 IN THE NEWS |
 Comcast is exploring a separation of its cable networks. During an earnings call, Comcast president Mike Cavanaugh said the company is looking at creating “a new, well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks.” The group of NBCU cable networks, which shed 365,000 customers in 3Q24, includes Bravo, CNBC, E!, Syfy, MSNBC, Oxygen True Crime, and USA Network. “Like many of our peers in media, we are experiencing the effects of the transition in our video businesses and have been studying the best path forward for these assets,” said Cavanagh, adding, “We are not ready to talk about any specifics yet.” NBC and Peacock would not be included in the move.
During the NBCU earnings call, the company reported total revenue of $32.1 billion and earnings per share of $1.12, beating analyst forecasts. Peacock gained 3 million subscribers to reach 36 million.
Russia has fined Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (we had to copy and paste that to get it right) for YouTube’s blocking of channels run by Russian state-run media. The fine, awarded to 17 Russian media outlets blocked from YouTube as sanctioned supporters of President Vladimir Putin’s regime and its invasion of Ukraine, not only dwarfs Google’s market value of $2 trillion, it’s larger than the global GDP of $110 trillion. So does Russia really expect Google to pay up? “Although it is a specific amount, I cannot even say this number, it is rather filled with symbolism,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
Sony Pictures Television has filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract against CBS. Sony claims the network earned distribution fees from unauthorized deals for “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy?”, licensed the shows at prices below market rates and favored its own shows over “Wheel” and “Jeopardy!” when making distribution deals and selling advertising, reports The Wall Street Journal. “CBS has gutted the teams responsible for fulfilling its contractual obligations, requiring us to step in at our own expense,” said Sony in a statement about the court filing. Sony also said it is seeking damages and will try to end its agreement with CBS and find new distribution and advertising partners for the game shows. |
 Disney Advertising has introduced its first global holiday sponsorship on Disney+, available within the US, EMEA and Latin America. “With our scale and reach, it’s only natural that audiences are turning to Disney when it comes to relevant cultural moments – like the holidays,” said John Campbell, SVP, Entertainment and Streaming Solutions, Disney Advertising. “Through our growing presence in new markets around the world, we are combining our strategies across all our platforms to elevate and broaden the impact for brands.”
Tegna has inked a multi-year deal with Fubo TV, giving subscribers access to live telecasts from KFAA Dallas, with KONG Seattle and KTVD Denver expected to follow. This season, KFAA will broadcast 70 or more Dallas Mavericks games.
DirecTV is launching a portal on Monday, November 4 that offers real-time election results for the US House, the US Senate, and presidential races. “Election HQ” will also include a multiview feature that allows subscribers to watch live coverage on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and Newsmax from a single screen.
With the growing availability of big TV datasets reducing barriers to entry in the marketplace, the measurement ecosystem operates across multiple measurement vendors. In a new CIMM paper, industry experts Josh Chasin and Albert Lau identify and review the methodological challenges currently facing big data-based currency-grade measurement providers, and provide guidance on how best to evaluate and address potential issues. The study pinpoints six critical methodological challenges faced by big-data measurement providers today: 1) assessing the impact of identity; 2) addressing footprint coverage bias; 3) onboarding, cleansing, and combining of big data assets; 4) metadata; 5) integrating linear and digital streaming; and 6) processes and methods for addressing coverage gaps and shortfalls. “The US TV and video marketplace is fragmented and extremely complex, presenting significant challenges for measurement and currency, across different platforms and devices,” said Jon Watts, Managing Director, CIMM. “Measurement vendors are working hard to address these challenges and are making tremendous progress, but there is scope to support their efforts through collaboration and cooperation. We hope this new study is a powerful contribution to the industry, helping to identify potential solutions to some of the biggest methodological challenges facing vendors.”
During 3Q24, US streaming ad revenues jumped 44% to $3.5 billion, according to MoffettNathanson Research, while linear TV networks will be down 6.3% to $5.1 billion (excluding the Olympics – with the Olympics the number is $6.2 billion). Hulu is expected to rise 8% to $807 million, while Peacock will place second among streamers with Olympics-fueled growth of 52% to $541 million. Amazon is forecast to hit $441 million with the launch this year of Prime Video’s ad option, and Netflix will double its ad revenue with $429 million.
