 IN THE NEWS |
 Today marks a milestone for ESPN with the debut of its new direct-to-consumer streaming platform. “This is a defining moment not just for ESPN, but for how sports are experienced in the digital age,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. The new service allows fans to personalize their viewing experience, offering a product that is “more interactive, more immersive, and more responsive to the rhythms of fandom,” Pitaro explained. As for traditional TV, ESPN isn’t leaving it behind. “The cable and satellite ecosystem remains incredibly important to us,” Pitaro noted. “We’re committed to walking parallel paths – continuing to support our cable partners while also making ESPN directly available to any fan who wants it.”
WWE’s premium live events will be moving from Peacock to ESPN’s new DTC service months earlier than previously announced. With WWE apparently having met its contractual obligations to Peacock ahead of schedule, its five-year, $1.6 billion rights deal with ESPN will commence with the Wrestlepalooza event on September 20.
Yahoo Sports has launched a FAST channel, Yahoo Sports Network, featuring more than 60 hours of original programming a week covering a range of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, combat and more. Operated by C15 Studio, Yahoo Sports Network is now available on LG Channels and Sling Freestream, and launching on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Fire TV, Fubo, Plex, Prime Video, and The Roku Channel over the coming weeks.
HBO Max’s “The Pitt” dominated the Television Critics Association Awards with four wins, taking home program of the year, outstanding achievement in drama, outstanding new program, and individual achievement in drama. Apple TV+’s “The Studio” earned top honors in comedy, while Netflix’s “Adolescence” was recognized as best miniseries.
The American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Awards will for the first time accept submissions from digital platforms, in the categories of theatrical short films; original short-form content made specifically for digital platforms; and narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental works. “This is not about catching up to a trend,” said ACE Executive Director Jenni McCormick. “It’s about planting our flag and saying: ACE is committed to leading the way into what’s next – without ever losing sight of where we came from.” |
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| Food competition “Next Gen Chef,” hosted by influencer and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, premieres Wednesday, September 17 on Netflix. Carlton McCoy (“Nomad with Carlton McCoy”) and season 16 “Top Chef” winner Barnard Clark will serve as judges. |
 “Paris & Pups,” an animated series inspired by Paris Hilton and her real-life pets, premieres Tuesday, September 23 on YouTube.
Ready to get hooked? For the first time, the Major League Fishing Clash Team Series will air live on national TV. RFD-TV and RFD-TV Now will cover the action starting Sunday, August 24. |
Today’s Premieres
A&E: Family Lockup at 10p
BET+: Churchy
HBO Max: Peacemaker
Netflix: Hostage; Death Inc.; Fall for Me
Prime Video: The Home Team: NY Jets
Sundance Now: Blinded |
| PRODUCTION |
 HBO and Sky have greenlit legal thriller “War” with a two-season commitment. The series, starring Dominic West (“The Crown”) and Sienna Miller (“American Sniper”), follows two rival firms as they go head-to-head in a scandalous divorce case.
MTV and Paramount+ have greenlit “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for an 18th season and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” for an 11th, along with “Untucked” aftershows for both.
Kartoon Studios announced the launch of “Bitcoin Brigade: Adventures in Satoshi City,” an animated series at the center of a business model spanning content, digital education, merchandise, interactive apps, and a Bitcoin treasury strategy. The series is scheduled to debut in fall 2026 on Kartoon Channel!. “Years ago, I produced and created the animated series of both ‘Super Mario Brothers’ for Nintendo, and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ for Sega,” said Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Kartoon Studios. “Those successes helped launch the Nintendo and Sega game platforms. We believe ‘Bitcoin Brigade’ will have an equally revolutionary impact on the next level of entertainment, education, and gaming powered by blockchain technology.”
Antonia Thomas (“The Good Doctor”), Josh Dylan (“Buccaneers”), and Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter”) will star in BritBox’s “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence,” a six-part contemporary adaptation of the Agatha Christie novels and short stories. Lookout Point is producing in association with Agatha Christie Limited. The series will begin shooting this fall.
Amalia Williamson (“Sullivan’s Crossing”) and Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) have joined the cast of “You’re Killing Me,” the Acorn TV mystery series led by star and executive producer Brooke Shields. The six-episode series, which starts production in Nova Scotia, Canada next month, is set to debut in 2026. |
 HBO and the BBC have released the first look at “Half Man,” from Richard Gadd (“Baby Reindeer”). The six-episode drama will debut in 2026 on HBO Max in the US, Latin America, and Europe, and on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in the UK and Ireland. |
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| TECH |
| Nielsen Marketing Cloud data is now available within the InfoSum environment, enabling advertisers, agencies, and publishers to enhance their first-party data using NMC’s proprietary data sets. “Data collaboration platforms are an essential part of the way that businesses are enriching and sharing data, in a manner that is designed to uphold consumer privacy while also driving business growth,” said Kirsten Cummings, General Manager, Nielsen Marketing Cloud. “Nielsen continues to innovate to empower brands and publishers with the tools they need to elevate their strategies and work with our data in their platform of choice so they can better reach their intended audience.”
Meta is reorganizing its AI division, known as Meta Superintelligence Labs, splitting it into four groups. One will oversee Meta’s large language models; longstanding research lab FAIR team will focus on longer-term projects; a Products and Research team will focus on consumer products; and MSL Infra will focus on infrastructure.
