Cynopsis 05/07/25: Debut date set for fourth and final season of “Acapulco”

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TV

Family Entertainment Television
Allows You to Increase Reach and Efficiency

FETV gives you access to a unique audience with low duplication

The majority of our audience does not watch networks
with similar audience compositions

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Cynopsis
Wednesday May 7, 2025

   IN THE NEWS

Streaming impressions rose to nearly 14% of total TV ad impressions in Q1 2025, while linear’s share narrowed to around 86%, according to iSpot’s Q1 2025 TV Ad Transparency Report. The good news for linear? National linear ad spend rose 3.99% year-over-year, to $12.34 billion. Other takeaways include:
· Men’s college basketball outscored the NFL for Q1 ad impressions, and the Big Game delivered a 4.55% YoY increase in household reach.
· The Academy Awards delivered a 4.37% YoY increase in TV ad impressions and a 28% boost in attention, with Samsung’s “Fight Greg” spot outperforming the brand’s key purchase intent drivers.
· Several top Super Bowl LIX ads, like those from Pfizer and Jeep, demonstrated that emotional storytelling, not just humor, captures attention and boosts likeability on the biggest stage.

VideoAmp has officially entered the audit phase with the Media Rating Council. The audit includes a comprehensive evaluation of VideoAmp’s national linear TV data and audit testing to help ensure compliance with established industry guidelines, including the MRC’s Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research. “This is a major milestone that reflects our confidence in the rigor of VideoAmp’s currency-grade data and methodologies,” said Tony Fagan, President, Technology & Strategy at VideoAmp. “While the road to accreditation is long and resource-intensive, we are fully committed and understand the importance of earning that coveted stamp of approval.”

Ninety-three percent of consumers are now reachable through streaming, according to LG Ad Solutions’ 2025 Big Shift Study. Streaming TV apps are the dominant viewing choice for 70% of consumers, up 8% year-over-year, according to the study, and usage of FAST apps has grown 3 times faster than subscription-based services since March 2023. “CTV is no longer a side dish – it’s the main course,” said Tony Marlow, CMO, LG Ad Solutions. “As 90% of consumers become reachable through streaming platforms, advertisers must center their strategies around the biggest screen in the home. With two in five viewers using the TV home screen to guide their journey, it’s clear: the living room is the new front row.”

Comcast’s spinoff of NBCUniversal cable networks, temporarily dubbed SpinCo, has an official name: Versant. The new label is meant to reflect “versatility, growth and innovation,” said CEO Mark Lazarus. USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel will be part of the new company, as well as digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass and SportsEngine. The rest of Comcast’s NBCUniversal portfolio, including NBC, Peacock, Universal Studios, the theme parks and Bravo, will remain with Comcast. Versant is on track to be spun out from Comcast before the end of 2025.

SiriusXM and Fox Nation announced a new bundle of their streaming services, offering subscribers access to SiriusXM’s music channels, a lineup of sports-focused channels, and simulcasts of Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network and Fox News Headlines 24/7. “Fox Nation’s library of original video programming and SiriusXM’s vast offering of music for every mood and moment, live sports from every major league, plus entertainment and news combine to make a highly attractive streaming audio and video bundle,” said Dave Geary, SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships.

The Trump administration has ended Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants that have been used to fund PBS Kids programming. But the fight may just be beginning. “For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS Kids content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children’s learning,” said CPB President and CEO. “Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress and every Administration for the last 30 years because of the programs’ proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program.”

Bob Pisani is stepping away from his day-to-day responsibilities as Senior Markets Correspondent at CNBC, after 35 years. His last day on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange will be May 9. “While we’ll certainly miss seeing him in his usual role, I am glad to share this isn’t a goodbye – Bob intends to return to CNBC later this year as a significant contributor for our growing direct-to-consumer business, where his expertise, analysis and unique voice will continue to inform and engage our loyal CNBC Pro subscribers,” said Dan Colarusso, SVP, CNBC Business News.

Apple TV+ has renewed “The Studio” for a second season. “We’re thrilled to be making a second season of ‘The Studio.’ We’re looking forward to taking the lived experience of making season one and immediately putting it into season two, then repeating that loop for ten more seasons,” said creators and executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. “And, we’re excited to keep all our industry friends and colleagues guessing as to when one of their personal stories will stream on Apple TV+.”

Also coming back to Apple TV+ is “Trying,” for season five. The BBC Studios comedy follows a couple who were struggling to conceive a child and then adopted.

SPORTS MEDIA AWARDS

From mascot moment to marketing magic.

