Upfront Wrapup 05/16/17

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Weekly Upfront Wrap Up

How many celebrity photo opps, bite-sized canapes and promises of audience delivery can brand and agency execs swallow in one week? The industry is finding out the answer, as the 2017 broadcast presentations kick into high gear. Here’s an inside peak of the past week in Upfront-land.

May 16

ESPN

ESPN emphasized out of the (TV) box measurement and star power at its Upfront, where the network announced two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Peyton Manning will host its 2017 Espy Awards on July 12.

The Disney-and-Hearst-owned sports net wants to strike advertising partnerships deals based on a new, Nielsen-measured metric that takes into account all live viewers, no matter what screen they’re accessing ESPN and ESPN2 content on. Beginning October 1, the live-streaming tally will also include viewers who consume the Disney- and Hearst-owned company’s content with the same “ad load” as a TV broadcast.

In other announcements, Beth Mowins and Rex Ryan will call the late game in the season-opening MNF doubleheader, the September 11 LA Chargers vs. Denver Broncos game. Ryan, the former Buffalo Bills and NY Jets head coach, joins ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown as a new studio analyst this fall. Maria Taylor, current ESPN and SEC Network host, will join the crews of College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and ABC Saturday Night Football. SEC Network’s Laura Rutledge is the new host of pre-game show SEC Nation.

Additionally, next year’s College Football Playoff National Championship will have an “A-list music act” perform a halftime show for ESPN viewers for the first time in College Football Playoff history.

Univision Communications Inc.

Univision’s Upfront presentation touted the theme “Proof of Passion,” and highlighted the five passion points driving audience engagement: Soccer, News, Family, Music and Drama. To the first point, starting in summer 2018, Univision Deportes will begin airing soccer’s UEFA Champions League.

UCI launched Edicion Digital, a noon news franchise that simultaneously airs live from the newsroom on Facebook and across other UCI digital platforms. Also ahead is unscripted competition and game shows like Tu Cara Me Suena (Your Face “Sounds” Familiar) and A Jugar en Familia, exec-produced by Simon Cowell, plus new series Barrio Records. UCI also is developing a bio-series of Luis Miguel’s life story. New dramas include El Ultimo Dragon, and Televisa productions Mi Marido Tiene Familia (My Husband has a Family), Papa a Toda Madre (The Mother of all Dads) and Amar Después de Amar (To Love After Loving), among others.

May 15

NBC and NBCUniversal Cable

A performance by new Voice coach Jennifer Hudson kicked off NBC’s Upfront at Radio City Music Hall on a high note, and Seth Meyers kept it real, noting in a jab–filled monolog that collectively the Upfronts “have been post-truth from the beginning.” The event again combined NBC’s broadcast and cable properties, and this year emphasized the company’s research and data.

Linda Yaccarino, NBCU chairman of ad sales and client partnerships, talked up the company’s brand-safe environment and ability to elevate advertisers’ messaging via “trusted, verified content,” while dissing the digital and social media environment. “What the hell is a view anyway?,” she questioned. “Has a view ever bought anything?”

The 2017 slate adds five freshman dramas and three new comedies, anchored by the return of a “must see TV” Thursday lineup that includes the returning Will & Grace (the cast was in the house, and they’ve still got it), breakout drama This Is Us (featured prominently throughout the event) and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, a new Dick Wolf true crime series that probes the 1989 killings. It also features the now-uncanceled Timeless, and new series World of Dance. Jennifer Lopez was on hand to talk up her new dance series, as well as Shades of Blues.

The event touted NBC’s “Unequaled” reach extending to its cable properties and digital investments, which include Snap, and partnerships, including Apple News. Kim and Khloe Kardashian took the stage to talk up E! and introduced a peak at little sis Kylie Jenner’s new reality series Life of Kylie. Andy Cohen served as ambassador for Bravo, which will add its first scripted series, All That Glitters, about the friendship and rivalry between publishing icons Anna Wintour and Tina Brown.

Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman emceed the USA segment, which featured a clip of their upcoming crime drama The Sinner. Newly engaged John Cena and Nikki Bella talked up WWE.

Universal Kids had its official kick off, with a presentation by Vanessa Lachey and Curtis Stone, hosts of the network’s upcoming Top Chef Junior. Syfy, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, is returning to its roots, noted Zachary Levi, host of the net’s Comic-Con programming. Among upcoming fare is The Purge, introduced by producer Jason Blum who said it’s the first TV show to be filmed commensurate with a feature film – the fourth in his The Purge film series.

Chuck Todd , Lester Holt, Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie were on hand for NBC News, with Lauer noting, “Sometimes it feels a little dysfunctional… but this team in my opinion is unrivaled.” Megyn Kelly, whose Sunday night newsmagazine launches in June followed by her daytime talk show in the fall, was on hand and declared, “I’m here! I’m psyched!” NBC Broadcasting chair Mark Lazarus closed the show by tee’ing up a clip showing off NBCU sports investments in the Olympics, the NFL and the World Cup.

