 IN THE NEWS |
Forty-three percent of large advertisers expect to spend more on addressable TV in 2026. That stat comes from Go Addressable, an association led by the major TV providers that seeks to advance addressable TV advertising. Additionally:
· Among survey respondents who haven’t used addressable TV, 63% plan to start using it in 2026.
· 57% of advertisers say they have seen improvements in simplicity of buying, measurement, and scale.
· 31% of advertisers are “very satisfied” with current addressable TV advertising options, with 55% saying they are “somewhat satisfied.” |
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| It was good news for movies, less so for TV in Warner Bros. Discovery’s third quarter earnings report. Streaming & Studios saw a profit of $1 billion, up 58% for the three months ended in September on revenue of $5.3 billion, up 8%. At Global Linear Networks, profit fell 20% to $1.7 billion on revenue down 22% to $3.8 billion.
But numbers weren’t the only thing analysts wanted to hear about during the WBD earnings call on Thursday. While CEO David Zaslav said he “wouldn’t comment on anything specific” regarding the possible sale of the company, he did say, “We’re on track to create two strong, well capitalized businesses that can each create significant long term shareholder value. The team is hard at work, both on the separation transaction, and on following the board’s direction to evaluate strategic alternatives.”
Echostar co-founder and executive chairman Charlie Ergen has returned to the role of CEO, assuming operating responsibility for the company’s pay-TV and wireless businesses. That news broke during the Dish Network parent’s third quarter earnings call, along with the announcement that Echostar has inked a $2.6 billion deal to sell more wireless spectrum to SpaceX.
Altice USA has changed its name to Optimum Communications. “This is more than a name change – it’s a reflection of who we are and where we are going,” said Dennis Mathew, Chairman and CEO at Optimum. “As we accelerate our transformation and deepen our commitment to our customers, employees, and communities, aligning our corporate identity with the strong Optimum brand underscores our focus on simplicity, performance, and purpose.”
Consumer expectation for holiday advertising is shifting, according to a report from Samsung Ads. Key insights from “From Passive to Participatory: Consumers Want Ads They Can Act On” include: 42% of respondents believe interactive ads make brands more fun, innovative, and memorable; 51% have purchased on their phones after seeing a TV ad. That number jumps to 76% for Gen Z and 74% for Millennials; 74% of consumers say discounts are the #1 driver in holiday ads – up from 69% in 2024; and in the past six months, 32% have used a QR code to learn more about a product.
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement and TVB released a study that identifies critical data gaps in local TV and video measurement. In the report, CIMM and TVB identified three priority areas:
· Early alignment between buyers and sellers on what is counted and how it is reported in a simple, consistent way across markets and screens to help reduce friction later in planning, posting, and reconciliation
· Broader adoption of tagging, mapping, and integration requirements to ensure local digital and streaming audiences are fully captured.
· Consistent stream tagging, source identifiers, and metadata mapping across platforms to account for gaps in device coverage, inconsistent inclusion logic and differences in methodologies.
“As local video consumption continues to expand across new platforms, the industry needs to build on recent progress and take steps to plug current gaps, evolving measurement approaches to account for all viewing,” said Jon Watts, Managing Director at CIMM. “TV isn’t declining, it’s just becoming more diverse, spreading across different platforms and devices. Measurement needs to follow.”
While the number of LGBTQ characters across platforms rose from 468 last year to 489 in 2025, there’s a troubling follow-up, reports GLAAD – 41% of those characters will not return next year due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format. “Television is a powerful medium, because these characters grow and evolve over the years, alongside the audience,” reads GLAAD’s latest “Where We Are on TV” study. “When so many series are only being greenlit for short runs and the seasons themselves are getting shorter, the potential larger impact of these characters disappears.”
HBO Max has ordered two drama pilots from Warner Bros. Television: “American Blue,” which centers on an Illinois police force, and family drama “How to Survive Without Me” (w/t), from Greg Berlanti. |
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| CYNOPSIS WEBINARS
The Data Advantage Starts Here
Broadcasters and streamers are rewriting the rules of audience engagement. Join Cynopsis and Omeda on Nov. 11 at 1 PM ET to explore insights from the 2025 State of Audience Data report—what’s driving growth, what’s holding brands back, and how to turn first-party data into lasting impact. Reserve your seat and get the insights first.
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| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
 Netflix offered a peek at “Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85” on Stranger Things Day, November 6. The streamer also announced the voice cast for the animated series, including Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garafalo and Lou Diamond Phillips, among others.
Season two of “Dance Moms: A New Era” kicks off Monday, December 8 on Hulu. The original ran on Lifetime from 2011-2019.
Hulu has renewed “Reasonable Doubt” for a second season. The legal drama’s season three finale is set to stream on Thursday, November 13.
Crime drama “The Madam Blanc Mysteries” returns to Acorn TV with a two-part Christmas special on Monday, December 15, and Monday December 22. |
Today’s Premieres
Animal Planet: Vantara: Sanctuary Stories at 9p
Apple TV: Pluribus
Discovery: Gold Rush at 8p
Disney+: Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films; Seventeen: Our Chapter; The Worst Trip Around the World
Hallmark: Mistletoe Murders at 8p
HGTV: My Lottery Dream Home at 9p
History: The Unbelievable with Dan Ackroyd at 9p
Nat Geo Wild: Super Animals at 8p
NBC: Happy’s Place at 8p; Stumble at 8:30p
Netflix: As You Stood By
OWN: Ready to Love at 9p
Prime Video: Maxton Hall – The World Between Us; Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26
Starz: Power Book IV: Force at 8p |
| TECH |
| iSpot has formed a partnership with Captify to give brands and networks the ability to connect Captify’s proprietary search signals to always-on audience measurement for TV and video advertising. “Captify provides a great option for brands or publishers that want to use search as a response to advertising,” said Emily Wood, Head of Business Development and Partnerships at iSpot.
