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| Wednesday October 22, 2025 |
 IN THE NEWS |
| Warner Bros. Discovery announced “a review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value” – aka it is up for sale. WBD said it had recently received “unsolicited interest” from “multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros.” alone. While WBD – which has rejected bids from Paramount – explores its options, it says it will proceed with the plan, unveiled in June, to split into two companies, a streaming and studios business and a global networks business. Wall Street approved of the announcement – Warner Bros. Discovery jumped 11%, to $20.33.
Time spent watching broadcast TV rose 20% from August to September, with football driving the largest month-to-month increase since Nielsen’s the Gauge launched in 2021. Streaming still held a bigger share of overall viewing with 45.2%; broadcast and cable held 22.3% each. NFL games on Fox, CBS and NBC landed in the top 15 slots in the broadcast TV ratings during the month, as well as the top five cable telecasts, on ESPN and the NFL Network. |
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| While 62%of marketers have some confidence in their performance metrics, 54% reported no change in confidence year over year, and 14% said it has actually declined. That’s according to TransUnion study, The True Cost of Trust in Marketing Measurement. Marketers cited siloed and incomplete data (49%), cross-channel deduplication issues (48%), and walled-garden reporting limitations (41%) as their top barriers to accurate measurement. “The key to unified measurement is unified data, and that starts with breaking down the walls between systems that were never designed to work together,” said Jeremy Rose, Head of Unified Marketing Measurement at Bayer. “Interoperability is the ability for data to move between platforms and systems in a consistent, usable way, and it is no longer optional given the complexity of today’s marketing ecosystem.”
WPP will firmly contest a lawsuit alleging the company made misleading statements about its projected performance, including claims of “confidence in the company’s continued efforts to revitalize and simplify its media division to obtain new wins and retain clientele.” The suit points to a subsequent “profit warning” issued on July 9, when WPP revealed it was lowering its full-year organic revenue outlook, and contends the company misled or concealed “material adverse facts concerning the true state of WPP’s media arm.” Stated a company spokesperson, “WPP is aware of a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York asserting violations of US securities laws. No court has ruled that we have violated any laws, and we intend to defend ourselves vigorously.”
IAB Newfronts have been scheduled for March 23-26, moved from last year’s late April launch to “better align with marketplace dynamics and buyer demand for earlier access to premium digital inventory.” Also on the way: IAB CreatorFronts, an industry event dedicated to the creator economy. |
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| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| Netflix inked a deal for rights to board game Catan, with plans for scripted and unscripted TV projects, as well as video games. “Anyone who has played Catan knows that the intense strategy at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama,” said Jinny Howe, Head of Scripted Series, US and Canada, Netflix. “We’re thrilled to partner across series, features, animation, and games to bring this world to life for hardcore ‘Settlers’ and new fans alike.”
Season 22 of “Project Runway” has been ordered for Disney’s Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu. Heidi Klum will return to host the competition, which started on Bravo in 2004.
Great American Media has renewed “Crossroad Springs” for a second season, slated to premiere in 2026 across Great American Pure Flix, Great American Family, and GFAM+. In addition, music special “Crossroad Springs Christmas” will premiere in December, as part Great American Christmas. |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 Apple TV’s “Shrinking” is back for season three on Wednesday, January 28. Guest stars this season include Jeff Daniels and Michael J. Fox. |
 Mighty Mouse is joining the MeTV Toons Sunday afternoon lineup beginning November 2. “Mighty Mouse and Friends” will air in a two-hour block from 3-5p that also includes. ”Heckle and Jeckle” and other Terrytoons. The block will showcase the shorts from the Mighty Mouse Playhouse, which debuted as a Saturday morning show on CBS in 1955 and ran until 1967. |
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Today’s Premieres
Netflix: Baby Bandito; Mob War: Philadelphia vs The Mafia; The Monster of Florence
Prime Video: Lazarus
TLC: Dangerously Obese at 9p
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| TECH |
| OpenAI introduced Atlas, a web browser built with ChatGPT. “Your browser is where all of your work, tools, and context come together,” said the company. “A browser built with ChatGPT takes us closer to a true super-assistant that understands your world and helps you achieve your goals.” ChatGPT Atlas is launching on macOS to Free, Plus, Pro, and Go users. |
 LoopMe announced the launch of a Guaranteed Brand Outcomes solution in partnership with Dentsu X, aiming to drive measurable success for brand advertisers looking to shift consumer behavior. To coincide with the launch, LoopMe has shared the results of joint activity with Dentsu X and Califa Farms, a plant-based beverage brand. Using Guaranteed Outcomes, LoopMe and Dentsu X delivered a 28% brand lift, with 325,000 users experiencing positive ad-recall. It also drove a 7.5% sales lift, which surpassed the benchmark by 5x. |
| INSIGHT |
| What were the key takeaways and “aha” moments at last week’s ScreenShift event? We asked panel moderators to share their thoughts on a conference that brought together thought leaders from agencies, brands, platforms and tech.