FOX

Fox again brought its presentation to NY’s Beacon Theatre, where newly minted president of ad revenue Joe Marchese shared some big news: The company’s cable net FX “will no longer sell traditional commercials for digital and on-demand experiences,” ie, playback. Noting Fox generally is moving from “trading on impressions to making impressions,” Marchese said the networks group is using data, innovation and common sense to avert the subprime ad market, which he said is “dragging us all down.”

The new season will see the continuation of 17 series, more returning shows than the network has had in a decade. There will be some schedule-shifting, including the creation of a Lee Daniels-branded Wednesday night with the pairing of Empire and Star on Wednesday nights.

A swath of new comedy is on the way, including Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville, set 400 years in the future on a spaceship and starring the funnyman, who serenaded the audience with a Sinatra-styled Upfronts sendup including the line, “At Fox our reputation could use a little bump. Although we brought you ratings, we elected Donald Trump.” Other new comedies include Ghosted, framed in the paranormal; and sitcom LA to Vegas, starring Dylan McDermott, which is on deck for midseason. In the drama department, upcoming are medical drama The Resident, a new installment of The X-Files and 9-1-1, a straight-to-series drama from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk about first responders.

Fox is doubling down on live musicals following last year’s Grease Live! success. In the works are a musical rendition of holiday film A Christmas Story and, slated for 2018, a live version of Rent that was introduced to the crowd via a chorus-line performance of Seasons of Love.

The presentation also highlighted Fox Sports 1, including the addition of Big Ten football and new MLB analyst Alex Rodriguez–who was on hand along with Jimmy Johnson, Troy Aikman and the irreverent Joe Buck. The network pushed its catbird seat position of “owning the fall,” with MLB postseason, NFL and Big Ten. The Upfront presentation was followed by a star-studded party at Wollman Rink in Central Park.

May 12

truTV

truTV renewals include Impractical Jokers, Jon Glaser Loves Gear, The Carbonaro Effect, Hack My Life, Adam Ruins Everything, Those Who Can’t, You Can Do Better and Comedy Knockout. Among new additions will be Laff Mob’s Laff Tracks, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters, I’m Sorry and The Chris Gethard Show. The net also has 4 shows in development.

“Three years ago, when we announced our plan to totally reinvent truTV as a comedy network, people thought we were nuts and it would never work – but at least they were nice about it,” said Chris Linn, president of truTV. “Not only have we completely changed the programming slate, but truTV has evolved into a distinct brand that appeals not only to a higher level of talent, but also to more premium audiences and advertisers.”

May 11

Oxygen Media

Oxygen Media is expanding its crime programming slate with eight new greenlights, two new series in development and the acquisition of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. New crime offerings include projects from NBCUniversal’s Wilshire Studios, NBC News’ Peacock Productions, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures and EPs Dick Wolf, Ice-T, Soledad O’Brien and Nancy Grace.

“This new slate has a great mix of high stakes real time crime investigation and innovative formats that allows viewers to stay engaged from beginning to end with immersive storytelling,” said Rod Aissa, EVP, original programming and development.

What Happened to… Jessica Chambers? (wt) dives into the mysterious death of the Mississippi teen who was doused with gasoline and set on fire in 2014. Mysteries and Scandals, hosted by Soledad O’Brien, investigates Hollywood’s most intriguing criminals, murders and cases of corruption. Hosted by NBC News’ Craig Melvin, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered (wt) incorporates classic elements of drama and storytelling with suspense and resolution. Each ep features chilling tales directly from those most involved, including investigators tasked with cracking the case and the families confronting tragedy. Retried, which follows a Grace-led group of legal experts as they reassess an adjudicated murder case, is in development.

NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises

NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises unveiled its 2017-2018 slate, featuring 850 hours of new formats and multiplatform content. Programming includes the return of La Reina del Sur and five new mini-series. Among them are one based on the life of music icon Luis Miguel and another about the death of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla.

“Telemundo continues to drive growth in Hispanic media with original content that resonates with today’s Hispanic in the U.S.,” said Cesar Conde, Chairman, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and NBCUniversal International Group. “Latinos are evolving and they are influencing out economy and mainstream culture more than ever.”

On the digital front, Telemundo presented the first-ever virtual reality experience for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Double Accion 52, as well as its first digital bilingual reality show, the first-ever Hispanic Snapchat show and two multiplatform content collaborations with BuzzFeed. Universo, Telemundo Enterprises’ entertainment cable channel, will bring back hit celeb-realities, including The Riveras, and signature series, including The Walking Dead en Espanol.

