Cynopsis 01/30/25: Super Bowl ads hit record high

Cynopsis
Thursday January 30, 2025

   IN THE NEWS

Fox has secured a record-breaking $8 million for at least 10 of its 30-second Super Bowl ads. The network had originally fetched upwards of $7 million per spot, already a record, and by November inventory for the Big Game was sold out. But a higher than usual number of advertisers dropped out – at least one due to the LA wildfires – and Fox was able to turn to its waiting list and resell those ads for north of $8 million.

Prime Video signed a multi-year agreement with Lionsgate giving the streamer
an exclusive early window following Starz’s exclusive first-run window for Lionsgate’s 2026 theatrical releases, a package of films from 2025, and a commitment for licensing library movies and TV. Included in the deal are the third chapter of the “Now You See Me” franchise, and “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.” “We know that Prime members love great movies, and as a first-stop entertainment destination, we are excited to bring Lionsgate’s terrific slate of entertaining films to Prime Video soon after their theatrical release,” said Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Licensing and Distribution for Prime Video

There will be space to fill on fall 2025 daytime lineups – Fox First Run has not renewed talk/entertainment show “Dish Nation,” launched in 2012, and game shows “Person, Place or Thing” (launched n 2022) or “Pictionary” (launched in 2023). In April, Fox First Run – the syndication arm of Fox and a distribution company for Fox Television Stations – had announced the expansion of its interactive “Super Fan Experience” to include the two game shows in a bid to combat flagging ratings experienced by a number of syndicated shows..

Black Americans account for 46 hours and 13 minutes per week on streaming platforms, versus 34 hours and 57 minutes for the overall US population, according to a new report from Nielsen. YouTube had 12.7% of total viewing time as of July, compared to 10% for US viewers overall. Netflix was second with a 7.2% share, followed by Tubi (4.8%), Amazon (4%), Hulu (2.4%), Roku (2.2%), Disney+ and Pluto TV (1.3% each), Peacock (1.2%), Paramount+ (1%) and Max with (0.9%). That said, broadcast and cable also make up a larger share of the Black audience’s TV viewing at 47%, compared to streaming’s 41.4%. What is engaging this audience? “Black consumers are leaning into platforms that emphasize conversation and create a sense of connection,” said Charlene Polite Corley, VP of Diverse Insights and Partnerships for Nielsen. “To win with this community who wields $2 trillion in buying power, brands must prioritize engagement strategies that center diverse Black experiences and cultural nuances.”

Netflix’s season download feature is now available to binge-happy iPhone and iPad users. “Whether you’re gearing up for a long flight and ready to dive into the new season of ‘The Night Agent,’ a cross-country train ride with ‘XO Kitty’ Season 2 keeping you company, or just planning some downtime offline, this feature has you covered with just the click of a button,” said the company in a blog post. The feature had already been available to Android users.

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   PRODUCTION

Netflix has ordered a “reimagining” of “Little House on the Prairie,” the historical family drama that aired on from 1974 to 1983 on NBC. “’Little House on the Prairie’ has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many fans around the world, and we are excited to share its enduring themes of hope and optimism with a fresh take on this iconic story,” said Jinny Howe, Vice President of Drama Series at Netflix. CBS Studios and Anonymous Content Studios are producing, with Rebecca Sonnenshine (“The Boys”) serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside executive producers Joy Gorman Wettels for Joy Coalition, Dana Fox, Susanna Fogel and Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions.

Crayola Studios and Pipeline Studios are teaming up to co-produce “School of WhichCraft,” an original CG animated series for kids c0-created by Evan Baily (“Sonic Boom”), and developed by Shea Fontana (“Monster High”), to be animated by Pipeline. Executive Producers are Jane McGregor, Baily, Fontana, Pipeline Studios CEO Luis Lopez, and Rick Glankler and Kerry Crowley for Crayola Studios. Fontana is showrunner.

