 IN THE NEWS |
| At his first Disney shareholder meeting as CEO – and his first day on the job – Josh D’Amaro struck a confident tone, positioning the company as uniquely equipped to lead the industry forward. While others face consolidation or fight to stay relevant in a fragmented landscape, he emphasized Disney’s momentum into a new era of innovation and growth, saying, “This next chapter will be driven by staying focused on world-class creativity, enhanced by technology, bringing unforgettable stories to audiences wherever they are.” And Disney+ will play a major role in that next chapter. “Disney+ will continue to evolve beyond a traditional streaming service to become the digital centerpiece of our company: a portal that connects our stories, experiences, games, films and more in entirely new ways,” D’Amaro told investors.
MS NOW is reshuffling its lineup with a series of anchor moves across the schedule. Stephanie Ruhle will debut a new 9–11a program while continuing as senior business analyst and co-host of the YouTube Live series “It’s Happening With Velshi & Ruhle.” Alicia Menendez shifts to the noon hour, with Luke Russert stepping in on “The Weeknight.” Ali Velshi will take over as host of “The 11th Hour” while maintaining his role as chief data reporter. “Morning Joe” trims back to three hours, with Jonathan Lemire joining as co-anchor at 8a. Chris Hayes returns to anchor Mondays at 8p, and Ana Cabrera will depart the network. The revamp will take place in June.
“As part of these programming changes, team members will have the opportunity to shift into new roles to support new priorities. In most cases, comparable opportunities will be available to employees as these changes take shape,” wrote MS Now President Rebecca Kutler in a memo to staff. “Overall, we expect to have more people working at MS NOW by the end of 2026 than we do today.”
TBS has ordered a thirteenth season of “Impractical Jokers.” Small wonder – since its January 15 premiere, the unscripted comedy series is averaging a 1.72 Live+3 rating among Adults 25-54, an increase of 292% over the previous season. The show is on track to deliver its highest‑rated season ever in its 15-year history and currently ranks as the #1 original series on cable this year in key adult demos. “Fifteen years into its run, Impractical Jokers is breaking records and delivering some of the best ratings in its history,” said Jason Sarlanis, President, TNT, TBS, truTV, ID & HLN, Linear and Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery. “Our fans absolutely love the humor and friendship of the Jokers, which keeps them coming back for more.” |
 Toyota is hitting the beach with “Baywatch.” Fox Advertising announced a major brand sponsorship by the car company with season-long integration and placement in Fox’s reboot of the lifeguard drama. Toyota is the first advertising partner to join the reimagined series that is expected to premiere during the 2026-27 season.
Netflix has greenlit “Uncorked,” a Napa-set rom-com from Darren Star (“Sex and the City”), that follows the life of a talented but self-destructive winemaker who returns to Napa for her second chance at love. Star will executive produce alongside David Schulner (“New Amsterdam”), Tony Hernandez (“Emily In Paris”) and Lilly Burns (“Emily In Paris”) of Counterpart Studios, while also continuing to helm “Emily in Paris.”
Prime Video has renewed “Cross” for an eight-episode season three. The thriller drama is based on characters created by James Patterson.
Writer-producer Eric Overmyer died March 16 after a long illness at 74. The creator of “Bosch,” Overmyer also contributed to acclaimed series including “The Wire,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order,” among many others. |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “Lord of the Flies” lands on Netflix on Monday, May 4. The BBC and Stan limited series is based on William Golding’s 1954 novel about boys stranded on a tropical island.
Prime Video’s “American Gladiators” reboot premieres Friday, April 17 with its first three episodes. The competition series is hosted by WWE wrestler and “Real World” alum Mike “The Miz” Mizanin.
ID has two true crime series set to return next month. “Homicide Hunter: American Detective” is back Wednesday, April 15 at 9p, followed by “On the Case With Paula Zahn” at 10p.
Crime drama “Nemesis,” following two men on either side of the law, makes its debut Thursday, May 14 on Netflix.
“The Five Star Weekend” launches Thursday, July 16 on Peacock. The drama centers on a famous cook, played by Jennifer Garner, who deals with grief by inviting three friends from different stages of her life to a weekend getaway in Nantucket.
“The Collector’s Call” returns for season seven on Sunday, April 12 at 6:30p on MeTV. Lisa Welchel (“The Facts of Life”) returns as host, traveling the country to explore private collections of memorabilia.
