Cynopsis: DIGITAL
11.26.12

Good morning. It’s Monday, November 26, 2012, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

Every year seems to bring new records in terms of holiday shopping, especially concerning Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 2012 seems to be no different as, according to new comScore data, online sales on Black Friday surpassed $1 billion for the first time ever. Generating $1.042 billion in online sales, Black Friday 2012 represented an increase of 26% versus Black Friday 2011. “Despite the frenzy of media coverage surrounding the importance of Black Friday in the brick-and-mortar world, we continue to see this shopping day become more and more prominent in the e-commerce channel,” said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. Thanksgiving Day didn’t do too badly either, as it achieved a 32% increase to $633 million in online sales. comScore has been tracking online sales for the holiday season, starting from the first day of November. In the first 23 days of November (and therefore, the holiday season), $13.73 billion has been spent online, which marks a 16% increase when stacked up against the corresponding days from 2011. Check back later this week or next when we’ll know if Cyber Monday broke new grounds this year as well.

Hulu Plus is now available on the Nintendo Wii U, bringing with it access to a wealth of current and past season TV programming to those who own the gaming console. Hulu Plus on the Wii U also features the new Hulu Kids section, which offers more than 43 shows, including current season Nickelodeon programming, commercial-free. In addition to this, Hulu Plus has been integrated with the Wii U GamePad to offer a slew of second-screen features, including more information on the show viewers are watching at that time.

Above Average, an original comedy channel on YouTube from Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, recently premiered a new series called The Sidecar. The show stars SNL actor Bobby Moynihan and is set in a local bar for superhero sidekicks. In other news from the channel, it recently inked a deal to bring The Lonely Island to its network on YouTube. The Lonely Island is a sketch comedy group featuring SNL alum Andy Samberg, as well as Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. The trio was behind the popular SNL Digital Shorts that ran when Samberg was on the late night sketch comedy staple.

WIGS, a scripted drama channel on YouTube created by Jon Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia, is premiering Kendra today. It’s a new eight-episode series that follows a post-op nurse, played by Sarah Jones (Alcatraz), and the interactions she has with her patients, including a war veteran played by Jason Isaacs. Written and directed by Jon Avnet, new episodes will air on Mondays and Fridays over the next four weeks.

ESPN3 is now available to Optimum Online customers, allowing those who subscribe to ESPN within their TV package to access and watch live and on-demand sports games and other ESPN programming online. This includes thousands of live events, replays, and upcoming games for sports such as basketball, football, soccer, baseball, tennis, golf, and cricket. ESPN3 is also available to Optimum Online customers on the Xbox 360, as long as they also have an Xbox Live Gold membership. Cablevision says it will also soon offer access to WatchESPN, Watch Disney Channel, Watch DisneyXD, and Watch Disney Junior on Optimum TV to Go, allowing customers to watch programming from those channels on a variety of connected devices.

While we’re on the topic of digital sports programming, the NBA has signed a deal with YouTube to live stream over 350 NBA Development League (D-League) games during the 2012-13 regular season. The games will be available on both the D-League’s YouTube channel as well as through a YouTube player on NBA.com.

Content Television, a division of Content Media Corp., has secured several new international deals for Amber, a four-part drama series from Ireland’s Screenworks for RTE. These include a deal with Netflix to make the drama available to its subscribers in the US. The series, which is comprised of four one-hour episodes, was produced and created by Rob Cawley and Paul Duane, co-written by Cawley and Gary Duggan, and directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan. Set in Dublin and starring Eva Birthistle, Lauryn Canny, and David Murray, it follows the investigation surrounding the sudden disappearance of a 14-year-old girl named Amber Bailey.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PEABODY AWARDS

Maker Studios, a studio that produces original programming on YouTube and houses a bunch of the big YouTube stars, is set to raise a $40 million round of financing led by Time Warner via its venture capital arm Time Warner Investments, according to a new report from All Things Digital. The round is reportedly expected to close within the next three weeks or so. It would be a pretty substantial investment in a YouTube-centric company, the likes of which has only been seen only once before, when Machinima secured a $35 million investment from a group of investors that included Google. Less than a couple of weeks ago, Variety reported that Time Warner was considering purchasing a minority stake in Maker. Back then it was unclear which division of Time Warner would make an investment.

Cumulative revenues for the global mobile app market will top $30 billion by the end of 2012, according to new data from ABI Research. This number includes money made from pay-per-downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and in-app ads, and will nearly double the cumulative amount reached at the end of 2011. While ABI Research deems Apple as the catalyst behind the growth of the global app market, it also names Google as the company that stood out the most in 2012. “Google deserves a lot of credit for rehabilitating its proposition as an app distributor in the past year or so,” said Aapo Markkanen, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. “If the old Android Market was a garage sale of the industry then the new Google Play has begun resembling a respectable department store. We estimate the Android developers’ share of the annual app revenues to set around one-third.”