The OOH industry is overdue for modernization, maintains Chris Gadek, CEO AdQuick. In Cynsiders, Gadek explores how AI is reshaping the space, and what’s next for what he deems a lucrative, yet slow-moving side of the business.
DoubleVerify announced the launch of new streaming TV offerings designed to give advertisers greater transparency, control and efficiency across their streaming TV investments: Verified Streaming TV™ pre-bid segments and measurement and “Do Not Air” Automation. “As streaming TV grows, advertisers are contending with new challenges – from opaque, resold inventory and questionable ad placements wasting billions in media spend, to a lack of automation that inhibits contextual alignment,” said Todd Randak, GM of CTV at DoubleVerify. “Our new Streaming TV products directly address these pain points, giving advertisers the ability to verify media quality and maximize their investments across devices and platforms.” In addition, DoubleVerify is leveraging unique, licensed IMDb data to fuel AI-driven classification of streaming content, with new capabilities planned to launch in early 2026.
Haystack News will have a dedicated button on Roku remote controls, including the Roku Voice Remote Pro. Haystack News, which delivers personalized information, is consistently one of the highest-rated news apps on the Roku platform. |
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Where Influence Meets Recognition.
This Dec. 4, the Cablefax Most Powerful Women Reception honors the visionaries redefining media and connectivity.
Sponsorships open doors to the Honoree Reception and award-stage visibility.
Partner with us to celebrate power—and be part of it.
LEARN MORE |
| RATINGS |
Some highlights from the week of October 27:
Fox’s coverage of the MLB World Series matchup between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays dominated 4 of the top 10 telecasts of the week (and 5 of the top 13). According to Nielsen:
· Game 7 drew 26.9 million viewers and was the #2 most watched telecast of the week.
· Game 6 ranked #4 with 17.7 million viewers.
· Game 4 ranked #7 with 14.5 million viewers.
· Game 5 ranked #8 with 14.3 million viewers.
· Game 3 ranked #13 with 11.2 million viewers.
NFL games and coverage took 5 of the top 10 telecasts of the week, including #1 overall owned by the Chiefs-Bills matchup on CBS, which generated nearly 31 million viewers.
· The Chiefs-Bills audience is the second largest for an NFL game so far this season, behind only the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl rematch in Week 2, which averaged 33.8 million viewers.
· Additional NFL coverage that topped the charts this week included:
– #3 CBS NFL Regional (1:00p) – 18.5 million viewers
– #5 FOX NFL Sunday (1:00p) – 16.0 million viewers
– #6 NBC Sunday Night Football – 15.6 million viewers
– #10 NBC Pre-Kickoff Sunday Night Football – 13.5 million viewers
Telemundo’s “Dinastía Casillas” closed its first month with an average 371,000 viewers among A18-49, and generating 1.4 million viewing hours on Peacock.
Top Broadcast Primetime Averages for the Week of October 7
P2+ Live + Same Day Rating
Fox 4.2
NBC 1.5
ABC 1.4
CBS 1.2
Univision 0.3
Telemundo 0.2
CW 0.2
ION 0.2
Me TV 0.2
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel |
| COMING UP |
| “Predators” will drop on Paramount+ on Monday, December 8. The film explores the legacy of Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator.”
TBS’s “All I Watch for Christmas” delivers nostalgic classics and TNT’s “Christmas Maximus” showcases holiday hits beginning Sunday, November 9. The networks will host 24-hour movie marathons of “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and “A Christmas Story,” and TNT will air the broadcast premiere of “Candy Cane Lane” on November 16 along with the network debut of “Shrek the Halls” on December 2. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| ESPN is ending its betting partnership with PENN Entertainment and switching to DraftKings. In December, DraftKings entertainment products will be exclusively integrated across ESPN’s ecosystem with a full rollout expected in 2026. “Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “Working with DraftKings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business.” PENN CEO Jay Snowden described the split with ESPN as mutual and amicable.
Scripps Sports has formed an exclusive broadcast partnership with Major League Volleyball to bring the league’s championship to ION. The network will carry the MLV’s two semifinal matches live on Thursday, May 7, as well as the championship on Saturday, May 9.
Kiswe has struck a partnership with martial arts organization ONE Championship to power the global livestream of ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, featuring five World Title fights. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| John Higgins has been named Vice President of Content Partnerships at CuriosityStream. Higgins joined the company in 2021.
Teads has appointed Mollie Spilman as Chief Commercial Officer, effective November 10. Spilman most recently served as Chief Revenue Officer at Oracle Advertising. |
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This Day in History
1916 – Montana’s Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress.
Friday Fun Fact
After water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which TV character’s best friends were named Zack and Geena? Addie, in “Unfabulous” (2004-07). Kudos to: Ed Horwitz-Witz End Productions/Hollywood, CA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Roger Furman-Sports Marketing Communications/Greentown, PA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
Gordon Sims on “WKRP in Cincinnati” (1978-82) was better known by what name? (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.) |
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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