Agency professionals consider measurement to be the #1 barrier to scale when it comes to retail media, particularly among heavy users pushing for full-funnel attribution. That’s according a report from Infillion, “Getting Real About Retail Media,” which noted that high costs, and lack of third-party performance validation or benchmarks are also pain points.

Also doing good: NBCUniversal Local Greater Good Charities are partnering on a pet airlift mission to transport more than 120 at-risk shelter cats and dogs from Louisiana to New Jersey and New Hampshire on Wednesday, August 20. The airlift is part of the 11th annual Clear The Shelters pet adoption and donation campaign taking place now through August 31.

In another double dose of reality, thirteen fan-favorites from “Big Brother” will embark on a European tour for season 38 of CBS’ “The Amazing Race.” The competition kicks off Thursday, September 25 at 9p, settling into its regular Wednesday slot the following week at 9:30p.

In a third synerg-astic move, Ariana Madix, host of Peacock’s smash reality show, “Love Island USA,” will jump to NBCU’s linear side to guest star on NBC’s “St. Denis Medical.” Season two of the mockumentary launches Monday, November 3.

Season four of Taylor Sheridan drama “Mayor of Kingstown” kicks off Sunday, October 26 on Paramount+.

The third and final season of “Power Book IV: Force” premieres Friday, November 7 at midnight on the Starz app. Prequel series “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” is also set to end its run, with its upcoming fifth season.

HGTV’s “Scariest House in America” is back for season two on Friday, September 19 at 9p. Retta, star of “Ugliest House in America,” returns for the spinoff, which attracted more than 8.3 million viewers to its freshman run.

Psychological crime thriller “The Crow Girl” premieres Monday, September 8 on Acorn TV. The six-parter is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name.

Saturday’s Premieres
A&E: Mother Flip at 12p
Hallmark Channel: Providence Falls at 4p
The Roku Channel: The Great American Baking Show Celebrity Summer

Sunday’s Premiere
Adult Swim: Women Wearing Shoulder Pads at 12a

Peacock has ordered a second season of “Here Come the Irish.” The docuseries following the Notre Dame football team on and off the field kicks off Monday, December 8.

Spirit Studios has partnered with Beat Six, a creator collective of UK beauty creators, to launch a YouTube channel blending beauty, entertainment and creator-led formats. The Beat Six line-up features creators with a combined following of 10 million across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Lifetime has renewed “Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out” for a second season. Don’t be fooled by the name – the reality show’s star, dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, and the network, take this skin game seriously. “The way Dr. Sandra Lee changes the lives of everyone that comes through her practice is truly inspiring,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime, and LMN. “Not only is she at the top of her field, but she is also able to empower her mentees who will be the next generation of poppers and truly help her patients and our audience.” The series is produced by Invent TV in association with A+E Factual Studios and Not Hurting You Productions.

Prime Video has ordered biblical drama “Joseph of Egypt.” Production on is currently underway in New Mexico on the limited series starring Adam Hashmi (“Bridgerton”). Amazon MGM Studios is co-producing with 5&2 Studios.

Production is underway for Great American Media Original Movie, “A Belle Christmas.” Currently being shot at Great Point Studios in Buffalo, New York, the film is set to premiere as part of the 5th Anniversary of Great American Christmas in 2025.

Big Conversations, Fun Finish

Join us from 3PM on Oct 14 with the ScreenShift Roundtables & Reception Pass—includes panels, expert-led discussions, ACL cornhole, and the happy hour + awards reception.

Just $199 – prices increase tonight by $100.

RESERVE YOUR PASS NOW

Protected by Mediocean, a solution for holistic ad verification, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation, bringing together the IWF’s data services with Protected’s AI-powered verification to deliver safer, more responsible digital advertising outcomes at scale. Protected by Mediaocean now integrates the IWF’s continually updated datasets to proactively identify and prevent ad placements adjacent to criminal content which poses a threat to children’s online safety. “Verification should not only protect, but empower,” said Asaf Greiner, General Manager, Protected by Mediaocean. “This partnership with the IWF reflects our commitment to making verification smarter, faster, and more aligned with our clients’ goals. By embedding IWF’s data into our platform, we’re operationalizing safety in a way that supports both integrity and performance outcomes.”

Today’s viewers expect their screens to be smart, shoppable, and seamless. If content isn’t commerce-enabled, companies aren’t just missing revenue – they’re missing relevance, says Gary Mittman, co-founder and CEO of KERV.ai, who offers his insights in Cynsiders. (Want more on shoppable? There’s a panel just for you at ScreenShift.)

Documentary “Clemente,” celebrating the life and legacy of the late Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente, premieres Tuesday, September 23 at 8p on The HISTORY Channel.

DirecTV announced a multi-year, year-round collaboration with Duke University, Ohio State, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Oregon, United States Military Academy (Army), and The University of Texas. The agreement spans across multiple sports programs, including football, Men’s and Women’s basketball, and more. DirecTV will be activating across the six campuses throughout the year, starting with a presence at football matchups between Texas at Ohio State and Oregon State at Oregon.