Allison Janney and Hoda Kotb are among the celebrities welcomed on season eight of Food Network’s “Be My Guest With Ina Garten,” kicking off Saturday, April 11 at 12p. |
Today’s Premieres
Freeform: The Thrifting Show With Lara Spencer at 9p
Netflix: Beauty in Black; JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure; Unicorn Academy
Prime Video: Last One Laughing UK |
| TECH |
| FreeWheel announced a direct integration with Tunnl, giving political and issues-based advertisers streamlined access to Tunnl’s syndicated audiences within FreeWheel buying workflows across premium CTV. “This is the type of direct workflow that allows teams to focus on message relevance and campaign strategy, not the mechanics for delivery,” said Jeff Teng, SVP of Partnerships at Tunnl. “When every second counts in campaign season, this partnership turns time-consuming processes into rapid execution against behavior-based audiences.”
SiriusXM Media and CineMedia (NCM) are being integrated into VideoAmp’s cross-platform planning solution, VXP. It’s the first time SiriusXM Media and NCM will be integrated into a cross-platform media planning solution like VideoAmp’s, enabling advertisers to plan campaigns across streaming, CTV, digital video, audio and cinema environments within a unified framework. SiriusXM Media joining as VideoAmp’s first audio partner, while NCM brings NCMx™ moviegoer data into cross-platform planning. |
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| CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS
We Added Overtime
The Cynopsis Sports Awards are giving you more time to submit your best work. From breakthrough campaigns to next-gen platforms, the industry’s top plays belong here.
Final deadline extended to March 27.
Get your entry in before the final whistle.
VIEW CATEGORIES & ENTER NOW |
| COMING UP |
| FOX Nation docudrama “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” will return this Easter season with an extended episode entitled “Mary,” premiering Friday, March 27. Scorsese hosts. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| Want proof of the effectiveness of advertising in women’s sports? WPP Media’s The Women’s Sports Playbook, developed in partnership with EDO, Adverteyes and VideoAmp, offers evidence that ads in women’s sports consistently outperform comparable non-sports broadcast and cable ads on engagement, predicted attention, and creative resonance. Women’s sports impressions grew 79% year over year, and ad spend rose 69%, according to the report. Ally is one success story – the brand’s ads generated 85% higher engagement during women’s sports than their broadcast and cable averages outside of live sports. Another is Google Pixels, whose sports play drove 192% higher search engagement versus its non-live sports coverage. WPP Media’s takeaway: The environment is the advantage.
Just 30% of US consumers plan to watch World Cup content in 2026, but within this group, 32% are more excited this year than for the previous event, Qatar 2022. That data comes from LoopMe, which also notes that the highest intent to watch peaks among 35-44 year-olds (37%). And while live TV continues to be the most popular channel to watch matches (35%), viewing will be truly cross-channel, with streaming services (18%), social media (12%), and mobile apps (11%) represented.
Sprite, which has returned as the official soft drink sponsor of the NBA, is also re-teaming with the Harlem Globetrotters™ as Presenting Partner For North America and Official Global Partner For The Rest of the World. The new partnership reunites the Harlem Globetrotters with one of its original brand partners, The Coca-Cola Company, which had a working relationship with the brand for close to 75 years.
Fifty-six percent of sports viewers are using a second screen during games, behavior that peaks among NCAA March Madness audiences, according to a report from Teads. On those screens, Teads found 30% of viewers are actively shopping during the tournament and 24% are purchasing products tied to the event. Key findings include:
· 47% of sports viewers say seeing a brand advertise during sports moments strengthens their connection to that brand.
· 49% are more likely to purchase when brands advertise consistently across multiple platforms.
· 51% are open to brands they have not previously tried when discovered during sporting events.
Scripps Sports and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) are set to bring the Walter Cup Finals to national linear television in the US for the first time. Game dates will be announced once the finalists are determined, with the championship series slated for May. Live coverage will air on ION.
Marquee Sports Network is expanding access for Cubs fans ahead of the 2026 MLB season, with availability for Hulu + Live TV subscribers within the Cubs in-market footprint, and as a subscription on Prime Video.
OBL (Ones Basketball League) announced the re-envisioning of its premier 1 v 1 basketball league. “OBL: Battle of the Cities” will take an expanded version of the original OBL, with one-on-one athletes bringing their own vision and culture tied to the city where they grew up, played and/or call home. Each city-based team will have a three-man roster, comprised of players who best reflect the city the 1 v 1 team represents, selected by the Owners/GMs.
DAZN and boxing brand Top Rank inked an agreement that brings Top Rank’s fight nights and library to DAZN. Top Rank’s roster of over three dozen fighters will be showcased prominently on DAZN.
