Tuesday December 5, 2023

Today’s Finales
ABC: Dancing With the Stars at 8p
BET: College Hill: Celebrity Edition at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Verizon is partnering with Netflix and Max to offer an ad-supported streaming bundle. The deal for Verizon’s myPlan customers, for $10 per month, starts December 7. And it’s likely not the last we’ll hear about high profile streaming bundles – Apple and Paramount Global have held early discussions about bundling their streaming services at a discount, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Global ad revenue in 2023 will reach about $889 billion, projects GroupM, up 5.8%. Growth is expected to slow to 5.3% in 2024. The total excludes political advertising. Pure play digital advertising will be up 9.2%, and GroupM predicts that by 2028, the digital market will be larger than the entire advertising industry was in 2022.

Spotify is laying off 17% of its workforce, or about 1,500 jobs. It’s the fourth round of cuts in just over a year. “The decision to reduce our team size is a hard but crucial step towards forging a stronger, more efficient Spotify for the future,” wrote founder and CEO Daniel Elk in a blog post. “But it also highlights that we need to change how we work.”

NBCUniversal Content Distribution debuted an immersive augmented reality experience in partnership with Cox and DIRECTV featuring Bravo talk show, “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” As fans “walk through” Andy Cohen’s Clubhouse quarters, they can test their knowledge by clicking on featured objects to interact with, answer trivia and more. “Cutting-edge augmented reality technology has proven to amplify viewer engagement,” said Matt Schnaars, President, NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “By partnering with Cox and DIRECTV, we are excited to bring our loyal fans this interactive opportunity, and drive value for our distribution and advertising partners.”

“Central Park” has been canceled after three seasons. “Sadly, it’s done,” shared Josh Gad, co-creator of the animated musical comedy, on Threads.

A+E Networks shared the lineup of signature sponsors on board for its 2023 “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” annual holiday movie programming campaign. “We’re seeing more brands tap into Lifetime’s celebration of all things holiday by taking advantage of social stories, e-commerce, and virtual integrations across a mix of long- and short-form opportunities across all platforms,” said David DeSocio, EVP Ad Sales Partnerships for A+E Networks. Sponsors include L’Oreal, Princess Cruise Lines, Ritz, Scentsational Candles, and Ulta Beauty.

An $8.61 billion check from Disney has cleared at Comcast. That’s the first payment for Comcast’s 33% stake in Hulu, but not its last, Comcast president Mike Cavanagh told investors at the UBS Annual Global TMT Conference. “We expect, and certainly hope to get more than that once the process ends,” said Cavanagh. “But it’s really just the beginning.” Comcast’s NBCU streamer, Peacock, has 30 million paying subscribers, noted the exec, up from the 28 million reported in October.

Daniel Klaidman, former editor-in-chief of Yahoo News, is joining CBS News as an investigative reporter, starting on January 1. Jumping onboard as a political investigative reporter is Madeleine May, who comes from VICE News.

“Yellowstone” will keep on riding at CBS. Season three of Paramount Network’s Western drama kicks off on Sunday, January 14 at 8p with three episodes. Multiple episodes follow each following Sunday, with the season’s final two episodes airing Monday, January 29. The series, which premiered on CBS on September 17, is averaging 5.04 million viewers, and has garnered nearly 33 million unique viewers, according to Nielsen.

Kim Kardashian will play the owner of an all-female law firm in a Ryan Murphy series for Hulu. The legal drama, which has been given a series commitment, will be the first for Murphy under his new deal at Disney, and a reunion for Murphy and Kardashian, who starred in “American Horror Story: Delicate.” Jon Robin Baitz (“Brothers and Sisters”) will write the series alongside Joseph Baken (“American Horror Stories”).

A series adaptation of 1999 film “Cruel Intentions” landed a series order from Prime Video. “We are so excited to get to work together to continue the legacy of ‘Cruel Intentions,’ a film that remains beloved by so many—including us!“ said executive producers Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher. “We promise to make this next iteration as fun, irreverent, and boundary-pushing as the original, and are grateful to our partners at Original Film, Sony, and Amazon MGM Studios for trusting us to keep it Cruel.” The project had previously been in development at Amazon Freevee.

