Cynopsis 02/09/26: Olympics Ratings Off to a Strong Start

Cynopsis
Monday February 9, 2026

   IN THE NEWS

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Italy averaged 21.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, up +34% from the opener for the 2022 Games in Beijing, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. “We are off to a strong start with Friday’s captivating Opening Ceremony highlighted by the historic cities, the scenic mountain areas, and the Parade of Athletes,” said Rick Cordella, President of NBC Sports, in a statement. “The Opening Ceremony audience exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait for the next two weeks of competition.”

The Justice Department has launched a broad review of Netflix’s practices, examining potential anticompetitive conduct in connection with the streamer’s proposed $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and HBO Max. According to a civil subpoena reported by The Wall Street Journal that was sent to another entertainment company, the department asked the company to identify any potentially exclusionary actions by Netflix that could reasonably be viewed as entrenching market or monopoly power. Regulators also sought views on whether a transaction involving either Netflix or Paramount – which has submitted a competing bid – could harm competition and requested an assessment of how previous mergers among studios or distributors have affected the competitive landscape. “We are constructively engaging with the Department of Justice as part of the standard review of our proposed acquisition of Warner Bros,” said a Netflix spokeswoman. “We remain focused on the value Netflix and Warner Bros. can create together.”

President Trump is a fan of Nexstar’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, a deal that would expand Nexstar’s reach to roughly 80% of US television households. “We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” posted Trump on Truth Social on Saturday. “GET THAT DEAL DONE!”. Under current FCC rules, broadcasters are capped at 39% national household coverage, meaning Nexstar would require a regulatory waiver for the merger to proceed. That hurdle, however, may not prove significant. In response to Trump’s post, FCC chair Brendan Carr wrote, “President Trump is exactly right. The national networks like Comcast & Disney have amassed too much power. For years, they’ve been pushing this Hollywood & New York programming all over the country with no real checks. Let’s get it done and bring real competition to them.”

But not all Trump allies approve of lifting the FCC cap. “The Nexstar deal means dangerous consolidation that will limit competition, harm conservative voices and dramatically increase consumer cable bills,” said Newsmax in a statement on Saturday. “We hope the president will reconsider his position.” Newsmax MediaCEO Chris Ruddy is set to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee this week in support of the cap.

Top television prizes at the 78th DGA Awards ceremony on Saturday went to Amanda Marsalis for HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg for Apple TV’s “The Studio” and Shannon Murphy for FX on Hulu’s “Dying for Sex.” For a complete list of winners, go here.

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   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

For sneak peeks, go to Cynopsis Trailer Park.

In the premiere episode of new TBS hidden camera comedy series “Foul Play with Anthony Davis,” NBA star LeBron James and agent Rich Paul team up with host and NBA All-Star Anthony Davis to prank NBA forward Draymond Green. Then, Olympic Gold medalist Jordan Chiles traps WNBA star Rickea Jackson in a parking lot. The show premieres Monday, April 6 after the NCAA National Championship game, simulcast across TBS, TNT and truTV. New episodes will air Mondays at 9p on TBS.

CNN and Nat Geo are teaming for “Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown.” The four-parter, a CNN Original co-production with National Geographic International and Windfall Films, premieres on CNN on Sunday, March 1 at 9p.

Today’s Premieres
Netflix: The Creature Cases
TLC: 90 Day: The Single Life at 8p

   COMING UP

“Wicked: For Good” makes its OTT debut exclusively on Peacock on Friday, March 20. Along with the movie, the streamer will offer bonus content, including making-of features, deleted content and commentary from director Jon M. Chu.

CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS

Recognizing a League Redefining Sports Media & Marketing

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has been named Sports League of the Year and the first Luminary Award recipient for the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Awards, recognized for redefining how sports stories are told and experienced.

Think your team is next? Submit your entry for 2026.

