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| Wednesday, August 26, 2026 |
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Hello, readers! This is what’s on the news docket for today:
- Are Ad-Supported Streaming Tiers Losing Steam?
- “Only Murder In The Building” Is Solving Crimes Across The Pond
- Prime Video’s “RoboCop” Casts Its Cybernetic Lead
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In The News
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What’s your preference: avoiding ads or saving money? Streaming or broadcast TV? Coke or Pepsi? Even though streaming consumption is rising, ad-supported TV viewing ticked down ever so slightly last quarter, Nielsen’s latest Gauge report suggests.
- Roughly 71.5% of total TV viewing last quarter was ad-supported, according to Nielsen. That percentage represents a 1.3% decline since the first quarter of 2026.
- Of the overall ad-supported TV viewing that took place last quarter, approximately 48.2% of it was streaming.
- As for traditional TV, broadcast saw a slight (0.6%) increase to 26.6% of total viewing time thanks to a banner sports season last quarter, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the NBA playoffs. Cable remained stable at 25.2% of TV watch time.
- Nielsen is also working on shifting focus from measuring total TV viewing (Persons 2+) to measuring the viewing behaviors of adults ages 18 and older (Persons 18+). The latter segment tips the scales a tad more in favor of traditional TV, reallocating 3.8% of viewing share away from streaming (44.4%) and boosting both broadcast and cable TV’s share of viewing to 28.6% (up 2%) and 27% (up 1.8%), respectively.
- Nielsen’s Gauge reports do not yet incorporate data from the Advertising Research Foundation’s DASH TV Universe Study, which Nielsen recently integrated into its measurement currency-based TV ratings. Nielsen plans to add that data to its Gauge reports starting in the fall.
- The Takeaway: Streaming TV’s growth is especially apparent in the younger generations. Plus, a slight dip in ad-supported TV viewing could suggest that consumers are growing slightly more intolerant of ads when they’re watching TV – or that consumers who favor the cheaper ad-supported payment plans are more likely to churn.
When it rains, it pours. Paramount Skydance’s intended acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t the only subject of legal debate for the company. Paramount-owned UK broadcast network, 5, now faces a lawsuit over a terminated production deal.
- Blackbox Multimedia, which produced “The Ex-Wife” and “Benidorm Is Murder” for 5, alleges that the network wrongfully discontinued a production deal for a new series.
- Neither party has named the series in question to protect the identity of a person who made a complaint regarding the project, which allegedly led to 5 pulling the show.
- 5 also denies that Blackbox delivered the project in the first place. Blackbox’s position is that it did, in fact, deliver the project as specified in its contract with the network and is therefore entitled to proper compensation for its labor.
- As Deadline reports, it’s rare for a British producer to take legal action against a long-term media partner and content buyer.
- Sounds like a sticky situation – and one that raises questions about the circumstances under which a production deal can be terminated.
The legendary sitcom “I Love Lucy” will become the first recipient of the Television Academy’s Legacy Award, 75 years after the show first premiered on CBS. The new award was established earlier this year to recognize TV programs that made a profound impact on multigenerational audiences and remain culturally relevant in modern society. A special tribute to the show will take place on Sept. 6 as part of the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.
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| Partner content |
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New & Returning Series
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For sneak peeks, check out Cynopsis Trailer Park.
 Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short in “Only Murders in the Building”
“Only Murders in the Building” is getting an unofficial new title for its sixth season: “Only Murders in London.” The show premieres Dec. 8 on Hulu.
HBO released the first trailer for Season 4 of “The Gilded Age,” which premieres Nov. 1.
What would you do if you suspected that you and one of your co-workers were related? That’s the premise behind the new Apple TV comedy series “Brothers,” based on the real-life rumor that “True Detective” co-stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey (who play themselves) are actually half-brothers. The first episode premieres Sept. 23.
Ella Purnell (“Fallout,” “Yellowjackets”) returns for Season 2 of “Sweetpea,” Sky and Starz’s comic thriller series. The show launches in November in the UK and early next year in the US.
AMC Global Media announced that a new six-part docuseries, “Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena,” will be coming to SundanceTV, AMC+ and All Reality on Oct. 1. The series dives into otherworldly events related to UFOs and the paranormal.
