| Good morning and welcome to Cynopsis — the media industry’s essential morning read. Today: surprising next acts for retired sports stars Serena Williams and Jason Kelce. |
 IN THE NEWS |
| It’s over. Following the season three finale of “Euphoria,” series creator Sam Levinson announced HBO’s hit drama had come to an end (not a surprise to viewers who saw that last episode). “In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me,” said Levinson on the New York Times’ Popcast. Levinson added that the finale was a tribute to cast member Angus Cloud, who died of a drug overdose during the writing of the third season.
NFL ad revenue hit a record $5.9 billion in 2025-2026, up 7% year-over-year, according to Guideline data. Among the season’s highlights:
· Regular season ad revenue was up 6% YoY while playoff ad revenue was up 13%.
· Disney led all parent network owners in full-season revenue growth at 19% YoY (excluding the Super Bowl).
· Streaming-exclusive games grew their share of full-season revenue to 13%, up from 8% two seasons ago.
· Guideline is projecting 8% YoY growth in ad revenue for the 2026-2027 season.
· Estimated total ad revenue for the Thanksgiving Eve game is $48 million.
· Overall NFL ad revenue for 2026-2027 is projected to hit $6.3 billion.
· The takeaway: The NFL’s ad revenue engine shows no signs of slowing down.
With Pride Month kicking into gear, JustWatch reports that Dekkoo, the streaming service dedicated to LGBTQ+ films and series, not surprisingly has the highest share of LGBTQ+ titles, offering 23% of the curated catalogue currently available to stream in the U.S.
· Prime Video’s catalog is a close second, followed by HereTV.
· HBO’s “Euphoria” is the biggest current LGBTQ+ series.
· 1996 film “The Birdcage” and 1997-2003 series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” are classic fan favorites for LGBTQ+ series. |
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| CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS
This Is the Week Everyone Comes Together
The guest list is set. The finalists are in. The industry is getting ready to celebrate.
Join leaders from across sports media, marketing, streaming, technology, and advertising for a night of recognition, networking, and meaningful connections.
June 4 | New York City
Secure your seat before it’s too late.
REGISTER NOW |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “Once Upon a Time in Space,” telling the human stories behind space exploration, airs Tuesdays from July 14-August 4 on PBS (check local listings).
Season eight of Peacock’s “Love Island U.S.A.” kicks off tonight — and the villa comes fully stocked.
· CeraVe, Coffee mate, Maybelline New York, Motorola, and poppi are woven into daily island life, showing up across morning routines, late-night pairings, and signature “I’ve got a text!” moments.
· Cuervo Tequila, Hellmann’s, M&M’S, NESCAFÉ, Smirnoff Ice, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe® are bringing the franchise energy to custom-crafted ad spots starring familiar faces from the show.
· When viewers hit pause, Peacock’s shoppable full-screen Pause Ads will feature brands during natural breaks, a format that has led to a +74% lift in ad memorability and +100% increase in foot traffic, according to Peacock.
· The takeaway: More and more, streaming platforms are leaning on fan- favorite IP to give brands contextual relevance that traditional spots can’t replicate.
Season two of Starz prequel series “Outlander: Blood of my Blood” debuts Friday, September 18.
Jason Kelce is stepping out of his comfort zone. His production company, Wooderboy Productions, has partnered with Wondery on “Kelce Versus,” a new sports entertainment series debuting Thursday, June 4 on YouTube. The premise: drop a former All-Pro NFL center into unfamiliar arenas and see what happens.
A new batch of episodes of Disney Jr.’s “Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends” premiere Thursday, June 11, on Disney Jr. at 7 a.m. and Disney Jr. on Demand. Dodgers star Mookie Betts joins the guest cast as a baseball player who loves to help young kids learn the game.
Revry, the LGBTQ+ streaming platform, is debuting its new original series, “I’m Dead,” on Sunday, June 7 at 9 p.m. The 12-parter features performances from “Drag Race All-Stars’” Salina EsTitties, Percy Rustomji, Kaycee Conlee, Lady Bushra, and Marval A. Rex, among others. |
Today’s Premieres
History: The Proof Is Out There: Unexplained Edition at 10:30 p.m.
