Thursday February 8, 2024

Today’s Finale
History: Swamp Mysteries at 9:30p

IN THE NEWS

Fox Corp. reported total quarterly revenues of $4.23 billion, down from $4.61 billion reported in the prior year quarter. On the plus side: Affiliate fee revenues increased 4%, driven by 10% growth at the Television segment. On the negative: Advertising revenues decreased 20%, primarily due to the absence of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, lower political advertising revenues and the impact of elevated supply in the direct response marketplace. Other revenues increased 14%, primarily due to higher sports sublicensing revenues, partially offset by lower content revenues at the entertainment production companies due to the strikes.

A hot topic during Fox’s earnings call was the news, released on Tuesday, of the upcoming streaming sports joint venture with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, and how it could impact Fox’s pay-TV affiliate partners. “The key market, the market that we will be driving toward, is currently outside the traditional pay-TV bundle today,” Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch, told investors. “This is a very large market and a large opportunity that we can address without undermining the traditional bundle.”

Comparing the aforementioned joint venture streaming service to ESPN’s upcoming enhanced streaming service, expected to launch in fall 2025, CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that ESPN’s service is “a different product.” The ESPN streamer “will have many more features and provide a more immersive experience for the sports fan,” said Iger.

Omnicom Group showed organic revenue growth for the year of 4.4%, primarily driven by 9.3% growth in advertising and media operations in 4Q24. Full year revenue hit $14.7 billion with 4.1% organic growth. “We are set up well with solid fundamentals, tremendous opportunities in digital commerce and retail media from our Flywheel acquisition, and momentum in new business wins,” said CEO John Wren.

An LA judge dismissed a lawsuit by Allen Media Group that accused McDonald’s of reneging on its promise to increase spending on Black-owned media companies from 2 to 5 percent in 2024. AMG was looking for $100 million. The judge in the case noted that the lawsuit was filed before 2024, and it is still early in the year. “It is purely speculative to conclude Defendant will not perform on its promise even if Defendant has not yet committed the amount needed in spending,” said the order. AMG plans to appeal.

With backing from X/Twitter, actress Gina Carano is suing Lucasfilm and Disney over her 2021 firing from Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” The axe fell after Carano posted on social media comparing the treatment of American conservatives to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. At the time of her firing, Lucasfilm issued a statement saying, “Her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.” In the lawsuit, Carano claims she was terminated because she voiced her opinions against “an online bully mob.”

An interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to be posted on Tucker Carlson’s streaming network today. Why Carlson? The former Fox News host “has a position which differs” from other English-language media, Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

“Puppy Bowl,” the longest-running call-to-adoption television event, returns for a 20th year on Sunday, February 11 at 2p, simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and discovery+. Animal Planet has paired with partners Best Friends Animal Society, Funny Face Bakery, National Football League Players Association, and Wag! along with returning collaborators Bark Social, Grounds and Hounds, Pooch Perks, Southwest Airlines, and Valpak to raise awareness and find animals forever homes. “In addition to working with a group of amazing brands and extending our reach, a big goal for our team was to drive more impact for pet adoption than ever before,” said Karen Bronzo, Chief Marketing Officer, US Networks Group, WBD. “Each one of our partnerships gives our fans fun ways to join the Puppy Bowl celebration but also drives awareness for shelters across the country.”

Mark Esper, former Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump, has joined CNN as a global affairs analyst and political commentator. Also boarding the news net is former ABC News contributor Leah Wright Rigueur.

Allen Media Group’s theGrio has launched its inaugural Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship, aimed at providing a platform for Black filmmakers to share their narratives with a global audience. The fellowship offers a distribution award and also includes a finishing stipend for a project centered on the Black experience.

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With an expected uptick of 5.2% in U.S. ad spend in 2024, along with the rapidly rising number of FAST channels and services, you’re going to want a seat at the BIG TV Summit, taking place September 2024 in NYC. Players from all corners of the industry will present solutions for agency and brand success. Be part of the conversation and register now.

I’M INTERESTED

Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” – with over 110 million hours streamed and counting – has been officially renewed for a second season. The upcoming season will feature the return of Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri, who will embark on a new adventure based on The Sea of Monsters, the second installment of Rick Riordan’s best-selling book series.

Prime Video has ordered a limited series based on a novel by Harlan Coben, whose novel “Fool Me Once” was adapted into the Netflix hit. “Lazarus” (w/t), starring Sam Claflin (“Daisy Jones & The Six”), Bill Nighy (“Living”) and Alexandra Roach (“Killing Eve”) focuses on a man grappling with the mystery of his father’s death.

Peacock renewed “Traitors,” its most-watched unscripted original ever, for a third season. Season two of the mystery game, hosted by Alan Cummings, launched last month.

Fox has ordered “Quiz With Balls,” from Talpa Studios and Eureka Productions. Contestants in the quiz show compete for $100,000 in a competition that involves a pool and a giant ball.