Judith Light (“Transparent”) will star opposite Billy Crystal in “Before,” a limited series for Apple TV+. Crystal is also executive producing the psychological thriller about a child psychiatrist who is haunted from the grave by his late wife.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

New original series “Wild Cards” – described as “a crime-solving procedural with a comedic twist” – premieres Wednesday, January 17 at 8p on The CW, followed by the season three premiere of “Family Law” at 9p. “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum Jason Priestley has joined the cast of “Wild Cards” as the lead character’s father.

CBS News and Stations takes viewers to the fastest-warming community in Svalbard, Norway, in a five-part docuseries, “Warming Signs,” running now through December 8. A different segment airs each day within the local newscasts of CBS owned stations, culminating with an hour-long special, “On the Dot with David Schecther,” that will air and stream on CBS Stations starting Friday, December 8.

COMING UP

“Barbie with ASL,” the blockbuster film interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL), will be available to stream on Max on December 15, along with the original version. “Barbie with ASL” will be displayed as a unique title in-app and can be identified by its key art with the sign language symbol.

Romance thriller “Saltburn” hits Prime Video on December 22, after a 36-day theatrical window. The film follows the bromance between two Oxford University colleagues.

“OWN Celebrates the New Color Purple” premieres Friday, December 8 at 10p. Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the original 1985 film, goes behind the scenes for the new adaptation.

This year’s “Call the Midwife” Christmas special, airing Monday, December 25 at 8p on PBS (check local listings), takes place in 1968, when a treacherous snowfall complicates holiday celebrations. The first “Call the Midwife” special, in what started an annual tradition, aired in 2012.

Spectrum News NY1 and Spectrum News NY1 Noticias are collaborating on two hour-long specials examining the roots of New York City’s ongoing migrant crisis, one airing in English and one in Spanish. The complementary primetime specials air Thursday, December 7: “Crossing Borders: Inside the Migrant Crisis,” on NY1, and “Desafio Migratorio,” on Noticias.

RETAIL MEDIA

By year’s end, retail media will have become the fastest-growing digital channel, projects GroupM, up 9.3% year-over-year. Growth in 2024 is expected to slow to 8.3% in 2024, as retailers add net-new non-endemic advertisers, and share shifts take place but by 2028, retail media globally is forecast to exceed that of linear and CTV combined.

TECH

Brightline announced the launch of the Accelerator PTM (Petal to the Metal), a series of formats that will be released quarterly. The launch kicks off with “Beat the Clock,” an advergaming format that blends branded content with a challenging to viewers to rack up the highest score before time runs out. “Our raison d’être is providing technology solutions that can turn a standard TV ad into a culturally relevant moment that entertains and informs viewers and, as importantly, allows brands to have a two-way interaction with their audience,” said Jacqueline Corbelli, CEO at BrightLine. “It’s been incredibly exciting to see the evolution we’ve long envisioned become a new standard now that streaming has transformed the TV medium.”

STREAMING

Consumers are feeling the pinch of more expensive streaming, according to Hub’s semi-annual “Battle Royale” survey, which found 88% of entertainment consumers agree with the statement that streaming video subscriptions are raising their prices more than in the past, and 77% said budget is a main reason for not adding new ones. Three-quarters of respondents said it’s too hard to keep track of where to find the shows they want to watch, and 81% reported that there’s a limit to how many subscriptions they can actually use, even if they could afford to have them all.

Amazon Freevee is adding 37 channels from the Warner Bros. Discovery FAST Channels catalog. Six will drop today, with an additional 21 coming early next year. Among those added today are CNN Headlines, Bachelor Nation, Nikita, Say Yes to the Dress, and Warner Bros. TV – On the Telly.

Haystack News has partnered with TelevisaUnivision to bring news channel Noticias Univision 24/7 to Haystack News. The partnership marks Haystack’s first foray into Spanish-language content, with more planned for 2024.

Fuse+ is now available on Tata Play Binge, India’s OTT app aggregator. Additionally, Fuse has launched its Latino Vibes and OUTtv Proud FAST Channels on Google TV. Fuse’s Shades of Black FAST channel launched on the platform earlier this year.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

The decision to leave out Florida State from the college football playoffs – the first undefeated team from a major Power-5 conference to be excluded from the playoffs since its inception in 2014 – drew condemnation from Florida State athletic director Michael Alford. “To eliminate them from a chance to compete for a national championship is an unwarranted injustice that shows complete disregard and disrespect for their performance and accomplishments,” said Alford. “It is unforgiveable.” College Football Playoff committee chair Boo Corrigan explained the decision during an appearance on ESPN as a response to team injuries. “Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks,” said Corrigan. “An incredible season. But as you look at who they are as a team, right now, without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team.”

