There is increasing competition for share of mind in the entertainment ecosystem, as TV competes with gaming, music, social video, podcasts, radio, and more. According to Hub’s semi-annual “Battle Royale” survey, in 2024 the average household is using 13 different sources of entertainment, the highest total since the survey launched three years ago. Young people (under age 35) use 16 different sources, and households with kids use almost 17 sources. More key findings include:
· Respondents rated 6.4 of their sources as “must haves,” and 6.7 as “nice to have.” While young people and families used more sources, their ratio of “must have” to “nice to have” sources was the same, a ratio that has been consistent across all 6 waves of this study since early 2022.
· In general, respondents use six “premium video” sources (cable, streaming, virtual MVPDs, etc.) and seven other platforms (including social video like YouTube or TikTok, gaming platforms, streaming music subscriptions, etc.). Among young people, premium TV sources are a minority of their entertainment ecosystem: only seven, compared to nine sources that provide other kinds of content.
· On average, entertainment consumers under 35 use: 2.4 gaming sources, compared to just one gaming source among those age 35+, and 3.6 social or short form video sources (compared to 2.2 among those age 35+).

“These findings underscore how competitive the entertainment landscape has become,” said Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder at Hub and one of the study authors. “In particular, video games, YouTube and TikTok are rapidly gaining share of mind among young consumers, who have an entirely different idea of what ‘entertainment’ means and are forming habits unlikely to change as they grow older.”

There are gaps in inclusivity and opportunities to improve representation to maximize ad impact and drive business growth, according to XR Extreme Reach’s 2024 Global Advertising Representation Report. The RX Score measures the diversity of each ad on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting a broader range of representation. Findings include:
· The 2024 global average RX score is trending at 32, peaking as high as 42 for Charity/Non-profit and as low as 28 for Sports.
· 70% of countries analyzed are trending above the global average.
· 12% of talent detected in ads have dark skin tones.
· 44% of faces detected have feminine gender expression, compared to 56% masculine.
· 15% of screen time features people with larger body types.
· RX score for the Super Bowl 2024 was 41, 28% higher than the global average.

“RX is not only a metric; it’s a prescription for inclusive measurement that is helping to drive meaningful and measurable change across industries,” said Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient. “Media shapes how we see ourselves and others and by adopting this new metric (RX), brands don’t just close representation gaps—they lead the charge in shaping a more inclusive and profitable future.”

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group said it has pre-empted the rights to Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas’ debut novel, “Climbing in Heels,” publishing April 29, 2025 by St. Martin’s Press. The drama series adaptation will be co-written and executive produced by Goldsmith-Thomas and Darren Star, who struck a multi-year overall deal with Universal Television in March 2024.

German-language hospital drama “Berlin ER” will debut Wednesday, February 26 with the first two episodes on Apple TV+. The gritty drama is set in an overcrowded hospital.

Disney+ has renewed British drama “Rivals” for a second season. Based on the novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper, the series stars Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean, Emily Atack, Victoria Smurfit, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams and Luke Pasqualino.

Netflix series “Mo” will return for its second and final season on January 28. The series, created by Mohammed ‘Mo’ Amer and Ramy Youssef, follows Mo Najjar, a Palestinian on the path to U.S. citizenship.

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“Lucy Worsley’s Holmes Vs. Doyle,” premieres December 8 at 8p on PBS, featuring historian and lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan, Lucy Worsley investigating the curious relationship between author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his most famous creation; while on December 10 at 10p, “Frontline: Breakdown in Maine” investigates the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history and missed opportunities to prevent it. On December 13, folk punk group Violet Femmes celebrates the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut album on “Violent Femmes 40th Anniversary with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at 10p. PBS Holiday programming kicks off December 16 with American Masters: Brenda Lee: Rockin’Around, followed by “Joy – Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir” and “Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah” on December 17 at 8p and 9:30p, respectively. PBS closes out the year with “Next at the Kennedy Center: Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve with the National Symphony Orchestra and Friends” on December 31 at 8p.

LGBTQ+ streaming network Revry’s “A Very Merry Marathon” continues into December featuring new additions including “Absolutely Fabulous,” “What’s Cooking?,” “This Boy’s Life,” “Queer as Folk,” and “My Own Private Idaho.” Revry is available on a variety of devices including Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Peacock, Vizio, Tubi, Direct TV, and Xfinity, among others.

Get ready to jingle bell rock on AXS TV this December, as the Network unwraps its “12 Days Of Christmas” programming event, airing Thursday, December 12 through Tuesday, December 24. Every day, for 12 days, AXS TV puts the spotlight on concerts, artist interviews, holiday music videos, and Christmas movies, starting with “The Top Ten Revealed (Christmas Crooners)” on Thursday, December 12 at 6p.

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios’ new espionage thriller “The Agency” is the most streamed new series in Showtime history with 5.1 million global cross-platform viewers and was, not surprisingly, renewed for a season two.

UTR Sports, creator of tournament management software and a pickleball rating system, has acquired PicklePlay, a platform designed to simplify the process for pickleball players and organizers to connect, find local courts, and manage events. The PicklePlay acquisition aligns with UTR Sports’ broader vision to create a seamless global network of pickleball players, organizers, and events.

WWE’s next “Saturday Night’s Main Event” primetime special will air live on Saturday, January 25 at 8p on NBC and Peacock. The special will be held at Frost Bank Center – home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs – in San Antonio, Texas.

Dori Media Group’s psychological drama “In Treatment” is set to start production on its sixth season for Brazil’s Globoplay, where it is produced locally by Moonshot and known as “Sessão de Terapia.” Originally titled “BeTipul,” “In Treatment” has been remade in over 20 territories globally, including the US with HBO Max.

Fox reports 12.3 million viewers watched Michigan beat Ohio State on its Big Noon Saturday broadcast, the most watched Big Ten game of the season on any network and the second most-watched CFB games of the season on any network.

Today’s Trivia Question
On “Dirt” (2007-08), how had Don severed his finger? (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.)