You have three days left to submit your entry for the 2025 Sports Media Awards. Align yourself with the big players in the industry already confirmed as luminaries: Aflac, Mets, Togethxr, Momentum and Professional Bull Riders.

Check out the categories

AI might be “the most powerful technology that our company has ever seen, including its ability to enhance and enable consumers to access, experience and enjoy our entertainment,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger at his company’s shareholder meeting on Thursday. Still, he added, “Given the speed that it is developing, we’re taking precautions to make sure of three things: One, that our IP is being protected. That’s incredibly important. Second, that our creators are being respected, and last, that our customers are being considered and valued, particularly as this technology emerges rapidly.”

On Fubo, a CPG brand’s pause ad viewers were 33% more likely to engage with that brand compared to those who watched video ads. That’s according to a case study Fubo conducted in partnership with EDO to show the power of pause ads on its CTV platform. Additionally, viewers of the CPG brand’s pause ads on Fubo were 129% more likely to engage with the brand compared to viewers of its standard video ads across competitive streaming platforms and linear TV. “Brands are increasingly looking to show business impact from their marketing investments and CTV has enabled creative strategies like pause ads that are both engaging for audiences and move the needle for advertisers,” said Dina Roman, SVP, Global Ad Sales and Operations, Fubo.

Conservative advocacy groups on Thursday asked the FCC to end its investigation into whether a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris in October violated “news distortion” rules. And the FCC said no. The Center for Individual Freedom, Americans for Tax Reform, Taxpayers Protection Alliance and other groups argued that an “adverse ruling against CBS would constitute regulatory overreach and advance precedent that can be weaponized by future FCCs,” and urged the FCC to “take steps to curtail the commission’s ability to engage in content-based regulation and reviews.” FCC Chair Brendan Carr told Reuters in an email, “The FCC’s review of the complaint against CBS remains active and ongoing.”

Average Daily Hours of Viewing spent on CTV in 2024 was slightly down from 2023, notes Wurl’s CTV Trends report. But Q1 2025 is headed toward a strong performance, with a 3.13% increase in HOV versus last quarter, as well as an increase when compared year over year with 2023. And with an increased emphasis in user experience on streaming, Wurl expects this trend to intensify. That said…

Apple is losing over $1 billion per year on streaming, sources have told The Information. Despite churning out hits like “Ted Lasso” and “Severance,” Apple TV+ trails behind Netflix, Disney+ and Warner Bros. Discovery in subscribers, with an estimated 40.4 million signed on. But the reported loss wouldn’t take too worrisome a bite out of the company’s profits – Apple’s annual revenue topped $390 billion in fiscal 2024.

Synergy alert! Streaming meets linear with Paramount+’s “Find Your Mountain on Paramount+” campaign. A new ad features a mash-up of “Yellowjacket” – which debuts on Paramount+ Showtime before hitting Showtime – and CBS’s “Survivor.” The spot has the cast of “Yellowjackets” joining “Survivor” host Jeff Probst for a Tribal Council elimination, and is the first in a series of brand spots rolling out over the coming months that showcase the personalized content experience on Paramount+. “While we tapped into data insights to inform what Paramount+ series might work best for this new campaign, it was equally important that we brought together worlds and characters that would lend themselves to creating bespoke content that felt ownable and authentic,” Terry Minogue, EVP Creative Marketing, Paramount Streaming, tells Cynopsis. “’Yellowjackets’ and ‘Survivor’ are top series for the service but it was the endless creative opportunities we found in bringing these two fandoms together that made us bullish on the idea. We are immensely proud of what we’ve done with the ‘Mountain of Entertainment’ campaign to-date but this new chapter is ratcheting things to the next level, and we couldn’t be more excited to hear what fans think of the spot and the many easter eggs woven throughout.” Check it out in Trailer Park.

The life lessons and strategies kids learned from “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” stick with them as teens, according to a study from UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers. Key takeaways from the report on the Fred Rogers Productions preschool show include:
· Nearly 12 years since its debut, teens remember “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” as a show that taught them social-emotional and life skills.
· Teens recalled using strategies such as deep breathing when they were upset, with 21% specifically mentioning that they still use the calming techniques they learned from the show.
· Teens remember the show for feelings of comfort, companionship, and happiness as young children.
· Teens want to see storylines around topics such as bullying, kindness, and friendship in the content available to them now. Only 35.3% of participants said they were currently watching anything that taught them life or social-emotional skills.

