Disney Strikes Deal With Publicis Media to Test Nielsen Overhaul

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorA new NBCUniversal advertising executive is taking on the task of tackling advertisers to link themselves to such sports properties as “Sunday Night Football” and the soon-to-launch USFL.Peter Lazarus will take the lead on selling ads behind the bulk of NBCUniversal’s sports programming, part of a gradual overhaul of the company’s work behind connecting Madison Avenue with some of TV’s biggest and most-watched properties.Lazarus has been named executive vice president of sports ad-sales, taking up responsibilities previously held by Dan Lovinger, a longtime NBCU ad-sales exec who has been assigned to focus more intently on the company’s efforts behind Olympics advertising. Lovinger was elevated to president in January and will lead Olympics ad-sales efforts as NBCU works harder to fulfill a commitment it has made along the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, pledging to offer long-term deals to partners for TV, digital, and live event advertising, as well as brand activations and associations with Team USA.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTanqueray wants to raise a glass to the second season of Netflix’s “Bridgerton” — and generate some publicity for itself while doing so.The Diageo gin brand is teaming up with the streaming-video giant in a promotion that aims to create a new social occasion that’s tied to the themes of the drama series, which is set in London during Britain’s Regency era. The two companies are set to release a video for followers of their social accounts that will show Joe Jonas, comedian Phoebe Robinson and “Bridgerton” actor Jonathan Bailey turning “tea time” into “T-time” while exploring many themes of the series.When it comes to working with Netflix, traditional commercials just won’t do.

EXCLUSIVE: Hallmark veteran Brennan Elliott is expanding his relationship with Crown Media Family Networks, with an exclusive, multi-picture overall deal.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorCraig Melvin will leave his 11 a.m. weekday morning slot at MSNBC at the end of March, marking the latest shift of personnel at the NBCUniversal-owned cable-news outlet.Melvin will focus more heavily on his duties at NBC News and NBC’s “Today” program, where he is as regular a presence as Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, according to a spokesperson for MSNBC.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorShares of media-measurement kingpin Nielsen Holdings PLC surged more than 40% Monday after The Wall Street Journal reported the company had started talks with a group of private-equity firms, including Elliott Management Corp., for a sale that could be valued at approximately $15 billion, including debt.Elliott Management has a reputation for pressing for big changes at the companies in which it invests, and has in the past called for different management of companies including Barnes & Noble. Interpublic Group and AT&T.

Willie Nelson's sister and bandmate, Bobbie Nelson, has died. She was 91. Bobbie, who was a pianist, singer and a member of the band Willie Nelson and Family, passed away Thursday morning, "peacefully and surrounded by family." "Her elegance, grace, beauty and talent made this world a better place.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Bobbie Nelson, the older sister of country music legend Willie Nelson and longtime pianist in his band, has died, her family said. She was 91.An original member of the Willie Nelson and Family Band, Bobbie Nelson played piano for more than 50 years with her brother. She died Thursday “peacefully and surrounded by family," the Nelson family said in a statement.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMSNBC intends to make some of its best-known opinion programs available to premium tier customers of the NBCU Peacock streaming service, allowing the shows to be seen by consumers who might not subscribe to the cable network.Starting in early spring, an MSNBC “hub” of episodes of “Morning Joe,” “Deadline: White House,” “The Beat with Ari Melber,” “The ReidOut,” “All In with Chris Hayes” and MSNBC’s opinion programs will stream on-demand the day after they air on cable. Specials with top hosts including Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Chris Hayes, Trymaine Lee and others will premiere later this year, streaming exclusively on Peacock.“We are reimagining the MSNBC experience by adding the core of our perspective programming to Peacock and reaching audiences wherever they are and however they choose to consume content,” said Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC, in a prepared statement.

Dwayne Johnson is giving fans an update about his film Black Adam.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed award-winning filmmaker Erik Nelson (Terror and Glory: 1945) and his production company Creative Differences for worldwide representation in all areas.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTV networks have long demanded more data from Nielsen to help keep track of viewers who are leaving traditional TV for streaming video and mobile viewing. Now they say they want less.Nielsen recently began releasing new sets of information that include more granular measurement of TV audiences, available alongside its traditional measures of total linear viewership by age and gender.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorApple has snared rights to a Friday-night package of Major League Baseball games, extending Silicon Valley’s reach into the world of sports.The consumer-electronics manufacturer no doubt hopes an attractive passel of sports rights will bring new viewership to its Apple TV Plus streaming service, which vies for consumer attention and subscription dollars with Disney’s Disney Plus and Netflix, among others, and Apple’s deal only adds to pressures on leagues and media companies to include streaming rights in sports deals. Indeed, ESPN has over the past few years kept streaming rights paramount in its deal making, and the company’s Hulu already shows some live NHL games as part of a deal between the league and sister outlet ESPN.

EXCLUSIVE: Roswell, New Mexico star and Hallmark Channel alumna Heather Hemmens has signed a deal to star in multiple original films exclusively for Hallmark’s parent company, Crown Media Family Networks.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorABC News anchor David Muir will anchor a live primetime “20/20” special from the border between Ukraine and Poland on Friday night, as the nation’s news networks continue to scramble to cover Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, one of the biggest global stories to take place in recent memory.Muir will report on the refugee emergency taking place along that border as Ukrainians seek safety amid turmoil in their country. The program will air on Friday, March 4, at 8 p.m.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTop executives from some of the nation’s biggest media conglomerates haven’t in recent months been shy about blasting Nielsen, the industry’s de facto measurement of success or failure. At Walt Disney Co., however, they’re humming a song that bears some resemblance to the farewell tune from “Mickey Mouse Club”: “See you real soon.”Many media companies are casting about for new alliances with measurement upstarts and Nielsen rivals.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorActor Kevin Costner will host and narrate a four-part documentary series for the Fox Nation streaming-video outlet commemorating the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park in 2022.“Yellowstone: One-Fifty” will launch in the fourth quarter of this year and will, over the course of four one-hour episodes, examine the history and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. The series is developed by Costner’s Territory Films along with Warm Springs Productions.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNielsen hopes to regain industry backing of its TV ratings later this year, the company’s top executive told investors Monday.Speaking on a call with analysts, Nielsen CEO David Kenny said the company expects to complete all necessary work to regain accreditation by mid year. He believes the Media Rating Council, the industry organization that certifies measurement processes, will vote on accreditation of Nielsen’s national and local TV ratings work sometime after that.