Cynopsis 04/13/26: “Welcome to Wrexham” Scores Three-Year Renewal

Cynopsis
Monday April 13, 2026

   IN THE NEWS

A federal judge has extended the freeze on Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna for another week, pushing the deadline to April 17 as he weighs whether to impose a longer preliminary injunction. The deal remains in limbo amid an antitrust challenge from DirecTV and a coalition of state attorneys general, who are seeking to block the merger until their case is resolved. While maintaining the pause, the judge loosened some restrictions, allowing both companies to take “reasonable steps” to manage routine business operations, including meeting federal debt reporting requirements.

BIA Advisory Services has revised its local advertising projections to $184.5 billion for 2026 from $181.87 billion, up 8.1% year-over-year. Stronger-than-expected growth in mobile, video, streaming, and political advertising were cited as contributing to the increased forecast. “The local advertising marketplace continues to reflect a K-shaped consumer economy,” said Managing Director, Rick Ducey. “Stronger spending from higher-income households is supporting discretionary categories like travel, leisure, and automotive, while value-oriented spending is shaping demand in retail, restaurants, and essential services.”

Soccer docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham” has been renewed for three more seasons on FXX and Hulu. “A three-season order for a TV series is nearly unheard of and is only possible through the ground-breaking work of our Emmy-winning documentary team and the relentless rise of Wrexham AFC and all those working so hard to make sports history,” said Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, Co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC. “We are forever grateful to our equally fearless and tireless partners at FX for being with us every step of the way.” Season five of the show kicks off Thursday, May 14 with the first two episodes.

Marketers are looking for proof of performance before allocating dollars to retail media networks (RMNs), according to new research from Keen Decision Systems that suggests a consolidation phase. While 65.2% of retail marketers expect a budget increase for RMNs, 26.1% of those surveyed said they plan to pull spending from some RMNs to fund other channels. “As economic constraints impact budgets for retail marketers, they’re becoming more selective in their ad investments – a flight to quality,” said Bradley Keefer, chief Revenue Officer at Keen. “While retail media still remains popular, they’re choosing networks that are low-cost, but deliver higher efficiency.”

More than 70% of advertisers are increasing their CTV ad spend this year, with budgets rising an average of 17%. That’s according to Premion’s 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey. Impressive numbers – but how do advertisers turn that increased investment into stronger performance outcomes? That’s the hot topic covered in Wednesday’s webinar, CTV 2026: More Spend, Higher Expectations – How Advertisers Are Staying Ahead. Register here for free.

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Wednesday, April 15 | 1PM ET
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   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

For sneak peeks, go to Cynopsis Trailer Park.

HGTV’s “Home Town: This Inn Together” premieres Sunday, May 10 at 8p. The spinoff series follows renovators Ben and Erin Napier as they help their best friends restore a dilapidated building.

“48 Hours” is launching a weekly video podcast. “48 Hours: Case by Case” will cover true crime cases as they unfold, hosted by a rotating team of “48 Hours” correspondents. New episodes drop weekly, starting Friday, April 17.

Today’s Premieres
Fox: The 1% Club at 8p; The Quiz With Balls at 9p
HGTV: Rock the Block at 8p
ID: Boy Band Confidential at 9p

CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS

Align with the Leaders Shaping Sports Media & Marketing

Position your brand at the center of one of the industry’s most influential programs, with meaningful exposure to top executives across the sports media ecosystem—on stage, online, in print and beyond.

June 4 | NYC
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   SPORTS REPORT

Mark Jones has left ESPN after 36 years, reports the New York Times. “Mark has made an enduring impact at ESPN since 1990, serving as a signature voice primarily within our NBA and college football coverage and across nearly all of our platforms,” said ESPN in a statement. “We’re grateful for Mark’s countless contributions and we wish him continued success.” Jones’ last broadcast was Sunday’s Magic-Celtics game.

   RATINGS

“The Housemaid” ranks as Starz’ best-performing Pay 1 film ever. The movie starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried was the both the highest driver of acquisition and of streaming viewership.

   EXECUTIVE MOVES

Nickelodeon Animation Studios has named Alec Botnick as President. Botnick will continue in his role as EVP of CBS Studios Comedy Development, Alternative and animation. As part of the integration of CBS and Paramount cable brands, Nickelodeon Animation Studios will now operate as a label within CBS Studios.

Nastasya Morauw is joining Walt Disney Studios as VP, Communications. Morauw is making the move from Disney’s Searchlight Pictures, where she has been VP, Communications & Awards.

FloSports has promoted Chief Operating Officer Jayar Donlan to President. In his new role, Donlan will lead FloSports’ commercial, content, and operations organizations.

This Day in History
1997 – Tiger Woods became the youngest player to win the Masters Tournament.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96), which two colleges did Carton attend? UCLA and Princeton. Kudos to: Wendy Holmes/Denver; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Barbara Bevel/Staten Island, NY; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Matt Marni-Paramount/NY

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the original name of “The Ed Sullivan Show” (1948-1971)? (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.)

Cynopsis Team

Lynn Leahey
Editorial Director
lleahey@accessintel.com

Dave Colford
SVP, Media
dcolford@accessintel.com

 

Advertising Opportunities
Kelly Mahoney
Group Director, Sales
kmahoney@accessintel.com

Kerry Smith
Division President
Access Intelligence

 

Cynopsis Job Listings Sales
Rob Hudgins

Cynopsis General Inquiries
clientservices@accessintel.com

 

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Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »
Job of the day
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

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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Sunday April 12, 2026 CYNOPSIS WEBINARS Make Your CTV Investment Work Harder CTV budgets are growing—but success comes down to execution. Join Premion on April 15 at 1PM ET to learn how brands are improving performance, simplifying workflows, and making smarter cross-screen decisions. REGISTER FOR FREE    FEATURED JOB EXECUTIVE >> TBS […]

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