Media Buyers and Planners: Ask Us Anything
“The questions from the audience were so diverse, jumping from topic to topic. But what stood out to me was the panelists’ belief that advertisers are reembracing TV for its reach/stability. Advertisers are seeing stronger ROI performance when adding TV back on their plans. This is resulting in a reallocation of budgets, with some funds shifting away from down-funnel channels to TV. It seems the pendulum is swinging back, positioning TV as a cornerstone of media plans, or at the very least, ensuring it receives a fair share of investment.” – Erin Firneno, Senior Vice President, Business Intelligence, Advertiser Perceptions
The Great Rebundling – Presented by Cablefax
“What really struck me is how invested all of these companies are in working together to develop a new video model – and how it can benefit them all. AMC Networks came to Charter early to strike a hybrid linear-streaming package. I also found the differing views on FAST interesting. Programmers seem wedded to it, but Charter has reservations about adding all this free content to its packages. That said, it is featuring FAST through its Xumo offering. Bottom line: there’s more than one way to bundle.” – Amy Maclean, Editorial Director, Cablefax
Winning the Brand: What it Takes to Attract Advertising Dollars
– “’Premium video’ is whatever the end user is engaged with and paying attention to – that can be a screen as large as a theater or something they’re watching on their phone.”
– “Agentic programmatic buying is the next wave for hands on keyboard media professionals – less time setting up hundreds of placements in a platform, but a greater responsibility for quality assurance.”
– “The industry is looking for ways to re-establish daily media routines in the streaming era, whether that’s through democratization of local news platforms or watching Love Island with dinner.”– Luke Fowler, Director of Performance Media, KSM Media
The AI Advantage: Redefining Media Strategy
“My biggest takeaway was how Amazon is positioning itself in the GenAI video space for advertisers in being high fidelity because of its awareness of products (i.e. Amazon ecom). They far and away can beat anyone else in the space on that end. That was a real aha for me re: how Amazon is thinking about its market positioning.” – Caroline Giegerich, VP, AI Integration & Acceleration, IAB
Precision at Scale: Unlocking the Power of CTV & Addressable Advertising
“The key to unlocking CTV’s full potential lies in partnering with platforms that offer premium inventory – ensuring brands reap the full-funnel benefits of high-quality environments and engaging content, such as live sports. These advantages are amplified by advances in technology, data access, and ad innovation, empowering advertisers to precisely target, reach, and measure high-value audiences at scale and in an automated way.” – Ben Vandegrift, VP, Measurement Strategy & Innovation, VAB
Winning With Live TV: Revenue, Reach and Rights Optimization
“Our conversation focused on the power of live sports in an increasingly fragmented television environment to drive viewer acquisition and retention and fan engagement. We discussed different live event strategies for Disney and Netflix; debated the risks versus the rewards of live sports rights acquisitions as costs continue to skyrocket; and discussed the importance of measuring the success of those investments across multiple platforms and stakeholders. Kerry Bradshaw from Horizon Sports and Experiences spoke about the value of the ‘cultural reverb’ and afterglow of live events and the importance of measuring it alongside more traditional performance metrics.
