 IN THE NEWS |
 “Dune: Prophecy” will return to HBO for a second season; the season one finale airs on Sunday. The series, which stars Emily Waston, Travis Fimmel, Josh Heuston and Olivia Williams, is a prequel to the Denis Villneuve-directed “Dune” movies starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who has been with the network since its inception in 1996, bid farewell to viewers on Thursday. “Neil Cavuto’s illustrious career has been a master class in journalism and we’re extremely proud of his incredible 28-year run with Fox News Media,” the network said in a statement. “His programs have defined business news and set the standard for the entire industry. We wish him a heartfelt farewell and all the best on his next chapter.” In addition to “Your World”, the anchor also hosted “Cavuto Live”, as well as “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” on Fox Business.
Asylum Entertainment Group has rebranded itself as Pantheon Media Group. CEO Steve Michaels will serve as Chairman of the new entity and co-founder and co-CEO of Velvet Hammer Media, Jen O’Connell, will become CEO of Pantheon Media.
Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum has signed a multi-year deal with Newsmax to continue to serve as Senior Political Analyst. “I’ve been on all the major news networks and I am impressed how Newsmax has a become a first-rate news organization with an extremely influential reach across the nation,” Santorum said. “I am glad to renew and look forward to my role over the coming years here.”
Leap Media Group, in association with Lifestyle MBD&S, has added “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love” television series to its programming lineup in the Travel, Cooking, and Lifestyle genres. For 25 years, Brown has traveled the world seeking little-known spots and haunts where innovators are creating a brand-new travel experiences. “Places to Love” will join current programming from Peter Greenberg and Expedia during Leap Media Group’s Travel Block of ad-supported syndicated shows airing weekends on broadcast and cable networks.
Starting January 1, AEW Dynamite (Wednesdays on TBS) and AEW Collision (Saturdays on TNT) can also be streamed live on Max by fans in the U.S. for the first time. The new partnership between WBD and AEW kicks off with a special episode, “AEW Dynamite: Fight for the Fallen,” airing on TBS and Max at 8p on New Year’s Day. The event, held in Asheville, NC, will focus on helping victims of Hurricane Helene. |
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| CTV Connect 2025
Navigate the Future of CTV
Join thought leaders like Chris Kane (Jounce Media), Alysa Hutnik (Kelley Dry & Warren LLP), and Albert Thompson (Walton Isaacson) at CTV Connect 2025. Explore advanced targeting techniques, data-driven strategies, and the latest in streaming innovations.
Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC, March 12-13, 2025
Register today to be part of the conversation! |
| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT |
| “Tell Me Lies,” the hit drama series starring Grace Van Patten and Jackson White, has been renewed for a third season by Hulu. Season two, which remained in the streamer’s Top 15 list for over 50 days, wrapped in October with a huge cliffhanger. Additionally, executive producer and showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer has inked an overall deal with 20th TV, a part of Disney Television studios, where she will develop, write and executive produce original series with 20th Television for all linear networks and streamers.
Rose Byrne (“Bridesmaids”) and Meghann Fahy (“The Perfect Couple”) have been cast as the leads in “The Good Daughter”, a limited series from Peacock. Fahy replaces Jessica Biel, who was set to star and executive produce before exiting the project. Byrne will executive produce along with Karin Slaughter, who penned the bestseller of the same name and will write all the episodes.
Joseph Lee (“Beef”) has joined AppleTV+’s “Neuromancer” as a series regular. Lee will portray Hideo in the 10-episode drama based on the novel of the same name. Callum Turner and Briana Middleton will also star.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Oz Rodriguez, a former segment director on “Saturday Night Live”, will direct “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” for NBC. The doc premieres January 27, looking back on SNL’s legendary musical guests and performances through interviews with Justin Timberlake, Mick Jagger, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Paul Simon and more. “Everyone knows the most famous SNL appearances, whether it’s Elvis Costello, Prince or the Beastie Boys, but they’re the tip of a huge iceberg,” Thompson said. “The process of going back through the incredible archival footage was like being in a time machine, DeLorean or other.” |
 “Inside Edition” anchor Deborah Norville will host “The Perfect Line,” a new syndicated game show launching in fall 2025. CBS Stations has signed on as the anchor station group for the new show, where contestants will play a series of games designed to test their knowledge by arranging events, items or people in the correct order to create “the perfect line.” “I grew up watching way too many game shows and have always wanted to do one,” Norville said. “With ‘The Perfect Line,’ I’ve found the right format. The show is a fast, fun, smart take on trivia and pop culture with tidbits of stuff you didn’t know – and it’s played in a way that you’ve got a chance to win even if you’re just guessing. Plus, as a journalist, I love that I get to share fun facts you’ll want to pass along to your friends!”
