 IN THE NEWS |
| CTV remains the top channel for planned budget increases, with 58% of marketers intending to spend more in the second half of the year, according to the Mediaocean’s “2025 H2 Market Report.” Generative AI topped the list of consumer trends, with 72% of marketers citing it as a priority, up 15% from H1, followed by CTV and e-commerce. “Marketers are meeting change with a blend of resilience and reinvention,” said Karsten Weide, Principal & Chief Analyst, W Media Research. “As legacy IDs fade and AI transforms every corner of the ad tech stack, brands are building smarter, more flexible systems – rooted in identity, demand generation, and the measurable performance of channels like CTV. This report shows that the future isn’t something marketers are waiting for, it’s something they’re actively engineering.” |
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Speaking of, Wunderkind announced the launch of WunderKIND CTV Pause Ads, developed in partnership with OpenGlass.TV. Features include scalable, high-quality reach and performance, customizable QR codes, attention metrics, and a dedicated design studio.
Warner Bros. Discovery asked the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit, which names CEO David Zaslav and CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels as defendants, that claims the company misled investors about the impact the loss of NBA media rights would have on the company. While Richard Collera, who filed the class action lawsuit, accuses WBD of “wrongful acts and omissions” in SEC filings and communications, WBD is arguing that the statements were “self-evidently true and none predicted the outcome of the negotiations,” and in any case mostly happened before the collapse of the NBA negotiations. |
 Another two bite the dust: Add “Christina on the Coast” and “The Flipping El Moussas” to the list of cancelled HGTV shows. People reports the two real estate series have joined “Bargain Block,” “Izzy Does It,” “Battle on the Beach,” “Married to Real Estate” and “Farmhouse Fixer” on the chopping block.
On a happier note, The CW has renewed “Sullivan’s Crossing” for season four. The romance drama not only draws a nice audience on the network, but it has blown up on Netflix.
Also coming back is AMC Networks’ “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” for season three. The spinoff starts production in Boston this fall, with Seth Hoffman (“The Walking Dead”) joining as showrunner.
TV reaches eight out of ten active adult / retirement community consumers, twice that of any other platform, reports a new TVB study conducted by Dynata. “The 2025 Active Adult/Retirement Community Purchase Funnel Study” also found:
· TV was the most important influencer at all stages of the purchase funnel.
· Among those who cited TV as the most important for awareness, seven out of ten respondents chose broadcast TV versus cable.
· 94% of adults 50+ took some kind of action after seeing/hearing an active adult / retirement community ad on TV.
· Of the adults 50+ who do online searches, 92% said that linear TV ads influence their online search selections.
· Local TV website/apps are the most preferred and the most visited, and over 90% of A50+ view the ads when visiting a TV station’s website/apps.
While 68% of consumers still learn about new medications from doctors, 62% now cite TV and CTV ads. So says Cadent’s, “Multicultural Healthcare Advertising Trend Report,” which also found:
· Hispanic audiences are more likely to discover Rx meds via CTV than linear TV (33% vs. 28%).
· Black Americans lead in comfort with AI-generated ad content (61%).
· 47% of Americans are inclined to scan a QR code for more details after viewing a medication ad on CTV.
· 73% of respondents say they’d ask a doctor about a med after seeing a mobile ad.
“Harnessing the power of CTV and cross-screen advertising is crucial for pharmaceutical advertisers,” said Bradley Deutsch, SVP at Cadent Health. “Seventy-six percent of consumers are more inclined to take action after encountering an ad across multiple devices. These platforms don’t just introduce new medications – they are a critical factor for driving brand awareness and engagement throughout the patient journey.” |
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| Cynopsis Top Women in Media
LAST CHANCE, seriously.