Blue Ant Media has greenlit five shows: Documentary “Ghost Lands” (w/t), and docuseries “You Can’t Deny It”; “Vet Detective”; “Engineering From Above”; and “Birthplace of Hallowe’en.”

Season two of unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert” is set to premiere later this year on Hallmark+. Lacey Chabert (“ Haul Out the Holly”) returns alongside party planning team Lisa Friedman and Marisa Lainer. In season two, the series will continue to spotlight deserving community members with surprise celebrations.

Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan will reprise their roles in the third and final season of “Marble Hall Murders.” The drama comes from Eleventh Hour Films in association with Salt Films for Masterpiece PBS and the BBC.

Jonathan Gudai, Co-Founder and CEO of AdOmni, sees a world where social media, video, and digital out-of-home advertising will converge for performance and brand marketers. He shares his thoughts on AI opportunities, audience trends, and more, in Cynsiders.

   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Think he’ll have anything to say? HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” returns for season 12 on Sunday, February 16 at 11p.

A new season of “Contraband: Seized at the Border” premieres Monday, February 3 at 9p on Discovery. This season follows the work of America’s Customs and Border Protection Agency as officers seize record amounts of illegal drugs.

Today’s Premieres
ABC: Scamanda
Max: Mermicorno: Starfall
MTV: Teen Mom: The Next Chapter at 8p
Netflix: Mo; The Recruit
Paramount+: School Spirits
Viaplay: Bullsh*t

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   SPORTS REPORT

Sony, an official technology partner of the NFL, is all in on the Super Bowl. The company will have 240 Sony Cameras in and around the Caesars Superdome, positioned in each end zone, along both sidelines, and in multiple positions throughout the stadium, including the “SkyCam” over the field. There will be 14 Sony cameras specifically handling content for streaming. “The Super Bowl is not just the biggest game of the year, it is also the biggest production,” said Michael Davies, Fox Sports EVP Field Operations. “Our job is to tell the story of the game, capturing the energy within the stadium and keeping billions of viewers engaged, and Sony is a key tool in reaching that goal.”

MLB’s Texas Rangers and DirecTV struck a multiyear distribution agreement to provide Texas Rangers’ pre-game, postgame, and live game across a five-state footprint, including all of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and eastern New Mexico, in time for Opening Day on March 27. The streaming, satellite, and IPTV licensing agreement is one of the first for the Rangers Sports Network.

Revolt unveiled Revolt Sports, a new division offering content that blends storytelling with discussions at the intersection of sports and culture. Brandon Marshall, a six-time NFL Pro Bowler, will be joined by cultural commentator Kayla Nicole to co-host “Revolt Sports Weekly,” featuring locker-room-style discussions and behind-the-scenes perspectives from athletes, celebrities, and cultural thought leaders.

Major League Soccer returns to Apple TV on Saturday, February 22, kicking off the third year of a 10-year partnership between Apple and the league. Subscribers can access every MLS game, including the annual Leagues Cup tournament, MLS All-Star Game, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs games, and select MLS NEXT Pro matches.

Former NFL Pro-Bowl center Ryan Kalil and 6x NBA All-Star Blake Griffin have acquired a controlling stake in Fundidores, an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico, which competes in the LFA (Liga de Fútbol Americano). As part of the acquisition, the team will undergo a rebrand as the Osos ahead of the 2025 season.

Hexagon Cup, the padel event for teams, has renewed its partnership with Story10, the global sports video production and distribution agency, to increase international exposure and drive further awareness of the Alpine Hexagon Cup 2025. The partnership will see Story10 continue to distribute and promote highlights from the second edition of the Hexagon Cup event across its global distribution network.

   GOING GLOBAL

Premion, the CTV/OTT advertising solution for regional and local advertisers, has partnered with GDB Brazil, provider of digital media solutions, to bring its Octillion DSP to the Brazilian market. As part of Premion, Octillion will be offering advertisers enhanced targeting capabilities, greater transparency, and access to premium publishers and apps. “By combining our cross-channel-DSP with GDB’s robust data solutions, we’re providing Brazilian advertisers with an unparalleled tool for targeting and transparency, especially across leading streaming platforms,” said Gabe Greenberg, Founder of Octillion and Premion Chief Strategy Officer.