AMC Networks’ Acorn TV and Channel 5 are developing a new murder mystery drama series, “Murder Before Evensong,” based on the bestselling novel by the British author Reverend Richard Coles. Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom in the “Harry Potter” series) stars.
Apple Studios paid seven figures for the Elliot Ackerman novel Sheepdogs, which will be developed into a series by Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Alfred K. Knopf/Penguin Random House will publish the book, which follows two elite paramilitary soldiers down on their luck who are tasked with repossessing a private jet stranded on a remote African airfield, in summer 2025. |
| NEW & RETURNING SHOWS |
 Netflix announced that season five of “You,” starring Penn Badgley, will drop in 2025. To quote the streamer: “In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.” Joining Badgley are “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Camp, Griffin Matthews, Madeline Brewer and “Baby Reindeer” newcomer Nava Mau.
RevryTV is entering the original scripted series arena with “Unconvential,” created by Kit Williamson (“Mad Men”), who will also star. The queer dramedy, which will also feature Kathy Griffin and Beau Bridges, makes its debut on Revry on February 11. “ ‘Unconvential’ comes at a time where stories about marginalized communities are more important than ever and ‘Unconvential’ is an unapologetically queer show,” said Williamson. “Revry is the perfect home for the series and I couldn’t be more excited about the acquisition.”
Reality TV dance series “The Dolls,” starring dance coach Dianna Williams, will return on December 22, with new episodes dropping Sundays on Brandon TV. Streaming is available on www.itsbrandontv.com. |
Today’s Premieres
Netflix: UniverXO Dabiz
Saturday’s Premiere
Netflix: Check In Hanyang
Sunday’s Premiere
Disney+: What If…?
Thursday’s Premieres
HGTV: The Flipping El Moussas at 9p
GolfPass: unCOMMON Building a Boston Sports Team
Friday’s Premiere
A&E: Cold Case Files: Murder in the Bayou at 10p
Saturday, December 28 Premiere
Netflix: Maestro in Blue
Sunday, December 29 Premieres
BritBox: Protection
HGTV: Home Town at 8p |
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| STREAMING |
| Jane Fonda, the original home video workout queen, has been tapped by Meta’s Supernatural Virtual Reality fitness platform to bring her exercise programs into the 21st century with a VR twist. Fonda and her friend Ludacris team up to coach four high-energy workouts: “Flow with Jane Fonda,” “Box with Jane Fonda & Ludacris,” “Jane Fonda: Team Workout” and “Jane Fonda: Stretch.” The workouts will drop on the Supernatural app on December 25.
ReachTV is launching an original travel series called “This Is How I Airport” with Khaby Lane, the world’s most followed person on TikTok. Presented by Holafly, the multi-platform series will start airing this week in a long-form 30-minute format at over 90 airports across the country on Reach TV’s network, as well as in 60 and 90-second formats on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and more. In the new series, Lane will showcase his unique approach to navigating airports, reveal his personal travel tips, tricks, security line hacks and more.
FAST channel Western Bound is now streaming on Tugo TV. Western Bound features shows from cable network INSP, including reality shows like “The Cowboy Way,” “Turquoise Fever,” and “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” alongside dramas such as “Wild West Chronicles” and “Into The Wild Frontier.” The channel also offers movies from Imagicomm Entertainment that aren’t available on other FAST channels. |
| TECH TALK |
YouTube revealed its top five performing ads from 2024, and the brands that made the cut are Volvo, Louis Vuitton, Glossier, Crispy Minis and Spanx. YouTube partnered with Gemini, which analyzed thousands of successful ads to identity key trends, and reported the following:
* Brands are embracing YouTube’s creative freedom to tell richer, more distinctive stories that resonate with audiences.
