Thursday February 1, 2024

Today’s Finale
ABC: Press Your Luck at 8p

IN THE NEWS

NBCUniversal announced the dates and locations of its One24 and Upfront events. Technology conference One24 is set for Wednesday, March 20 at 30 Rock’s Studio 8H, home of “Saturday Night Live,” to reveal NBCUniversal’s latest capabilities in automation, data, ad innovations, and measurement. Then it’s back to Radio City Music Hall for the company’s upfront presentation, on Monday, May 13. That will be followed by a Telemundo Celebration at The Shed that evening. “As consumers’ viewing habits continue to shift, the opportunity to connect with audiences across platforms is more valuable than ever,” said Mark Marshall, Chairman, NBCUniversal Global Advertising & Partnerships. “The announcements we will make will further our commitment to driving the most effective media for our partners.”

Byron Allen has made an offer for Paramount Global. “We believe this $30 billion offer, which includes debt and equity, is the best solution for all of the Paramount Global shareholders, and the bid should be taken seriously and pursued,” said Allen Media Group. According to Bloomberg, Allen plans sell the Paramount film studio, and keep the TV channels and Paramount+. “While investors were initially skeptical Allen’s offer can be financed, we think he wants the linear assets and there are ample buyers for the studio/content,” wrote Wells Fargo analyst Steve Cahall. “This increases the probability something comes together, which will keep shares elevated.” Warner Bros. Discovery has also expressed interest in acquiring Paramount.

Apple TV+ ordered a second season of “Hijack,” starring and executive produced Idris Elba (“Luther”). The thriller has become one of the top dramas on the streamer. “I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!,” said Elba.

Also greenlit for a sophomore run is Venture 10 Studio Group influencer competition series “Follow Me,” for Crackle and The CW App. Ten new episodes will launch in 2Q24 with Mars Wrigley and other sponsors slated to return from the show’s debut season.

Global has renewed Canadian legal drama “Family Law” for a fourth season with 10 episodes. Season four starts production in Vancouver this March, with returning stars Jewel Staite, Victor Garber, Zach Smadu, Genelle Williams and Lauren Holly. The renewal comes ahead of the show’s season three Canadian premiere.

While many DTC brands anticipate increasing their spend on TV advertising in the next 3-5 years, they are not spending on the channel this year, in part because they’re ignorant of the true cost of TV campaigns, according to a survey of marketing leaders from Tatari and Nik Sharma. While the survey found that budgets will be bigger this year, much of the spending will continue to go to social and search. Nearly 2/3 of brands expect to increase spending on TV advertising soon, but in 2024, 55% of the DTC brands are not spending on TV at all. That could be due to lack of awareness of pricing – nearly 2/3 of brands weren’t aware that CPMS for linear TV are often lower than CPMs for paid social.

A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising body of BBB National Programs, recommended that Comcast Cable Communications discontinue use of the term 10G in the product service name “Xfinity 10G Network” and when 10G is used descriptively to describe the Xfinity network. The advertising had been challenged by Verizon Communications. The NARB panel concluded that 10G expressly communicates at a minimum that users of the Xfinity network will experience significantly faster speeds than are available on 5G networks, and that claim is not supported because the record does not contain any data comparing speeds experienced by Xfinity network users with speeds experienced by subscribers to 5G networks.

The Hollywood Creative Alliance is suing the Critics Choice Association for defamation, claiming the CCA is attempting to “boycott and steal members of the HCA.” The move comes after the CCA announced HCA members would no longer be able to maintain membership in the CCA, and members of both groups would have to resign from the HCA to remain in the CCA. Says the complaint, “HCA is informed and believes that CCA understood that HCA’s membership substantially overlapped with CCA’s much larger membership. HCA further is informed and believes that CCA knew that the coercive effects of its demand that its members resign en masse from HCA, coupled with its defamatory falsehoods about voting irregularities, would deprive HCA of a critical mass of members and its ability to operate as a meaningful competitor of CCA.”

The estate of Tammy Wynette’s fifth and final husband is suing Showtime over the depiction of George Richey in “George & Tammy.” The suit claims the show violated an NDA signed by Georgette Jones, daughter of Richey and Wynette and a consulting producer on the series.

Media news site The Messenger, launched last May, is shutting down. “Over the past few weeks, literally until earlier today, we exhausted every option available and have endeavored to raise sufficient capital to reach profitability,” wrote founder Jimmy Finkelstein in a memo to staff. “Unfortunately, we have been unable to do so.”

Registration now open!

With an expected uptick of 5.2% in U.S. ad spend in 2024, the smart agency and brand executive needs strategies, actionable case studies, measurement and ad tech solutions, as well as original thinking to capitalize on this moment – and that’s what BIG TV 2024 is all about. Join us September 18th in NYC.

