Less than two weeks after its debut, CBS has ordered a second season of “Marshalls.” The premiere of the “Yellowstone” spinoff – Taylor Sheridan’s first broadcast series – was watched by 20.6 million multiplatform viewers within seven days, marking the most-watched network original series premiere without a football lead-in since 2017. “’Marshals’ delivered a breakout performance, capturing a massive audience across platforms and quickly establishing itself as one of TV’s most powerful new series,” said Amy Reisenbach, president, CBS Entertainment. “The overwhelming viewer response speaks to the strength of the ‘Yellowstone’ world.”

On the flip side, NBC has canceled cooking competition “Yes, Chef!” after one season. The series, launched in April 2025, averaged about 1.4 million viewers in Live+Same Day numbers.

Google and Range Media Partners are thinking small. The companies have teamed for production initiative 100 Zeros, which will finance, produce, distribute and monetize microdramas, the short-form vertical video format that is exploding in popularity. Among the projects are “Dateable,” a self-shot reality romance microdrama from “The Bachelor” creator Mike Fleiss, along with shows from “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller and “Baywatch” producer McG. The plan is to debut shows on the Google TV app on Android phones, then stream them across other platforms.

Nielsen has launched its 2026 Upfront Planning Guide, designed to give advertisers and agencies insights to help them navigate this year’s upfront marketplace. For the first time, the measurement firm has also broken out demographic data for FAST and AVOD audiences. Key takeaways include:
· Adults ages 18 to 49 spend 63.8% of their time with ad supported TV.
· 81.1% of viewing for adults ages 18 to 49 occurs on the ad supported tiers of platforms like YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Peacock and Paramount+. The other 19% percent of viewing within streaming goes to FAST platforms.
· Linear (which comprises 33.4% of total time with ad supported TV) remains critical for live sports, events and news. Primetime dramas on broadcast and movies on cable are also top genres for the 18 to 49 demo.
· 28% of Gen Xers say they frequently buy products based on streaming TV advertising.

“With upfront and newfront season upon us, we took an even closer look at FAST and AVOD to uncover new areas of growth as ad supported TV viewing evolves,” said Nielsen Data Communications Director Brian Hughes. “We found that each pillar of ad supported TV offers something to help brands meet their goals, and when used together, the opportunities have the potential to multiply.”

Ninety-eight percent of respondents to a survey from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America reported incorporating OOH into purchase-driven initiatives, with 86% expecting their investment to increase over the next two years — including 37% projecting growth of 15% or more. The Power of Proximity: OOH Media and its Evolving Role in Connected Commerce, done in partnership with Winterberry Group, also found:
· Marketers cite cost-effective reach (52%), driving retail traffic (51%), and reinforcing consistent brand messaging (51%) as primary roles OOH plays in commerce programs.
· Digital billboards (65%), digital in-store screens (63%), and digital promotional displays (57%) are the most commonly deployed formats. Many brands enter through programmatic DOOH before expanding into static and transit placements.

“As brands and retailers work to unify physical and digital touchpoints, OOH’s proximity-driven impact is reinforcing its role as a foundational component of cross-channel orchestration,” said Patrick Dolan, Chief Operating Officer of OAAA.

Katz Media Group reports it has raised more than $45,000 during its 14th annual companywide membership drive. This year’s contribution brings the total amount raised by Katz to nearly $550,000 since the drive’s inception.

Disney Advertising has officially sold out of advertising inventory for Sunday’s Oscars® telecast. And the awards ceremony was just one of the attractions for advertisers, said John Campbell, SVP, Entertainment and Streaming Solutions, Disney Advertising. “We’ve reimagined the show’s impact for brands far beyond a single night – creating a connected, multi-platform experience that delivers real cultural connection and measurable results,” said Campbell.

The 2026 Cynopsis Sports Awards are assembling an elite panel of industry leaders to evaluate the year’s most innovative work across sports content, platforms, marketing, and technology.

If you’re a senior executive in sports media, advertising, streaming, or brand strategy, we invite you to lend your expertise and help recognize the work shaping what’s next.

APPLY TO JUDGE

NBC unveiled its summer 2026 slate, and it’s packed with unscripted series. Tuesday, June 2 brings the launches of the 21st season of “America’s Got Talent” at 8p and season three of “Password” at 9p. New series “Surviving Earth” debuts Thursday, June 4 at 9p, while season 18 of “American Ninja Warrior” kicks off Monday, June 8 at 9p. “The Wall” returns for season seven on Wednesday, August 19 at 9p.

“Expedition Files” returns Wednesday, April 1 on Discovery Channel. The series follows Josh Gates as he explores notorious mysteries.

