ITV content head Kevin Lygo, who nevertheless described Clarkson’s comments as “awful.”

Banijay’s international adventure-reality format, “The Island,” is getting its first Danish celebrity version for Kanal 5 and discovery+, produced by Banijay’s Nordisk Film TV. Under the local title Øen VIP, the series is the fourth adaptation of the celebrity version worldwide and will feature eight well-known Danes as they are set ashore on a tropical desert island, where they must survive 14 days completely on their own.

Australia’s Stan announced “Love Triangle” will be returning for a second season, premiering in 2023. The dating series challenges a group of singles to relinquish their grasp on what they think their perfect partner should look like, and instead choose someone, sight unseen, based on a deeper connection.

2023 Sports Media Awards

11th Annual Sports Media Awards Announced!

We are thrilled to announce our site launch for the 11th annual Cynopsis Sports Media Awards! In case you missed last year’s event, senior executives were honored from NBC Sports, NFL, Twitter, Bleacher Report, NBA, MLB, ESPN and other industry leading companies. To learn more about how you can enter and attend next year’s event on April 18th, visit the link below.

START MY ENTRY

RATINGS

Netflix’s “Wednesday” was watched for nearly 6 billion minutes during its first five days, starting November 23. Its premiere week is second only to season four of “Stranger Things.”

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Tuesday, December 20
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town 2.92 (0.5), Disney Prep & Landing 1.90 (0.3), Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 1.65 (0.3), America’s Funniest Home Videos 1.77 (0.3)
CBS: Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All 3.91 (0.4), Ghosts 2.00 (0.2)
CW: The Winchesters 0.35 (0.1), Professionals 0.30 (0.0)
FOX: LEGO Masters 1.34 (0.3), The Resident 0.89 (0.2)
ION: Chicago Fire 1.06 (0.1); Chicago Fire 1.10 (0.1); Chicago Fire 1.03 (0.1)
NBC: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch 2.76 (0.5), The Wheel 1.73 (0.3)
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos: All Stars 1.02 (0.3), La Reina del Sur 0.80 (0.2), Amor Y Traicion 0.73 (0.2)
Univision: Vencer La Ausencia 1.41 (0.4), Mi Camino Es Amarte 1.51 (0.4), La Madrastra 1.13 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Wowza announced the additions of Michael Phillippi as Chief Technology Officer, Mark Lockwood as Chief Revenue Officer and Matt Thompson as Vice President of Marketing. Phillipi was previously CTO of Canto; Lockwood comes from ID.me and Logi Analytics, and Thompson joins from Soprano Design and AT&T.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM CARTOON NETWORK
 

This Day in History
1849 – The execution by firing squad of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevskly was called off at the last minute.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who does Zoe try desperately to avoid in the season two Christmas episode of “Hart of Dixie” (2011-15)? Her mother. Kudos to: Mindy Ronick-Cox Enterprises/Atlanta; Tracy Liner-Initiative/NYC; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/AL; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
In which year did Adam Sandler introduce his “Chanukah Song” on “Saturday Night Live”? (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.)

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Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »
Job of the day

IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
NORTHSOUTH PRODUCTIONS
Remote, must be licensed in NY or CA

Negotiating and drafting development deals, shopping agreements, amendments, talent deals, above-the-line contracts, PSAs, production release templates, trade-out agreements, specialty releases and other necessary documents. Shaping corporate and production legal policies. 5-10 yrs of entertainment legal exp. working with a law firm or production. Full info HERE (1/22)

INTEGRATED SALES MARKETING MANAGER
TODAY’S HOMEOWNER MEDIA
HYBRID/VIRTUAL

Manages pre-sale process in partnership with senior sales team to drive multi-platform revenue growth with advertisers. Sales mktg exp, 3+ yrs. Home improvement, & tv exp a plus. Digital experience a must. Full info HERE (1/22)

STANDARDS AND PRACTICES SPECIALIST >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC OR BURBANK, CA: Provide S&P notes on unscripted Educational/Informational series in development, production, and post, ensuring all content adheres to FCC regulations, HMPG’s internal standards, and network mandates. Contribute to bringing HMPG’s diverse slate of family-friendly series and positive programming to millions of viewers each week. Full info HERE (1/19)

SR. DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MARKETING
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING, Hybrid, Remote

Lead the Consumer Marketing media, promotion and marketing campaigns by prioritizing shows & campaigns across the brand, and support for each of those priorities. Work with internal research and marketing analytics team to gather and organize past performance and insights, construct goals and objectives, and develop target definitions. 7+ yrs exp. Full info HERE (1/16)