* YouTube allows brands to experiment with format and length, blurring the line between traditional advertising and content.
* Brands are tapping into fandoms on YouTube to become part of the cultural conversation.
Fubo has added Hallmark+ to its streaming platform as a standalone premium subscription service or add-on for Fubo customers. This expands Fubo’s existing deal with Hallmark, which already includes Hallmark’s regular channels. Hallmark+ offers the largest collection of Hallmark Christmas movies, with over 600 hours of holiday content.
Curiosity Inc. is expanding its presence in FAST by launching channels on platforms like Fubo, DirecTV, Xumo, Sky UK, STARZ ON and Fawsome TV. “Curiosity’s ability to build strong, scalable partnerships with major platforms and distributors positions us to take full advantage of the trends in consumer demand,” said Jay Sodha, VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Curiosity. “FAST channels represent a key component of the current media landscape, and we’re excited to build on our momentum with a commitment to investing in this growing market in 2025.”
Brightcove, is partnering with other companies to make creating, sharing and earning money from video content easier. One key partnership is with Acquia, which allows both companies to work together to sell and promote solutions that benefit their shared customers. Through these partnerships, Brightcove has expanded its customer base across industries like finance, healthcare, travel and technology while strengthening its presence in media. |
| ECOMMERCE |
| Spreetail, the ecommerce marketplace accelerator for brands and manufacturers of oversized products, has launched a Spreetail Shareback program to give a portion of its profits back to brands. The ecommerce company issued significant early holiday “bonus checks” this month to reward top-performing brand partners who helped generate meaningful profitability. Spreetail expects to pay out millions of dollars throughout the life of the program. “This initiative reflects our commitment to building partnerships rooted in shared success. By sharing a portion of our unexpected profits, we’re reinforcing our belief that when we thrive, our partners should thrive too. Exceeding anticipated margins isn’t just a milestone for us—it’s an opportunity to reward the brands that help make it happen,” said Spreetail CEO Joshua Ketter. |
| SPORTS UPDATE |
| John Elway will be the subject of a new documentary on Netflix. “Elway”, from Skydance Sports (“Enigma: Aaron Rogers”), will explore the athlete’s life on and off the field, including being drafted by the New York Yankees to play baseball, being a part of one of the greatest games in college football, and winning two Super Bowls as a player and a third as a Broncos executive.
On December 31, Discover NHL Winter Classic® will kick off with the NHL Pregame™, a free fan festival open to the public. The outdoor festivities will take place in the Chicago Cubs parking lot from 10:30a to 3:30p CT, prior to the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field. AstraZeneca, BODYARMOR and Energizer are new partners, joining CAT, Discover, DraftKings, GEICO, Great Clips, Honda, Jersey Mike’s, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pepsi, S. Preston Art + Designs, Ticketmaster, Upper Deck and Verizon for hockey-themed experiences.
Multimedia sports platform OutKick delivered back-to-back months with double digit year over year growth in November 2024. According to Comscore, the platform boasted 7.7 million total desktop and mobile unique visitors, up 21% versus November 2023, 34 million total multiplatform views, up 39% versus the prior year.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has teamed up with Greenfly, a company that specializes in helping organizations create and share short videos, for a three-year partnership. Together, they’re starting a program to make NAIA athletes and schools ambassadors for the brand. This program will use the 250 member schools in the NAIA to share stories and boost the association’s visibility through short, engaging videos. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Fremantle has upped Fran Denny to VP, Commercial, Global Drama. In her newly created position, Denny will work closely with Seb Shorr, COO Global Drama.
Linden Entertainment has named Dana Harris, who began her career in the mailroom at WME in 2011, a new partner at the company. Additionally, Tori Mason has been promoted to Coordinator and Nathalie Campbell was named Coordinator for Brand Partnerships.
Infillion has appointed Jeff Zito as Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships, and Collin Korab, Vice President, Client Partnerships to lead the company’s sales efforts in the Central Region.
