EARNINGS CALL

Paramount Global Sticks To The Script In Its Earnings Call

TVNewsCheck | – Add Comment

The company’s new office of the CEO thanked departing CEO Bob Bakish who left shortly before Monday’s call with analysts during which it took no questions. In the first quarter, the company’s total income increased 6% over the same quarter in 2023, to almost $7.7 billion, helped by Super Bowl advertising, which especially boosted the TV Media unit, which includes the company’s broadcast and cable network properties. Ad revenue was up 14%, thanks to a 23-percentage-point kick from CBS’s Super Bowl broadcast.

It’s Official – Bob Bakish Is Out At Paramount Global

Deadline |

The executive who has been a presence at several iterations of the company since 1997 will exit, effective immediately. A triumvirate of division heads — Brian Robbins, George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy — will step in to lead the company for now in a new office of the CEO. Robbins is president & CEO of Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon and chief content officer, Movies and Kids & Family, Paramount+; Cheeks is president-CEO of CBS, and chief content officer, News and Sports, Paramount+; McCarthy is President & CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks.

BRAND CONNECTIONS

U.S. Ad Market Expands For 11th Month In March

MediaPost |

The U.S. ad market expanded for its 11th consecutive month in March — rising 4.3% over March 2023 — according to the latest monthly installment of Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker. Smaller ad categories outpaced the growth of the top categories by a margin of nearly four-to-one. While the top 10 increased spending only 1.9% over March 2023, all other categories expanded 7.9%. March's growth was also due to a massive increase in digital vs. traditional media ad spending.

Exclusives

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Jason Kelce Joining ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ Pregame Show

The Athletic |

The recently retired Jason Kelce is headed to ESPN to be part of its Monday Night Football pregame show, sources briefed on the move told The Athletic. Kelce, who just retired after what is considered a Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Eagles, was sought after by multiple networks, but is slated to land on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.

Fox, Disney, Warner Will Tap Streaming Sports Venture In TV Upfront

Variety |

The three media companies planning to launch a much-scrutinized sports streamer later this year are set to give advertisers a sneak peek at the new outlet. Fox, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery plan to use their new streaming joint-venture — the official name of the video hub has yet to be announced — to boost the impressions they have to sell to Madison Avenue during the industry’s annual upfront market, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Peacock Hiking Prices For Second Time In Two Years

Variety |

Beginning in mid-July, the price for Peacock Premium (with ads) will increase by $2 to $7.99 per month and Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free) is also going up by $2 to $13.99 per month. Peacock Premium’s annual price will increase from $59.99 to $79.99, while Premium Plus is going from $119.99 to $139.99 per year.

Diamond Sports Group Reaches Tentative Deal With DirecTV On Long-Term Carriage Renewal

Next TV |

Diamond Sports Group has reached an agreement in principal on a multiyear carriage renewal with DirecTV, reducing the number of big hurdles still in front of the bankrupt operator of the Bally Sports regional sports network to just one — a renewal of its carriage deal with Comcast, which expires Tuesday.

Matt Ryan To Join CBS’s NFL Studio Show. Longtime Analysts Simms And Esiason Depart

The Associated Press | – Add Comment

Ryan (l) will join James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and JJ Watt on The NFL Today. The 2016 NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback joined CBS Sports last season as an NFL game analyst and appeared in studio during the playoffs and Super Bowl. The contracts of Phil Simms (c) and Boomer Esiason expired after the Super Bowl (AP).

MARKET SHARE

KSLA’s Cold Case True Crime Docs Resonate With Shreveport Viewers

TVNewsCheck/Market Share |

Americans are hooked on true crime. The more graphic and disturbing, the more they find it exciting and suspenseful. And the audience of true crime TV shows are about 80% women. Viewers just want to know, who done it?

TVN’S MEDIA JOBS

New Jobs Posted To TVNewsCheck

TVNewsCheck/Market Share |

New jobs posted to TVNewsCheck’s Media Job Center include an opening for a digital platform specialist. Other existing job openings include ones for an account executive, executive producer, meteorologist, weekend anchor, sales manager, senior newscast producer, digital video producer and reporter.

MRC Issues Finalized OOH Media Standard, This Phase Excludes Audiences

MediaPost |

Following months of vetting and public comment, an out-of-home working group of the Media Rating Council released the final version of "phase 1" of the U.S. marketplace's standard for measuring ad exposure to the medium. Significantly, phase 1 deals only with "impressions," while a standard for measuring persons-based audience exposure will come when a "phase 2" is created at an as-yet-undisclosed future date.

‘Mixed-Ish’ Creators Prevail In Idea Theft Lawsuit

The Hollywood Reporter |

A state appeals court delivered a fatal blow to the lawsuit from actress Hayley Marie Norman, who accused the creators of the Black-ish spinoff of stealing materials from a show she was pitching.

AI & THE MEDIA

Space Industry Races To Put AI In Orbit

Axios |

A raft of startups, companies and governments are trying to develop new chips to unlock AI's power in space. The harsh conditions of space have so far limited the use of AI on board satellites that play a critical role in the space economy. AI could help fuel growth in the space industry, which some predict will be worth as much as $1.8 trillion by 2035 — on par with the semiconductor industry. But right now the space industry is in "the Dark Ages," says former NASA administrator Dan Goldin. "Instead of doing edge computing, it is done in data centers and mission control."

OPEN MIKE

How AI Can Save Journalism

TVNewsCheck | – Comments (2)

Cynthia Lieberman: In the right hands and with thoughtful application, artificial intelligence has the potential to save and revitalize authentic journalism by empowering real reporters and producers to generate more and better stories.

Bob Bakish Exit: Shock Ripples Through CBS White House Correspondents Dinner Party As Paramount CEO Set To Depart

Deadline |

Confusion and anxiety reigned at a CBS-Politico joint party Saturday ahead of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with staffers shocked at news that Bob Bakish, CEO of parent Paramount Global, is set to exit abruptly as early as Monday morning. There have been rumblings about Bakish for days as the company enters the final stretch of exclusive merger negotiations with David Ellison’s Skydance. But his imminent departure triggered a wave of anxious speculation Saturday night in D.C.

‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ Canceled By CBS After 3 Seasons

Deadline |

It came down to the wire, but NCIS: Hawai’i ultimately didn’t make the cut for next season at CBS. The news comes days before the network is set to announce its fall schedule on May 2 and before the Season 3 finale of Hawai’i is scheduled to air on May 6. According to sources, the episode was not meant to be a series finale and includes a tease for what was to come but fans won’t be left reeling by a major cliffhanger.

TVN Webinar: Streaming Revenue Strategies For Local TV

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Streaming sales leaders from Gray Television, E.W. Scripps, Hearst Television, Ticker and Megaphone TV will share the latest developments in technology and strategy for OTT and FAST channels. Learn more about this critically important revenue source for broadcasters in a TVNewsCheck Working Lunch Webinar on May 16. Register here.

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