| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION |
Good morning and welcome to Cynopsis — the media industry’s essential morning read. Today:
· “Scooby-Doo” Gets Real
· “The Voice” Winner Goes High Profile in NYC
· Nat Geo Kicks Off “Sharkfest” With Hammerheads |
 IN THE NEWS |
Paramount may be willing to divest portions of its children’s content portfolio to win regulatory approval for its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to Bloomberg.
· The deal has drawn scrutiny from European Union antitrust regulators, who are examining its potential impact on competition in the European children’s television market. The concern centers on the combined company’s outsized reach: Paramount’s Nickelodeon is a dominant force in Europe, and WBD brings Cartoon Network to the table — giving the merged entity significant control over kids’ content across the continent.
· The European Commission is currently in the first phase of its review, with an initial deadline in early July. If regulators determine the deal warrants deeper examination, a Phase 2 investigation could push the timeline back by several months.
· At its core, European regulators are trying to ensure no single media player ends up with a stranglehold on children’s programming — and Paramount appears willing to make concessions to keep the deal on track.
· The Takeaway: The Nickelodeon-Cartoon Network overlap is shaping up to be the deal’s biggest regulatory hurdle in Europe. Expect divestiture talks — or a drawn-out Phase 2 review — to define the merger’s path forward. |
 A sequel to the 1997 comedy “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” is in production and heading to Hulu. Original writer Robin Schiff (“Emily in Paris”) is back for the follow-up, as are stars Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino, with Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim, and Julia Campbell also set to return.
A live action revival of “Jem and the Holograms,” the 1985-88 animated series about a record producer who moonlights as the singer in a rock band, is in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Kilter Films (“Westworld”) is producing. |
| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM BUCKEYE BROADBAND |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| The tenth and final season of Telemundo’s “El Señor de los Cielos” kicks off Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m. The series is Telemundo’s longest-running franchise.
Telemundo music competition “Operación Triunfo Estados Unidos” debuts Tuesday, July 7 at 7 p.m. The season is hosted by Natalia Téllez and features David Bisbal as a member of the judging panel.
Awkwafina (“The Farewell”) has joined the cast of Disney’s “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.” The film, part of the franchise following the teenage children of classic Disney heroes and villains, debuts on Disney on Thursday, July 16. |
 French series “Lupin” returns for Season 4 on Netflix on Friday, October 23. Omar Sy stars as gentleman thief Assane Diop.
A four-part docuseries coming to Prime Video in the UK and Ireland this summer captures Pep Guardiola’s final two seasons as Manchester City manager. |
 Good boy! The Scooby-Doo franchise will have its first-ever real dog in the title role. “Scooby-Doo: Origins,” premiering in 2027, follows Shaggy and Daphne in their final summer at camp, where they become embroiled in a mystery surrounding a lonely, lost Great Dane puppy. |
Today’s Premieres
BritBox: Beyond Paradise
Disney XD: Dragon Striker at 5 p.m.
Netflix: Norway: The Dark Horse; The Rest Is Football
The winner of “The Voice” Season 30 already has a major opportunity waiting for them. Through a new partnership between Live Nation Studios, Governors Ball, and the NBC singing competition, whoever takes the title will land a main stage slot at the New York City music festival in 2027. The Season 30 finale airs in December.
The greatest American female athletes of all time are getting their moment.
“Gamechangers: America’s Top 25 Female Athletes” — a one-hour Roku Channel special counting down the all-time greats — drops Thursday, July 2. The special is the second chapter of Roku’s “Gamechangers” anthology, produced with Omaha Productions, TOGETHXR, and Motion Entertainment. |
| PRODUCTION |
| European animation studio TeamTO and U.S. animation studio Martian Blueberry are collaborating on “Junichiro Jackson,” TeamTO’s first original adult anime-inspired series under new TeamTOKO label. The psychological thriller serves as the launch title for a broader creative and strategic alliance between the two studios. |
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| COMING UP |
| National Geographic’s annual “Sharkfest” event returns for its 14th year on Sunday, July 5 at 9 p.m. with “Hammerhead Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory.” The special features cinematographer Gregory as he dives into Mexico’s Pacific waters. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
 The Rolling Stones are dropping FIFA World Cup 2026 merch — and a remix. The iconic rock band is teaming up with FIFA for limited-edition vinyl, an exclusive track on the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, and a full merch line. The collab is part of FIFA’s Sound initiative with Universal Music Group, bridging football and music ahead of the tournament.
Sports platform OutKick has become a vertical within FOX News Digital, available through the FoxNews.com homepage and the app. OutKick founder Clay Travis has signed a new deal as a FOX News Media contributor and will depart OutKick but continue to host “OutKick the Show with Clay Travis” on FS1 on Wednesdays. |
| RATINGS |
| Game 2 of the 2026 Women’s College World Series championship series averaged 2.5 million viewers on ESPN, to rank as the most-watched college softball game on record.
ABC clocked the largest Stanley Cup Final Game 2 audience since 2015. The Vegas Golden Knights-Carolina Hurricanes game drew 4.7 million viewers, up 88% versus 2025 Stanley Cup Final Game 2.
Food Network’s “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing” wrapped up its highest-rated season ever, averaging 0.64 P25-54 / 0.82 W25-54 Live + 3 ratings, with the finale scoring a series-high .79 Live + 3 rating for P25-54. The season reached more than 11.1 million P2+ cross-platform viewers. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Tom Fleming has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Ad Sales for FOX Television Stations (FTS). In his new role, Fleming will oversee all local, national, and digital sales efforts.
Tom Boucher, formerly Head of Edit at Absolute Post, has joined the production company Untold Fable as Senior Editor. |
Today’s Trivia Question
In which series did a character host a show called “40 and Bitter”? (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 1965-67 series was revived in 1995, and ran until 2002? Answer: “The Outer Limits.”
Congrats to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Gery Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Roger Furman-Sports Marketing Communications/Greentown, PA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA |
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