 IN THE NEWS |
| Warner Bros. Discovery had upbeat news to report on the streaming front for the first quarter of 2025. While global linear ad sales slipped 11%, streaming ad revenue surged 35% from 4Q24. And WBD counted 122.3 million global streaming subs by quarter’s end, up by 5.3 million. As far as any impact from President Trump tariffs, “The news is, so far so good,” said CFO Gunnar Widenfels on the company’s earnings call.
Paramount Global reported a 6% drop in 1Q25 to $7.2 billion, but take away Super Bowl numbers from the year prior, and revenue was up 2%. Streaming revenue rose 9% to top $2 billion, with Paramount+ seeing a 16% rise in subscription revenue, and adding 1.5 million net new subscribers. The elephant in the room: the company’s impending merger with Skydance Media, which requires approval from the FCC amid President Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” segment. Nothing to see here, said the company in its earnings release: “Completion of the Skydance transactions is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The transactions are anticipated to close in the first half of 2025. Until then, Paramount continues to operate in the normal course of business.”
Global consumer spending on overall media content grew 8.1% in 2024 to $1.075 trillion, while total media-related technology spending inched up 1.4% to $1.296 trillion, according to PQ Media. Consumer spend on digital media content and tech worldwide increased 5.7% in 2024 to $1.783 trillion, while end-user spend on traditional media content and tech inched up 0.6% to $588.56 billion. The US remained the largest consumer media and related tech market in the world with total expenditures of $544.18 billion in 2024. Additional findings include:
• Pure-play mobile media was the largest of the 10 hybrid-media silo spending categories in 2024 at $563.77 billion, while recorded music was the fastest growing, rising 10.9%;
• Wireless data subscriptions were the largest of the 28 digital media categories in 2024 at $300.31 billion.
• Basic and premium TV subscriptions was the largest of the 14 traditional media categories in 2024 at $231.03 billion. |
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| What’s ahead? “While consumer spending on media will accelerate in even years, the growth rates will be significantly lower than in previous years when international sporting events and major elections were held,” said PQ Media CEO Patrick Quinn. “The tariffs are impacting both developed and emerging markets, particularly relating to electronically delivered content and the devices that are used to upload that content.”
Optimum is launching a bundled streaming offer next week, giving eligible video and internet customers six complimentary months of Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Basic. “We know that our customers want more optionality when it comes to their connectivity and entertainment services, which is why we are excited to collaborate with Disney to deliver a new bundled offer that helps streamline consumers’ Optimum services and their streaming subscriptions,” said Mike Parker, President of Consumer Services at Optimum. |
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| 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 |
| FALL SLATES |
| Telemundo announced a 2025-26 programming slate that includes unscripted fare like a sixth season of “La Casa De Los Famosos”; a second run for “La Isla: Desafio”; and season ten of competition “Exatlon Estados Unidos,” among others. New scripted programming includes Super Series “Dinastia Casillas,” “Lobo” (w/t), based on the book Morir Matando, and dramas “Bahar: Esencia de Mujer” and “Leyla.” Not to mention an upcoming sports FAST channel, Telemundo Deportes Ahora. “With the FIFA World Cup next Summer and Telemundo’s growing slate of live programming, we have an incredible opportunity to expand our reach to new audiences, deepen our engagement with consumers, and tap into the highly influential Latino community.” said Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. |
 Fox has renewed workplace comedies “Animal Control,” starring Joel McHale, and Going Dutch, headlined by Denis Leary, for a fourth and second season, respectively. “With a focus on creating irreverent, fun workplace humor that’s both outrageous and unpredictable, Joel, Denis, their castmates and production teams deliver reliably laugh-out-loud moments week-after-week that will keep fans coming back season-after-season,” said Michael Thorn, President, FOX Television Network.
Dick Wolf dramas “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” will be back for 25th and 27th seasons, respectively, on NBC. The procedurals are no streaming slouches, with a combined 44 million total viewers in Live+35 on Peacock. |
| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| TV’s longest-running reality competition series has been renewed for season 41. MTV’s “The Challenge” returns this summer featuring fan favorite veterans Aneesa Ferreira, Leroy Garrett, and CT Tamburello. Full cast and theme will be announced at a later date. “The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras” delivered MTV’s biggest audience share in the last 4 years, up 16% from last season.
