Skip a newsletter last week? “In Case You Missed It” rounds up the top stories in each of our four daily editions, so you can be up on the latest news, Cynopsis-style, in the worlds of linear, digital, sports and kids television. Enjoy!
Turner Broadcasting announced that about 1475 jobs will be cut across the company. Turner CEO John Martin warned in August that a restructuring would focus on becoming more “streamlined, nimble and efficient”; a buyout package was offered to about 600 eligible employees two weeks later. Monday’s memo said job cuts will come from “all levels,” and impacted employees would be advised over the next two weeks.
On a related note, Scripps Networks Interactive offered an early retirement package to its U.S. employees who are at least 55 with a minimum 10 years of service. An email sent Monday from Scripps chairman, president and CEO Ken Lowe told staffers the company is “strong, healthy and creative,” but acknowledged “significant headwinds for the industry at large,” thanks to declining TV viewership, a challenging ad market, the increasingly crowded lifestyle space and changes in consumer behavior. An effort to bring costs in line with revenue will likely include “the elimination of activities, projects and positions,” warned Lowe.
Cult fave Twin Peaks is being revived by Showtime as a new limited series, with series creators and exec producers David Lynch and Mark Frost onboard for all nine episodes. Production on the show, offering “long-awaited answers,” begins in 2015 to air in 2016, the 25th anniversary of the ABC original. Tweeted Lynch, “it’s happening again.” Cue teaser.
With $24 billion reportedly on the line, the NBA struck an accord with ESPN and Turner Sports that will boost the number of games on TV through the 2024-25 season. The new nine-year agreements kick in beginning with the 2016-17 season and will see the broadcast partners showcase more national regular-season games, with 100 on ABC/ESPN and 64 on Turner. Games will often be slated for Wednesdays (ESPN), Thursdays (TNT), Fridays (ESPN), and Sundays (ABC/ESPN). In addition, NBA TV will offer telecasts on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday with over 100 games a year.
On the digital front, the league and Turner will continue their alliance to jointly manage the NBA’s digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA Mobile, NBA LEAGUE PASS, and WNBA.com. Meanwhile, ESPN receives enhanced digital rights to provide NBA content for multiple ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com and WatchESPN. In addition, the parties have also established a framework for ESPN and the NBA to negotiate the launch of a new over-the-top offering in which the league would receive an equity interest.
Other details:
• TNT will debut the first-ever NBA Awards Show, an annual event slated to air at the end of the season. They will also receive expanded activation opportunities surrounding NBA pillars such as Opening Night and NBA All-Star Week.
• ESPN locked in a new deal with the WNBA, with games continuing to be carried on ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 through the 2025 season. ESPN also will have enhanced in-progress highlight rights for the WNBA on digital and linear platforms.
• Starting with the 2016-17 season, for the first time, at least 20 NBA Development League games and NBA Summer League games will be seen on the ESPN television networks.
• Turner Sports gets content/digital rights to NBA content for multiple TNT platforms including Bleacher Report; interactive online elements such as selected camera angles, statistic feeds and video to complement TNT’s telecasts; and broadband and other content for digital platforms.
• ESPN Audio reached a nine-year, multiplatform agreement to broaden ESPN Audio’s exclusivity and including additional rights and opportunities. While increasing its English-language distribution rights, ESPN Audio will become the exclusive Spanish-language national rights holder through ESPN Deportes Radio on terrestrial radio, satellite and all forms of radio devices including digital and third party platforms.
“The Walt Disney Company and Turner Broadcasting share responsibility for the growing popularity and interest the NBA enjoys, and we are thrilled to extend our partnerships,” said Silver. “With these new agreements, our fans will continue to benefit from the outstanding NBA coverage and programming provided by ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and their digital platforms.”
With hockey season underway, the NHL handed NBCSN with record viewership and notched that best NHL opening night doubleheader on record, according to Nielsen. The Flyers/Bruins matchup handed the channel with an average of 956,000 viewers as well as a 0.57 household rating, making it the most-watched opening night game on cable on record and the highest-rated NHL regular-season game ever on NBCSN. The game also set live streaming records for uniques and minutes consumed. Meanwhile, the Sharks/Kings game averaged 446,000 viewers, to mark the most ever on NBCSN for an NHL regular-season “late” game (puck drop after 9 p.m. ET), excluding last season’s outdoor game at Dodger Stadium.
Amazon renewed comedy Transparent for a second season, to return in 2015. The first season of the Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under) series has been at the top of Prime Instant Video for two weeks and 80 percent of viewers have seen two or more eps, according to the ‘Zon. The show stars Jeffrey Tambor as a parent who comes out to his family as transgendered. Additionally, Variety reports that the e-commerce company will dish out $2 to $4 million for its comedy pilots from now on – and will put up even more for action-adventure comedies, making their budgets comparable to those of broadcasters’.
Hasbro Studios yesterday made good on buzz that it’s been shopping some of its previously Hub-directed content to Cartoon Network. Cartoon will be the U.S home of new Hasbro series Transformers: Robots in Disguise, set to debut in Q1 2015. “As the regularly top-rated U.S. TV network in prime among Transformers’ core audience of boys ages 6-11 and 9-14, our beloved Autobots and Decepticons will feel very much at home on Cartoon Network,” says Finn Arnesen, SVP, global distribution and development for Hasbro Studios. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Transformers franchise.
Nelvana Enterprises and Spin Master are co-developing new preschool brand Little Charmers. Nelvana is producing an animated series, set to debut on Nick Jr. in early 2015; Spin Master is developing and manufacturing a toy line to roll out at mass retail next fall. Aimed at girls 2-7, the series “embodies the magic of friendship in the whimsical land of Charmville.” “With strong, aspirational female characters, we believe that Little Charmers will be a great success for Nick Jr. worldwide,” says Jennifer Dodge, Spinmaster VP/exec producer.
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