VICE PRESIDENT OF AD OPERATIONS >>
BRIGHTCOVE/Remote:
Operate and analyze ad tech stack, optimizing on the partner level as well as overall enterprise level. Onboard and manage new programmatic (SSP and Ad Network) partners and assist in any troubleshooting around SSP setups, partner integrations and ad delivery. 7-10+ years of ad operations experience in the programmatic ad tech ecosystem. Full info HERE (1/13)

DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR >>
BBC STUDIOS/NYC:
Frequently liaise with senior level internal & external contacts, screening & prioritizing all forms of incoming communications, dealing with routine issues & coordinating more complex responses ensuring these are delivered in a timely and effective manner. 3+ yrs of exp. providing administrative assistance at Executive level in the Media industry. Full info HERE (1/13)

SENIOR ANALYST – MEDIA RESEARCH
LATITUDE
Remote

Latitude is searching for an experienced research analyst. This position will focus on client communications and managing projects across their entire lifecycles – from design/proposal through reporting and presentation. Ideal candidates will be experienced in media, and comfortable both analyzing research data and communicating with clients. Full info HERE (1/13)

DATA SCIENTIST >>
VEVO/Remote: Harness the power of Vevo’s data to provide better experiences for Vevo’s end users, advertisers, artist & label partners, along with deep insights for internal business groups. Full info HERE (1/12)

DIRECTOR, AD TECH >>
VEVO/NYC: Play a vital role in the success of the Ad Operations group by helping to drive revenue across key business initiatives. Responsible for helping to lead the technical ad implementation strategy across our ever growing distribution landscape. Full info HERE (1/12)

SALES & TRADE MARKETING MANAGER: PARTNERSHIPS & EVENTS >>
VEVO/NYC: Develop and position Vevo’s B2B brand among the advertising and buying community. Responsible for planning and executing strategic marketing initiatives that drive sales and further Vevo’s brand objectives. Full info HERE (1/12)

DIRECTOR, DIGITAL CONTENT & EMAIL MARKETING
INSP
CHARLOTTE

Lead strategic design and user-experience vision for the current website, INSP.com. Make front-end and back-end design recommendations and evaluate the potential for a reimagined user-experience for the site. Manage multiple project timelines and executions simultaneously for maximum efficiency. 5+ yrs exp. leading management of a website property. Full info HERE (1/11)

VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE MARKETING & PROMOTION
INSP
CHARLOTTE

Responsible for all elements of the creation, pre-production, production, and post-production of all on-air promotion videos, off channel ads, digital/social video content and other video projects created for other departments. Manage Creative Marketing & Promotion department. Min 10 yrs exp. at a broadcast or cable entertainment network. Full info HERE (1/11)

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Lead promotion and brand management for our national marketing and digital content strategies. This role will interface with the management team, show producers, our national network and streaming partners, and program sponsors. Full info HERE (1/11)

RESEARCH DIRECTOR >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Support with audience and consumer information related to our national programming. This role will compile and analyze linear, digital and OTT cross platform viewership for the purposes of strategic planning and to create actionable internal insights and client presentations. Full info HERE (1/11)

SR. PRODUCER >>
MATTER OF FACT WITH SOLEDAD O’BRIEN/WASHINGTON, DC: Must have highly developed program production skills, a keen eye for visual and graphic show elements, and an editorial commitment to amplifying diverse voices in the conversation about the nation’s future. The Senior Producer will assist with production scheduling and budget. Full info HERE (1/10)

ASST. PROF. OF PRACTICE IN EMERGING CREATIVE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES >>
TEXAS TECH UNIV./LUBBOCK, TX: Practitioner/teacher with min. 5 yrs. exp. In VR/AR/MR, virtual production, digital world-building, interactive media, human-computer interaction, motion graphics, VFX, etc. Apply by Dec. 1. Full info HERE (1/10)

PUBLICIST >>
STARZ/SANTA MONICA: Identify and successfully pitch programming to media, including long leads, dailies, weeklies and online publications; as well as secure electronic bookings; respond to media requests timely for information and interviews. Develop and maintain close working relationships with members of the press. 3+ years of entertainment exp. in public relations. Full info HERE (1/10)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL >>
TMZ/LOS ANGELES: Partner with the Head of Revenue & Strategy to develop new growth opportunities for TMZ’s digital products and execute various revenue initiatives. Optimize current suite of products (web, apps, other) against desired goals. 10+ years of work exp. including experience in programmatic and digital (display and video) advertising and online media. Full info HERE (1/9)

DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION STORAGE MANAGEMENT
A+E NETWORKS
NYC

Manage post production storage systems both on premises and in the cloud. Collaborate Production Operations team to ensure that workflows align across the wider A+E enterprise. 5 years experience as a Manager in post production technical support. Comprehensive knowledge of post production workflows and processes. Full info HERE (1/9)

MANAGER, DISTRIBUTION MARKETING >>
INSP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Develops strategy & annual goals for the Affiliate Monthly Campaign, executes the strategy & oversees the implementation of other assigned campaigns. Provides reporting, analysis & recommendations on assigned campaigns and oversees development of creative & content to support network distribution. 5+ yrs of related exp., 3+ yrs of management exp. Full info HERE (1/9)

MANAGER, CROSS PLATFORM AUDIENCE RESEARCH
SHOWTIME
NY

Aggregate & analyze data from various sources to develop audience insights & help drive programming/marketing strategy across traditional and streaming platforms. 3+ years’ experience in media research at a broadcast/cable net, streamer or an agency. Strong Nielsen & data viz tools a must plus MS Office, quant, comm & presentation skills. Full info HERE (1/9)

DIRECTOR, CLOUD ARCHIVE STRATEGY & MNGT- MEDIA OPS
A+E NETWORKS
NYC or Remote

Primary point of contact for the development of standards, processes, procedures, metadata retainment & other functions related to “cloud” operations (AWS). Responsible for the operational development, scale & best practices of all on-premises and cloud-based archives. 10+ yrs of exp. in supply chain modernization, on-premises & cloud archives. Full info HERE (1/6)

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, US DISTRIBUTION >>
BBC STUDIOS/NY, CHICAGO, LA: Frequently liaise with senior level internal and external contacts, screening and prioritizing all forms of incoming communications, dealing with routine issues and coordinating more complex responses ensuring these are delivered in a timely and effective manner. Manage Executive’s travel logistics and scheduling. 3+ yrs of exp. Full info HERE (1/6)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
NEWSMAX/ NYC: Determine best news stories for the program and create daily rundown. Work with show host in program preparation and execution. Identify compelling news stories. Develop story ideas, research and plan segments. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate. Supervise production staff. 3+ years executive producing exp. or overseeing newscast production. Full info HERE (1/6)

HEAD of INFLUENCER TALENT >>
THE OUTLOUD GROUP/ Remote, DETROIT:
Responsible for developing and expanding a roster of content creators and growing Outloud Talent as a business unit. You’ll provide one-on-one support and guidance to your roster of talent. Looking for someone with 3+ years of experience managing content creators and comfortable with building from the ground up. Full info HERE (1/5)

SALES SERVICE EXECUTIVE
TV ONE
NYC

Client and agency interface, attending client social events, and supporting the multi-platform sales process. Customize client presentations and provide effective information to drive budgets. Research target accounts and create strategy to break new business and increase share. Min of 3-4 yrs exp. in digital, radio or linear sales. Full info HERE (1/5)

DIRECTOR, SCHEDULING & ACQUISITIONS
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING, Hybrid Remote

Work closely with SVP, Scheduling & Acquisitions and team to develop programming strategies/schedules that achieve or exceed rating & revenue goals. Manage the production of network schedule grids from scheduling database & supervise schedule changes across platforms. Min of 5 yrs exp. scheduling and acquisition w/cable/digital channel or network. Full info HERE (1/5)

MEDIA SPECIALIST I, PRODUCTION FACILITY & CONTENT MANAGEMENT
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING, Hybrid Remote

Serve as the lead in initiating content request fulfillment by tracking and pulling requested media. Review, transfer, and archive all content that arrives on hard drives and DVDs. Upload, catalog, and archive media from photography and field shoots. 5+ years of experience in the field of digital media or cable/broadcast. Full info HERE (1/5)

THURSDAY DECEMBER 22
ABC: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck, Alaska Daily
CBS: Young Sheldon, Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts
CW: iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2022, Whose Line Is It Anyway?
FOX: Hell’s Kitchen, Welcome To Flatch, Call Me Kat
NBC: Saturday Night Live, The Wheel
PBS: This Old House, Ask This Old House, Antiques Roadshow, O Holy Night: Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos: All Stars, La Reina del Sur, Amor Y Traicion
Univision: Vencer La Ausencia, Mi Camino Es Amarte, La Madrastra

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