A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM AMC

Cynopsis Media Presents: Upfront Wrap up – Part 4
05/06/13

by Roberta Caploe

It’s still Monday, May 6, and welcome to the latest installment of Cynopsis’ Upfront Wrap-Up Special Reports. Each Monday during Upfront season, we have been sharing our compendium of the latest news and happenings at these critical events. This year, each network has outdone itself in making presentations to the ad community (as well as the press and production folks) that fizz and entice. It’s looking to be an exciting season. Enjoy these highlights of the digital offerings from CBS Interactive, Disney Interactive, NBC Digital, Univision, and The Weather Company.

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CBS Interactive announced eight new web series to add to its current portfolio of 88 web series and 80 live content specials that the company produces and distributes across its network of digital properties, including CBS.com, CBSSports.com, CBSNews.com, CNET, and GameSpot.

CBS.com:

Baker Street Irregulars: An original web series that will serve as a companion to CBS Television Network’s hit detective series, Elementary. The web-only show follows a bunch of characters as they assist the modern-day Sherlock in solving cases.

Person of Interest: Animated: Based on CBS Television Network’s Person of Interest crime procedural from Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy), the animated series will serve as an extension of the hit television show.

CNET:

Next Big Thing: A show that taps into CNET’s video coverage of the tech industry’s major events (like CES) to highlight new digital products and pinpoint where the digital world is headed.

CNET Appliances: Coming this fall, CNET will expand to provide video reviews of smart/connected home appliances. This includes everything from refrigerators and dishwashers to home automation systems and even smaller appliances like Wi-Fi enabled coffee-makers.

CNET Espanol: Another CNET expansion, this one into the US Latino market. CNET will provide tech/digital breaking news, trends, and reviews.

GameSpot:

GameStart: Follows a group of gaming start-ups as they try to navigate the world of crowd-source funding on Kickstarter.

Baller Status: Think of it as MTV Cribs meets Machinima, sort of. This series will take viewers inside the homes of pro athletes, entertainers, and gaming personalities, and then feature them playing and competing with others in their favorite video games.

GameCrib: Season 2. A “behind-the-scenes” look at the lives of pro gamers. Starring pro-gaming team TSM Snapdragon, this series will document their world, which includes training, tournaments, and drama.

CBS Interactive also highlighted recently launched web series on CNET (Hooked Up, On Cars, and Always On), CBSSports.com (Fantasy Football Today), and CBSNews.com (60 Minutes Overtime).

Programming

Blank: A Love Story: In this web series based on Vinylmation, the vinyl collectible toys based on Disney characters, a blank toy is left unpainted by a factory machine and sets out on a dangerous journey to find the only other toy that may hold the answer to his destiny.

Celebrity Pet Psychic: Sonya Fitzpatrick, the most sought-after animal communicator in the world, shares her talents with animal-loving celebrities.

Citizen Kid: In this series, we profile ordinary kids who are doing extraordinary things with their lives and in their communities.

Unfiltered with Cole Plante: Follow 18-year-old electronic dance deejay Cole Plante as he prepares to take the stage at Lollapalooza, while balancing school and teen life.

D’Fied: A weekly show highlighting the best of Disney-inspired style. From sneaker culture to DIY fashion to upcoming trends, it’s the latest in style with a Disney-fied edge.

Digitales: In this finger puppet theater series, kids bring laughter to an ageless audience as they retell stories from classic Disney films, attractions, and fairy-tales.

It’s a Small World: Based on the “It’s a Small World” theme park attraction and successful e-book series, this series follows a magical hot-air balloon as it befriends a group of kids and embarks on an unforgettable adventure across the globe.

Making it Up: From crafts to baking, renowned Hollywood mom Kerri Kenney-Silver offers how-to tips from her two-acre Malibu home.

Stunt’d: In this mockumentary series, we follow an indie film crew as they shoot stunt scenes that have the most unexpected and outrageous outcomes.

Swampy’s Underground Adventures: Season 2. Based on the protagonist from Disney’s mobile franchise Where’s My Water, season 2 will continue to highlight the unpredictable adventures of Swampy the alligator and the quest for friendship and adventure.