Speaking of the paranormal, “Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85,” the animated spinoff of Netflix’s flagship series, will premiere its second season on Sept. 17.
TODAY’S PREMIERES
Disney+: “The Simpsons: Yellow Mirror”
HGTV: “Totally ‘90s House” at 9 p.m
Netflix: “Death of the Pastor’s Wife”
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Production
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Nicholas Duvernay and Ego Nwodim in “Not Suitable For Work”
Hulu has canceled “Not Suitable For Work,” the Mindy Kaling-created series that launched its first season in June. Warner Bros. Television is expected to shop the show around for a new home.
“Chicken Shop Date” creator and host Amelia Dimoldenberg is developing a youth drama series for the BBC that she called “my version of ‘Skins’” during the Edinburgh TV Festival. The show has not yet been greenlit.
Comedian and “Giggly Squad” podcast host Hannah Berner will host a new unscripted reality dating series for Paramount+ in 2027. Called “Making Love,” the series was created by Kinetic Content CEO Chris Coelen, who is also responsible for “Love Is Blind” and the American version of “Married at First Sight.”
Prime Video’s “RoboCop” TV series, which was first announced in July, has found its titular Robocop in the form of Dan Stevens (“Legion,” “The Terror”). Peter Ocko (“Black Sails”) is the writer and showrunner, and Blumhouse’s Atomic Monster is executive producing.
HGTV greenlit “Let’s Go Back to Your Place,” a new dating series hosted by Tyler Cameron where single contestants choose their blind date based on whose house they like best.
USA Network is ordering the new scripted original “Diplomatic Immunity” straight to series. Written by Matt Corman & Chris Ord (“Daredevil: Born Again”) and produced by Fox Entertainment Studios, the series is an hour-long medical drama about an American doctor assigned to the medical office at the US Embassy in Rome.
“Insecure” creator Issa Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny received a pilot order from HBO for a new half-hour comedy series, focused on male friendship.
Showrunner Shonda Rhimes has re-upped her relationship with Netflix via a new five-year creative partnership. It’s the second time Rhimes has re-signed with Netflix since her first deal in 2017, after she moved from Disney.
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Coming Up
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Disney+ and ESPN will air a live, Red Bull-sponsored motocross event called “Max vs. 100,” in which Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen will attempt to overtake 100 drivers. The event will stream live on ESPN Sept. 16.
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Distribution
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Monumental Sports Network, which broadcasts live sports games from the greater DC area, will now be available as a subscription through the streaming live sports service DAZN, both companies announced Tuesday.
Acorn TV’s hit murder mystery series “You’re Killing Me” has been acquired for distribution by UKTV in the UK and Ireland, Stan in Australia, and a host of other international territories, according to parent company Dynamic Television. The series stars Brooke Shields as a bestselling novelist who joins forces with an aspiring writer (Amalia Williamson) to solve the murder of a close friend.
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Executive Moves
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Canela Media promoted Andrés Rincón to executive vice president of revenue.
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In Memoriam
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The family of country legend Dolly Parton announced her passing on Tuesday. In addition to her celebrated film acting and music career, the 80-year-old starred in a short-lived ABC variety show from 1987 to 1988.
TV executive Jim Green died at age 83 on Aug. 9, his wife announced on Tuesday. Green helped to develop almost 200 films for “The ABC Movie of the Week,” including several that served as pilots for hit series like “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “Starsky & Hutch” and “The Love Boat.”
“My Life With The Walter Boys” co-producer and writer Jesikah Suggs died at age 32 from complications related to breast cancer. She also co-produced eight episodes of the Prime Video series “It’s Not Like That.”
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Who was the first person to host “The Daily Show” when it premiered in 1996?
Email answers to Trivia@Cynopsis.com and include your name, company and city/state (don’t forget!). Only the first four correct responses from each time zone will be included.
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Yesterday’s Trivia Answer
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What is the name of the real-life house where the first season of “American Horror Story” took place? (It has also appeared in 11 other TV shows, including “Dragnet,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”) The Rosenheim Mansion
Congrats to: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Kayla Moriarty-Fallon/NYC; Susan Nessanbaum- Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions; LA;
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