Cynopsis 05/06/26: “American Mayhem” Catches Comic Moments

A Cynopsis Message From A+E Global Media

Cynopsis
Wednesday May 6, 2026

   IN THE NEWS

U.S. digital video ad spend is projected to surpass $80 billion in 2026, growing 11% year-over-year — nearly 20% faster than the total ad market and accounting for more than 60% of total TV/video ad spend for the first time. That data comes from part one of the 2026 IAB Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report, which also found:
· Two-in-three buyers are live (21%), testing (20%), or planning to use (25%) agentic AI for digital video campaigns in 2026. AI adoption varies by company size, with smaller advertisers leaning into creative optimization and larger ones focusing on inventory discovery and scale.
· Social video’s 13% growth is helped by continued AI-enabled innovation in personalization and a growing creator economy. But CTV’s 11% growth is strong as its fueled by live and “Hollywood-produced” content and a strengthening track record in outcome delivery.
· Targeting’s rise reflects growing urgency as IP degradation and AI-driven traffic erode fidelity. Small-to-mid-size spenders are driving the shift (+23 points YoY) while remaining most exposed to open-market identity challenges.

The final season of Prime Video’s “The Boys” will wrap with a bang — literally. The series finale hits theaters in 4DX on May 19, a day before it starts streaming. The show teased the news on X with “in two weeks, we’re going out with a bang.” It’s a move that echoes the sold-out theatrical run of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” finale over New Year’s.

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   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

For sneak peeks, go to Cynopsis Trailer Park.

Netflix anime remake “The One Piece,” announced in December 2023, finally has a release date(ish): February 2027. The drop will include all seven episodes, covering approximately 50 manga chapters. “The One Piece” is an adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga of the same name, which ranks as the best-selling comic book of all time, with over 600 million volumes in circulation.

“Heart & Hustle: Houston” is back for season two on Saturday, May 30 at 9 p.m. The docuseries follows a group of Black women chasing love and success Texas. The show slides into its regular 8 p.m. timeslot beginning June 20.

Family crime drama “Fightland,” following a disgraced, formerly incarcerated boxing champion who returns to London to seek vengeance against the crime syndicate he thinks betrayed him, premieres Friday, July 31 on Starz. New episodes will stream weekly.

Short-form animated series “Sofia the First: Royal Magic” makes its debut Monday, May 25 at 7 a.m. on Disney Jr. The first eight episodes will also be available to stream on Disney+.

All 10 season 15 episodes of adult animated series “King of the Hill” drop Monday, July 20 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

Larry the Cable Guy (“Cars”) has signed on to host CBS Media Ventures’ upcoming 52-episode syndicated series “American Mayhem,” slated to debut this fall. The clip show features outrageous moments caught on camera.

Today’s Premieres
BritBox: The Other Bennet Sister
Netflix: Love Is Blind: Poland; Worst Ex Ever
Prime Video: Citadel

   COMING UP

Mina Kimes is trading touchdowns for tough words. The ESPN senior writer and analyst will host the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals and finals on ION (May 27–28), with production company Embassy Row — behind “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” — giving the competition a new look.

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   TECH

Commerce media platform Koddi is partnering with Comcast’s Universal Ads to bring TV advertising directly into its commerce media platform. The partnership opens up premium TV inventory to mid- and long-tail advertisers who have traditionally faced barriers to entry in broadcast and streaming. Through the integration, advertisers can plan, activate, and measure both TV and commerce media campaigns in one place, with performance tied to concrete, measurable outcomes.

KERV.ai introduced Moment Match Engine™, a tool that uses AI to pinpoint significant moments in video content and pair them with relevant brand and product signals. Advertisers gain a more precise alternative to broad contextual targeting, reaching audiences at the moment relevance peaks — while viewers encounter brand interactions that feel organic rather than intrusive. NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery are among the media partners on the platform.

   SPORTS REPORT

For Soccer and Gemini XIII announced the launch of “Orange Slices,” a soccer media vodcast and event vertical. Designed as a content and fan engagement hub, Orange Slices will span long-form and short-form content, social storytelling, custom features, and a marquee fan event leading into and surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

   DISTRIBUTION

Documentary producer-distributor BIG Media and independent film studio Insurgence have joined forces to launch more than 60 new YouTube channels encompassing over 2,000 hours of documentary programming from BIG Media’s library. The plan is to have new content roll out weekly across all channels.

   RATINGS

The Boston Bruins’ run on NESN posted a season-long rating average of 2.64, up 14%, with NESN 360 viewership rising 34% year over year. During the playoffs, both average rating (4.0) and viewership increased more than 50% over regular-season averages. Game 1 delivered NESN’s largest-ever playoff audience and set a new Bruins streaming record for total minutes streamed.

   EXECUTIVE MOVES

TripleLift has appointed Benjamin Felix as Chief Marketing Officer and Timothy Jasionowski as Chief Product and Technology Officer. Felix most recently served as President at Decision Counsel. Jasionowski previously held roles at Magnite, Newforma and Travelport.

LatiNation has tapped Monica Collins to serve a Vice President of Business Development. Most recently, Collins held leadership roles at My Code.

Jay Webster has joined NextRoll as Chief Technology Officer. Webster joins NextRoll from NaviStone, where he served as Chief Technology Officer.

This Day in History
1851 – John Gorrie patented a “refrigeration machine” to make ice.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “I Love Lucy” (1951-57), what was Lucy’s middle name? Esmerelda. Kudos to: Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Debbie Supnik-SOFA Entertainment/West Hollywood, CA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Ken DuBow-DuBow Media Distribution/LA; Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago; Wendy Holmes/Denver; Debra Stephens Cook-Dark Horse Media/Tucson; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Kathryn Tesoriero-WPP Media/NYC

Today’s Trivia Question
Which late-night host had a piano built in to his desk? (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.)

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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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