Tubi’s upcoming adult animated comedy, “Breaking Bear,” has added to the voice cast Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”).
Food Network competition “Super Mega Cakes” premieres Monday, June 16at 9p. “These life-sized sweet creations are unlike anything anyone has ever seen – there are cakes with holograms, cakes that float, even cakes that have cameras inside,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Dateless to Dangerous: My Son’s Secret Life,” starring Jodie Sweetin (“Full House”), will debut this summer on Lifetime. The film follows a newly single mom who tries to save her son from the toxic world of incels. |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| TLC is adding to its “1000-Lb” franchise with “1000-Lb Roomies,” kicking off Tuesday, June 10 at 10p. “’1000-Lb Roomies’ is a perfect addition to TLC’s lineup, as we continue to showcase incredible transformational journeys and celebrate big, lovable personalities who wear their hearts on their sleeves and open up in authentic and vulnerable ways,” said Alon Orstein, Senior Vice President of Production and Development for TLC.
Also expanding a franchise is A&E, with “Secrets of the Bunny Ranch.” Centered on a legal Nevada brothel, the docuseries, part of the net’s “Secrets Of” offerings, premieres Thursday, June 12 at 9p.
Max’s “Mermicorno: Starfall” will be back for season two on Thursday, May 15. The animated series ranks #11 and is holding a top 15 spot year-to-date in the streamer’s Kids & Family genre.
“WaterVoyagers Chines Adventures,” debuting on Travel Escapes tomorrow, May 10, follows two hosts on a trip of discovery in China and the Yangtze River. |
Today’ Premieres
Apple TV+: Long Way Home
Discovery: Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan at 9p
Hulu: Summer of 69
Netflix: Too Hot to Handle: Italy; The Royals
Paramount+: RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars
Prime Video: Molly-Mee: Behind It All
Saturday’s Premieres
Lifetime: The Judd Family: Truth Be Told
Travel Escapes: WaterVoyagers Chinese Adventures at 9:30p
Sunday’s Premieres
ID: The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood at 8p
Nat Geo Wild: Secrets of the Zoo: Down at 9p |
| TECH |
| Instagram Threads is set to begin testing video ads, with video ad creatives that will appear in between pieces of organic content in the Threads feed, announced Meta at its IAB NewFront presentation. Also in testing mode: a new short-form video solution, Reels trending ads, that will be shown adjacent to the most trending Reels from creators. “When your ad is at the center of the cultural conversation, this helps break through and capture your customer’s attention,” wrote the company in a blog post.
Integral Ad Science announced the launch of IAS Pre-Screen Brand Safety Solution for Search Partner Network. “This expansion builds on our partnership with Google to provide global advertisers continued access to independent, and trusted, third-party measurement and optimization solutions,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS.
Comcast Technology Solutions and Orange Logic announced a strategic partnership that aims to enhance how organizations manage and utilize their video content. The collaboration integrates Comcast Technology Solutions’ VideoAI with Orange Logic’s platform. “Companies across the premium video landscape are looking for practical and scalable ways to leverage AI to improve operational efficiency and cost savings,” said Bart Spriester, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Streaming, Broadcast, & Advertising for Comcast Technology Solutions. “CTS’ VideoAI was built for that very purpose, and we look forward to integrating with Orange Logic and enabling them to bring this value-added capability to their customers across the globe.”
DoubleVerify announced the launch of AI-powered pre-bid controls for Google’s Search Partner Network, offering advertisers greater control and protection when extending their campaign reach on SPN inventory beyond Google. Brands can apply DV’s brand safety and suitability protections to SPN inventory, enabling informed decisions to avoid content that does not align with their brand preferences. “As advertisers seek greater performance and transparency across every digital channel, our mission is to provide scalable solutions that uphold brand reputation and improve performance,” said Steven Woolway, EVP, Business Development, DoubleVerify. “With this launch, DV is extending our industry-leading protections to an important piece of Google’s ecosystem—empowering advertisers to make smarter, safer, and more efficient media investments.”