Hulu: Not Suitable for Work
ID: People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer at 9 p.m.; Bodies in the Water at 10 p.m.
NBC: America’s Got Talent at 8 p.m.; Password at 10 p.m.
Paramount+: Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal
Peacock: Love Island U.S.A. |
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June 10 | 11AM ET
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| COMING UP |
| “Chicago” will celebrate 30 years on Broadway with a special performance during “The 79th Annual Tony Awards.” Queen Latifah, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in the film adaptation, will join Tony Awards host P!NK and more for a tribute on Sunday, June 7 on CBS.
CNBC pre-market news program “Squawk Box” is hitting the road, airing from Washington, D.C. today and tomorrow. Co-anchors Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin will be on the ground for conversations with policymakers, business leaders, and newsmakers. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| ESPN and the Women’s National Football Conference have locked in a new two-year broadcast deal keeping the IX Cup Championship Game on ESPN2, double the length of their original one-year agreement. Beyond the airwaves, ESPN execs will get hands-on with marketing and promotional strategy for the league. There’s also potential upside from ESPN’s broader portfolio, including the newly acquired NFL Network, which could help raise WNFC’s profile further.
Hyundai, the FIFA World Cup 2026™’s official mobility partner, unveiled its U.S. marketing push. The campaign spans owned social content across the soccer tournament, influencer partnerships, out-of-home placements in host cities, digital and streaming ads, and live fan experiences at select matches. “The FIFA World Cup is going to be flooded with over-exposed superstars in familiar-looking ads. We didn’t want to add to that,” said Jason Sperling, chief creative officer of INNOCEAN USA. The campaign “‘Next Starts Now’ is focused on the future…It’s energetic, it’s a bit rebellious, and it’s exactly where Hyundai is heading.” |
 Move over, Super Bowl — puppy competitions are going global. “LG Channels World Pup” debuts Wednesday, June 10, pitting 48 rescue puppies against one another in a four-part bracket-style tournament inspired by the World Cup. Eight national teams of pups will scramble for the World Pup Trophy in the event series, which comes from Bright Spot Content, the production company behind the Puppy Bowl. It’s available to stream free on LG Channels.
The Tennis Channel will likely get a bump this year for its coverage of the HSBC Championships in London— Serena Williams announced she is stepping out of retirement to accept a wild-card invitation to play at the event. Said the 44-year-old GOAT, “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.” The tournament gets underway Saturday, June 6. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| As part of an expanded strategic partnership with Little Dot Studios, over 4,000 new hours of Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) reality, dating, and factual entertainment programming will be available across Little Dot Studios’ genre-based YouTube channels, including First Comes Love, Real Stories, Absolute History, Only Human and Absolute Docs.
FOX Weather, FOX News Media’s free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) weather service, will expand distribution across SiriusXM tomorrow, June 3 — just in time for the official start of Atlantic hurricane season. Access to the SiriusXM app is included with most SiriusXM subscriptions. In addition, during major weather events, FOX Weather will also be available as a free-to-air public service for anyone with access to a SiriusXM enabled radio or the SiriusXM app.
FOX One is now available on YouTube’s Primetime Channels. Viewers can sign up directly on YouTube. |
| RATINGS |
| ESPN hosted the most-viewed Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final since 2015. The four-game Vegas Golden Knights/Colorado Avalanche series averaged 2.2 million viewers.
Spectrum News was the most-watched news network among Spectrum households in May, averaging 1.8 million daily viewing households across its linear and digital platforms.
The latest season of HGTV’s “Rock the Block” attracted over 16.4 million total viewers across linear and streaming since its April 13 premiere. The seven-episode run delivered a season high .55 Live+3 rating among Adults 25-54 for the May 25 finale. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Former Croud and Precis director Matt Chinn has joined Fifty, the audience intelligence and media solutions partner, as its new growth & partnerships director. |
Today’s Trivia Question
Who played Cheryl’s sister Becky on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2000-2024)? (Email answers to trivia@cynopsis.com and include your name, company and city. Answers limited to four per time zone.)
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which series borrowed its name from an Elmore Leonard novel, but none of the book’s main characters? Answer: “Get Shorty” (2017-19).
Congrats to: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Andrew Goldman-Phanes Funding Group/NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago |
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