According to a mobility report published by Ericsson last week, approximately 40% of all mobile phones sold in Q3 2012 were smartphones. Among the other findings: 54% of people who use social forums or chats while watching video and TV say they do so using a smartphone. In addition, the ads in the free version of an app lead to higher data volumes and an increased number of requests to access the network. Ericsson says this traffic could exceed the cost of the premium version of the app.

Legacy Games has teamed up with Universal Partnerships & Licensing and NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products to launch a new game called Murder She Wrote 2: Return to Cabot Cove. The casual game, which is available for purchase on Legacy Games’ website, lets fans of the classic murder mystery series step into the shoes of crime fiction writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, famously played by Angela Lansbury in the TV series, to solve three new cases in the town of Cabot Cove, as well as one special international mystery. As with the first installment of this game series, game-play consists of searching for hidden clues, collecting inventory items, and solving puzzles as players travel between various locations. The game is available for PC and Mac devices.

Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM), the customer engagement agency of Meredith Corporation, has named Justin Prough as its new Executive Creative Director for its Genex business unit. In his new role, Prough will be responsible for overseeing the creative development for Genex’s portfolio of digital clients. He will be based in the Genex LA office.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Hulu recently launched a Video Games Hub on its website. The section features a wide array of gaming content including HD trailers, game-play videos, and reviews for the latest and most popular titles available today. Hulu says the hub is currently available on PCs (I am able to view it on my Mac, so I presume they mean all current or recent desktop/laptop devices powered by Windows or Mac OS). The site will roll it out to all Hulu Plus-enabled devices over the next few months.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Cynopsis Sports Sponsorship Webinar:
Activate Effective Partnerships & Tap Into Fan Loyalty
Wednesday, DEC 5 | 1:30-3:00pm ET | Register
Sponsor deals continue to evolve, so we’ve brought together executives to share the secrets & tactics behind some of the sports world’s most effective and memorable campaigns.

Expert Speakers:
Nielsen: Stephen Masters (SVP, Head of Global Sports practice)
Turner Sports: Jeff Mirman (VP, Marketing)
CSE: Adam Zimmerman (President, Marketing)

Later – Sahil
Sahil Patel, Associate Editor for Cynopsis Digital
11.26.12

Denise O’Connor: Group Publisher, Media Entertainment
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group

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JOB OPENING: MANAGER, AD SALES RESEARCH/NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC: Manage sales research for two cable networks. Expertise in Galaxy Explorer, TVToolbox, Simmons/MRI, Excel, PowerPoint. Apply online at www.nbcunicareers.com (#7797BR) (12/1)

JOB OPENING: PRODUCER/TV ONE/MD: Produce, write and oversee edit sessions for on-air promotions. BS/BA degree pref’d. Min.10 yrs exp at producer level for a nat broadcast/cable network. Visit www.TVONEJobs.com (12/1)

JOB OPENING: MGR, ANALYTICS/Cable Media Sales/NYC: Work with adsales/BI team, Format data/ devlp analytics/Translate intrctve metrics with linear television data. 5 yrs in resrch/tv ad sales www.optimumjobs.net req id 18709BR (12/1)

JOB OPENING: AD SLS MKTG SPECIALIST/Discovery/NY: Supports in dvlp& execution of multiplatform ad sls sponsrships for Destination America; 3-5 years of relevant experience; http://careers.discovery.com/ #6742 (12/1)

JOB OPENING: MKTG DIR/Discovery/MD: Mngs consumer msg via on-air promo, VOD, Social, Digital & press channels; 10+ yrs exp mktg/ad wrkin brdcst/cable ntwrkmktg/ad agency/brand mgmt; http://careers.discovery.com/ #6100 (12/1)

JOB OPENING: INTEGRATED AD SALES MKTG SPECIALIST/Discovery/NY: Temp assgnmt through DCI Vendor; Supports in dvlp & execution of multiplatform ad sls sponsrships for Velocity; 3-5 years of relevant exp; Visit: www.facebook.com/discoverfsg (12/1)

JOB OPENING: AD SLS MKTG MGR/RLTV/NYC: Dvlp & execute integrated ad sls sponsorships; mng sls tools/presentations; exp w/rsrch; exp w/ Mac & Keynote req., 4+yrs ad sls related mktg exp req. Cover letter/resume to [email protected] (12/1)

JOB OPENING: HBO ANALYST, AUDIENCE RESEARCH/NYC: tracks & reports performance of programming. Strong Kwldg of Nielsen system, Galaxy, Explorer, & NPower. Please apply @ http://bit.ly/Xtw54V (11/30)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH ANALYST/NCC RESEARCH/ATL: Mng rsch and sales department. BA deg req’d as well as media co., syndicate rsrch co. or advertising agency in a research-related position. [email protected] (11/29)

