Programming

Comscore, taking another swipe at ratings rival Nielsen, said its local-market data shows that during the pandemic, TV usage climbed starting last March, then decreased, but still finished the year higher than in 2019. Nielsen has been under fire for under-counting viewing with its panel-based data showing that TV usage was lower during the pandemic.

Peacock has added premium streaming as an option for all of the National Hockey League’s remaining Stanley Cup Semifinal games. As previously announced, the games will also air on NBCSN or USA Network and NBC Sports digital platforms. The series starts June 14 at 9 p.m. ET with Game 1 in the semifinal between the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights.

The biggest driver of subscribers for HBO Max in 2021 was not exclusive premieres of blockbuster films like Godzilla vs. Kong or even Zack Snyder’s long-awaited redo of Justice League. Instead, it was a show that hasn’t aired a new episode since George W. Bush was president.

ABC’s Rebel — leading out of a 20/20 special about Erin Brockovich — wrapped its one-and-done run with 2.7 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating for both hours of its double-episode finale night, dipping to series lows in both measures. Over on NBC, bubble drama Manifest drew 2.8M/0.4 with its first hour, followed by 2.6M/0.4 for Part 2 of the Season 3 finale — both tying last week’s series lows in the demo and the latter marking an audience low.

As viewers watch more streaming video content and cancel their cable/satellite subscriptions, broadcast station owners have been doubling down on free ad supported over-the-air television by launching free over-the-air digital multicast networks. Among the station groups on the diginets bandwagon are Scripps, Sinclair, Tegna, Nexstar, CBS and NBCU.

The canceled superhero show grows in its second week of release in the United States; meanwhile, The Woman in the Window has an underwhelming start on Netflix.

Think of Sony Pictures Television as clutching the rose, and Mayim Bialik, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric and Jeopardy champs Ken Jennings and Buzzy Cohen among the suitors so far, with more to come including Robin Roberts, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and LeVar Burton. Sony has “the most robust team of people I have ever seen looking at this and analyzing it in a very cerebral way,” said Executive Producer Mike Richards. “It’s a real change from the way casting has traditionally been done on television.”

Fox’s MasterChef: Legends drew 2.4 million total viewers and a 0.6 rating, holding steady week to week to lead Wednesday in the demo. Over on CBS, Kids Say the Darndest Things (3.1M/0.4) was steady and delivered the night’s largest audience (faint praise alert!).

The cast of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist may have performed their last number. NBC has opted not to give a third-season renewal to the musical dramedy with a passionate following, which topped USA Today’s annual Save Our Shows poll for a second consecutive year.

Starz wants Disney to change the name of its upcoming Latin America streaming service, Star+. The Lionsgate-owned network filed copyright infringement lawsuits against Disney in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Starz is arguing that the name of Disney’s forthcoming streaming service is too similar with Starz, particularly its own streaming service StarzPlay, which operates in 58 countries worldwide and has been available in Latin America since 2019.

California lawmakers are seeking a large increase to the state’s film and TV tax credit program, a $180 million hike that would bring the Golden State more in parity with New York. The state Senate Budget Committee adopted a proposal last week that would provide $90 million per year for 2021-22 and 2022-23. That is a far greater figure than Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to increase the tax incentives by $30 million in the next fiscal year.

Shrugging off preemptions in some West Coast markets for coverage of the mass shooting near Silicon Valley on May 26, Entertainment Tonight rose 5% from the prior frame to a 2.1 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. Access Hollywood accelerated 11% to a 1.0 and Extra exploded for a 17% increase to a 0.7, tying TMZ for the first time since Dec. 20, 2020. Overall, Family Feud led all of syndication for a second consecutive week with a 5.4.

The CW’s The Flash this week drew 770,000 total viewers and a 0.2 demo rating, marking its best audience in five episodes while also ticking up in the demo. On NBC, America’s Got Talent (6.9M/0.9) dipped from its season opener yet still dominated Tuesday in both measures.

Honorees include Kerry Washington, Catherine O’Hara, Lena Waithe, Kelly Clarkson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dede Mcguire, Erin Andrews, Black-Ish, Mrs. America, Folklore and CBS This Morning. The awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 27.

An exclusive deal with European pay TV provider Sky is restricting HBO Max ‘s ability to expand as it tries to catch up with Netflix and Disney+ .

The Parents Television and Media Council is calling on the FCC and Congress to regulate streaming services. That came Tuesday after the heads of the top streaming services did not participate in its virtual town hall on better content controls.

NBA on TNT helped give the WarnerMedia-owned network a big lift over its competitors at this year’s 42nd Annual Sports Emmys. Announced late Tuesday, this year TNT won the most Sports Emmys of any single outlet, with seven — followed closely by ESPN, which earned six. If corporate entities are combined, then the ESPN triumvirate of ESPN, ESPN Plus and ESPN Deportes actually landed the most wins, with a total of nine.