John Robson, co-founder of Moonbug Entertainment, which holds the CoComelon franchise, is stepping down. In an email to the staff, co-founder Rene Rechtman wrote, “Together with you, John and I have built a company we love, and a company that makes a difference for millions of families around the world.” |
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This Day in History
In 1962, the pop singing group, the Osmond Brothers, made their debut on “The Andy Williams Show.”
Friday Fun Fact
The shortest commercial flight in the world is in Scotland. The 1.7 mile trip takes 90 seconds.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the name of the quirky ’90s show that was set in Cicely, Alaska? “Northern Exposure”. Kudos to: Rob Maffei-Rob Maffei Publishing/NY; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NY; Mark Selby-Melbar Entertainment Group, Toronto, ON; Jeff Suss-Futuri Media/Franklinton, NC; Beth Tallent-TallentPR, Nashville, TN; Rebecca Barr-RLB Consulting, Chicago; Barb Throm-Throm Media/St Louis; Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX; John W Burshtan-Water Planet Productions, Denver, CO; Dave Braxton-DaveBVO LLC, Saratoga Springs, UT; Matthew Keys-Sacramento, CA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/Los Angeles; Peter Steckelman-Tennis Channel/Santa Monica, CA; Kerri Huyck, Kennewick, WA; Cathy Korda-Honolulu, HI.
Today’s Trivia Question
“The Talk” will wrap its 14-year-run today on CBS. Who were the original hosts? (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.) |
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
VICE PRESIDENT, POLITICAL SALES >>
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC./WASHINGTON, DC: Lead the company’s political advertising revenue across its dynamic portfolio of broadcast stations. Responsible for developing sales strategies tailored to the fast-paced, high-stakes political advertising market. You will possess an understanding of the political advertising landscape, and the ability to forge strong relationships with campaigns. Full info HERE
COUNSEL, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS >>
MLB NETWORK/SECAUCUS, NJ: Responsible for a variety of matters, including services agreements, production related agreements, talent agreements, software and other technology related agreements, licensing and programming agreements, third party rights clearances, distribution agreements, contract summaries, confidentiality, and general contract matters. Full info HERE
SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN PROJECT MANAGER
BEACON MEDIA GROUP
NY/NJ
Seeking a diligent, organized, and enthusiastic individual to join our team as we manage Integrated Marketing Campaigns for a candy manufacturer. Responsibilities include ensuring client satisfaction, managing project timelines, and optimizing campaign effectiveness. If you’re proactive and enjoy collaborating with teams, we want to hear from you! Full info HERE
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
Proven track record of monetizing digital assets on various social media platforms. Work closely with our production team in creating content and comprehensive marketing plans to increase market share. Full info HERE
INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
Create and execute sales strategies and proposals- generating new sales from past, current and future leads by networking, building relationships and identifying valuable sales opportunities. Manage existing accounts and excel at identifying clients’ needs. Requires a self-driven individual who is passionate about the sports and media industry. Full info HERE
NATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
CSI SPORTS
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
Looking for another self-motivated, highly disciplined National AD Sales Executive that enjoys the sales process from beginning to close. If you bring the enthusiasm and determination we will supply the opportunity to make this the best position you’ve ever had. Full info HERE
LEAD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE >>
CASTIFY.AI/HYBRID: Expand our client base in the digital advertising industry and focus on business development, securing new clients and partnerships, and negotiating contracts with leading advertising brands and agencies as well as experience in the digital advertising sector, showcasing a proven track record of achieving targets and excelling in business development. Full info HERE
TV HOST >>
QVC/WESTCHESTER, PA: Credible while entertaining candidate w/exp hosting TV, digital, radio, spokesperson or live events. Masterful storyteller, enthusiastic & a love for products and shopping a must. Must be quick on their feet w/ability to improv & engage as well as have an elevated sense of style. Full info HERE
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 >>
HAYSTACK NEWS/NYNY, LA, CHICAGO: Responsible for developing large, meaningful partnerships to drive strategic and creative solutions for clients. You relish the opportunity to help advertisers build their brands by supporting the world’s most premium news publishers. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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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