 IN THE NEWS |
 It’s official – Skydance Media has completed its $8.4 billion merger with Paramount Global, creating media and entertainment company Paramount, a Skydance Corporation. “Today marks an exciting and pivotal moment as we prepare to bring Paramount’s legacy as a Hollywood institution into the future of entertainment,” said CEO David Ellison. “My vision is to honor exceptional storytelling while modernizing how we make and deliver content to support the world’s top creative talent, enhance experiences for audiences worldwide, and create sustainable value for our shareholders.” Skydance announced the merger proposal back in January 2024.
The timing of the decision to cancel CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was suspect for some, coming as it did just days after Colbert’s labeled Paramount Global’s settlement with President Trump “a big fat bribe.” While Colbert’s comment came as Paramount was awaiting FCC approval for the merger, the idea that the two were connected was shot down by George Cheeks, Chair of TV Media at the new company. “The challenge in late night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline,” Cheeks told journalists after the deal closed. “We are huge fans of Colbert, we love the show, unfortunately the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going.” Cheeks offered no details about the future of late night, but did say he planned to “double down” on primetime and sports.
Forty-three percent of all US adults say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising and the platform where they tend to pay attention to ads the most. That’s according to Tenetic, which collected data in conjunction with CivicScience from July 8 through July 11 and found that only 28% of adults feel that the internet is the most acceptable place for ads, and 29% that social media is best. On the down side, research showed that 37% of US adults said they believe TV advertisers don’t know anything about them, with 59% saying they rarely or never remember the sponsor or advertiser of a show they watched. Additional findings from the study include:
· 47% of U.S. adults would prefer to choose the ads they see over letting AI decide.
· Those earning over $100,000 (52%) are the most likely to want control, compared to 45% of those earning $50,000–$100,000 and 42% of those earning under $50,000.
· Gen Z, however, stands apart: 42% prefer to let AI choose their ads.
“Clearly there is an untapped opportunity in the television advertising market,” said Chris Wilson, CEO, Tenetic. “Viewers are accepting of ads on TV, but they are not finding enough ads to be relevant to their interests or needs. We can better realize the impact of TV advertising, especially as a driver to local purchase, with a more accurate, real-time understanding of the consumer.”
Revenue for Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming business rose 9% to $2.8 billion and saw a profit of $293 million, versus a year-ago loss of $107 million, according to WBD’s quarterly report. The company added 3.4 million streaming subscribers for a total of 125.7 million globally, thanks in part to HBO Max’s launch in Australia in the first quarter.
Disney+ has canceled “Goosebumps” after two seasons. The series from Disney Branded Television was based on the books by R.L. Stine.
Fox News has filed a motion to throw out Gavin Newsom‘s $787 million defamation suit. In June, Newsom alleged that FNC host Jesse Watters defamed him by saying that the California governor lied about a phone call with President Trump. Watters apologized on air, but added that Newsom’s statement about the call was “confusing and unclear.” FNC argues that Newsom’s lawyers offered to drop the case in return for a retraction and apology, and accuse Newsom of seeking to create a “press spectacle” to advance his presidential ambitions. |
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| CYNOPSIS SCREENSHIFT
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
In an era of content saturation and consumer control, Cadillac CMO Melissa Grady Dias shares how leading brands are showing up smarter. Don’t miss “Winning the Brand” at ScreenShift on Oct. 14—where brand strategy meets real-world impact.
RESERVE MY SPOT |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 Brian Cox (“Succession”) will have an “expanded presence” in season two of competition show “007: Road to a Million,” promises Prime Video. “Returning as The Controller this time around, the series feels more high-octane, more immersive, and definitely more Bond,” said Cox. “The challenges are bigger, the drama runs deeper, and I’ve got the best seat in the house to watch it unfold.” The season kicks off Friday, August 22.
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” returns to Disney Channel for season two with two episodes on Friday, September 12, and drops Wednesday, October 8 on Disney+. Executive producer Selena Gomez will return to the sequel in a guest starring role. |
 Peacock released a trailer for mockumentary “The Paper,” set in the world of “The Office” and featuring Oscar Nunez reprising his role as Oscar (“I’m not agreeing to any of this,” TV Oscar tells the camera. “I will make this unusable.”). This time around, the camera crew is following the staff of newspaper The Truth Teller, manned by volunteer reporters because there’s no money to pay them. (You can check out the trailer here.)