In more DAZN news, the sports entertainment platform has partnered with the American 7s Football League (A7FL), and will offer a featured game each week on DAZN for free. A7FL is a faster, more physical version of regular football that is played without traditional helmets or shoulder pads.
ESPN has signed Fernando Palomo to a new multi-year contract. Palomo, who joined ESPN in 2000, will continue to serve as the lead Spanish play-by-play voice for the company’s exclusive coverage of LALIGA in the US. |
| INTERNATIONAL |
| A Singapore version of Nippon TV’s unscripted format “Meet Me There” has been adapted by CNA, the English language news and current affairs brand of Mediacorp, Singapore’s national media network. |
| RATINGS |
| The World Baseball Classic Final between Team USA and Venezuela averaged 13.9 million viewers, up 48% from the semifinal game, according to AdImpact. Linear had the highest share of viewership with 53% on Fox networks, while streaming took up 47% of viewers. YouTube accounted for 22% of the streaming audience.
Viewership of the Oscars ceremony on ABC and Hulu slipped 9% from last year, to a four-year low of (a still hefty) 17.86 million. That number does not count PC and mobile viewing.
Kyle Larson’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Victory in Las Vegas drew 1.19 million total viewers for The CW, up +10% compared to the same weekend last year in Vegas.
An average 4.4 million viewers tuned into NBC for golf’s Players Championship on Sunday. That’s up 15% from last year.
The 2026 Big East Men’s Championship on Fox was the most-watched in network history, delivering 1.77 million viewers.
“The Hill” garnered 84.2 million visits in February, up 8% year-over-year, according to Comscore. Compared to January, the news site saw a 13% increase in unique visitors and a 7% rise in total minutes.
Top 10 Broadcast Shows for the Week of March 9
P2+ AA (000)
ABC: The Oscars 17.860
ABC: World News Tonight 8.478
CBS: Tracker 6.816
CBS: 60 Minutes Presents 6.744
ABC: Live From the Red Carpet 6.719
CBS: Marshals 6.636
NBC: NBC Nightly News 6.514
CBS: NCAA Basketball Selection 6.413
NBC: Chicago Med 5.691
NBC: Chiago Fire 5.571
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel Live + Same Day
Basic Cable Top 10
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
Fox News 2791
Fox Sports 1 1578
ESPN 1574
MS NOW 1157
CNN 820
HGTV 614
History 560
TBS 560
TLC 542
Food Network 506
Total Day
Fox News 1752
ESPN 755
MS NOW 701
CNN 592
Fox Sports 1 387
HGTV 336
TBS 294
Food Network 27
Hallmark Channel 276
GSN 269
Source: Nielsen |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Production company Untold Fable has appointed former Mumsnet director Joseph Beckett as its new Business Development Manager.
GSTV has hired former Real Chemistry executive Craig Abolt as Chief Financial Officer, along with Cox Media Group alum Eric Kozik as Chief Strategy Officer.
Jon Legere has been named Rethink’s first-ever Chief Production Officer. He joins from Anomaly. |
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This Day in History
1917 – The Supreme Court upheld the eight-hour workday for railroad employees.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
In what year did TV series “Dragnet” premiere? The first TV incarnation of the series ran from 1951-59. Kudos to: Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Mark Selby-Melbar Entertainment Group/Toronto; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Mark Wajda, ET; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA
Today’s Trivia Question
Ron Howard played the title character’s friend in which sitcom before joining “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-68)? (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.) |
EXECUTIVE >>
TBS INTERNATIONAL/LOS ANGELES, CA: Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of entertainment and media agreements, with a primary focus on unscripted television, format licensing, and intellectual property distribution. Handle development, production, and co-production agreements, including situations where TBS is designated as the production entity providing production services. More info HERE
PRINT TRAFFICKER AND TECHNICAL COORDINATOR >>
FILM FEST DC/WASHINGTON, DC: Coordinate direct communication between print sources and the festival to ensure the on-time inbound and outbound delivery of all film materials and work with venue staff to deliver and test each film and KDM. Request and collect KDMs for all encrypted DCPs and maintain a spreadsheet that contains all the aspects of the film. Full info HERE
MANAGER, MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS >>
TELEVISION ACADEMY/NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA:
Lead the execution of initiatives such as the Peer Circle program and Your Voice Matters, reviewing data to enhance program participation and ensure metrics are achieved; collaborate with the Senior Director of Engagement and Retention and stakeholders across marketing to manage delivery and optimization of the Member Benefits Perks newsletter. Full info HERE
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
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 >>
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 >>
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
EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
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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