NPACT, the trade association representing US-based nonfiction production companies, has partnered Critical Content (“Great Food Truck Race”) to offer members an international pipeline for formats. The company will connect NPACT’s members with its global network of first-look partners, including Dubai’s Blue Engine Studios, Germany’s Leonine Studios, Australia’s Warner Bros. International Television Production, Korea’s Something Special, Singapore’s Refinery Media, Belgium’s Be-Entertainment and France’s ITV Studios France.

Free streaming sports network wedotv has partnered with ZDF Studios to launch two new channels: wedotv get.factual is customized for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) markets and Time2Rlx will be available to platforms worldwide.

Ahead of its premiere on Paramount+ Canada, Fred Media/Radar’s new renovation series, “Colin & Justin’s Sub Zero Reno” has been acquired by Nine Network in Australia and Warner Bros. Discovery in New Zealand.

   RATINGS

Monday , January 27 was CNBC’s most-watched day since the market selloff on August 5, 2024. With breaking business news around DeepSeek AI, the Nvidia/Nasdaq sell-off and increased market volatility, Business Day drew 206,000 P2+ viewers, up +18% versus the prior two Mondays, and 51,000 among A25-54, up +26%).

NewsNation had its top-rated month ever in total day viewers in January, with 66,000 in P2+. In primetime, the net also marked its second highest-rated average in total viewers with 121,000.

For the month of January, Fox Business Network averaged 138,000 total day viewers and 206,000 P2+ in market day, with 4p show “Kudlow” delivering 318,000 viewers.

Basic Cable Ratings for the week of January 20
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
Fox News 3856
ESPN 3699
MSNBC 1012
HGTV 625
CNN 620
Hallmark Channel 610
History 534
TLC 490
INSP 484
USA 483
Total Day
Fox News 2612
ESPN 1001
MSNBC 591
CNN 469
HGTV 346
Hallmark Channel 324
Newsmax 289
TBS 274
ID 264
USA 264
Source: Nielsen

   EXECUTIVE MOVES

Bryan Seabury has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Head of Content Strategy and Drama Development at CBS Studios. Seabury first joined CBS Studios in 2006.

Screenverse announced the appointment of Chang Gao as the company’s first CFO. Previously, Gao held roles at adMarketplace, GroundTruth, Thomson Reuters, American Express and UBS.

Advertising platform MGID has named Kenneth Lopez Triquell as VP of Sales, and Tadej Pavlic as Head of Product – Advertisers.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced a trio of promotions within its leadership team. Jayna Hefford has been elevated to Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, Amy Scheer to Executive Vice President of Business Operations, and Jen Flynn to Senior Vice President of Business Affairs & General Counsel.

This Day in History
1948 – Indian political and spiritual leader Ghandi was assassinated.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which city hosted the coldest Super Bowl on record? Super Bowl VI in New Orleans kicked off in 39° weather, with a strong wind. Kudos to: Travis Wacker-ESPN/Chicago; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg- M and S Entertainment/LA; Maggie Takei-Moore Media/Sherman Oaks, CA; Louis Lewow-TrillerTV/Atlanta; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Greg Moloznik-GLM Media Focus/Lakewood Ranch, FL; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Who played the daughter of Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer) in “The Last Tycoon” (2017)? (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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Create and execute sales strategies and proposals- generating new sales from past, current and future leads by networking, building relationships and identifying valuable sales opportunities. Manage existing accounts and excel at identifying clients’ needs. Requires a self-driven individual who is passionate about the sports and media industry. Full info HERE

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Looking for another self-motivated, highly disciplined National AD Sales Executive that enjoys the sales process from beginning to close. If you bring the enthusiasm and determination we will supply the opportunity to make this the best position you’ve ever had. Full info HERE

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