That’s Fresh with Helen Cavallo: In this cooking show, viewers will learn how to make food that the whole family will love. It will be hosted by Heather Cavaloo, chef and the host of Disney Junior show, That’s Fresh: Recipes so Easy, You’re Laughing

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NBCUniversal held its “Digital.Amplified” event at Skylight Modern to highlight the company’s multiscreen content and marketing portfolio, which has the capacity to reach 93% of all adults per month across NBCU’s digital platforms. A packed event, here are the major announcements:

The Million Second Quiz: Described as a “multiscreen network television event,” this live competition will place four contestants inside an hourglass-shaped structure in Manhattan (contestants will compete online before having the opportunity to compete on-air). The show will air in primetime, but fans will also be able to access a 24/7 live stream online, as well as play along with other contestants in real time on NBCUniversal’s digital platforms.

Along with the CNBC Digital Workshop, which was announced earlier this week, NBCU will launch a digital studio for The Today Show this fall. The studio will produce digital-only video, photo, and social “franchises.”

Oxygen is launching a companion web series tied to its reality series, Best Ink. In Best Ink: Redemption, an eliminated contestant will get a chance to return to the show and compete again.

TV Everywhere: NBCU showcased its sports-centric TV Everywhere offerings, including NBC Sports Live Extra and Golf Live Extra. Both will allow authenticated viewers to access NBC sports programming across a variety of screens.

DailyCandy’s Fashion+ Film: 2013: DailyCandy will launch an “offline/online celebration of the intersection of fashion, film, and digital media” this fall. This festival of sorts will include curated screenings (in theaters, on-air, and online) of fashion, style, and design-centric short-form and long-form films, as well as other video content. DailyCandy’s new web series, NightlyCandy, was also previewed during the event.

The Wanted Life: Watch with The Wanted: For E!’s new series, The Wanted Life, fans will be able to watch the show on Eonline as well as interact with the pop band via an interactive video stream, all in real time.

While I couldn’t get to all of the things previewed during the event (seriously, there was a lot), NBCUniversal’s recently launched trade site has you covered for the rest, which includes Telemundo’s partnership with second-screen app Zeebox, transmedia projects from Bravo Media, and a bunch of social and mobile offerings.

Programming

Univision said that Hispanic millennials like to consume “edgy” and “unapologetic” content that resonates with their bicultural experience. To serve this audience, Univision is launching a new website in the fall called Flama, which will feature original one-off videos and web series across a variety of genres, from comedy to documentary. The site will also house editorial content and social features. Web series for Flama are currently in development, but here are the initial concepts:

Salseras: From Univision and VEVO, this scripted series will follow two childhood best friends who become fierce rivals in their college campus salsa dancing competition.

Back Home: A documentary series that takes young Hispanics on a journey back to their ancestral homelands with a small budget and a list of challenges to complete.

UVideos

Univision also announced five new channels on its digital video network, UVideos. These new channels will feature Univision TV programming as well as additional content and how-to information. They are as follows:

La Buena Vida (Lifestyle): Will feature content and information on health and fitness trends and tips to help consumers live a good life.

En La Olla (Cooking): Food-related content covering everything from recipes to restaurants. The channel will feature Despierta America’s Karla Martinez.

Canal Fashion (Beauty and Fashion): This channel will feature Rodner Figueroa from Univision’s Sal y Pimienta, among other things relevant to audiences interested in fashion, style, and beauty.

La Carcajada (Comedy): Raul Gonzalez, co-host of Despierta America, will show up on some of the content on this channel.

Lo Que No Ves (Behind the Scenes): This channel will feature new web-only content hosted by Carlos Calderon, offering a “peek behind the velvet rope” to some of Hispanic America’s top celebrities.

Univision is also enhancing the existing News and Sports channels on UVideos. The News channel will offer new timeline and contextualized commenting features that will allow viewers to follow the chronology of news events as well as participate in the conversation. With UVideos Sports, Univision is launching a “seven-days-a-week sports digital strategy” that includes soccer game highlights, recaps, player analysis, behind-the-scenes content, and live matches. UVideos Sports will also include a new timeline feature, allowing fans to rewind and watch key plays.

Transmedia

Univision also plans to launch multiplatform content experiences, meeting a Hispanic audience that “are at ease jumping between platforms, experiences, and devices.” These transmedia projects include:

LigaMXTra: Exclusive content about the most popular teams in Mexico: Chivas and America. Univision will offer extended Liga MX content across multiple screens/platforms, including TV, radio, online, video, mobile, social, and experiential.