What started as Grimace tossing out a first pitch turned into a full-blown fan frenzy—complete with a purple seat at Citi Field, viral subway stunts, and easter eggs that kept social buzzing.

That’s why the New York Mets and McDonald’s are taking home Brand Collaboration of the Year at the 2025 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards. It’s the kind of cultural crossover that proves what’s possible when timing, creativity, and true partnership collide.

Be there June 4 in NYC as we honor the industry’s biggest wins and boldest ideas—plus connect with the leaders shaping what’s next in sports media.

See finalists + save your seat now

   NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Check out new series and seasons at Trailer Park.

Season seven of “Love Island USA” kicks off Tuesday, June 3 at 9p on Peacock. New episodes will air every day except Wednesdays, with Ariana Madix back as host.

Children’s series “Iggy and Mr. Kirk” starts streaming Monday, June 2 on Pure Flix. The live-action/animated 10-parter stars Kirk Cameron (“Growing Pains”), Leigh-Allyn Baker (“Good Lucky Charlie”) and American puppeteer, John Kennedy (“Sesame Street”).

The fourth and final season of Apple TV+ comedy “Acapulco” will premiere with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 23. “These four seasons have been magical,” said star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez. “‘Acapulco’ brought joy and heart to audiences around the world, and while saying goodbye is bittersweet, I’m so proud of what we created.”

Today’ Premieres
Disney+: Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
Hulu: Kun by Agüero
Netflix: Full Speed
PBS: Bugs That Rule the World at 9p

   TECH

At IAB NewFronts, T-Mobile Advertising Solutions announced that following the acquisitions of Vistar and Blis, T-Ads is integrating its premium first-party data into the Vistar and Blis platforms, expanding the impact of omnichannel and DOOH campaigns for marketers. Additionally, T-Ads announced a strategic partnership with IPG Mediabrands, enabling their agencies and clients to activate campaigns with T-Ad’s first-party data and product suite, while also opening up opportunities for shared innovation and test-and-learn initiatives.

During its NewFronts presentation, Samsung Ads unveiled Samsung Television Network, dubbed “the broad-FAST channel of the future,” offering a curated selection of Samsung TV Plus programming. The network will feature live sports, as well as library content like late night shows (David Letterman was on hand to talk about his new channel, Letterman TV) and series like “Killing Eve.”

Over at Tubi’s showcase, the Fox-owned streaming service introduced Tubi Wrappers, allowing studio advertisers to take over Tubi’s homepage to market upcoming theatrical releases, complete with animation, trailers, and high-visibility-branded UI elements. Among other announcements was Tubi Moments, which will involve tagging certain scenes to help enable brands’ ad creative to appear in relevant content moments during a viewer’s journey.

Highlights from NGLmitú’s show included a partnership with Fuse Media that combines NGLmitú’s social audience with Fuse’s multi-platform reach; the debut of Mitúlytics Insights Platform, a proprietary first-party audience intelligence platform; the relaunch of food platform Hispanic Kitchen; and a partnership with DRAFTED, a new media brand centered on Latinas in sports. “This isn’t about DEI – this is about whether you want your brand to resonate with the most impactful, culture-leading demographic in the US across any age, race, gender or ethnicity,” said Chief Revenue Officer Joe Bernard. “If you’re not spending on this audience, and with us, you’re leaving dollars on the table.”

Google introduced AI Max for Search campaigns, a suite of targeting and creative enhancements that make Google Search more exploratory and multimodal. Google reports that data shows advertisers activating AI Max in Search campaigns will typically see 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS; for campaigns that are still mostly using exact and phrase keywords, the typical uplift is 27%. The suite is rolling out to all advertisers globally in beta starting later this month.

TikTok announced the expansion of Pulse Premiere to include publishers Formula 1, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Red Bull Media, and introduced Pulse Core, during its NewFront presentation on Tuesday. Pulse Core puts ads next to the top user-generated content categorized by trends, holidays, or a custom-designed heading. Pulse Premiere marries ads with premium publisher content. Also rolling out are Content Sponsorship Packages, enabling brands to target audiences across cultural categories like live music and beauty.

MEDIA IMPACT AWARDS

Where Innovation Meets Influence

Standing out in today’s media ecosystem takes more than a great product—it takes proof.

The Media Impact Awards were created to spotlight the platforms, solutions, and partners pushing the industry forward—those redefining how media is bought, sold, and experienced.

A win doesn’t just say you’re innovative—it tells brands, buyers, and industry leaders that you’re the one to watch.

