Cynopsis 01/15/25: History debuts a shocking show

Cynopsis
Wednesday January 15, 2025

   IN THE NEWS

Four days after the demise of Venu Sports, DirecTV launched a skinny bundle of 40 sports and broadcast channels, MySports, priced at $69.99 per month. DirecTV has distribution agreements with media companies including Disney, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal, as well as networks from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, along with major collegiate conferences. “The introduction of MySports from DirecTV delivers consumers greater choice, flexibility, and control to select the type of content they want to watch at the right value,” said DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow. “This is the first of several genre-based options we plan to launch over the coming months.” WBD, Fox and ESPN announced on Friday that they would not be moving forward with Venu, their proposed sports streaming joint venture.

Rashida Jones is stepping down as President of MSNBC. “After four incredible years at the helm of MSNBC and 11 years at NBCU, I have made the decision to pursue new opportunities,” said Jones in a memo to employees. Rebecca Cutler, SVP of Content Strategy, will serve as interim president. Jones’ move comes as Comcast prepares to spin off most of its cable channels, including the news net. During a meeting to announce Jones’ departure, Mark Lazarus who will head up the new company, informed staffers that MSNBC will keep its name after the Comcast split.

TV is the device most used to stream and view content, including Apple TV+, according to a 2024 SVOD survey from GfK, commissioned by TVB, that looks at ad-supported versus ad-free streaming subscriber trends, the viewership of ads on SVOD platforms, and whether these streaming subscribers are also watching linear TV. Key findings include:
– 86% of the survey’s respondents have at least one SVOD service.
– 61% of Netflix, and more than half of Disney+ (53%) and Max (57%) subscribers, do not see advertising.
– 74% of YouTube viewers that see advertising either skip the commercial when available or, if not available, click away from content.
– 58% of respondents subscribe to Amazon Prime Video but only 4% subscribe exclusively to the Prime Video service, and not Amazon Prime.
– 50% of those on Amazon Prime Video’s ad tier stated that they have Amazon Prime Video mainly because they subscribe to Amazon Prime.
– Broadcast assets reach 91% of SVOD viewers. This also applies to those that subscribe without advertising.
– Local TV news is the most trusted news source and local TV news websites/apps are the most trusted digital source.

Meta plans to lay off about 5% of its workforce, said CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a memo to managers that was reported by Business Insider. The strategy is to “raise the bar on performance management” and “move out low-performers,” according to the memo. Affected employees – about 3600 – are to be notified by February 10.

Ampersand unveiled a new measurement platform that combines streaming and traditional TV data, aimed at providing buyers with actionable insights utilizing aggregated viewing exposure data from its MVPD owners, Charter Communications, Comcast, and Cox. “The fragmented media landscape has made true cross-platform measurement a fundamental challenge,” said Ethan Heftman, Ampersand Chief Revenue Officer. “Our new suite of capabilities doesn’t just report on campaign delivery; we measure its full impact, offering deduplicated, authenticated insights that reflect the most comprehensive audience view possible.”

Most brands can achieve significant efficiencies by reallocating just 6.3% of their total TV impressions from linear to CTV, according to new LG Ad Solutions study conducted with iSpot, “The Efficiency Curve.” “Modern marketers and media planners need to make every invested dollar work harder, now more than ever before,” said Tony Marlow, CMO at LG Ad Solutions. “This study underscores the need for precision in media planning—finding the optimal efficiency point where CTV and linear TV work in harmony to deliver maximum performance while minimizing ad exposure wastage.”

Nexstar Media Group did not take kindly to a letter Altice USA sent to the FCC that accused the station group, during its signal blackout, of attempting to negotiate carriage for WPIX New York even though the FCC “has explicitly ruled it should not.” “Altice’s claims strain credulity considering their unilateral decision to walk away from negotiations and put their subscribers in the middle, just as they have done with their recent drop of MSG Network,” responded Nexstar in a statement. “This letter to the FCC is an intentional distraction from Altice’s unprecedented and anticompetitive demands designed to benefit Altice-owned News12 at the expense of PIX11’s proprietary news product.” Nextstar then encouraged Altice to return to the negotiating table to put an end to their impasse.

CBS’ “Hollywood Squares” scored a special Sunday night slot on January 19, following the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. This comes after the series premiere date shifted a week, from January 9 Thursday, January 16. The show will move to Wednesdays starting January 29, as part of CBS Game Night.

Viamedia has signed agreements to manage advertising sales for six new service providers, expanding its total reach to 93 service providers across 74 designated market areas in 28 states. “These new agreements highlight Viamedia’s focus on empowering local businesses to take control of their advertising potential through innovative, adaptable solutions that address the complexities of today’s media landscape,” said David Solomon, CEO of Viamedia.

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   PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

NBC has renewed “St. Denis Medical” for a second season. Since the medical mockumentary’s November premiere, it has reached 21.4 million total viewers for the season to date across platforms and ranks as NBC’s No. 1 new show the season among A18-49, according to Nielsen Live+7 data.

Employees at nonfiction production company Lucky 8 (“60 Days In”) have unionized with Writers Guild of America East for collective bargaining. “Nonfiction television and film workers are building power industrywide by fighting for critical union protections,” said Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the WGA East. “Workers at Lucky 8 have made their voices heard.” Lucky 8 is not the first to go the union route – other unionized nonfiction production companies include BSTV Entertainment, Jigsaw, Vox Entertainment and Sharp, to name a few.

   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Docuseries “History’s Greatest Mysteries” returns Monday, January 27 at 9p on History, followed by new series “History’s Most Shocking,” featuring “mind-blowing” events caught on camera, at 10p.

