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| Thursday October 23, 2025 |
 IN THE NEWS |
| NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is standing by the league’s choice of Puerto Rican Grammy winner Bad Bunny for Super Bowl halftime performer despite backlash. “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” said Goodell on Wednesday. “That’s what we try to achieve… It’s carefully thought through. I don’t think we’ve ever selected an artist without some blowback or criticism.”
The Pentagon announced “the next generation of the Pentagon press corps” on Wednesday, after dozens of journalists walked out over the Pentagon’s new press policy barring reporters from releasing information it has not approved. The new list is made up mainly of Trump-supporting outlets like LindellTV, Turning Point USA and Real America’s Voice. |
 Prime Video is going global with its November 28th broadcast of the “Black Friday Football” game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. The game will be the first NFL event to be presented worldwide on Prime Video. “We are excited to work with our partners at Prime Video to bring this year’s ‘Black Friday Football’ game to a global audience,” said Hans Schroeder, EVP, Media Distribution with the NFL. “Expanding the availability of our games to NFL fans around the world is a key priority for us.”
Warner Bros. Discovery has turned down three takeover offers from Paramount, reported CNBC’s David Farber on Wednesday, the last of which was for just under $24 per share and was comprised of 80% cash. WBD said on Tuesday it had received “unsolicited interest” from multiple parties.
Asked whether they watch traditional media more than older generations think they do, 57% of teens surveyed in the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA’s annual study said they agreed with the statement, while only 14.5% disagreed. And 53% of participants reported that they discuss TV shows and movies more than content on social media. Teens once again said the most wanted to see relatable stories, and like last year’s findings, want less romance – 59.7% of this year’s respondents “want to see more content where the central relationships are friendships.” “Teens are telling us loud and clear – they’re ‘over’ forced and unrealistic romantic storylines,” said Alisha Hines, CSS vice president of research and programs. “Our findings show that what they really want is content, characters and friendships that feel real and reflect everyday experiences they can authentically relate to.”
Dick Wolf-backed Wolf Games and NBCUniversal have inked a deal to develop immersive video games based on NBCU IP. Wolf Games, founded by Andrew Adashek, Noah Rosenberg and Dick Wolf’s son, Elliot Wolf, just finished a $9 million Series A funding round led by Main Street Advisors. A “focus on using ethical generative AI was a key driver for the partnership” with NBCUniversal, noted Wolf Pack. |
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| CONVERGENT TV WORLD 2026
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Convergent TV World returns March 5-6, 2026, bringing together the decision-makers transforming streaming, data, and advertising.
Sponsorships are open now. Registration begins Nov. 3.
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| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| Legal drama “Cupertino” landed a series order from CBS. The show, set for the 2026-27 season, comes from “The Good Wife” creators Robert and Michelle King, and starring “The Good Wife’s” Mike Colter.
HGTV picked up 50 episodes of freshman series “Botched Homes,” “Neighborhood Watch” (w/t), “World’s Bargain Dream Homes” (w/t) and “Property Brothers: Under Pressure” (w/t), along with a massive, 400-episode renewal of “House Hunters” and spinoff “House Hunters International.” “With this programming order, HGTV is delivering more of our tried-and-true formats that drive consistent ratings for the network, while also featuring new talent and concepts to engage our devoted fans and attract different audiences,” said Howard Lee, Chief Creative Officer, US Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The HISTORY Channel has greenlit “Modern Marvels: WWII” (w/t), a three-part series from Hearst Media Production Group that continues the network’s first and longest-running franchise, “Modern Marvels.” The new series, exploring the greatest machines, most impactful weapons, and groundbreaking innovations of WWII, is slated to premiere in spring 2026.
Jillian Murray (“Awkward”) has joined the cast of “When Hope Calls” in a recurring role. Season three is set to premiere in 2026 on Great American Pure Flix, Great American Family, and GFAM+. |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “The Count of Monte Cristo” starts streaming on the PBS app and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video on Sunday, March 1. Sam Claflin (“Daisy Jones and the Six”) stars as Edmond Dantes in the adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic. A weekly broadcast will begin March 22 at 10p.
“Married to Medicine” returns Sunday, November 30. Bravo promises a double dose of drama, starting at 9p.