Horizon Sports & Experiences unveiled & NOW: The United States of Soccer, the second edition of the agency’s thought leadership series focused on sports, media, and entertainment. The new study explores growth of soccer in the US market, highlighting a timely window of opportunity for brands to be part of what is set to be a wave of excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Some key highlights from the study include:
· Currently, there are 60 million soccer fans over the age of 18 in the U.S. – with 25% saying they just became fans within the last three years.
· Soccer fans in the US represent a strong base of nearly 60 million consumers with distinct spending power and influence. More than half (56%) of soccer fans are aged 35–64.
· US soccer fans immerse themselves in soccer culture, content, and communities across multiple platforms: 88% watch on TV or streaming, 55% follow on social media, 41% watch in social settings like bars, and 38% attend live matches – offering brands the opportunity to integrate campaigns that stretch across digital, physical, and experiential channels.

“Since 1996, soccer has steadily transformed from a niche passion to a cultural force in the US – and we’re now entering a tipping point,” said Kerry Bradley, SVP, Strategy, Horizon Sports & Experiences. “With the momentum building toward next summer’s World Cup and the wave of fandom it will unleash, the game is poised for unprecedented growth. For brands, this isn’t just a moment to watch – it’s a movement to join. This study offers brands insight into how they can not only shape fandom but the future of the sport here in this market.”
Kerry Bradley will speak on the panel, “Winning with Live TV: Revenue, Reach and Rights Optimization at the Cynopsis ScreenShift event, October 14 in NYC.

Prime Sports today announced its full slate of games for the inaugural season of the NBA on Prime, tipping off with a doubleheader on Friday, October 24 at 7:30pwhen the New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers at 10p, with live NBA on Prime pregame coverage beginning at 7p.Ian Eagle will provide play-by-play for the NBA on Prime Celtics-Knicks opener, joined by analyst Stan Van Gundy in the booth, with Cassidy Hubbarth reporting from the sidelines. Kevin Harlan is on the call for Timberwolves-Lakers, with Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker providing analysis, and Allie Clifton serving as sideline reporter.

Sports Illustrated released the first wave of talent that will be competing in the SI Women’s Games: Diana Flores (Flag Football, Team Americas); Sloane Stephens (Tennis; Team Americas); Dearica Hamby (Basketball; Team Americas); Jordyn Poulter (Volleyball; Team Americas); Jade Carey (Gymnastics, Team Americas); Bryony Page (Trampoline, Team World) Helen Maroulis (Wrestling, Team Americas) and Raz Hershko (Judo, Team World). The six-day event starts Tuesday, October 28, and will air on ION.

Hisense and Xumo, the streaming joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications, announced the launch of Hisense Channels, a new FAST service featuring over 200 premium channels for Hisense Smart TVs. “Through strategic collaborations like this, Xumo is making it easier for consumers to find and enjoy all the premium FAST content that’s out there today, while also giving content owners and advertisers more ways to reach new audiences,” said Stefan Van Engen, VP, Content Partnerships, Acquisition, Distribution and Experience, Xumo. The launch builds on the ongoing collaboration between Xumo and Hisense, which includes the development of Hisense Xumo TVs powered by Xumo’s operating system.

News of Webtoon Entertainment’s deal with Disney to bring content from properties like Marvel and Star Wars to the Webtoon app’s mobile vertical-scroll format pushed the stock price for the South Korean online-comics company up 81%, to $16.97, on Wednesday. The deal includes a catalog of reformatted comics as well as new series that are in development. “The stamp of approval from Disney, who is typically very selective about the distribution of its IP, demonstrates the value of the Webtoon platform and the ties to its otherwise hard-to-reach audience,” wrote Raymond James analysts in a research note.

Pluto TV has launched a “Beyond the Gates” channel, featuring over 90 episodes of the CBS daytime soap opera to start.

Samsung TV Plus and TV5MONDE, the French-language entertainment network, announced that TV5MONDE Chefs is now available on Samsung TV Plus in France.

The premieres of UPtv’s “Hudson and Rex” on August 7 ranked #9 its time period among ad supported cable networks with a HH delivery of 274,000.

Vancouver-based production company Big Time Decent has launched Big Time Decent International, a new distribution division headed by René Brar, who has expanded his role in the business to become Head of Development & Sales. Brar will be supported by Sarah McCormack, who has held senior sales roles at the BBC, Flame Distribution and Moonbug Entertainment.

Friday Fun Fact
A person’s blood pressure goes down when petting a dog. (So does the dog’s.)

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which 1960s series had its title character reincarnated as a superhero in a short-lived animated 1980s show of the same name? “Gentle Ben” (1967-69).

Today’s Trivia Question
On “Scrubs” (2001-10), who played J.D.’s college friend Spencer? (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.)