The moment to make your mark is here. Nominations close TOMORROW. If you’ve been meaning to spotlight a woman driving real change in media—this is your moment. Entries closing at 11:59PM ET tomorrow night…
NOMINATE NOW |
| THINK FAST |
| While 88% of viewers say they’re open to exploring free ad-supported channels, 50% of executives believe FAST is overcrowded or lacks standout content, according to Looper Insights report, “Can FAST Hold Viewers…or Just Fill Gaps?”. It appears discovery on FAST platforms, not saturation, is the bottleneck. Viewers want to explore FAST, but few are prompted to do so, says the report – only 29% of viewers say they actively look for new content on FAST platforms. As for ads, viewers aren’t tired of ads; they’re tired of paying and still getting them. Nearly 9 in 10 consumers say they’d rather watch ads on a free service than pay for a subscription with ads. In any case, FAST is speeding up – 35% of viewers report that they now watch more FAST content than they did a year ago, though 29% have subscribed to fewer paid services.
TCLtv+ has teamed with AMC Networks to add 11 FAST channels to its slate of FAST programming. In addition to 24/7 sports and news offerings is a dedicated The Walking Dead Universe channel, along with AMC Thrillers, Scares by Shudder and Acorn TV Mysteries channels, Stories by AMC, All Reality by We TV, and AllBlk Gems. |
| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| FX has handed a series order to “Cry Wolf,” starring and executive produced by Olivia Colman (“The Crown”) and Brie Larson (“Lessons in Chemistry”). The FX Productions limited series, inspired by Danish psychological thriller “Ulvan Kommer,” comes from creator Sarah Treem, who will exec produce and showrun, Colman’s South of the River Pictures, and Special Interests.
FX also ordered prep school-set “The Shards,” based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis, reports Deadline. The project hails from 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Productions.
The first installment of FOX biblical event series “The Faithful” will star Minnie Driver (“Good Will Hunting”), Jeffrey Donovan (“Fargo”), and Natacha Karam (“9-1-1: Lone Star”). Danny Cannon (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) will direct and executive produce the premiere, while Carol Mendelsohn (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”), Julie Weitz (“Game of Silence”) and Rene Echevarria (“Carnival Row”) serve as executive producers. The Faithful comes from FOX Entertainment Studios.
Scottish animation company Bonnie and Braw Cartùns announced “The Rejects,” adult animation focused on the forgotten sidekicks of history’s legends. Now in development with Screen Scotland and international LGBTQ+ Canadian-based network OutTV, the series will be co-produced by Rick Mischel (“Rick and Morty”). It will be a Canada-Scotland co-production with Artists Animation Studio. |
| NEW & RETURNING SHOWS |
| New Freeform reality series “Love Thy Nader,” from executive producer Jimmy Kimmel, debuts with two episodes on Tuesday, August 26, at 9p. The show follows three sisters who left their humble beginnings in the Louisiana bayou for the glamour and grind of New York City. |
Today’s Premieres
A&E: Homicide Squad New Orleans at 9p
Food Network: Family Recipe Showdown at 9p
Netflix: Untamed; Catalog; Community Squad
Paramount+: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Prime Video: Surf Girls
Sundance: The Furry Detectives: Unmasking a Monster at 10p |
| TECH |
| Agentic AI platform Clinch has launched Unlimited Ad Serving, a new SaaS commercial model built to prioritize business goals over impression counts. With a fixed monthly fee, self-service clients get unlimited ad serving across all channels through its Flight Control platform, with access to its campaign orchestration capabilities and AI-enabled features. The new offering is designed to meet the needs of self-service advertisers looking to move away from CPM-based pricing models that tie technology costs to impression volume, rather than results.
Advertising platform MGID has partnered with hyperlocal news platform Patch.com. The partnership will focus on driving and optimizing monetization and audience development through content recommendations from MGID’s advertiser network. In addition, MGID’s native advertising technology will help improve user experience and boost engagement metrics through strategically recirculated content.
Supply-side platform OpenX Technologies announced the general availability of OpenXSelect, a curation and supply-side targeting platform for brands and agencies. OpenXSelect enables buyers to take control of inventory quality, activate targeting at scale using a range of data including audience, behavioral, attention, and sustainability, and optimize performance through a streamlined, intuitive interface. “Our cloud-native infrastructure allows us to move fast, delivering simple, effective tools agencies need. Just as importantly, our account management teams act as an extension of our partners’ organizations, embedding with agency and center of excellence teams to do the heavy lifting and help drive results,” said Matt Sattel, Chief Revenue Officer at OpenX.