Velvet Hammer Media, the unscripted production company launched last year by producers Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn, has partnered with Issa Rae and her Hoorae production group to develop unscripted series in genres such as dating, social experiments and competition. The deal reunites O’Connell and Quinn with Rae, Hoorae President of Film & TV Montrel McKay, and the company’s Head of Unscripted, Nichole T. Roberts, who worked together on “Sweet Life: Los Angeles” for two seasons, and on the return of “Project Greenlight.”

Max docuseries “On the Roam,” starring and executive produced by Jason Momoa, has been renewed for a second season. “It’s an absolute honor to work with Warner Bros. Discovery and Max on another season of ‘On the Roam,’” said Momoa. “It’s a dream come true! I put my heart and soul into this show, and I am thrilled to dive back into the untamed beauty of ‘On the Roam’ for another season – it will be an extraordinary adventure!”

CBS News is centralizing daily newsgathering to “aggressively advance stories in the news each day and ensure our best reporting flows seamlessly to all shows and platforms,” wrote CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews in a note to staff. To that end, Alturo Rhymes has been appointed to the newly created position of executive producer of daily news, and correspondent Jim Axelrod will head a new “Eye on America” unit. “By streamlining the decision-making process around daily news we’ll be faster and deeper in our reporting from morning to night and ultimately better positioned to own the big stories,” wrote Ciprian-Matthews.

In the Red: Netflix has two upcoming projects focused on the Boston Red Sox. A docuseries from One Potato Productions, following the team’s 2024 season, is set to debut in 2025, while an untitled documentary from Meadowlark Media looking back at the team’s historic 2004 season – which culminated with the Sox’s first World Series in in 86 years – is slated to debut this year. “The partnership between MLB, Netflix and the Red Sox will have a significant impact on growing the game of baseball,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “The reach of Netflix is profound and these docuseries are ambitious. One will relive one of the most magical stories that forever changed this franchise, and the other is a truly groundbreaking endeavor that will provide an inside look at the lives and personalities of today’s Red Sox players.”

Casting notes: Demi Moore (“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”) has joined the cast of Paramount+ drama “Landman,” from Taylor Sheridan….Add Scott Glenn (“The Leftovers”) to the season three cast of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” set to begin filming in Thailand this month….Heather Morris (“Glee”) landed a recurring role on season two of CBS’ “So Help Me Todd.”…Dominic Cooper (“Preacher”) and Haley Bennett (“Swallow”) have been added to the cast of upcoming Apple TV+ drama “The Last Frontier.”

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Potential buyers in Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks look for a slice of waterfront paradise in the new HGTV series “Lakefront Empire,” premiering Monday, March 11 at 10p. During the eight-episode season, real estate agents show clients both affordable and million-dollar luxury homes.

Season 21 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” premieres Wednesday, March 20 at 9p, with new integrations that include BMW of North America, Finish Dishwasher Detergent and Additives, Holland America Line, Miller High Life, Morton Salt, Saratoga® Spring Water and the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card. “This highly engaged fan base keeps coming back for more,” said Jamie Cutburth, EVP, Marketing and Content Partnerships, NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships. “The passion of our fans is enhanced even further by creatively integrating our brand partners directly into the action, bringing the storyline and elements to life in new ways.”

Showtime’s “A Gentleman in Moscow,” an adaptation of the Amor Towles novel, premieres Friday, March 29 on Paramount+ with Showtime and on Sunday, March 31 at 9p on Showtime.

STREAMING

NBCUniversal and Pluto TV have launched FAST channels featuring entertainment, news, sports and true crime programming from NBCU’s television and streaming portfolio and the NBCU Global TV Distribution library. “NBCUniversal and Pluto TV’s FAST partnership offers a powerful opportunity to distribute our vast portfolio of premium content to new audiences,” said Amy Geary, SVP, NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “These channels will deliver quality programming from some of the most notable brands in television and create value for our distributors and advertisers.”

Law&Crime Network announced the launch of a new YouTube channel, “Law&Crime Body Cam.” The channel takes viewers into the line of duty through raw footage of police encounters.

Plex is now offering premium movie rentals, making it the first streaming platform to offer rentals, free ad-supported movies, TV shows, and live TV together, combined with the ability to find and add to a universal watchlist any title ever made, no matter which streaming service it lives on. “Our goal has always been to bring consumers a less chaotic and more fun experience when they sit down together to watch a movie or show,” said Plex CEO, Keith Valory. “Let’s face it: people don’t know what to watch and, worse yet, where to watch it.”

COMING UP

“CMT Remembers: Toby Keith,” celebrating the life of the country music star who died February 5 at age 62, premieres today at 8p. CMT will also air a hour of Keith music videos tomorrow at 8a.

“Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version),” makes its streaming debut on Friday, March 15 , exclusively on Disney+. The concert film grossed more than $260 million worldwide at the global box office, making it the top selling concert film of all time.

Bravo doc “Erika Jayne: Bet It All on Blonde” premieres Wednesday, March 6 at 9p. The two-hour special chronicles the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star’s journey to the opening night of her Las Vegas residency.

