| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM OMEDA |
 IN THE NEWS |
| BIA Advisory Services has lowered its 2025 outlook for local advertising to $169 billion, down 2.4% versus last year, and a 1.5% decrease from the company’s earlier estimate of $171.4 billion. Economic pressures such as consumer sentiment, tariffs, high interest rates, and tight credit conditions are expected to impact local advertising budgets across all sectors. “Following a solid performance in 2024, driven by significant political advertising and spending from key sectors such as Legal Services, Healthcare and Quick Service Restaurants, we are now noticing a shift in the advertising landscape for 2025,” stated Senan Mele, VP of Forecasting and Data Analysis. “Ad growth has slowed down slightly as businesses implement more cautious spending strategies and optimize their channel allocations.”
However, BIA has raised its forecast for digital media spending – projected to account for 53.7% of ad spend – by $855 million this year. “The impressive growth of CTV and OTT services from 2024 to 2025 is largely attributed to ad-supported platforms now capturing 73.6% of TV viewing,” said BIA Managing Director Rick Ducey. “This transition from traditional broadcasting to streaming reinforces the business case for TV broadcasters to implement CTV/OTT strategies, enabling them to reclaim audiences and enhance their targetable ad inventory. However, despite increasing viewership and advertising spending, streaming providers face significant challenges in achieving profitability in a fragmented market.” |
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There’s a “huge” disconnect between ad spend and attention as marketing budgets focus on big tech companies like Google and Meta, according to research from AI performance company Moloco, which found the independent app ecosystem delivers up to 214% higher financial return. Some highlights include of the report include:
· Consumer app revenue jumped 25% last year, yet 88% of ad spend still funnels to Google and Meta.
· Nearly two-thirds of 18-34 year olds want to cut back on social media, while casual gaming, productivity and generative AI apps surge.
· Mobile app use is booming in places like South Africa, India and the Philippines.
· The independent app ecosystem now reaches over 2 billion daily active users, matching the combined reach of TikTok and Instagram.
“Too many advertisers are still over-indexing on Google and Meta. But the biggest returns we are seeing are happening outside big tech,” said Tom Shadbolt, Senior Insights Manager, Moloco. “The independent app ecosystem is quickly becoming the new engine for predictable and long-term performance. This research is a wake-up call for mobile app marketers.”
GAMCO Investors chairman Mario Gabelli has filed a class-action lawsuit seeking damages for the “unfair and inequitable” merger payout given to National Amusements and its affiliates in the $8 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media. GAMCO Investors voiced concerns early in the merger process, asking for more transparency regarding what National Amusements was receiving for Redstone’s voting shares, and that the merger be put to a vote by the company’s minority shareholders, said GAMCO Co-CIO Chris Marangi in statement. “These concerns were ignored and, lacking the ability to continue holding voting shares in the new Paramount entity, GAMCO was forced to redeem its shares for cash,” Marangi said. “We now look to the courts to rectify the situation.”
In more Paramount news, BET Networks is no longer being shopped, and will instead be a key part of the newly-formed company’s streaming strategy. “Our intention is to keep the company together and invest through the lens of long term operation,” said CEO David Ellison during a press conference. BET had drawn interest from prospective buyers including Tyler Perry and Byron Allen.
Zeam has acquired NewsON, an aggregator of local news content, from Sinclair. NewsON has been renamed NewsON. Powered by Zeam, with Zeam powering the livestreams of many of NewsON’s local broadcast station partners. NewsON will continue as a standalone platform backed by Zeam’s technology. Zeam currently powers OTT solutions including live local broadcasts on Paramount+, the NFL, Amazon, Apple TV, Roku, Hulu, and fuboTV, plus hundreds of other apps and websites.
“Dancing With the Stars” host Derek Hough is replacing Billy Bush as host of syndicated entertainment news show “Extra,” kicking off season 32 on Monday, September 8. “Derek brings a rare mix of energy, creativity, and a dynamic presence that perfectly captures the spirit of this exciting next era for our iconic show,” said Lauren Blincoe, SVP, Current Programming at Telepictures. “We’re energized by the future of ‘Extra’ with Derek front and center and can’t wait to see him turn the entertainment news genre on its head.” Hough will keep on “Dancing”; Bush announced his exit last May after five seasons.