JOB OPENING: DEVELOPMENT EXECS (2 openings) NYC: For reality/non-fict TV. Extnsve rsrch for characters, subcultures, formats. Basic shoot/edit/cast & treatment writing. Res/Cov Ltr: [email protected]. 3+ yrs exp req’d (11/28)

JOB OPENING: SR MKTNG ANLST/COX MEDIA/AZ: 5+yrs exp preferred with extensive knowledge of media research and tools; analytic mind with strong comm skills; apply on WorkatCox.com JOB ID #42553 (11/28)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR STANDARDS & PRACTICES/Nickelodeon/NYC: BA, 7+ yrs exp children’s media/compliance. Strong comm/present sk. Deep knwldge regulatory/self-regul media aspects. Apply www.viacomcareers.com EOE/M/F/D/AAP (11/28)

JOB OPENING: BIZ DEV EXEC/TMZ/LA: ID biz opps to expand TMZ digital brand. 5+yrs digital media deal experience. MBA pref’d. 25% travel. More info/apply: [email protected] (11/28)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL PLANNER/NYC: devises strategies for Interactive media plans. 2-3 years of digital planning/buying at an agency experience required. http://tinyurl.com/bqo92do (11/28)

JOB OPENING: EXEC ASST/nuvoTV/LA: support 2 C-Level Execs and Mng LA Office Ops. 3-5 yrs sr. level admin exp. req. Highly visible position, strong comm. & interpersonal skills req. Industry exp +. Resume to: [email protected] EOE (11/28)

JOB OPENING: AD SLS MKTG MGR/Discovery/NY: Dvlp & execute multi-platform ad sls sponsorships; 5+yrs ad agency, media sls/mktg, client mktg exp; prod exp preferred; http://careers.discovery.com/#6742 (11/28)

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JOB OPENING: SR. MANAGER/FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT/DISNEY CHANNEL/BURBANK: Lead strategy for girls tweens incl brand plans, music, fashion, digital . 8 yrs exp in consumer prod, brand mgmt, licensing. www.disneycareers.com REQ 72607 (11/27)

JOB OPENING: INTEGRATED SALES MGR./NYC: Dvlp custom sales materials, proposals for hot digital/video media start up. Min 2 yrs exp. Apply: bitly.com/RmvGuy (11/27)

JOB OPENING: SR MKTG MGR/Discovery Communications/NY: Dvlp & execute TLC-centric multiplatform, integrated partnership deals for Ad Sls clients; 5+ yrs of relevant integrated mktg exp. http://careers.discovery.com/ #6771 (11/27)

JOB OPENING: DIR BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS/DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS/LA: Handles talent negotiations & drafting/review agreements for talent in reality programs; exp in entertainment law. http://careers.discovery.com/ #6753 (11/27)

JOB OPENING: COUNSEL CMT BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS/Santa Monica: Mng high vol deopent/prod. agreements emphasis on the unscripted/reality genre. 3-5 yrs exp w/ent law firm or studio/network. Apply: http://bit.ly/THqzFo (11/27)

JOB OPENING: TALENT MGR/CASTING PROD/NY: 8+ yrs exp. Skilled casting producer. Easily transition between office research and field work. Ability to shoot and edit. Final Cut exp. Apply: www.viacomcareers.com (11/27)

JOB OPENING: DIR., PRICING & PLANNING (FX, NYC): 7-10 yrs Media Ad Sales, Inventory Mgmt, reporting & forecasting for multiple networks. Strong exp. w/Ad Sales systems & Excel. Strong math & comm skills. http://bit.ly/Rk4ywe (11/27)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/New York City: Work with Ad Sales dept. to service and maintain agencies and clients on daily basis. More info & apply: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/jobs (11/27)

JOB OPENING: CREATIVE SERVICES ASSISTANT/Studio City: Perform administrative duties & provides support to SVP and department. More info & apply: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/jobs (11/27)

JOB OPENING:  DESIGN DIRECTOR/LOGO/NYC: 5+ yr exp. broadcast & print design; Illustrator, Photoshop req.; After Effects, Video Editing, Compositing systems, 3D Animation & OACIS a +; BFA req. Apply @ viacomcareers.com EEO/M/F/D/V (11/27)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected].

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED… There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad… for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected].

SITUATION WANTED: NYC, Ffld, Wstchstr. counties. Experienced sales, biz development pro seeking position in educational/home media, ad sales. Solid resume and excellent references. email: [email protected] (11/30)

SITUATION WANTED: AD SALES/NYC BASED or HOME OFFICE: Highly innovative & revenue results-driven. Proven track record. Digital, Social & Traditional Media. Looking to be a part of a new team. Contact: [email protected] (11/29)

SITUATION WANTED: Highly innovative results-driven ad sales executive. Proven track record. Digital, Social & Traditional Media. Looking to be a part of a new team. Based in NYC or Home Office. Contact: [email protected] (11/28)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 888.702.3858 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

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