La Boda de sus Suenos (The Wedding of Your Dreams): Designed specifically for Hispanic millennials, Univision will let the audience pick a couple and choose which beloved novella wedding will be re-created for that couple’s big day. The project will feature integrations with Univision’s morning show Despierta America (Wake Up America) and Premios TVyNovelas.

Nuestro Guapo Latino (Our Handsome Latino): A reality competition series in which “everyday guys” are put through weekly challenges, all designed by women, to “show how they embody what US Latinas are looking for in a man.” Twitter-based challenges and in-show voting integrations on Univision TV shows will allow multiple entry points for audiences (and advertisers).

Marketing, Promotions, and Distribution

“Univision is leading the marketplace to the two biggest growth opportunities for advertisers today: Hispanics and digital media,” said Kevin Conroy, President/Digital and Enterprise Development, Univision Communications. “We are focused on super-serving our core audience and reaching new ones through original digital content and formats targeting the next generation of US Hispanics on every platform and connected device.”

On Flama, marketers will be able to integrate with the videos and programming on the site. As the two shows unveiled yesterday are still series concepts at the moment, it gives brands the opportunity to get involved early on in the development process.

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The Weather Company unveiled six new web series — three previously announced during Weather’s Upfront, three announced for the first time yesterday — all of which will be produced under the Weather Films banner. Each show will consist of six, 2-4 minute episodes, with all six being made available at the same time.

Brink: Already announced. Launching in July, this show will document efforts to save endangered species.

Destination Uncharted: Already announced. A travel series exploring the “most stunning natural places on Earth.”

Grid Breakers: Already announced. Launching in September, this show follows explorers who have endured some of the world’s harshest weather conditions.

I Am Unstoppable: New. Launching in October, this show will follow six outdoor athletes who have overcome extraordinary obstacles to achieve their goals, including Sarah Reinertsen (who attended the event), the first full-leg amputee to complete the Ironman competition.

Virus Hunters: New. Launching in November, this show will document the work of scientists working hard to prevent deadly diseases from spreading. Virus Hunters will focus on the technological practices such as advanced data mining.

Alive: New. Launching in December, the show spotlights Americans who survived manmade and natural disasters. Scientists will also be featured, explaining what happened during catastrophic events like tornadoes, hurricanes, shipwrecks, or a flight nearly crashing.

Marketing, Promotions, and Distribution

Home Depot has signed on as the first marketer to take advantage of The Weather Channel’s content and marketing partnership with Twitter. The Home Depot’s “Project of the Week” campaign will be featured in promoted tweets by The Weather Channel, with embedded video that will vary by location, weather, and seasonal conditions. 

The Weather Company also touted a recent deal with Disney for Oz: The Great and Powerful. For the James Franco-starring fantasy film, The Weather Company uploaded high-quality backgrounds on its mobile apps. These backgrounds were also weather-triggered, changing depending on what the weather was like outside. Mike Finnerty said the campaign was one of the top drivers of ticketing sales for the film’s opening weekend.

“Since January, we have achieved 100 percent delivery on all of our content driven ad campaigns,” said Neil Katz, VP & Editor-in-Chief/Digital.

The Weather Company is planning to distribute the aforementioned six new short-form series across its online, mobile, and TV properties (on TV it will air as short segments). This sort of distribution is not likely to be available from any of the other NewFront presenters, according to the company. “We are pushing video everywhere,” said Mike Finnerty, VP/Product for Weather.com.

The Weather Company’s cross-platform capabilities were a huge element of its NewFront presentation. The company honed in on the “3 X 100” slogan, by which it meant it has the capacity to reach 100 million TV viewers, 100 million uniques online, and 100 million app users. Curt Hecht, Chief Global Revenue Officer for The Weather Company told me that this gives the company the ability to “beat” both digital and cable companies. His only complaint about his job, he told me, is that people always complain to him when the weather’s bad.

Neil Katz said The Weather Company reached 29 million unique visitors during Hurricane Sandy, generating 14 million video starts and 3 million live streams. What’s more, after a slight dip following the super-storm, the audience came back, and is consuming more content month over month, he said. Which was a good way to segue into previewing the aforementioned web series.

Keep Watching & Reading,
Roberta Caploe
Editor
05.06.13

Roberta Caploe: Editorial Director
Denise O’Connor: Group Publisher, Cynopsis Media
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group

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