VH1 improv comedy series “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out” continues its 21st season with 20 new episodes premiering Monday, September 1 at 9p. Taped in front of a live audience in Atlanta, the upcoming slate will feature roster of celebrity guests including Jim Jones, Dru Hill, Fabolous, Lecrae, Carla Hall, NEXT, Da’Vinchi, Apryl Jones, Bobby Shmurda, and Scar Lip, to name a few.
Dark comedy “In the Name of Love,” a Norwegian coming-of-age series, makes its Viaplay debut on Monday, September 6. Two episodes drop weekly. |
Today’s Premieres
Discovery: Bering Sea Gold at 9p
Fox Nation: PBR Friday Night Live at 6p
Starz: Outlander: Blood of My Blood at 8p
Saturday’s Premieres
CNN: American Prince: JFK Jr. at 10p
CW: PBR on The CW at 6:30
Sunday’s Premiere
Hallmark Channel: The Chicken Sisters at 8p |
Cablefax Voices of Impact & Workplace Culture Awards (Formerly The Diversity & Pride List)
Last Chance to Recognize a Culture-Driven Leader.
The Voices of Impact & Workplace Culture Awards honor those redefining what great workplaces look like.
Nominations close TONIGHT, 11:59PM ET.
ENTER NOW |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| In 13 seasons, the NWSL has reached $75 million in sponsorship revenue, driven by 200 brands, according to SponsorUnited’s inaugural NWSL Marketing Partnerships 2024-25 Report. Data shows that the average team generated over $5 million in sponsorship revenue, commanding an average of $170,00 per deal.
Sports agency Athletes First and Sinclair have formed an events and media partnership that will unite Athletes First’s events and talent with the properties and national audience of Sinclair and AMP Sports, Sinclair’s portfolio of digital content and original podcasts. Sinclair will serve as the exclusive sports media partner for two of Athletes First’s live events, producing original content and brand activations at the next iteration of The Block, and host live video podcasts from multiple stops on the Tailgate Tour. |
| TECH |
| Jukin Licensing announced what it calls a major leap forward in UGC technology integration. The company’s new AI integration empowers advertisers to find, license, and deploy authentic content faster and more efficiently, streamlining creative workflows and maximizing campaign performance. “Our customers now have unparalleled access to real, relatable stories that cut through the digital noise and resonate with audiences,” said Sascha Weis, Head of Global Licensing at Jukin Licensing. “In a landscape dominated by skepticism toward AI-generated content, our technology ensures that brands can harness the power of authenticity at scale.” |
| COMING UP |
| “Dear Viv,” World of Wonder’s original documentary feature film honoring the life and legacy of drag icon and entertainer The Vivienne, will premiere Thursday, August 28 on WOW Presents Plus worldwide, day and date with the film’s UK premiere on BBC Three and iPlayer.
Dabl Get Schooled, an all-day marathon of back-to-school-themed episodes from Dabl Network’s library of sitcoms that includes “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Living Single,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and more, launches Sunday, August 10 at 6a. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| WildBrain CPLG has promoted Evi Sari to the newly created role of Vice President, Global Location-Based Entertainment, and Danielle Tanton has joined the LBE team as Director, Location-Based Entertainment, EMEA, Experiential Strategy & Partnerships. |
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This Day in History
1960 – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Friday Fun Fact
Spelled out, no number before 1,000 contains the letter A.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What show did “Morning Joe” replace on MSNBC? “Imus in the Morning,” in 2007. Kudos to: Anne Thomason-Canvas Worldwide/Atlanta; Cindy O’Connor-Locality/NYC; Art Salisch-SMRC/West Windsor, NJ; Matt Marini-Skydance Paramount/NYC; Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Patrick Paris-Paris Public Relations/LA; Terri Corigliano/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
Which show aired as a rotating mystery movie on NBC in the 1970s, and again on ABC 11 years later? (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.) |
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 5 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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