President Trump announced that he will host this year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, set to fete George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, KISS and Sylvester Stallone. Earlier this year, Trump axed several members of the arts institution’s bipartisan board and named himself chairman. In a post, Trump wrote, “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS.” CBS has broadcast the ceremony since it debuted in 1978. |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| Season two Taylor Sheridan drama “Landman” kicks off Sunday, November 16. The series, starring Billy Bob Thornton, had 35 million global streaming viewers for the premiere episode and set new records for Paramount+. |
 Two returning families and three new couples will be the focus of “Seeking Sister Wife,” returning for a new season on Monday, September 22 at 9p on TLC.
All eight episodes of limited series “The Beast in Me,” starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys, drop Thursday, November 13 on Netflix.
A pair of Halloween-themed competitions are returning to Food Network, starting Monday, September 15 at 9p with “Halloween Baking Championship,” hosted by John Henson and set in a haunted mansion. On Sunday, September 21 at 9p comes a new season of “Halloween Wars,” with host Jonathan Bennett presiding over teams of cake, sugar and pumpkin-carving artists. |
 Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has partnered with The Roku Channel to launch 3D animated preschool series “Builder Brothers Dream Factory” in the US tomorrow, August 15. The animated series is inspired by the real-life Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan.
Two-part doc “aka Charlie Sheen” drops Wednesday, September 10. Per the synopsis: “Through extraordinarily candid interviews with his family, friends, and cast members, including Denise Richards, Heidi Fleiss, Jon Cryer, Sean Penn, Ramon Estevez, Brooke Mueller, Chris Tucker, and his drug dealer Marco, the most outrageous moments of Sheen’s life are revisited with raw emotion and exceptional warmth.” |
Today’s Premieres
ESPN: The Kingdom at 9p
HBO Max: Hop
Netflix: In the Mud; Miss Governor (fka She the People)
The Roku Channel: Honest Renovations
SundanceTV: True Crime Story: Smugshot at 10p |
| PRODUCTION |
 FOX Entertainment Studios has set a first-look deal with Bill Burr’s North Hill Productions. The agreement calls for comedian Burr and Mike Bertolina to serve as executive producers and content originators for scripted and unscripted television. “Bill Burr is one of the boldest, most original voices in comedy, and teaming up with him and Mike Bertolina at North Hill is exactly the kind of move that defines our studio,” said Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted for FOX Entertainment Studios. “FOX has always been home for comedy that swings big, and at FES, we’re doubling down, championing creators with strong points of view who don’t play it safe.”
Cineverse and Banyan Ventures, the venture arm of former ABC Entertainment Group and WME Chairman Lloyd Braun, have teamed to launch MicroCo, a studio and AI native platform built specifically for serialized, short-form, mobile-first content. “The average person scrolls through hundreds of feet of content a day, but almost none of it is built to last,” said Braun. “We’re merging the storytelling rigor of series television with the pace, energy, and intimacy of short-form – creating addictive, emotionally rich, quality series that are developed specifically for this format and speak directly to how people consume content now.” Jana Winograde, former President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks, will serve as CEO, while Susan Rovner, former Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, will hold the title of Chief Creative Officer as she continues as head of her AHA Studios
“Jersey Shore” regular Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has teamed with ITV America (“Love Island USA”) for a documentary based on his memoir, Reality Check: Making the Best of the Situation – How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison. “I am beyond excited to partner with ITV America to bring the pages of my autobiography to life on screen,” said Sorrentino. “This project is more than just my story; it’s a raw, unfiltered journey through addiction, fame and redemption.” |
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| TECH |
| Creator business platform TheSoul Publishing has launched SHRT, a mobile application dedicated to vertical drama content. Available on iOS and Android, SHRT delivers short-form, episodic storytelling tailored specifically for mobile audiences. “Vertical drama isn’t just a trend, it’s episodic television for the mobile generation and we’re shaping the future of this fast-growing format,” said Victor Potrel, VP of External Strategy at TheSoul Publishing. To power the user experience, TheSoul partnered with Playkot, whose mobile-first platform provides the infrastructure behind SHRT’s performance and backend operations.