New CNN series “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever” launches Saturday, April 11 at 9p. The six-parter follows Swisher as she investigates longevity science and the efforts to avoid death. For the journalist, it’s personal. “When my father died of an aneurysm at 34 years old, I was only five years old,” said Swisher. “Since then, I’ve thought a lot about death and how it impacts us all, for better or worse.”

Docuseries “Soccer Meets America” will premiere on The Roku Channel in May. The three-parter from Vox Creative chronicles the unexpected path of professional soccer in the US.

The first episode of hybrid CG/live-action kids series “The Berry Best Baking Show” launches Thursday, March 19 on the Strawberry Shortcake YouTube channel.

“Half Man,” from Richard Gadd (“Baby Reindeer”), will debut this April on HBO. The limited series follows a friendship between two very different men that falls apart.

BET is expanding its daytime slate through a new partnership with AFRO TV. Live daily talk shows “The Sisaundra Show” and “Point of View (POV)” join the BET Her lineup on Monay, March 16.

Season two of “Mystery Road: Origin” launches Monday, March 23 on Acorn TV. Mark Cole Smith returns to the prequel series as a young Detective Jay Swan.

Saturday’s Premieres
Adult Swim: The Rooster Fighter at midnight
Paramount+: The Madison

Sunday’s Premieres
HGTV: Property Brothers: Under Pressure at 9p
Tubo: Boarders

BET has greenlit “OG Stories,” show hosted by hip hop entrepreneur and actor Damon Dash. “OG STORIES is really MY Paid in Full, a depiction of real life and real people I know,” said Dash. “These are friends and peers who lived this, built something out of nothing, and earned the lessons that come with it. This series is about telling those stories the way they actually happened.”

Jada Pinkett Smith will reprise the role she played on “A Different World” in Netflix’s sequel to the 1987-93 sitcom. She joins Kadeem Harrison, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer and Darryl M. Bell, fellow “World” alums who are onboard.

Denmark’s TV2 has commissioned “100 Knives.” Co-developed by Bunim/Murray Productions and Smart Dog Media, the reality competition – first picked up by Sweden’s TV4 – will be produced by Metronome, part of Banijay Nordic.

The Top Women Network brings together ambitious women across media and marketing to connect, support, and lead. With recognition, mentorship, and real community, it’s more than networking—it’s momentum.

Step in and be part of it.

JOIN THE TOP WOMEN NETWORK

Scripps Sports and Ally Financial are teaming up with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to broadcast its first-ever game on national linear television in the US. The PWHL Takeover Tour game between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victoire will air on ION on Saturday, March 28, at 1p.

Fubo Sports Network has launched “Simms Complete,” starring former NFL QB Matt and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms. Episodes air weekly on Thursdays at 11a.

As the NHL trade deadline approached, 65 players changed teams between February 23 and March 9. To help them settle into their new cities, Great Clips stepped in with the Great Clips Trade Bonus Card, offering free haircuts through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now through March 16, fans can get in on the action by commenting across Great Clips social channels to answer the question: If you got traded, which city would you want to be traded to? A Great Clips Trade Bonus Card will be awarded to five winners.

DAZN is offering its March Madness for free to select international territories. “Global interest in US sport is rising fast, and DAZN’s worldwide platform is helping drive that growth,” said Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO. “March Madness delivers drama, passion and unforgettable moments every year. Making it free to watch across many countries outside the US means even more fans can experience the excitement.”

FloSports announced a strategic partnership with content and IP studio Storied Sports to develop and monetize sponsor-ready storytelling across FloSports’ women’s and college sports ecosystem. The companies will collaborate to create narrative-driven formats designed for live broadcasts, social platforms, and branded content activations.

The Women’s Champions Classic (WCC), an early-season women’s college basketball showcase, will return Saturday, December 5, 2026 and is scheduled to tip off in primetime on Fox (start time subject to change).

DirecTV’s new multiview March Madness Mix will feature a 4-box view of CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV during the first and second rounds, and a 2-box view of CBS and TBS during the Sweet 16. March Madness Mix is available to satellite customers nationwide and Signature Pack/MySports Genre Pack streaming customers in select markets.

iHeartMedia is getting in the game with a new production, marketing and distribution deal with the Global Gaming League (GGL). iHeart will become GGL’s audio partner, co-creating original podcasts that will deliver weekly gaming and culture programming across iHeartMedia’s network.

Team USA’s defeat of Mexico drew 5.02 million viewers for Monday night’s World Baseball Classic Pool Play on Fox and Fox Deportes. It was the most-watched WBC telecast ever on any network.

Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” rose to 2.54 billion minutes the week of February 9 to maintain the #1 position on Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 list for the second consecutive week, gaining over 500 million minutes from the prior interval. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” rose to second place for the first time, followed by new Peacock comedy “The ‘Burbs.”

Today’s Trivia Question
The original cast of which series included Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman? (Email your answer to trivia@cynopsis.com and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone – a limit of four answers per time zone.)