AMC Networks has enabled advertisers to buy live linear inventory programmatically on three of its networks — an industry first, according to the media company. Starting this month, programmatic buying is fully operational on AMC, WE TV and BBC America. The company worked with FreeWheel, The Trade Desk and Canoe Ventures to implement the technology.
‘Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ Tops Fellow Spinoff ‘Dead City’ To Become Biggest AMC+ Premiere Ever
“The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” is off to the races in the ratings.
Exclusives
AMC Networks said today it named Georgia Juvelis chief communications officer, a new position at the company. In her new role, she will add oversight of publicity, talent relations and awards to her portfolio, which already included corporate communications, internal communications, corporate marketing and government affairs.
It’s understood that these agreements are specific to these three shows, rather than a blanket agreement between the company and the guild.
AMC Networks reported its second-quarter 2023 earnings Friday, revealing it had lost 500,000 more subscribers across its portfolio of niche streamers and was down 17% in U.S. ad sales for the April 1-June 30 period.
Dan McDermott, AMC Studios head and president of original programming, said AMC Networks is “optimally positioned” as a business following layoffs and scrapped series, which the executive said is emblematic of streaming’s course-correction following external and internal challenges.
After announcing the departure of CEO Christina Spade, AMC Networks Chairman James Dolan sent a memo to staff warning the the company was planning to make ‘large scale’ layoffs and other cuts to operations. In his memo Dolan cited the difficulties faced by the pay TV industry and the fact that streaming has not yet replaced the revenues being lost by the traditional cable networks that make up the bulk of AMC’s business.
Several producers of The Walking Dead have filed a new $200 million lawsuit against AMC Networks to recover profits from the hit series and its spinoffs. In their most recent legal position in California Superior Court, the producers — Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Charles Eglee and Glenn Mazzara — are claiming that AMC Networks’ $200 million settlement in 2021 with the show’s creator Frank Darabont and CAA, his agency, entitles them to similar treatment.
A writers’ room for the six-episode series is now open under AMC’s script-to-series model. George Clooney, Grant Heslov and their Smokehouse Pictures banner brought the project to AMC along with Participant and 2929 Productions. Clooney and Heslov co-wrote the film, with Clooney also directing and co-starring and Heslov producing. 2929 and Participant both produced the film as well.
Multiyear agreement keeps AMC+, Shudder and Acorn TV as subscription options on Roku Channel.
Comedy legend Carol Burnett is set to guest star on the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul. She’ll portray a character named Marion, but the storyline has not been revealed. The final episodes will conclude the complicated journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman.
Co-creator Peter Gould unveiled the news at a Paleyfest event and AMC confirmed the news, noting “They’re coming back.” Cranston and Paul played Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in five seasons of the drug dealing drama as well as Netflix feature film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which was released in 2019. The sixth and final season of Better Call Saul is broken into two parts. It kicks off on April 18 and runs until late May, before picking up again in early July.
The Walking Dead is coming to an end this year, and so it seems is most of the long-standing legal action by Robert Kirkman and other executive producers of the zombie apocalypse series against AMC. In a final ruling Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel Buckley gutted most of the fight pitting Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and fellow TWD EPs Charles Eglee and Glen Mazzara against the cable network.
Oscar winnerWilliam Hurt, who died Sunday at 71, left behind a yet-to-be-released TV series, AMC’s first animated drama Pantheon. Hurt was cast in the project, from creator and showrunner Craig Silverstein a year ago. He had completed vis voice work on the series before his death, sources say.
AMC Networks shifted two executives to give its streaming services more management attention as the company pivots its focus towards its growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Courtney Thomasma was named general manager of AMC Plus, its commercial-free original content product, and Matt Graham was named general manager of AMC’s Sundance Now streaming service.
For the first time ever, consumers don’t need a cable subscription to watch AMC Networks channels including AMC, BBC America, IFC and SundanceTV. AMC Networks has dramatically increased the footprint for AMC+, its expanded ad-free streaming service, which will be available today through Apple TV and Prime Video channels.
The FCC isn’t particularly alarmed by the prospect that for some TV watchers, shows like The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul and Killing Eve could be going away. On Monday, the FCC’s Media Bureau denied AMC’s request for a standstill order to preserve its current program carriage agreement with AT&T. As a result, upon the imminent expiration of the deal, AMC could go dark on AT&T platforms including DirecTV and AT&T TV Now. At the moment, that accounts for a quarter of AMC households.