Today, GroupM’s Mindshare is celebrating its annual Mindshare Day, a celebration of the company’s 27th birthday and communities. This year, offices globally are marking the occasion with volunteer activities in their local communities—an endeavor with multiple benefits. “An agency is nothing without its people and their passions,” Nancy Hall, NA CEO, Mindshare, tells Cynopsis. “Our people come back from Mindshare Day inspired by all they’ve done in service of their local communities and causes, and bring that energy back to their day-to-day work. And it gives them an opportunity to meet, and collaborate with, different people across the agency—bringing us all together.” New Yorkers are volunteering with several organizations, including Partnership with Children (which supports the emotional, social, and cognitive needs of kids so that they can succeed in school and in life) and Getting Out Staying Out (supporting people impacted by the justice system
ROKiT Flix, the free streaming service without advertisements, announced its full catalog of family friendly programming, including 3D animation, classic cartoons, animated shorts, “edutainment,” radio programs, interactive games, motion comics, movies and series , after having amassed a current library of nearly 31,000 hours of content. New content is added every Thursday. In addition to its primary menu of kid-friendly entetainment, ROKiT Flix is also equipped with a dual parent/guardian profile providing access to more diverse programming.
Direct Digital Holdings announced the unification of its buy-side businesses, Orange 142 and Huddled Masses, to better serve small and mid-sized businesses. “Our clients are often operating with limited budgets in local or regional markets and need a partner that can maximize their ROI and support their ability to test and learn with new digital channels,” said Mark Walker, CEO, Co-Founder, & Chairman of Direct Digital Holdings. “By unifying Orange 142 and Huddled Masses, we’ve expanded our team and resources, enhancing our digital offerings and support.” |
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| NEW & RETURNING SHOWS |
| Peacock’s “The Traitors” is back for season three on Thursday, January 9. Alan Cumming will return as host of the competition reality series.
“The Stanford Experiment: Unlocking the Truth” premieres Wednesday, November 13 at 8p on National Geographic. The docuseries takes viewers through one of the most notorious psychological studies in history.
BET+ has renewed “The Ms. Pat Show” for a fifth season, set to start production in February. Additionally, Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams has extended her overall deal with BET Media Group to include linear and streaming projects. |
 TNT Sports’ 10th installment of golf event series “The Match” takes place as a two-night event on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22, with coverage simulcast on TNT and Max. Participants include Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Blake Griffin.
“The Advocates with Sonia Baghdady,” a half-hour lifestyle and feature program produced by AdvocateChannel.com, will premiere across the ABC Owned Television Stations’ Localish Networks’ digital subchannels beginning November 3 at 9:30p.
Season four of “Greenland” kicks off Tuesday, November 5 at 8p on ESPN Desportes. The docuseries explores some of the world’s most exotic and inhospitable soccer fields.
Today’s Premieres
Disney+: Prince William: We Can End Homelessness
Netflix: Barbie Mysteries: The Great Horse Chase
OWN: Belle Collective at 8p
Saturday’s Premieres
Adult Swim: Invisible Fight Girl at 11:59p
OWN: Love & Marriage: Huntsville at 8p
Sunday’s Premieres
Food Network: Holiday Wars at 9p
ID: Before They Kill Again at 9p
Max: Like Water for Chocolate
Travel Channel: Alien Files Reopened at 10p |
| TECH |
| Entravision has purchased six of its AccuWeather’s StoryTeller+ Display Systems, enabling it to create more interactive content for viewers. StoryTeller+ will also allow Entravision to simplify how it organizes its news presentations. “With it we can create more dynamic and engaging news stories and save time so we can more efficiently and easily focus on delivering the highest quality news to our viewers,” said Bertha Gonzalez, VP of News for Entravision.
Media consumption patterns have driven a monumental shift from linear to CTV, causing competition for attention among viewers. What should advertisers and brands focus on to effectively reach their audiences in the next 12–18 months? Bill Schild, GM, The Americas, Channel Factory, offers his insights, in Cynsider. |
| COMING UP |
| Comedian Bill Burr will host the post-election show on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” with musical guest Mk.gee. The following week, Charli XCX will host and perform as musical guest.