Captify, provider of real-time audiences and insights fueled by Search Intelligence, has partnered with TV ad platform Adalyser to enhance its targeting capabilities across its premium TV inventory. Adalyser’s ActiveVoice Store platform will utilize Captify’s search intent data to help advertisers reach UK households based on their online search behavior, enabling advertisers to tailor their TV targeting to specific consumer interests and needs. |
| COMING UP |
 FETV is gearing up for its second annual back-to-school marathon of “Leave It to Beaver.” The stunt airs Sunday, August 3 from 9a-3p, leading into the Sunday Movie Matinee of the Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda 1968 classic “Yours, Mine and Ours.”
AXS TV celebrates legendary female artists with the “Women In Music” Marathon, airing Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 starting at 11a. |
Cablefax Voices of Impact & Workplace Culture Awards (Formerly The Diversity & Pride List)
Progress starts with people.
From DEI champions to cultural changemakers, help us celebrate those elevating underrepresented voices across media and connectivity. Enter by July 25nd.
FIND OUT MORE |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| ESPN Deportes has launched a new brand campaign, El Deporte Tiene Nombre y Apellido (In Sports, a Name is Everything). The campaign, running across ESPN Deportes’ linear, digital and social platforms, features actor and former professional soccer player Danilo Carrera. “El Deporte Tiene Nombre y Apellido reflects the emotional bond our fans have with sports and how names serve as a bridge to heritage, family, and community,” said Brian Iglesias, VP of Sports Marketing at ESPN. “Danilo Carrera brings an authenticity that connects deeply with Hispanic fans, making him the perfect voice for this campaign.”
Pro League Network announced this week’s Friday Night Fights SlapFIGHT Championship will be broadcast live from the AMP Summer House, as part of the streaming collective’s 30-day streamathon. In addition to PLN’s channels, the card will be broadcast on Kai Cenat and Fanum’s streams live.
A collective of over a dozen entrepreneurs and media personalities announced the formation of Kickback Soccer Media, a fan-centered American soccer media platform looking to galvanize the American soccer community for the 2026 World Cup and beyond. The founding team pairs the former GM of Soccer Champions Tour and a team of five founders and executives For Soccer, Astral Studio, and Forward Madison FC with the founders and co-hosts of Soccerwise, David Gass, Tom Bogert, and Jordan Angeli, former CBS Sports Morning Footy host Susannah Fuller, CBS Sports Golazo Network reporter Claudia Pagan, MLS player and Canadian international Mark-Anthony Kaye, among others. |
| RATINGS |
| Sunday’s season seven episode of Showtime’s “The Chi” hit 1.78 million cross-platform viewers in three days, up 23% versus the season average, and was the most-streamed series for Showtime ever. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| The Ad Council has named Rita Ferro as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Ferro is President of Global Advertising for The Walt Disney Company.
CuriosityStream has extended the contract of President and CEO Clint Stinchcomb through June 30, 2029. Stinchcomb has served in those roles since 2018.
ModOp announced two leadership changes: Miles Dinsmoor will be stepping into the newly created role of Chief Production Officer, and Steve Goldstein has been appointed Chief Operating Officer.
Added to the Cineverse ranks are Steve Peros as VP, Creative Development and Filmmaker Relations; Dan Fisher as VP, Acquisitions; and Cameron Moore as consultant for the theatrical distribution business. |
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This Day in History
1954 – Construction began on Disneyland.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
A title character in which ‘90s series had a purple nose? Big Dog, in “2 Stupid Dogs” (1993-95). (“The Ren & Stimpy Show” was a good guess, but Stimpy’s nose was blue.)
Today’s Trivia Question
Which 1980s TV-movie focused on a womanizing pool cleaner? (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.) |
VP SALES, NORTH AMERICA >>
A113MEDIA INTERNATIONAL/NEW YORK/HYBRID: Responsibility for covering format sales in the territory, liaising with the EVP Formats & Licensing as well as All3Media America, as well as Licensing finished program/tape sales in the United States and Canada. Also take ownership of and implementing the agreed sales strategies, reporting on progress and any issues preventing implementation. Full info HERE
SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE
EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). 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
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
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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