REGISTER NOW

The cast for global thriller “The Kollective,” produced by Submarine (“Undone”) and created by Leonardo Fasoli (“Gomorrah”), Maddalena Ravagli (“Gomorrah”) and Submarine’s Femke Wolting, and set to be distributed worldwide by A+E Media Group, was announced. Onboard are Natascha McElhone (“Californication”) Celine Buckens (“War Horse”), Felix Mayr (“Unorthodox”), Gregg Sulkin (“Marvel’s Runaways”), Grégory Montel (“Call my Agent”), Karel Roden (“Bourne Supremacy”), Cassiopée Mayance (“La Mante”), Martha Canga Antonio (“Lupin)” and Ralph Amoussou (“Transatlantic”). The European Alliance, including France Télévisions, Rai Fiction (Italy), and ZDF (Germany), and Hulu (US) will premiere the series in 2025. Videoland will premiere the series in the Netherlands.

ITV Studios has joined forces with Dutch-based Skoon Energy, the AI-powered software platform for clean mobile energy, to help deliver its Net Zero plans globally. The partnership calls for Skoon Energy to provide energy expertise and software tools to ITV Studios’ 60 plus production labels worldwide. The aim is to simplify the implementation of clean power solutions, as well as offering access to their clean mobile energy systems that will share data insights on production emissions.

Taraji P. Henson (“The Color Purple”) has joined the cast of “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Peacock’s limited series telling the true story of an armed robbery that took place the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic comeback fight in 1970. Dexter Darden (“The Maze Runner”) will play Ali.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

New HGTV series, “Small Town Potential,” premieres Sunday, March 3 at 9p. In the eight-episode season, a real estate agent and designer and her life partner and contractor help families who are ready to settle down in a cozy upstate New York town find the perfect house to renovate and call home.

A new season of Food Network’s “Spring Baking Championship” kicks off Monday, March 4 at 8p with a two-hour episode.

Supermodel Ashley Graham will co-host and executive produce The Roku Channel competition series “Side Hustlers,” debuting Friday, March 1. Graham joins previously announced host Emma Grede.

“Bail Jumpers,” featuring conversations between bounty hunters and apprehended fugitives as they drive back to the clink, premieres Tuesday, March 5 at 10p on ID.

National Geographic’s annual Best of the World franchise is featured in a new three-part YouTube series based on the 2024 list. The inaugural Nat Geo YouTube original series is told through a diverse set of talent and local film crew, who have first-hand knowledge of the cultures of each location through lived experience.

STREAMING

Paramount+ picked up a second season of Australian comedy “Colin From Accounts,” currently in production in Australia.

Insight TV is launching FAST channel, INTRAVEL. The lifestyle channel will make its debut in the UK exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, channel number 4408, on Wednesday, February 14.

TECH TALK

Tech industry CEOs were in the crosshairs during a D.C. hearing on the sexual exploitation of children online. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, X’s Linda Yaccarino, TikTok’s Shou Chew, and Snap’s Evan Spiegel acknowledged the horrors of the issue, and outlined the safety measures being taken. But that wasn’t enough to satisfy senators backing legislation that increases platform liability and criminal enforcement. Calling for the repeal of Section 230, a provision that protects platforms from liability for third-party content, Sen. Lindsay Graham told Zuckerberg, “I know you don’t mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that is killing people.”

With a tip of the hat to AI, Microsoft reported strong fourth-quarter results, with revenue rising 17% year-over-year to $62.1 billion. “We’ve moved from talking about AI to applying AI at scale,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “By infusing AI across every layer of our tech stack, we’re winning new customers and helping drive new benefits and productivity gains across every sector.”

TikTok is testing a new feature that would link products to posts on the app, facilitating shoppable content, reports Bloomberg. The feature can identify objects in user videos and then encourage viewers to find similar items on TikTok Shop, the company’s e-commerce offering. Presented with a page of products, users can click to buy.

COMING UP

Lifetime sequel “Single Black Female 2: Simone’s Revenge” premieres Saturday, March 2 at 8p, set three years after the events of the first film. The original garnered over 8.0 million total viewers across linear and on digital platforms and was the #1 original non-holiday movie of 2022.

Bounce and Bounce XL will present curated movies and specials that pay tribute to the contributions of African Americans for Black History Month. Every Friday night in February, Bounce will showcase movies that feature ordinary people used their voices in the face of adversity to become change agents. Bounce XL is offering specials and documentaries featuring Former President Barack and Michelle Obama, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Chris Rock and Tyler Perry.

The American Kennel Club special, “NFL Dog Plays of the Year,” airs on ESPN tomorrow, February 2 at 9:30p as part of Pro Bowl weekend (check local listings). The show highlights NFL players and their admiration for canine competitors who demonstrate incredible athletic feats.

ABC News Studios and L.A. Times Studios documentary “The Housewife and The Hustler 2: The Reckoning,” an investigation into ex-powerhouse attorney Tom Girardi and the fall of his legal empire, starts streaming Monday, February 12 on Hulu. The show covers the moment when Girardi’s estranged wife and reality TV star Erika Jayne meets with some of her husband’s victims.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

NBCUniversal Local’s Digital Innovation Team and GALvanize, an organization that provides training and mentoring to women in sports media, are partnering to deliver educational opportunities and experiences leading up to and surrounding Super Bowl LVIII, including onsite reporting and production in Las Vegas. As part of the program, the participants’ content will be featured across NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations and regional sports network platforms.

