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| Wednesday February 26, 2025 |
 IN THE NEWS |
 NBCUniversal and Macy’s have renewed their partnership for “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and other live holiday specials through 2034, on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. The new rights agreement includes “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” “Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and “Macy’s 4thof July Fireworks.” “This extension of our partnership with Macy’s means we can continue to deliver the memorable live holiday entertainment millions of viewers have loved for decades,” said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President of Live Events & Specials, NBCUniversal Media Group. “Watching the Macy’s specials on NBC and Peacock has become such a cherished tradition for so many families, and we take that responsibility very seriously in making sure they have the absolute best experience every year.”
MSNBC could lay off as many as 99 writers and producers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Writers Guild of America, the union representing the employees, said that at least nine shows were affected – “The ReidOut,” “Alex Wagner Tonight,” “The Weekend,” “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” “Ayman Mohyeldin Reports,” “Weekends with Jonathan Capehart,” “The Katie Phang Show,” “Jose Diaz-Balart Reports” and “Inside with Jen Psaki.” According to the union, the company has told employees targeted for the layoffs that they can reapply for their jobs, as several roles remain open at the news network. The union called for an immediate stop to the cuts.
Lawyers for Paramount and President Trump have agreed to appoint a mediator in his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS, sources have told The New York Times. Trump is suing CBS and Paramount over the editing of a pre-election “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Word of settlement talks between the companies was not received well by employees at CBS News, and could complicate Paramount’s merger with Skydance. Said Trump attorney Ed Paltzik, “President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion.”
Media and commerce company TOGETHXR, which originated the “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” slogan and product line, announced $6 million in 2024 revenue from the sale of its shirts, hoodies, and tote bags. TOGETHXR was co-founded by sports media veteran Jessica Robertson alongside world-champion athletes Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim. “We are incredibly proud to celebrate the ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ product line as a mantra that has rallied and validated a unified community,” said Robertson. “TOGETHXR is intentionally positioned at the intersection of culture, lifestyle, and sports. As a media and commerce company, we are fulfilling the longstanding desire from those seeking more women’s sports apparel, media coverage, and multi-platform storytelling.” For more on TOGETHXR, check out Cynsiders.
News 12 and Optimum have partnered with Rebuilding Together NYC to support renovating homes and apartments for homeowners in need in The Bronx. Throughout 2025, Rebuilding Together NYC will be using a $5 million grant for the renovations. News 12 will highlight the project through targeted on-air promotion, and air “Rebuilding The Bronx” segments every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the year. |
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CTV Connect 2025
The Countdown is On!
We’re just 2 weeks away from CTV Connect 2025, where the biggest names in streaming, advertising, and media will come together to tackle the future of connected TV.
Expect game-changing insights, top-tier networking, and exclusive roundtable discussions with industry leaders. If you haven’t secured your spot yet, now’s the time!
Don’t miss out—register today!
REGISTER NOW |
| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
 Paramount+ said a new feature-length documentary “Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now,” is currently in production and will premiere on the streaming service later this year. The documentary details how the singer’s world came to a halt six years ago, addresses his health issues and the impact of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, while showcasing the central role music continues to play in his life. The documentary began filming in early 2022, during the recording sessions for his 13th studio album “Patient Number 9” and will continue filming into summer as Ozzy attempts to take the stage for one final performance with his Black Sabbath bandmates at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham on July 5.
Production on the fifth installment of “The Descendants” movie franchise is in the works for Disney Channel and Disney+. The newly greenlit Disney Channel Original Movie will expand the music-and-dance-fueled stories centered around the teenage progeny of Disney’s most iconic characters and villains. |
| TECH |
| BrightLine and Telescope have partnered to introduce real-time viewer participation to CTV ad experiences. BrightLine will leverage Telescope’s API-powered fan engagement technology to enable brands to activate immersive, verified, real-time audience experiences within interactive CTV ads. “Interactive advertising is evolving beyond transactional engagement – it’s now possible to create true, real-time branded experiences at scale,” said Brian Baldwin, Head of Product at BrightLine. “Integrating Telescope’s technology directly into BrightLine’s platform allows us to bring the proven, high-impact engagement formats from linear, mobile and social into interactive CTV ads, creating an entirely new way for brands to connect with streaming audiences.”
The percentage of Power User subscribers consuming 1 TB of data or more per month has more than tripled in the past five years, according to the latest edition of OpenVault Broadband Insights from OpenVault, a source of SaaS-based revenue and network improvement solutions and data-driven insights for the broadband industry. A surge in high-volume users, together with continued growth in the upstream growth rate and consistent incremental downstream increases, boosted average monthly total consumption nearing 700 GB. Using data points from millions of individual subscribers, OpenVault notes key milestones at the end of 2024, including:
• Record average monthly total consumption of 698.2 GB;
• A continued rise in upstream growth, reaching 14.6%; and
• Consumption by individual Extreme Power Users of as much as 53x more downstream and 123x more upstream than the average subscriber. |
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| “Significant shifts in broadband usage patterns continue to reshape the landscape of network performance and subscriber experience,” the report notes. “While average data consumption reached a new milestone, the rate of upstream data growth outpaced the rate of downstream growth, reflecting broader changes in user behavior. As subscribers upgrade to faster speeds at a slower pace, the focus is moving away from speed improvements and toward maintaining optimal network health, performance, and Quality of Experience (QoE).”