VIEW CATEGORIES & ENTER NOW

   SPORTS REPORT

Rugby League Commercial has secured an agreement with French media group Le Groupe Dépêche and its subsidiary Midol Sports to broadcast all Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique matches in the 2026 Betfred Super League season, live in France.

   DISTRIBUTION

Free TV Networks (FTN), a division of Versant, announced new multi-platform distribution agreements, marking the company’s first major expansion since joining Versant. Free TV Networks has secured a broadcast distribution agreement with CBS to bring its over-the-air networks 365BLK and OUTLAW to CBS’ Owned & Operated station group. In addition, FTN is accelerating growth on streaming with new FAST distribution for Pam Grier’s Soul Flix on Sling Freestream.

   RATINGS

Across ABC and ESPN, the NHL on ESPN is averaging 795,000 viewers, +39% year-over-year. Growth was seen across multiple tentpole events, including the Opening Night tripleheader, which delivered 768,000 viewers.

FOX Sports delivered the most-watched Westminster Dog Show since 2021 with 600,000 viewers watching Penny the Doberman Pinscher win Best in Show on FS1. The telecast was up +36% versus 2025.

Netflix drama “Stranger Things” delivered 3.2 billion minutes during the week of January 5, maintaining #1 overall and the #1 original for the 9th consecutive week. Paramount+ original “Landman” was next, securing its 4th consecutive week in the #2 spot, and 8th consecutive week with over a billion minutes.

   EXECUTIVE MOVES

Off the Fence Media has appointed Rachel Carson as acquisitions executive. Carson joins OTF with nearly a decade’s experience at eOne UK.

This Day in History
1886 – President Grover Cleveland declared a state of emergency in Seattle because of anti-Chinese riots.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which current Portuguese telenovela has the same (almost) name as an American soap opera that ended in the 1990s? “Santa Bárbara.” NBC soap “Santa Barbara” ran from 1984-1993. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which 1970s ABC sitcom had a sequel in the ‘80s that, like the original, ran for three seasons, but aired in first-run syndication? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com 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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BROADCAST ENGINEER >>
HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY/HIGH POINT, NC: Ensure high-quality production environments and provide technical leadership to faculty, staff, and students in live and recorded productions and play a role in supporting the school’s mission to provide industry-standard production experiences for students and will have opportunities to contribute to the development of emerging media technologies. More info HERE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE, MULTI-EPISODE TELEVISION PRODUCING >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: Develope, produce, and manage scripted and unscripted multi-episodic series for linear television and/or streaming. Qualified applicants will be distinguished multi-platform practitioners with a significant body of “boots on the ground” work in the TV and streaming industry. The position will require in-class instruction and on-set exercises. Full info HERE

PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: STUDIO AND/OR FIELD DIRECTING; MULTIPLE CAMERAS >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a significant body of practical work in television directing using multiple cameras for linear television and/or streaming platforms. Familiarity with visual effects and AI-supported tools is considered a plus. This position includes teaching directing of scripted and/or unscripted content using multiple cameras at many levels. Full info HERE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: VERTICAL FILMMAKING/CONTENT CREATOR >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a professional track record in the creation and development of original short-form content aimed at promoting, activating, and motivating young people through social activism, experimentation, entertainment, brand building, and audience engagement across today’s leading content platforms and social media ecosystems. More info HERE

SALES MANAGER – AP AD INSIGHTS HUB >>
ADVERTISER PERCEPTIONS/NEW YORK, NY: Drive direct sales of the platform offering, focusing heavily on new client acquisition. Reporting to and working closely with the GM of the Ad Insights Hub, this individual contributor will partner cross-functionally with Sales, Business Intelligence, Operations, and Client Services teams to build awareness and engagement with new clients. Full info HERE

SALES DIRECTOR – OMG
MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT
NEW YORK, NY
Deliver and exceed sales revenue targets as well as build, manage and grow a strategic account list with a focus on Omnicom agencies and their clients directly, within the northeast. Ability to navigate holding company structure and negotiate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (ratecards, preferred programmatic deals, content deals, etc.). More info HERE

DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE MARKETING >>
ATHLETE TO ATHLETE/SANTA MONICA, CA: Lead the performance marketing team across Meta Ads and new paid digital channels (TikTok, YouTube, Google, etc.) as well as build and execute a roadmap for channel expansion and profitable scale. Develop and run structured testing frameworks. Partner with Creative Strategist on ad briefs, testing priorities, and creative feedback loops. Full info HERE

SENIOR MANAGER, TRAFFIC >>
INSP, LLC./CHARLOTTE, SC: Oversee the Traffic staff and manage and monitor the day-to-day operations. Responsible for the prompt and accurate execution of broadcast logs for three networks. The manager assumes a leadership role within our Network Operations and consistently looks to streamline processes and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Traffic department. Full info HERE

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER>>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Oversee daily sales pipeline operations focused on national sponsorships, integrations, and branded content tied to unscripted programming. Manage and coach the Business Development team, drive outbound activity, shape proposals and pricing, and lead CRM strategy, reporting, and optimizations via Salesforce. Full info HERE

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
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NTD/WASHINGTON, DC: Pitch story ideas and write scripts/segment outlines as well as research guests and interview topics. Book guests and coordinate interviews. Help with logistics and sometimes field production. Support shoots and ensure production runs smoothly. Review footage and work with editors to shape final episodes. Write headlines, teasers, and social posts. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION
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THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/HOLLYWOOD, CA: Responsible for all HR functions and oversight of administrative and management needs. This strategic role is charged with operating from a customer service driven viewpoint that prioritizes employee satisfaction as well as enforce legally compliant policies, increase efficiency by implementing administrative and record-keeping best practices. Full info HERE

SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE

EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS
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A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). Full info HERE

SR. DIRECTOR OF SALES, KSTU & KUPX >>
THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY/SALT LAKE CITY: Leverage our suite of advertising solutions to unlock growth opportunities for local and national businesses. Play a role in driving the station’s revenue goals as well as serving as the home station for Utah’s new NHL team. Collaborate with our production team to create campaigns that connect our clients with their customers in meaningful ways. Full info HERE

DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER >>
FURMAN ROTH ADVERTISING/NY(HYBRID): Plan, launch, and optimize digital marketing campaigns across various paid media channels (including Display, Google products, Paid Social, CTV, and Programmatic, etc.) while managing budgets effectively. Support the execution of media plans across platforms, overseeing targeting, budget allocation, and performance tracking to drive campaign success. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR; CTV BRAND PARTNERSHIPS – MID WEST/WEST COAST

FUTURE TODAY
REMOTE
Build, maintain and expand a pipeline of sales targets, contacts, and sales opportunities leveraging your relationships with a heavy focus on new business revenue. Build/nurture relationships with the investment, strategy, precision and digital agencies as well as clients. Also maintain an ongoing knowledge of the streaming media landscape. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
THE SHADE ROOM/REMOTE: Develop and execute a revenue growth strategy to drive direct advertising, branded content, and sponsorship sales as well as lead the development of compelling advertising and branded content offerings tailored for TSR’s audience and cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key advertisers, media agencies, and brand partners. Full info HERE

PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
MARIST UNIVERSITY/ POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: Teach studio and field broadcasting and new media courses in sports media and journalism as well as be able to teach a studio course on producing a newscast and help students live stream a podcast or produce short-form feature content suitable for social media streaming. Also demonstrate through their teaching, professional activity, and service. Full info HERE

SALES LEAD – AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS

UPWAVE
NEW YORK, NY

Build and manage relationships with our agency partners – mostly targeting media buyers and planners – and help them see the value of adding Upwave measurement to The Trade Desk campaigns. You will both leverage your existing network and open new doors to achieve aggressive but achievable sales targets. Full info HERE

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