New HGTV series “Hoarding for the Holidays” debuts Tuesday, November 11 at 9p. The four one-hour episodes feature “people who have traded sanity for Santa and peace on Earth for thousands of plastic blow molds, 15-foot snowmen and enough lights to rival the Las Vegas strip,” says the network. Another new series, “Cheap A$$ Beach House,” premieres Wednesday, December 3 at 9p.
Animated series “Koati,” following four creatures from the Latin American rain forest, is set to premiere Thursday, November 13 on Netflix in both English and Spanish.
Golf creator brand Bob Does Sports is launching a new series with Barstool Sports: “The Internet Invitational.” The creator golf competition premieres Monday, October 27.
José Díaz-Balart will co-host a new news program with anchor Arantxa Loizaga on Noticias Telemundo AHORA, the FAST channel from Noticias Telemundo. The program, “Ahora 360,” is set to premiere in early 2026. |
Today’s Premieres
Acorn TV: The Light in the Hall
BET+: Carl Weber’s The Family Business
Fox Nation: Scammed: Getting Even
HBO Max: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake
Hulu: The Kardashians
Netflix: Nobody Wants This
Peacock: Married at First Sight
Prime Video: Allen Iv3rson |
| TECH |
| Meta is cutting about 600 jobs in its AI unit as the company aims to operate more nimbly. Meta started notifying employees on Wednesday that November 21 will be their termination date. “During this time, your internal access will be removed and you do not need to do any additional work for Meta,” said a message from the company. “You may use this time to search for another role at Meta.”
Canela Media announced a strategic partnership with Pixability to create the first data-powered, unified solution to reach Hispanic audiences in the US on YouTube. “Combining our extensive reach and premium Hispanic audiences on OTT through Canela Audience Solutions with Pixability’s proprietary YouTube capabilities will enable us to reach bilingual and bicultural consumers in more culturally relevant environments without sacrificing precision,” said Chechu Lasheras, Chief Strategy Officer at Canela Media. |
 StackAdapt announced an integration with Tubi enabling advertisers to connect directly to Tubi’s audience without additional hops in the supply chain. “By integrating directly with Tubi, we are ensuring our clients gain scale and efficiency, with the added confidence that their campaigns are reaching audiences in the highest-quality environments,” said Greg Joseph, VP of Inventory at StackAdapt.
FOX Weather has tapped T-Mobile’s SuperMobile to power extreme-weather coverage, enabling FOX Weather reporters and meteorologists to deliver uninterrupted coverage, regardless of conditions, with satellite-to-cell coverage and enhanced security.
Comcast’s Xfinity is introducing a suite of features to help fans find, follow, and watch NBA games, including Create Your Own Multiview, which enables fans to select four games of their choice, and on-screen sports competition Fan View. The new features will be accessible within NBA Zone, a personalized league hub.
AMC Networks anime platform HIDIVE announced its participation in Comcast’s “Free This Week” program, offering Xfinity customers a week of complimentary access to its anime catalog. The announcement follows HIDIVE’s recent launch across Comcast platforms, including X1, Xumo Stream Box, Xumo TV and Flex. |
| COMING UP |
| FETV and FMC’s “Classic Christmas” programming event returns Saturday, November 1 and extends through Christmas Day. FETV will present “Merry Matinees,” themed pairings of Christmas films every weekend at 3p, while FMC will celebrate “Silver Bells and Silver Screens” every night.
The holiday season on The CW kicks off with “A Waltons Thanksgiving” on Saturday, November 22 at 8p. The slate also includes “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” on Friday, November 28 at 8p, followed by “A Totally Funny Animals Holiday” at 9p.
And over at MeTV, the network will bring the holiday cheer with its annual “A Very Merry MeTV” event, two months of Thanksgiving and holiday-themed episodes from classic TV shows, along with TV movies, holiday specials and more beginning Sunday, November 23 at 10a.
Brand partners for the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, airing Thursday, October 23 at 8p on Telemundo, include Volkswagen, Walmart and State Farm, along with new partners Verizon, McDonalds and TREMFYA by Johnson & Johnson.