Mashable

Mashable kept it short and sweet at its NewFront presentation in midtown Manhattan. Mashable has pushed heavily into video over the last couple of years, and the company boasted that, for the first time ever, its video content is now being visited more often than its print content, Mashable’s biggest announcement was the launch of Mashable Reels, a new vertical video product and content series for the mobile web that’s not an app, CEO Pete Cashmore was sure to clarify, and includes a mix of video, photos, text, and other media. The first three Reels are focused on HBO’s Game of Thrones, the planet Mars, and Wonder Woman. McDonald’s and Sprint are on-board as advertisers. One consistent theme of the presentation was that Mashable views itself as a mobile-first company—and TV isn’t its focus.

Group Nine Media

The final NewFront presentation of 2017 belonged to Group Nine Media, the Discovery Communications-backed company whose properties include NowThis (which focuses on news), The Dodo (animals), Seeker (science and technology) and Thrillist (food and travel). Among announcements: Thrillist is partnering with TLC to launch Best Meal Ever, a short-form, multiplatform franchise in which TLC personalities reveal their favorite meals. The franchise will feature recipes posted across Thrillist and TLC’s platforms, as well as interstitials airing on TLC. NowThis hired investigative journo Kaj Larsen, a veteran of CNN and Vice, as a senior correspondent. Larsen will spearhead the development and production of both short- and long-form news and documentary content, much of which he’ll host.

The Dodo’s new content includes Animal Heroes, about people who go above and beyond to help animals, and Little Dodo, a sub-brand aimed at preschool aged children. And Seeker’s new initiatives include The Edge, a series that will send VR cameras to extreme and little-explored areas of the world, and an “Everest VR” partnership, in which Seeker will team with studios Solfar and RVX to place a “Seeker Mode” inside their “Everest VR” experience. The “Seeker Mode” will provide additional data and storytelling within the experience. Finally, Group Nine discussed its new partnership with Digitas LBi, in which Group Nine will offer video content creation and distribution for DigitasLBi’s clients.

May 10

IAB

IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), which sponsored the NewFronts, hosted a lunch session during which ad tech companies and research companies Unruly, Receptiv, Sharethrough, and Rocket Fuel delivered presentations. Up top, the IAB presented some research of its own. In its new report, The Changing TV Experience Study 2017, the trade group—in partnership with MARU Matchbox—found 46 percent of Americans’ TV screen time is spent watching traditional linear programming, no longer a majority. The IAB also found half of streaming-enabled TV owners say they prefer watching commercials over paying for ad-free subscriptions when streaming video on TV. And the survey found that multitasking on a second-screen device continues to be a common occurrence when consumers watch programming on TVs. However, the survey also found that multitasking incidence is lower when a consumer is watching digital video (72 percent) than during linear viewing (81 percent).

May 8

Trusted Media Brands

Trusted Media Brands , owner of properties including Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, wants to be known as a digital-first media company. At its NewFront presentation May 9, the company announced several new digital series including My Morning Ritual, which explores the healthy morning habits of well known people, and Your Way to Better Health, which highlights ways to stay healthy beyond just physical fitness–both from Reader’s Digest. The company also highlighted a new partnership with Arcade Creative Group, and said it plans to add 25 new roles to its digital team. It also repeatedly assured advertisers its properties are brand-safe environments. “All of our brands are squeaky clean,” CRO Rich Sutton, who delivered the bulk of TMB’s presentation, told Cynopsis. “Because our user generated content is scrubbed by human beings, we’re never going to have a problem.”

Studio71

Studio71 , the multi-channel digital media specialist owned by German mass media company ProSiebenSat.1, remotely streamed its presentation announcing new series from its YouTube creators. Among them is a workplace comedy from Seven Bucks Digital Studios, the digital arm of Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions, with the co-creators of the Bro Science Life YT channel. Studio71 also mentioned This Is Mythical, a new channel from YT comedy duo Rhett and Link. Series such as Mythicalicious and Ten Feet Tall will feature on the channel later this year. In other news, YouTube comedian Lilly Singh – AKA IISuperwomanII – will create new content, including a return of her 12 Collaborations of Christmas series. And Family Fun Pack – the world’s second largest digital channel – will launch two new initiatives in 2017, including new baby- and music-focused programming.

Azteca America

Azteca America is on the road with its Upfront message: “Feel the intensity.” Among the highlights on the slate is timely drama El Muro (The Wall), set on the border between Arizona and Mexico. “It’s a story I’ve always wanted to tell,” says Manuel Abud, network president/CEO. “Today’s political climate provides great setup for developing a U.S. drama that is compelling, emotional and touches a real nerve with our audience.” Other offerings include El Manicomio (Mental Hospital), a thriller following a reporter working undercover to find out the truth about her grandmother’s death; prison thriller Vis a Vis, and Relatos Misterios (Mystical Tales), offering documentary-style dramatizations of mysteries.