Techex, provider of live broadcast infrastructure solutions, is collaborating with Google Cloud to deliver secure, low-latency transport of live video feeds from race circuits to global production partners. Techex has deployed a new cloud-based media production environment for Formula E, supporting the championship’s live event coverage and media operations.
Perion Network announced the launch of its Performance CTV Solution, a strategic expansion within its unified Perion One platform. The new offering aims to capitalize on the increasing demand for measurable advertising results in CTV, enabling advertisers to activate data-driven campaigns across streaming platforms such as Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, NBC, Discovery+, and DirecTV. |
| COMING UP |
| Eminem-produced documentary “Stans” will exclusively debut Paramount+ on Tuesday, August 26. The film had a limited run in the US from August 7-10. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| Comcast has launched World Soccer Ticket, an $85/month bundle for Xfinity customers. The offering includes access to over 1,500 matches, featuring Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, LALIGA, Liga MX, the FIFA World Cup and more. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Animation distributor Gkids and HBO Max have expanded their partnership to add a new batch of titles to the HBO Max stable. “HBO Max’s continued partnership with GKIDS indicates our commitment to bringing world class Japanese animation and original films to our audiences,” said Royce Battleman, EVP, Global Content Acquisitions at Warner Bros. Discovery. “This deal, which introduces masterpieces and fan favorites to streaming for the very first time, allows us to continue delivering premium films to our subscribers and solidifies HBO Max’s position as a leading destination in the space.”
TV5MONDE Chefs has joined Samsung TV Plus in France. The deal expands the partnership between TV5MONDE and Samsung TV Plus and adds to the already available suite of FAST channels which includes TV5MONDE Voyage (travel, available now in France) and TV5MONDE Info (news, available in France and Italy).
Sinclair’s free, over-the-air networks CHARGE, Comet, ROAR, and The Nest announced a series of strategic national distribution agreements, channel upgrades, and new multicast affiliate launches. “Our multicast networks continue to build momentum through a strategic combination of affiliate expansion, upgraded channel placements, and national distribution on platforms like YouTube TV and Mediacom,” said Lee Schlazer, SVP Distribution. “By deepening our presence in key DMAs and bringing these networks to even more linear and digital audiences, we’re delivering on our mission to expand our free, high-quality television footprint nationwide.” |
| RATINGS |
| “South Park” is still riding high. The second episode of the Comedy Central show’s 27th season delivered 6.2 million cross-platform global viewers in its first three days, versus 6 million for the premiere episode. On linear, the show drew 1.56 million Live+3 viewers. It was also the #1 telecast on Wednesday, August 6 across all cable, and #2 across all TV (behind CBS’ “Big Brother).
The season 14 premiere of “King of the Hill” drew 4.4 million views in its first seven days of streaming, to rank as the most-viewed adult animation season premiere on Disney+ and Hulu in five years, according to Disney. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| As Disney prepares to fully integrate Hulu into Disney+, the company is realigning its marketing organization. Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer for The Walt Disney Co. and President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios and Disney+, will become Chief Brand Officer, TWDC, and President, Disney Entertainment Marketing. Shannon Ryan, who had been President of Marketing for Disney Entertainment Television, transitions to President, DTC and Disney Entertainment Television Marketing, reporting to Ayaz while remaining on the leadership team of Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden. Samantha Rosenberg who has been heading Disney+ marketing and reported to Ayaz, and Barrie Gruner, who has been leading Hulu marketing and reported to Ryan, will now both report to Ryan.
Caitlin Galo has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Communications in NBCUniversal’s Advertising & Partnerships division. Galo has been with the company for nearly 15 years, joining the Advertising and Partnerships group in 2021.
Sinclair has named Billy Robbins as Vice President of Station Sales Operations. Robbins most recently served as Vice President & General Manager of Sinclair’s Baltimore stations, WBFF/WNUV/EBFF. |
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This Day in History
1873 – Field & Stream began publishing.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which Peabody Award-winning TV drama was the first to portray teachers and students in a realistic manner, with episodes covering topics like drug abuse and racial discrimination? “Mr. Novak” (1963-65). Kudos to: Ron Simon-Paley Center/NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; John Kukla-KDFW Fox 4/Dallas; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
Which 1960s series had its title character reincarnated as a superhero in a short-lived animated 1980s show of the same name? (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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DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
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