More than 6 in 10 Americans (61%) are concerned about the use of generative AI for misinformation and deepfakes, according to YouGov’s new report, “GenAI unbottled: America’s attitude to AI in the Media.” That concern that increases to 69% among Gen X and Baby Boomers. Seven in 10 Americans think it is important to explicitly state when generative AI has been used. When it comes to brand marketing, 22% of Americans feel comfortable with companies using generative AI to create imagery, while 45% are uncomfortable. |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 Keith Urban will headline a new CBS original music competition series “The Road,” with executive producers Blake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan, Lee Metzger and David Glasser. The series highlights Urban and Shelton’s journey to discover the next big musician, with emerging talents (to be announced) opening for him at music venues across America. The special performances featured in the series will be filmed in Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. “The Road” is set to premiere in fall 2025. |
 Season 2 of “The Walking Dead: Dead City” will premiere Sunday, May 4 at 9p on AMC and AMC+.
What’s in store for “Poker Face,” returning to Peacock this spring? “To bring Season 2 to life, we pulled visual inspiration from American 70s cinema, all the stuff we love like Robert Altman, Bob Rafelson, Peter Bogdanovich. But the backbone of this show is TV – the kind of TV we grew up watching, episodic case of the week gems like ‘Columbo’ and ‘The Rockford Files’ and ‘Quantum Leap,” shares Creator/Writer/Director/EP Rian Johnson. “Each episode is a mini movie, existing in its own world with a unique tone and vibe, featuring an eccentric lot of characters played by a truly gonzo parade of guest stars. We still can’t believe we got to work with rockstars like Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, John Mulaney, and Awkwafina (and many many more, the list is kinda dizzying) who all dove into the game with joy and came ready to play.”
Biblical drama series “House of David” premieres tomorrow, February 27 on Prime Video. Justin Rosenblatt, Wonder Project’s Head of Global Television, talks about the value of faith programming, in Cynsiders. |
Today’ Premieres
CBS: Survivor at 8p
BET: Pound 4 Pound at 10 p; Zatima at 10:30p
BETHer: Design My Space: Atlanta at 8p
Showtime: Star Trek: Section 31 at 10p.
Apple TV+: Berlin ER
Hulu: Buried Hearts; Shoresy |
| COMING UP |
| Composer and musicologist Dr. Nolan Gasser explores the science and culture behind musical preferences in “Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Taste,” debuting on PBS stations February 28. |
 Heroes & Icons Network will present a “Walker: Texas Ranger” marathon – “Chuck’s Birthday Bash ‘Em Up!” – on March 9, to commemorate action star Cuck Norris’s 85th birthday. The event airs from 1p-7p and will include the two-part series pilot, the two-part series finale, plus the 2005 made-for-television movie, “Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.”
Warner Bros. Discovery will launch its Max streaming service direct-to-consumer in Australia on Monday, March 31. WBD also announced a launch partnership with Foxtel, providing Foxtel subscribers with access to the Max app at no additional cost. Max will launch in Australia with a range of subscription tiers, including premium, standard and an ad-supported tier. |
 “Moana 2” starts streaming Wednesday, March 12 on Disney+. The sequel to the Walt Disney Animation Studios fan favorite is the #3 highest-grossing film of 2024 and crossed a billion dollars at the global box office.
True-crime docuseries, “The Case of Iwona Wieczorek” will make its US debut February 27 on streaming service Viaplay US, with all three episodes available. The series delves a 19-year-old woman who went missing on a summer night near her seaport home. |
| DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES
Maximize Your Impact at the 2025 Upfronts
The 2025 Upfronts are the ultimate stage for brands to showcase innovation and leadership in media. With branding, newsletters, eblasts, and custom content, Cynopsis offers unmatched opportunities to connect with key players in the industry.
New this year: Virtual Upfront Summaries! Share your presentation highlights during a 7-min live to Cynopsis’ 85k audience.
Contact Amy Abbey at [email protected] or 410.979.0171 to secure your spot and make your mark! |
| SPORTS REPORT |
 Fox Sports kicks off its 30th season of Major League Baseball coverage with the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim featuring defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome. Game 1 will air live on FOX and FOX Deportes on March 18 at 6a, with Game 2 broadcast live on FS1 and FOX Deportes on March 19 at 6a. FOX Sports’ traditional MLB Opening Weekend coverage on March 29 leads off with a day-night doubleheader, beginning at 2p on FS1, with the Minnesota Twins facing the St. Louis Cardinals, followed by primetime regionalized matchups at 7p on FOX, featuring the Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres and the New York Mets vs. Houston Astros.