Industry recognition
Celebrated live in NYC this October
Coverage across Cynopsis and beyond

Be more than part of the conversation—lead it.

Submit your entry today

   PRODUCTION

Brandy and Rita Ora will reprise their roles of Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, respectively, in the fifth installment of the Disney Channel Original Movie “Descendants” franchise, officially titled “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.” Also returning are Paolo Montalban as King Charming and Melanie Paxson as Fairy Godmother, making her the only actor to appear in all five “Descendants” films. “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland” is currently in production and set to release in 2026 on Disney Channel and Disney+.

Box to Box, the London and LA-based documentary specialist, and Mexico City-based investment ad operating platform Fillip, have formed joint venture aimed at amplifying Latin American voices on the global stage. Box to Box LATAM, headquartered in Mexico City, will be headed by Andrea Pérez García-Escudero, who most recently served as General Manager of Fox Sports Mexico.

   COMING UP

Netflix film “Jay Kelly,” starring Georgie Clooney and Adam Sandler, hits theaters November 14, and will make its streaming debut on December 5.

The 78th annual DGA Awards ceremony has been set for Saturday, February 7, back at the Beverly Hilton.

   DISTRIBUTION

Off The Fence has closed a volume deal with Prime Video Germany for its streaming service. The package spans nature, wildlife, lifestyle and crime titles.

   SPORTS REPORT

Tylenol launched their first hockey-themed spot featuring the NHL’s Nathan MacKinnon, and have partnered with Leon Draisaitl to create social content for their ‘Keeps You At Pro Level’ campaign.

   RATINGS

Viewership for NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday jumped 19% week-over-week, hitting 2.76 million viewers for Kristen Welker’s sit-down with President Trump.

FS1 clocked 2.56 million viewers for its Texas Motor Speedway coverage on Sunday. That’s up 9% from last year’s race.

Basic Cable Top Ten for the week of April 28
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
TNT 3191
Fox News 2479
ESPN 1232
MSNBC 1017
TBS 658
HGTV 566
TLC 474
CNN 458
USA 449
History 431
Total Day
Fox News 1553
TNT 823
MSNBC 577
ESPN 514
CNN 365
HGTV 315
TBS 266
USA 254
Hallmark Channel 240
Hallmark Mystery 239
Source: Nielsen

   EXCUTIVE MOVES

Kevin O’Connor has been named Chief Marketing Officer of X Games. Most recently, O’Connor served as CMO of luxury lifestyle brand Peter Millar.

Basis Technologies has appointed Mike Hoyle as Executive Vice President of AI. Hoyle is rejoining the Basis team following his time leading teams across Engineering, Product and Data Science at Amazon.

This Day in History
1946 – Sony Corporation was founded.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which long-running sitcom’s featured performer was replaced by his son after season seven? On “Frasier” (1993-2004), Moose, who played Martin’s dog Eddie, was replaced by his son, Enzo.

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the first series to air on Disney Channel? (Email your answer to trivia@cynopsis.com and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)

Cynopsis Team

Lynn Leahey
Editorial Director
lleahey@accessintel.com

Stephanie Cronk
Brand Director, ScreenShift, CTV Connect
scronk@accessintel.com

Dave Colford
SVP, Media
dcolford@accessintel.com

 

For advertising opportunities, contact: Amy Abbey
Sales Director
410-979-0171
aabbey@accessintel.com

Harry Singh
Account Executive
917-832-0064
hsingh@accessintel.com

Kerry Smith
Division President
Access Intelligence

 

Cynopsis Job Listings Sales
Carley Ashley

Cynopsis General Inquiries
clientservices@accessintel.com

 

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CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER>>
ORIGIN/NY(HYBRID): Overseeing full time sales team of 2 remote sellers, an account director, a sales operations manager and sales strategist. Accelerating the adoption of award-winning suite of CTV ad formats. Ensuring we exceed our current targets and ultimately making sure we continue growing at the pace we are in an increasingly competitive market. Full Info HERE.

DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER
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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

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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

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID):
Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Min 2 yrs DR Experience. Wide Orbit Exp a +. 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

DIGITAL MEDIA PLANNER/BUYER >>
BEACON MEDIA GROUP/ LYNDHURST, NJ: Management of paid social media campaigns, strong written & verbal communication skills, knowledge of various targeting methodologies, and basic understanding of traditional media. Familiarity with media planning and buying software. Proficient in website analytics tools. Experience in pixel implementation and conversion tracking. Full info HERE

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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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