Comet will celebrate its 10th anniversary on October 31, with a lineup of science fiction, horror and supernatural movies. In addition, the network is also featuring a social media countdown with throwback promos and clips from the network’s first decade. |
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TOP WOMEN 2026
SAVE THE DATE
Top Women Week
November 2026
Where momentum meets leadership—and the next chapter begins.
More details dropping soon.
LEARN MORE |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| Streaming service FOX One is now available to Verizon customers for $15 a month, $4.99 off the standard retail price. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| MarketCast looked at the 2024-2025 season for the top sponsorships and found Gatorade was the top brand for fan recognition for the MLB, with 61% of fans recognizing it as an official sponsor, a 7% increase compared to last year, followed by Nike at 57%, and Budweiser at 52%. |
| Landmark Conference, the first NCAA Division-III conference to join FloSports, is now the first to extend its exclusive media partnership in a deal that will showcase the conference on the FloCollege platform through 2032. The extension follows steady audience growth for the conference this year with more than 2.5 million live plays of events on the FloCollege platform and 3 million impressions on social media to date. |
| RATINGS |
| The debut of ABC’s “9-1-1: Nashville” delivered a Live+7 audience of 12.4 million cross-platform Total Viewers, a +231% lift over the show’s Live+Same Day audience.
New Fox game show “99 to Beat” drew 3.9 million Live+7 viewers, making it the network’s most-watched unscripted premiere in nearly four years.
Fox Sports’ “America’s Game of the Week” was the most-watched telecast of the week on any network, with 25.6 million average viewers. Season-to-date, “AGOTW” is averaging 26.2 million viewers, up +2% over last year’s season-to-date average, for the NFL on FOX’s best start to the season since 2014.
Basic Cable Top 10 for the Week of October 13
P2+ AA (000)
Primetime
ESPN 2399
Fox News 2333
Fox Sports 1 2217
TBS 2037
MSNBC 822
CNN 529
HGTV 512
TruTV 480
Hallmark Channel 475
TLC 406
Total Day
Fox News 1537
ESPN 823
MSNBC 516
TBS 491
Fox Sports 1 442
CNN 390
HGTV 288
Hallmark Channel 276
NFL Network 228
GSN 215
Source: Nielsen |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| In a year defined by transformation and creativity, the 2025 Cynopsis Top Women in Media honorees embody what it means to lead with impact. Cynopsis applauds the talented women recognized this season, including exceptional leaders from across the industry – each redefining excellence within their organizations and beyond. From Opportunity Knocks’ Jamie Strayer, Angie Hughes, and Jenn George Hunter, to Overwolf’s Aimee Baller; from Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Friday Abernethy, Aimée Brillhart, Alexa Landestoy, and Michael Phillips; to Warner Bros. Discovery’s standout executives Allison Carr, Betsy Ayala, Irika Slavin, Julie Taylor, Karen Bronzo, Kelly Kane, Tina Perry, and Twyla Huang-Disimone – along with TNT Sports’ Anastasia Smolenski, Lauren Jbara, Megan Weisman, Rachel Downnie, and Tyger Danger, and Bleacher Report’s Alyx Steinberg, Meredith Minkow, and Sam Koukoulas, to name just a few – these honorees exemplify innovation, leadership, and purpose. For a complete list of winners, go here.
Amanda Cary and Jamie Palatini have joined Versant as Vice Presidents of Communications for entertainment and sports, respectively. Cary was most recently SVP, Entertainment Publicity at Paramount, while Palatini joins from NBC Sports.
Allied Global Marketing has appointed Daniel Heale as Vice President, Client Solutions. Heale has led teams at Way To Blue (Global CEO/CSO) and Vue Entertainment (Head of Marketing).
The International Advertising Association announced the appointment of Fredrik Borestrom as its new World President and Chair, for the 2025–2028 term. |
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This Day in History
1915 – The first national horseshoe competition took place, in Iowa.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What name did Sam and Dean give to their Impala in “Supernatural” (2005-20)? Baby. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Wendy Holmes/Denver; Chaw Choo-AMC/NYC; Kerry Huyck-Kennewick, WA; Allie Sharma Nelson/NYC; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Caroline Wrobel-Daily Item/Sunbury, PA; Erin Bowles-American Public Television/Boston; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
What was Shirley’s motive for enrolling in college in “Community” (2009-14)? (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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