Combate Global said its live, premium Mixed Martial Arts events will transition to worldwide distribution on YouTube, beginning with “Combate Female,”an all-women’s fight card on Thursday, March 13 at 8p from TelevisaUnivision’s studios in Miami. Combate Global will be YouTube’s first premium producer of live MMA programming for global distribution. Following “Combate Female,” live Combate Global events will continue on April 10 and April 24, respectively.
Tennis Channel platforms will be the exclusive U.S. home to the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open from March 5-30. The channel and its second network T2, its app and website will have live matches throughout both tournaments.
The Navy Federal Credit Union is the Official Military Appreciation Partner of the NHL and title sponsor of the upcoming 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series Veterans Showcase tournament on February 28 – selecting four military veteran hockey teams from across the country to compete. |
| GOING GLOBAL |
| Keshet International has completed three licensing deals for Perpetual Entertainment’s “Hitler’s Treasure Hunters” with Hearst Entertainment EMEA for the six-part docuseries to be broadcast in Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and sub-Saharan Africa; and with Warner Bros. Discovery in Spain and Andorra and with Polsat in Poland.
Off The Fence has entered into a one-year co-development partnership with Amsterdam-based AI specialist Return to Earth Studio. Under the deal, OTF and the newly launched creative studio will produce AI-powered storytelling projects and collaborative funding models spanning legacy broadcasters, streamers and brands. The first project to come out of the new collaboration is “What If Evolution…”
Paramount Global Content Distribution reached a new licensing deal with beIN Media Group in Turkey, establishing a Paramount+ branded destination on beIN’s Turkish OTT platforms, TOD and beIN Connect. The deal includes films from Paramount Pictures and Republic Pictures, television series from CBS Studios and Paramount+ with Showtime original series. |
| RATINGS |
| Fox Sports said nearly 4.6 million viewers watched Christopher Bell’s last-lap win at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, up 1% from last year. The race peaked at 5.6 million viewers from 6:30p to 6:45p and ranks as the most-watched sports event of the weekend.
NBC spin-off “Suits LA” drew 2.6 million viewers. The spin-off of the USA Network show “Suits,” which ended its run in 2019, was the third most-watched drama out of four new additions to the network’s lineup, behind “Brilliant Minds” (3.9 million viewers) and “The Hunting Party” (3.1 million viewers), but ahead of “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” (1.8 million viewers).
The premiere of FOX News Channel’s weekend opinion program “My View with Lara Trump,” hosted by Lara Trump, was the most-watched program of the weekend, delivering 2,42 million viewers and 290,000 in the 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen.
Cable TV news networks viewership was up in January versus December, with MSNBC rising 26%, Fox News Channel up 29% and CNN up 39%, according to Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge for the month. TV and streaming grew 5% in January, with Disney once again the overall media distributor leader, accounting for a 12% share of time spent watching TV, versus an 11.2% share in December. Netflix was again the strongest individual premium streaming platform, grabbing an 8.6% share. |
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| FOX News Channel is having its most-watched February across total day in network history, according to Nielsen. In primetime, FNC delivered 3.1 million viewers and 387,000 among A25-54, growing its audience 50% year-over-year in total viewership and 68% in the demo. In total day, FNC drew two million viewers and 252,000 among A25-54, 50% growth year-over-year with viewers and 57% in the demo.
Basic Cable Ratings for the week of February 17
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
Fox News 3154
ESPN 2345
MSNBC 1085
HGTV 676
CNN 531
USA 523
Hallmark Channel 516
TNT 515
Discovery 500
INSP 487
Total Day
Fox News 1975
ESPN 708
MSNBC 613
CNN 420
HGTV 342
Hallmark Channel 300
Food Network 280
Hallmark Mystery 279
Food Network 280
Hallmark Mystery 279\USA 270
Source: Nielsen |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| California Dreamin’ Presents has named Brad Florian and Valerie Ryan to its executive leadership team. Florian, former Head of X Games Global Business Operations at ESPN, will serve as Chief Operating Officer of CDP and Managing Director of X Games Sacramento, while Ryan, former vice president of fan experience, has been named Chief Marketing Officer of CDP and Executive Director of X Games Sacramento. |
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This Day in History
1797 – Bank of England issues first £1 note.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
For which role did Robert De Niro receive his first Emmy acting nomination? Bernie Madoff, in “The Wizard of Lies” (2017). Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Rick Dascher-Haberdaschery Creative/Atlanta; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
What series starred Robert Conrad as a top agent for UNIT, a counter-intelligence agency committed to destroying the international crime syndicate KARTEL? (Email answers to [email protected] and include your name, company and city. Answers limited to four per time zone.) |
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