“The Making of Gladiator II,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the upcoming Paramount Pictures film, premieres Monday, November 18 at 10:30p on CBS. The movie opens in theaters on November 22.
Escapade Media has secured a deal for “The Healing” to premiere on American Public Television this month. The Australian film explores a life-saving equine welfare program that brings traumatized ex-racehorses and traumatized veterans together to help heal each other.
Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel announced two free preview events. Programming will be available on Hulu Live November 8-10, and on DirecTV/DirecTV Stream November 11-18. |
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| SPORTS REPORT |
| Weigel Broadcasting is broadcasting five Milwaukee Bucks games on its independent station WMLW The M this season. The free over-the-air scheduled broadcasts debut on Wednesday, December 4.
Security company Moonshot and CTH Advisors, an investment banking and advisory firm specializing in sports, media and entertainment, announced a strategic partnership to combat the rising digital threats in the sports industry. Moonshot has secured over $20 million in US government contracts to protect schools, national infrastructure, and public figures from terrorism. The initiative will leverage that technology to deliver national security solutions to elite athletes, officials, and sports organizations.
SportsGrid struck a multi-year partnership with golf personality Paige Spiranac. Under the deal, Spiranac will lead exclusive original casino-themed programming, teaming with Executive Producer and EVP of Programming and Development, Scott Lasky, and headline a series of shows featuring sports and casino content.
Tennis Channel will offer live coverage of the 2024 WTA Finals November 2-9. The event, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showcases the eight singles players and doubles teams that earned the most tour points this year. The action gets underway Saturday, November 2 at 8:30a.
During the 2024 season, in-game viewership for live WNBA Mystics games on MNMT was up 139% compared to last season within the DC market (HH), while demand for Mystics pre- and postgame programming jumped 235% and 122% respectively (HH), according to Nielsen. |
| GOING GLOBAL |
| Titan OS, the European technology, entertainment and advertising company, is teaming with Sony Europe B.V. to integrate a selection of channels from its FAST offering, which are now also available on selected Sony’s Android TV devices across Europe. The rollout started in the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, and will extend to the rest of Europe.
All3Media International has signed deals for two RAW true crime docuseries. “The Body Next Door” is headed to Australia with Stan Entertainment, New Zealand with TVNZ, Now TV Hong Kong and Denmark with TV2, while digital rights to “Dead in the Water” have gone to BritBox in the US, and broadcast rights have been acquired by DR in Denmark and Now TV Hong Kong, among others.
Newsmax has launched on French streamer Molotov. Subscribers can tune to Newsmax via the platform’s free tier.
Pluto TV struck a partnership with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution to bring content to viewers in the UK and Canada. Additionally, Pluto TV is launching two new dedicated channels in the UK and Canada: PLUTO TV 80s Action and PLUTO TV Sci-Fi. |
| RATINGS |
| Fox may not be happy to see the World Series cut off at five games, but they have to be pleased with the ratings. Game 4 drew 16.7 million viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes, and FOX streaming services, for the most-watched Game 4 since 2016, and up 92% on FOX versus the 2023 Game 4. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Keshet International has named Nehama Cohen to the newly created role of SVP of Development & Network, Non-Scripted. Cohen joins KI following a four-year tenure as Chief Creative Officer at Armoza Formats. |
This Day in History
1993 – The European Union was established.
Friday Fun Fact
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
A Halloween episode of which Western series included a scarecrow coming to life? “Wynonna Earp” (2016-21).
Today’s Trivia Question
Who was the first storyteller for “Thomas & Friends” (1984-2021)? (Email your answer to [email protected] and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. A limit of four answers per time zone.) |
SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROJECT MANAGER
BEACON MEDIA GROUP
NY/NJ
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DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
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INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
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NATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
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LEAD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE >>
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TV HOST >>
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ACCOUNT REP: MPT NATIONAL CORPORATE SALES
MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION FOUNDATION
REMOTE
Call on current and prospective sponsors, providing high-quality customer service, in a manner consistent with standard industry practice, for the customer/client accounts for which they have cultivated or have been assigned as well as build sustainable, long-lasting relationships with existing clients. Full info HERE
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF AD SALES >>
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INTERSECTION
LOS ANGELES, CA
Drive new revenue for our media around Los Angeles and beyond as well as building relationships with prospects and clients. Full info HERE |
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