AI-powered predictive impact scoring can significantly improve creative performance in digital advertising, according to a study from Vidmob in collaboration with MMA Global and featuring participation from Kellanova. Assets from Kellanova brands like Rice Krispies Treats and Pringles were evaluated to identify key creative drivers and build predictive models designed to improve future ad effectiveness. The research found that predictive impact scoring can forecast 3-second view-through rates (VTR) with 83% accuracy, improve performance by 2.16x, and contribute to an 11% increase in Profit ROI for scored assets. “Creative is one of our most powerful levers for growth,” said Charisse Hughes, SVP, Chief Growth Officer at Kellanova. “Predictive impact scores are like creative fingerprints – unique to our brand, actionable and incredibly powerful for driving both brand distinctiveness and performance. At scale, these go beyond growth and drive transformation and with AI we can do this with increased speed and accuracy.” |
| COMING UP |
| “Friendship,” a dark comedy about a man trying to befriend his charismatic new neighbor, hits HBO Max on Friday, September 5. The film was released in theaters in May.
Andscape, the Black content studio, announced the premiere of its newest &360 documentary, “Imported,” debuting exclusively on Hulu on Thursday, August 28. The film tells the story of American athletes who, after falling short of their NBA dreams, discover purpose, growth, and global fandom on courts around the world. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Banijay Kids & Family announced the return of animated series “Street Football” for a fifth season, 20 years after the show first launched. The new season premieres tomorrow, August 22 on France’s Okoo platform, and August 27 on France 4. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| USA Fencing struck a deal with CNBC to air a monthly fencing broadcast program. “The Fencing Show” debuts Saturday, October 25 at 2:30p. “We are thrilled to bring the excitement of fencing to a national television audience for the first time in our history,” said Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing. “This deal with CNBC is a game-changer for our sport, allowing us to showcase our Olympians, Paralympians and young talent to new viewers. It’s a historic opportunity to grow the fencing community and inspire newcomers by putting our sport on a major network.”
The Global Gaming League announced its first season of year-around competitions, titled SZN Zero. Backed by Clinton Sparks and T-Pain, the GGL is a live-action gaming entertainment league, where professional gamers, influencers, and casual players compete in front of live audiences in Las Vegas, for viewing on major platforms.
NBA All-Star John Wall will join Prime Video’s lineup for the inaugural season of NBA on Prime as an analyst. The longtime Washington Wizards guard will make appearances in-studio alongside Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker and Udonis Haslem.
FloSports and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) are partnering to host the nation’s top collegiate wrestlers in the 2025 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by Nike Wrestling. The event will stream live from Rutgers University on FloWrestling on November 1. |
| RATINGS |
| FX’s “Alien: Earth” premiered to 9.2 million views globally in its first six days of streaming. Episodes premiere Tuesdays on FX and Hulu, and on Disney+ internationally.
Season two of “Wednesday” again topped the Netflix chart the week of August 11, drawing 29.11 million views in its second week of streaming. The season’s debut episode drew 50 million views in its first five days.
The debut of Acorn TV crime drama series, “Irish Blood,” starring and executive produced by Alicia Silverstone (“Clueless”), ranks as the most watched new series premiere in Acorn TV history. The August 11 premiere also drove the biggest day of subscriber sign-ups on Acorn TV’s direct-to-consumer platforms in nearly two years. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Adam Smith (Chief Product & Technology Officer, Disney Entertainment & ESPN) has hired two new Executive Vice Presidents. Tony Donohoe has taken the role of EVP, Ad Platforms, and Erin Teague will join in September as EVP, Product Management. Donohoe was most recently SVP, Technology at Walmart, while Teague has been Chief Product Officer at Character.AI.
FOX Entertainment Studios’ Scripted team has appointed JJ Klein, who joins from FX as SVP, Current for Scripted Entertainment, and Brie Neimand, from CBS Studios, as SVP, Scripted Development. Klein and Neimand both report to Hannah Pillemer, EVP & Head of Scripted Entertainment for FOX Entertainment Studios.
Kati Fernandez has joined women’s sports and media company TOGETHXR as Chief Content Officer. Fernandez was most recently Head of Content Development at ESPN.
FItzgo has named Chris Wallrap as CEO. Wallrapp was previously CEO at Hill Holliday Group in Boston. |
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This Day in History
1931 – Babe Ruth became the first MLB player to hit 600 career home runs.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “Cybill” (1995-98), what was Maryann’s (Christine Baranski) real name? Theresa. Kudos to: Wendy Holmes/Denver; Martha Voyer-LWD/NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
“The Law & Harry McGraw” (1987-88) was a spinoff of which series? (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.) |
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION >>
THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/HOLLYWOOD, CA: Responsible for all HR functions and oversight of administrative and management needs. This strategic role is charged with operating from a customer service driven viewpoint that prioritizes employee satisfaction as well as enforce legally compliant policies, increase efficiency by implementing administrative and record-keeping best practices. Full info HERE
RIGHTS AND CLEARANCE SPECIALIST (FREELANCE) >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/GLENDALE, CA: Spearhead rights management for all contracts, including but not limited to network, distribution, acquisitions, production partner, sponsorship, and talent agreements, maintaining a system that streamlines the process of identifying terms, rights, avails, participations, holdbacks, and territories. Input rights information into our software. 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 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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