FanDuel TV will broadcast its programming from radio row in Las Vegas the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. Beginning February 6, “Up & Adams,” “Run It Back,” and programming from Spotify’s The Ringer will broadcast from the FanDuel set at The Mandalay Bay.

All Sports Television Network is sponsoring the National Motorsports Association. “This partnership marks an exciting chapter for All Sports Television Network and National Motorsports Association,” said Roger Neal Smith, CEO of ALL SPORTS. “We are delighted to showcase the adrenaline-fueled world of motorsports to our audience while supporting NMA in their mission to elevate the motorsports experience.”

FOX Sports and Telemundo, the official FIFA World Cup™ English-and-Spanish language broadcast rights-holders are offering live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match schedule announcement this Sunday, February 4 at 3p on FOX and Telemundo. The special production will originate from Telemundo Center in Miami.

NBC Sports Next’s GolfPass, a membership program offering tee-time benefits and streaming video, co-founded by Rory McIlroy, will celebrate its 5th anniversary on Sunday. “As excited as we are about the growth we’ve achieved so far, we’re equally proud about the positive impact GolfPass has had on golfers around the world, who are eager to share their stories,” said Amanda Norvell, SVP, DTC Services & Portfolio Marketing, NBC Sports Next. “They are playing more golf with the great benefits a membership provides, they’re getting better through top-notch video instruction, and sharing their love of the game through quality time spent with family and friends on the golf course.”

Something to dink about: Samsung TV Plus has launched its 350th free channel, Pickleballtv (PBTV). The 24-hour media home of pickleball will show more than 30 live PPA Tour tournaments (with teams whose owners include Tom Brady, Eva Longoria, and LeBron James), along with original programming and a weekly studio news show.

Live esports viewing platform BLAST.tv launched the beta app for iOS and Android platforms during last week’s BLAST Premier Spring Groups event in Copenhagen, Denmark. The platform saw over 3,500 downloads during the week.

Martial arts organization UFC and Fanatics Collectibles announced a multi-year trading card partnership that sees Topps returning to the sport. Topps served as a UFC partner from 2009-2020. The new product which hits retail and hobby shops on February 28.

Splash, Inc., provider of peer-to-peer sports strategy games, has closed a Series A-2 Funding Round of $14.1 million, with investment from venture firms Boston Seed, Velvet Sea Ventures, K5, Elysian Park, Acies Investments, Accomplice, Counterview and others.

GOING GLOBAL

Banijay Rights announced international sales for “Fallen.” The crime drama been acquired by CANAL+ Group’s POLAR+ channel in France, MHz Choice in the US, NPO in the Netherlands, SBS in Australia, ERT in Greece and Syn hf in Iceland. On the kids front, sales for its comedy-action series “Shasha & Milo” to ABC (Australia) and Télé-Québec (French Canada) were announced by Banijay Kids & Family Distribution.

The Pokémon Company International new animated TV series, “Pokémon Horizons: The Series,” is headed to Boing in Italy.

CANAL+ original drama “Spinners,” a co-production between African streaming service Showmax and CANAL+, has been acquired by Brazilian TV’s Globo.

Dandelooo struck a deal with production company Tournez S’il Vous Plaît (TSVP) for the new educational series “Birds & Bees,” about sexuality, emotions, and body development. The deal gives Dandelooo exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the original stop motion series.

BossaNova Media has greenlit a second six-hour season of Go Button Media history series “Mysteries of the Ancient Dead.” An original production for the UK-based company, the series will also see Canadian partner Super Channel return as commissioning broadcaster.

Blue Ant Media announced new and returning Canadian series for the company’s specialty TV and international free streaming platforms in 2024. The slate includes “My Haunted Hometown,” a new paranormal series; “Wild Rose Vets,” a spin-off of “Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet”; and “Hope for Wildlife: The Next Generation” (w/t), a new season of the franchise “Hope for Wildlife.”

HGTV delivered its largest month-over-month ratings gains in its history in January, as well as achieving a 25% increase over 4Q23 ratings and a 36% boost over the prior six weeks.

The week of January 22, “CBS Mornings” hit a 62-week high among A25-54, topping ABC rival “GMA” three times during the week, and delivered the most total viewers in 38 weeks.

“Live with Kelly and Mark” hit series highs in Households (1.81 rating) and Total Viewers (2.67 million) the week of January 15, delivering the franchise’s strongest week in nearly 3 years in both metrics. In addition, “Live” scored its 2nd highest-rated week of the season among W25-54 (0.58 rating).

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Cineflix Rights has appointed Greg Johnson to the newly created role of EVP Americas and Asia Pacific. Johnson joins Cineflix Rights in April from his current role of EVP, Distribution, Americas at ITV Studios.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who played C.J.’s (David Spade) mother on “8 Simple Rules” (2002-05)? Cybill Shepherd. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which of the four boys in the friend group in “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006) did Jackie not date? (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