A new season of TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé” kicks off Sunday, February 16 at 8p. The reality show attracted 11.3 million viewers last season and was one of the highest-rated unscripted cable series of 2024. This season features three new pairs, three returning couples from previous franchises, and its first-ever throuple.

Allen Media Group is launching weekly series “Deep Water Salvage,” following global marine salvage operations, in fall 2025. The one-hour syndicated series is cleared in over 85% of US television households.

French animation studio Xilam Animation has inked a deal renewal with Sony Pictures Networks India for its flagship comedy franchise, “Oggy and the Cockroaches.” SPNI has renewed its agreement for all seasons of the series for its kids’ channel, Sony YAY!; for the feature film “Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie”; and for the recent rebooted version, “Oggy and the Cockroaches: Next Generation.”

Today’s Premieres
Disney+: A Real Bug’s Life
Freeform: Scam Goddess at 10p
HBO: An Update on Our Family at 9p
Hulu: Cristobal Balenciaga; Unmasked
Netflix: Public Disorder
Peacock: Love Island: All Stars (UK)
TV5Monde USA: Virage at 11:30p

   COMING UP

“We Live in Time,” the romantic comedy/drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, makes its streaming debut on Max on Friday, February 7, one day ahead of its linear bow at 8p on HBO. The movie was released in theaters in October.

Also coming to Max is “Waitress: The Musical,” a filmed version of the Broadway show, on Friday, February 14. The musical is based on the 2007 film “Waitress,” which will be available on the platform starting February 1.

CTV Connect

Countdown to CTV

The future of Connected TV is calling—and it’s at CTV Connect 2025! Did you know U.S. CTV ad spending is projected to reach $33.35 billion by 2025? This is your chance to gain critical insights from industry leaders and explore advanced measurement, audience engagement, and more. Lock in your spot before prices go up!

Register today to be part of the conversation!

   SPORTS REPORT

A live kicking competition between Eli and Peyton Manning will take place during the Fox Super Bowl Pregame Show as part of FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny 3” campaign. Each Super Bowl-winning brother will attempt a 25-yard field goal until one wins (or gets closest to the goal in a tiebreaker). Two additional “Destiny” TV spots will air during the big game.

Fox Sports has named Will Buxton to handle play-by-play with James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell offering race analysis for the inaugural season of NTT Indy Car Series coverage on Fox, beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 2, at noon.

Magnite was selected as FIFA+’s global programmatic provider. Magnite will power video and display advertising on FIFA+ across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

   RATINGS

The NFL’s Philadelphia/Green Bay Wild Card game drew 35.9 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and Fox Sports streaming platforms, making it the most-watched telecast of the week.

Over at Prime Video, Saturday night’s Steelers-Ravens Wild Card playoff game handed the steamer its all-time high average audience of 22.07 million viewers.

With its anchor reporting from LA Wednesday through Friday to cover the wildfires, “World News Tonight with David Muir” delivered its largest viewership in two years, ranking as the No. 1 program of the week in Total Viewers (8.866 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of January 6, according to Nielsen.

The week of January 6, Fox News delivered its highest-rated week since the week following the 2024 Presidential Election across total day, posting 1.8 million viewers and 227,000 in the 25-54 demo.

Basic Cable Top 10 for the Week of January 6
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
ESPN 6175
Fox News 2546
MSNBC 721
HGTV 636
Hallmark Channel 632
TBS 512
CNN 501
TLC 501
INSP 482
History 477
Total Day
Fox News 1797
ESPN 1442
MSNBC 540
CNN 455
HGTV 357
Hallmark Channel 310
TBS 300
USA 267
History 252
Food Network 250
INSP 250
ID 250
Source: Nielsen

   EXECUTIVE MOVES

Cultural marketing agency 160over90 announced a new leadership structure in which the business will be co-led by Executive Vice Presidents Jessica Sinn, Justin Zambuto and Ryan Brown. 160over90’s longtime President Ed Horne will become Chief Operating Officer at premium experiences, hospitality and travel company On Location.

Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi Technologies, and Joey Levin, CEO of IAC, have been appointed to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Board of Directors. Both will stand for election by the company’s stockholders at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

This Day in History
2001 – Wikipedia debuted.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which sitcom featured guest appearances by Joe Biden, Michelle Obama and New Gingrich? “Parks and Recreation” (2009-15). Kudos to: Dave Braxton-DaveBVO/Sarasota Springs, UT; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; Maggie Takei-Moore Media/Sherman Oaks, CA; Wendy Holmes/Denver; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Lou Vazquez-OMD/NYC; Laurie Ulster-Audible/NYC; Stephen Warren-Northeastern University/Boston; Rick Dascher-Haberdaschery Creative/Atlanta

Today’s Trivia Question
Which American police drama was the first to have an episode with a self-identified gay character? (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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NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC./WASHINGTON, DC: Lead the company’s political advertising revenue across its dynamic portfolio of broadcast stations. Responsible for developing sales strategies tailored to the fast-paced, high-stakes political advertising market. You will possess an understanding of the political advertising landscape, and the ability to forge strong relationships with campaigns. Full info HERE

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SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROJECT MANAGER
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Seeking a diligent, organized, and enthusiastic individual to join our team as we manage Integrated Marketing Campaigns for a candy manufacturer. Responsibilities include ensuring client satisfaction, managing project timelines, and optimizing campaign effectiveness. If you’re proactive and enjoy collaborating with teams, we want to hear from you! Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA
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Proven track record of monetizing digital assets on various social media platforms. Work closely with our production team in creating content and comprehensive marketing plans to increase market share. Full info HERE

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