The Impact Network will air a new original film every month with its “Audience Tailored Originals” partnership with GreenApple Entertainment. The partnership enables quality production on an economical budget with shared, equal investment from Impact Network and GreenApple Entertainment, with the goal of delivering engaging content to build a fan base.

CBS special “Super Bowl Greatest Commercials XXIII: The Ultimate Countdown” airs Friday, February 9 at 8p on CBS. Viewers will vote live on the best big game spot ever. CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason and Daniela Ruah (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) host.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Alabama’s loss is ESPN’s gain. Nick Saban, head coach of the University of Alabama until last month, has joined “College GameDay,” among other roles at the sports net. “ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” said Saban.

What drove viewership for the NFL’s record-breaking season? The VAB tackled that question in its report, “After Further Review…Ready For It? Examining NFL’s Season Viewership Growth.” Among the insights:
· The hype around Taylor Swift attending Kansas City Chiefs games drew female audiences to the live NFL broadcasts, but increased female viewership extended beyond Chiefs games with the audience growing by nearly one-third across the NFL season.
· NFL primetime games on Spanish-language networks creates a cultural connection across both linear TV and streaming.
· NFL viewership saw double-digit growth across linear TV and streaming as more viewers tuned in to watch from inside, and outside, their home.
· Modern measurement solutions show viewership lifts against panel only data on average, especially among Spanish-language networks.

“2023 was a terrific audience growth year for NFL Football, with growth spikes across all important measures and across both streaming and linear platforms. Engagement metrics also spiked during these live and communal games, so many match-ups were ‘big events’,” said Sean Cunningham, President & CEO, VAB. “While the ‘Taylor Swift Effect’ is very real, the female audience counts swelled all season long, as the women that may have come for one game stayed for the rest of the season, which is another big NFL opportunity for marketers.”

Tampa Bay Sun FC is teaming with sports marketing and sponsorship platform Parity. The deal makes Parity the official Development Partner of Tampa Bay Sun, with the goal of further empowering women athletes in the USL by enhancing their visibility and driving additional revenue opportunities leading into the team’s inaugural season.

World Table Tennis has renewed and expanded its partnership with video production and distribution agency, Story10, to promote the sport in key territories and engage new audiences worldwide. Starting with the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024, February 16-25, the partnership will see Story10 amplify game highlights from the 2024 Championships and WTT’s marquee Grand Smash, Finals and Champions events, across its network of 8,500 digital and social channels and 700 broadcast partners.

OPTIMA Batteries will be the presenting sponsor of Major League Fishing event REDCREST 2024, taking place March 14-17 in Birmingham, Alabama. The agreement marks an expansion of the marketing partnership between the two brands that was first launched in 2012.

GOING GLOBAL

A+E Media Group has partnered with Stockholm Syndrome and Endor Productions on drama series “Your Neighbour’s Wife.” UK screenwriters Rebecca Pollock and Kas Graham (“The Book of Ruth”) are attached to write.

All six episodes Paramount+ docuseries “100 Days to Indy” will launch globally on Friday, February 16, with the exception of Japan, which will follow on Tuesday, April 19. The launch marks the international premiere for the series.

Banijay struck an agreement with Ágora Digital Ventures, proprietors of culinary app, MasterChef World, to accelerate the expansion of MasterChef World, currently available in Spain, to a broader international audience, encompassing the 70 territories where “MasterChef” has been produced.

Banijay Asia’s strategic expansion into South East Asia includes the formation of a new entity, CreAsia Studio. With a focus on local collaborations to create local originals and produce local Banijay IP adaptations, the division will be headed by Jessica Kam-Engle as EVP & Business Head.

Black Mandala has picked up the distribution rights for the film “The Whirlpool” from indie production company Radragon. Black Mandala will distribute the film across the US, UK, Ireland and German-speaking territories.

Brazil’s Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão has chosen Brightcove as its official streaming technology partner to power its new AVOD app, +SBT.

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“The Jennifer Hudson Show,” renewed for a third season by the FOX Television Stations and Hearst Television, posted season high national numbers for the most current week in households (0.62 rtg) and People 2+ (918,000).

EXECUTIVE MOVES

MECENAS has named Andrew Polsky as EVP of Revenue and Brand Strategy. Polsky was previously Chief Revenue Officer at MundoNow.

Yoann Sauvageau has been named Director of TVA Films. Sauvageau joins from Maison 4:3, where he was VP of Sales.

Andrew Frawley has been appointed CEO of Data Axle. Frawley is a former CEO of Epsilon.

Estate Media has named Greg Messinger as Head of Sales. Most recently, Messinger was VP of Bigger Pockets.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which two TV series, one launched in 1998, and one in 2005, had the same name? “The Closer” was a 1998 sitcom starring Tom Selleck, and a 2005-12 crime drama starring Kyra Sedgwick. Kudos to: Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Who played the partners in “Partners in Crime” (1984)? (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