Netflix has greenlit “The Golden Ticket,” a competition series inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The social experiment from Eureka Productions (“The Mole”) will follow contestants entering Wonka’s Chocolate Factory whose resilience and skills will be put to the test.

The latest drama series on the market from yes Studios is “Embassy Down.” Written by Shlomo Moshiach (“Your Honor”), the six-part action drama is set in 2011 during the unrest of the “Arab Spring. The show premiered on yes TV last month.

Netflix set Thursday, May 1 as the debut date for “The Four Seasons,” starring and co-created by Tina Fey. The adaptation of the 1981 film written by and starring Alan Alda – who is a producer and guest star on the small screen version – also stars Will Forte, Steve Carell, Kerry Kinney-Silver, Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani.

“The Street Where You Live,” starring Swedish music artist Lena Philipsson and based on her song of the same name, makes its US debut Thursday, April 3 on Viaplay.

Showtime’s “The Chi” returns for season seven on Friday, May 16 for Paramount+ with Showtime, and two days later on Showtime at 9p. The drama series delivered its most-watched season ever on streaming its last go-round, surging nearly 25% over season five.

Starz has acquired “Magic City: An American Fantasy,” a five-part docuseries uncovering the story behind the Atlanta strip club and its influence on hip-hop. The series is slated to premiere this summer.

“Spill,” a digital talk series from Logo, is back Tuesday, March 25 with a special New York season. Streaming starts at 12p on Logo’s YouTube channel.

Season four of “Harry Wild” premieres Monday, May 3 on Acorn TV. The Irish mystery series stars and is executive produced by Jane Seymor (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”).

New episodes of “Sister Wives” hit TLC starting Sunday, April 20 at 10p. Following each new installment, one-on-one episodes will offer a deeper look at the family.

Season two of “Vanderpump Villa” kicks off Thursday, April 24 on Hulu. There will be both familiar faces and new staff at Italy’s Castello Rosato. Not to mention “decadence and drama.”

Sunday’s Premieres
Nat Geo: Davie Blaine: Do Not Attempt at 9p
PBS: Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light at 9p; Marie Antionette at 10p

A+E Global Media is renewing its long-term partnership with FreeWheel, expanding A+E’s adoption of Audience Manager, the audience-enabled advertising solution that unifies audiences across devices and ad types. “At A+E, we are continually working to make sure we provide our viewers with quality content supported by a premium ad experience,” says Lee Barstow, VP Revenue Ops, A+E Global Media. “Through our partnership with FreeWheel, we’re enabling advertisers to deliver smarter, targeted placements across our network of content which enhances both monetization, and most importantly, audience experience.”

“Magic of the Disney Treasure,” a behind-the-scenes look at Disney Cruise Lines’ new ship, premieres Friday, March 28 at 10p on Nat Geo, and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

FloRacing, the destination for motorsports fans, has launched the “FreeRacing on FloRacing” campaign to showcase top motorsports events free of charge on the FloRacing YouTube channel. The program begins today, March 21 with the Kubota High Limit Racing Series.

Good Good Golf, the golf, media, and lifestyle brand, announced a $45 million funding round that will fuel Good Good Golf’s expansion across content, retail, and live experiences. “We see Good Good Golf as more than just a media brand – it’s a movement that is reshaping the golf industry,” said Benjamin Grubbs, Co-Managing Partner of Creator Sports, which led the funding round. “Their 360-degree approach –spanning content, consumer products, retail, and live experiences – has cultivated an engaged fan base and driven extraordinary business growth.

Year-over-year, Fox News in February saw 103% growth on YouTube. For the month, Fox News Digital secured 4.1 billion total multiplatform minutes (up 33% over February 2024), 2 billion total multiplatform views (up 25%) and 121 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors (up 5%).

Blink49 Studios has hired Andy Bourne as SVP, Scripted Television. Bourne was previously Head of Limited Series at Amazon.

Today’s Trivia Question
Which male roommate on “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-2019) had not earned a doctorate degree? (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.)