ITN and Magnite are collaborating to enable advertisers to transact live linear ads from local TV stations programmatically. The integration supports:
• Real-time bidding and VAST workflows that allow advertisers to buy live local linear TV programmatically alongside streaming and online video buys
• A bid multiplier that forecasts impressions for one-to-many delivery channels
• A seamless back-end workflow that allows local TV stations to compete directly for advertising dollars alongside national networks and online streaming alternatives
“Programmatic linear TV is finally happening,” said Todd Watson, CEO of ITN. “Linear TV is still one of the most powerful mediums available to advertisers, but it was getting squeezed out of media plans because it was harder and more expensive to activate than its digital counterparts. This collaboration changes all that.”
The number of marketers using experiments to measure marketing effectiveness has risen from 18% to 36% over the past year, according to WARC report, The Future of Measurement 2025. “Once considered the preserve of more advanced advertisers, the next 12 months in marketing measurement will be defined by a growing democratisation of tools and methods,” said Paul Stringer, Managing Editor Research and Insights, WARC. “However, while AI tools, in particular, bring new speed and scale to measurement, advertisers still lack a complete framework for understanding advertising return on investment.”
EndemolShine India is making a move into branded entertainment, partnering with Mediascope to lead the effort around brand integration and advertiser-funded programming. The focus will be on developing premium, high-impact content across formats and platforms.
AI is reshaping how brands and agency partners develop experiences, from ads and emails to websites and product pages. Every week, a new tool claims to write, build, or generate faster. But the real value lies in how it’s applied – a subject Rachel Hazelwood, VP, CX & Digital Transformation, Night Market, addresses in Cynsiders. |
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| CYNOPSIS SPORTS – POWER PLAYS
The rules of engagement are changing fast.
Streaming is leading. Women’s sports are rising. Brands want smarter targeting and deeper purpose. The game isn’t just on the field anymore, it’s in how sports are monetized, distributed, and experienced.
Power Plays is your insider look at what’s working—and what’s next.
Join top minds in sports media and marketing for a fast-paced virtual event exploring the strategies driving the future of fan engagement, platform growth, and ad innovation.
Because it’s not about who’s winning the game, it’s about who’s winning the business behind it.
June 3 | 1–3 PM ET | Free Webinar
Register now to lock in your spot! |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| NESN, New England’s sports network, announced that beginning Monday, May 12, all NESN-produced vodcasts will debut on NESN linear or NESN NATION, with re-airs throughout the day and evening across NESN platforms.
Motorsports experience Monster Jam is now available as a FAST channel on Prime Video, featuring a selection of content from twenty years of Monster Jam TV shows, including the current season with full event replays, highlights, behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with drivers. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Cineflix Rights struck a deal with Stan to become the Australian home for upcoming comedy drama series “The Walsh Sisters,” commissioned by RTÉ in association with the BBC, and based on the novels by bestselling author Marian Keyes. |
| EXCUTIVE MOVES |
| David Eilenberg is rejoining ITV America in the newly created role of Creative Director. Eilenberg, who has served as head of content at Roku Media since 2022, will oversee the creative direction of ITV America, where he served as Chief Creative Officer from 2018-2022.
Michael Sluchan, EVP, Scripted Series, Movies, Daytime, Kids and Co-Productions across NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, is moving to spinoff Versant to oversee all scripted. Sluchan has been with NBCUniversal since 1999.
Cathy Perifimos has joined Hearst Media Production Group as Vice President, Business Affairs. Perifimos spent nearly 10 years at Paramount Global and CBS Corporation, where she managed business and legal affairs for Smithsonian Channel and across the MTV Entertainment Group. |
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This Day in History
1980 – “Friday the 13th” was released
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “Bringing Up Buddy” (1960-61), who was Buddy? A young bachelor living with the aunts who had helped raise him. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Rory Rosegarten-The Conversation Company/Manhasset, NY; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA: Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago
Today’s Trivia Question
In what year was “Almost Human” (2013-14) set? (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.) |
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PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
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DIGITAL MEDIA PLANNER/BUYER >>
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