Predictions in IMG’s Digital Trends Report 2024 include the growth of smarter stadiums, tactical adoption of generative AI, and monetizing women’s sport through digital. “The unprecedented speed with which AI blew the doors off the technology landscape in 2023 has unquestionably moved us into a new era of digital,” said IMG’s SVP & Managing Director of Digital Lewis Wiltshire. “We are now in an age of AI, mixed reality, and streaming.”

ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” will present two games, kicking off at the same time (8:15p) on December 11, to conclude Week 14, as ESPN and the NFL transform a Sunday afternoon environment into a primetime window. The latest schedule innovation during ESPN’s NFL season features multiple games with playoff implications, as the Green Bay Packers visit the New York Giants (ABC and ESPN+) and the Tennessee Titans are at the Miami Dolphins (ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes).

For the fifth straight year, NHL Power Players, a youth advisory board made up of young hockey fans, will add personal perspective to the League. The 26 members of the board, aged 13-17 from the US and Canada, were chosen from thousands of applications. “NHL Power Players bring unique insights and authentic feedback to the NHL. With each class, we learn more about the interests and behaviors of the next generation of hockey fans and are thrilled to continue this program for the fifth consecutive year,” said Heidi Browning, NHL Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer.

GOING GLOBAL

AMC Networks International UK has commissioned a second season of Yeti Television true crime series “The Truth About My Murder,” which is set to air on True Crime in early 2024.

Big Media has secured a multi-series output deal with ZDF Studios for German-speaking territories. The first show greenlit under the new deal is the historical investigation series “Scanning History”, with German pubcaster ZDF’s documentary channel ZDFinfo as an editorial partner.

Superights announced new broadcasting partners for its coming-of-age live action series “Home Sweet Rome!”. In Europe, Superights, distribution entity of Superprod Group, has inked deals with SVT (Sweden), NPO (Netherlands), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland) and Euskal Telebista (Spain). In Oceania, the series has been picked-up by TVNZ (New Zealand) and ABC (Australia).

GRB Media Ranch has closed a licensing deal for season eleven of true-crime series, “On the Case” with Foxtel Group in Australia. Foxtel has aired all ten previous seasons since 2012.

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“Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video averaged 15.26 million viewers on Thursday night, setting new all-time marks for the most-watched game ever on Prime Video, and most-streamed NFL game in history. Seahawks-Cowboys on Prime Video peaked at 17.76 million viewers at 9:26p.

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” slayed it, too. The Chiefs’ loss to the Packers (sorry, Taylor) averaged 19.6 million viewers, up 50% from the prior week’s game and the largest overnight number since the Chiefs met the Jets on October 1.

Top 10 TV Most Social Shows for the week of November 27
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Entertainment Tonight (CBS) 4.6M, 713, 6,504, 12.3M
Today Show (NBC) 2.0M, 955, 2,082, 15.3M
Saturday Night Live (NBC) 1.9M, 71, 26,293, 16.4M
Dancing with the Stars (ABC) 1.5M, 102, 15,134, 9.2M
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) 1.0M, 101, 9,999, 29.0M
Despierta America (Univision) 890.9K, 800, 1,114, 9.7M
The Voice (NBC) 843.6K, 62, 13,607, 24.3M
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 694.3K, 33, 21,039, 33.6M
Good Morning America (ABC) 595.7K, 722, 825, 15.7M
The Drew Barrymore Show (CBS) 490.3K, 31, 15,816, 2.6M
Source: Comscore Powered by Shareablee

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Dick Clark Productions has tapped Sara Kantathavorn to serve as SVP, Talent Strategy, and elevated former Executive Director, Marketing & Talent Partnerships, Jeremy Lowe to VP, Talent and Partnerships. Prior to joining DCP, Kantathavorn was Head of Global Talent Development at Apple Music.

IMPACT+ has hired Yann Le Roux as VP, Sales & Partnerships. Previously, Le Roux was a director at Integral Ad Science.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
How many toppings are available on Pretzel Day in “The Office” (2005-2018)? Eighteen. Kudos to: Benjamin Zander-NBC News NOW/NYC; Craig Kallin-Schellman/Orlando; Louis Lewow-Triller TV/Atlanta; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
When did Giovanni Ribisi first appear on “Friends” (1994-2004)? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)

Cynopsis Team