It was a really illuminating conversation!” – Cathy Rasenberger, President, Rasenberger Media
Watch. Want. Buy: The Promise of Shoppable TV
“Shoppable formats are a powerful tool for brands to use to reach audience across content categories – from shoppable video to CTV. When brands act with intentionality, it allows them to seamlessly integrate their products or services into premium content experiences and ultimately drive measurable, full-funnel results.” – Julie Haleluk- Global Head of Growth, Amazon Shopping Videos, Amazon Ads
CTV in 2026: Local at the Center of Streaming’s Next Chapter
“Premion’s Daniel Spinosa discussed a number of interesting topics during our panel. He took his time walking the audience through the latest trends and challenges facing local advertisers, the role curation plays as SMBs invest in CTV, Premion’s efforts in the live sports programmatic arena, and brand safety and transparency concerns amongst local advertisers. He also gave the audience a preview of some of the services Premion will be focused on heading into 2026. Overall it was an informative and enlightening conversation.” – R. Thomas Umstead, President, Umstead Productions |
| COMING UP |
| “Eddington,” released in theaters on July 18, will make its streaming debut on HBO Max on Friday, November 14 and debut on HBO linear the following night at 8p.
HISTORY Channel is honoring veterans on Monday, November 10 with “The Warfighters: Battle Stories,” a two-hour event delving into harrowing operations in the War on Terror.
Holiday special “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock” premieres Friday, December 5 on Apple TV. The show features a cameo appearance by musical artist Lele Pons.
The AKC National Championship Dog Show airs on ABC on Sunday, December 28 from 12-3p followed by an encore on ESPN2 from 3-6p. |
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| DISTRIBUTION |
| Hulu has acquired the exclusive US streaming rights for “Innate,” the upcoming Spanish psychological thriller from Plano a Plano Bilbao (part of ITV Studios) produced by Innato La Serie AIE, in association with Dynamic Television, who also serves as the worldwide distribution partner for the series. Commissioned by Netflix Spain, the drama is expected to premiere late this year.
FloSports’ CTV app has launched on Samsung and VIZIO smart TVs. The app is available on Samsung smart TV models 2018 and later and all VIZIO Smart TVs.
Hemisphere Media Group, the US media company serving US Hispanic and Latin American markets, announced the launch of its FAST channel Todo Cine on The Roku Channel in the United States and Mexico. |
| RATINGS |
| “Thursday Night Football “averaged 15.21 million viewers on Prime Video, up +55% in viewership over last year’s comparable game. “TNF” on Prime’s season is now averaging 15.63 million viewers P2+, which is pacing +17% ahead of last year at this point.
Channel 4 adventure series “World Apart” outperformed time slot ratings with both 16-24s and over 65s by 38% and 18%, respectively. The UK reality show premiered October 7 with a Live+7 audience of 1.3 million viewers. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Creator business platform TheSoul announced the launch of TheSoul Media, a new standalone division. Louisa Ioannidou has been appointed CEO. |
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This Day in History
1850 – The first National Women’s Rights convention began.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who played the mayor of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” 1976-77)? Dabney Coleman played Merle Jeeter. Kudos to: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Jackie Howell-Nexstar WCMH-TV/Columbus, OH; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; John W Burshtan-Water Planet Productions/Denver; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Ken DuBow-DuBow Media Distribution/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
What name did Sam and Dean give to their Impala in “Supernatural” (2005-20)? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Limit of four answers per time zone.) |
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER>>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC:
Oversee daily sales pipeline operations focused on national sponsorships, integrations, and branded content tied to unscripted programming. Manage and coach the Business Development team, drive outbound activity, shape proposals and pricing, and lead CRM strategy, reporting, and optimizations via Salesforce. Full info HERE
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER >>
NTD/WASHINGTON, DC:
Pitch story ideas and write scripts/segment outlines as well as research guests and interview topics. Book guests and coordinate interviews. Help with logistics and sometimes field production. Support shoots and ensure production runs smoothly. Review footage and work with editors to shape final episodes. Write headlines, teasers, and social posts. Full info HERE
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
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
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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