‘NFL Today’ Shake-Up at CBS: Matt Ryan Joins as Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms Exit

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Manila-based production outfit Parallax Studio and entertainment company Saga Film Studios have formed a joint venture that will distribute the two-part Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga” in the Philippines. The deal is the first of a number of acquisitions planned by the joint venture. The “Horizon: An American Saga” films are directed by and star Academy Award winner Kevin Costner.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Cynthia McFadden, the TV-news veteran whose career has taken her from co-anchoring ABC News‘ “Nightline” to a senior perch on NBC News‘ investigations team, is stepping away from broadcast journalism. “It is hard to leave a job you love but this is the right time — I have a list of things I have often said I wanted to do ‘someday’. Well, someday is now, while I am still raring to go — and playing with a relatively full deck,” McFadden said in a note to colleagues Friday.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Even Dr. Phil is getting in on TV’s frenzied battle for sports rights. The daytime mainstay has long been known for doling out common-sense advice without any bull.

TikTok video shared Tuesday. “Two nights ago, Zach and I got into a traumatizing side-by-side crash,” she said. “It flipped a bunch of times, everything shattered and thank God we had our seat belts on.”“But there was a lot of blood,” Chickenfry added, “and we thought we were saying goodbye to each other.”Luckily, the social media star said the couple were not severely injured after the crash.

Today’s announcement of the full league 2024 schedule sees the NFL continue its expansion into the overseas market. Three games are slated for London, the first league venture into South America comes opening weekend, and a game in Munich, Germany is also on tap.

Jason Clinkscales The NFL’s annual schedule release, which features enticing playoff rematches, made waves with the announcement that its Christmas Day doubleheader will be streamed live on Netflix, marking the company’s biggest foray into live sports. The league only has two games on the docket Christmas Day compared to its tripleheader last year—the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens head to Houston to face the Texans.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Netflix may be a new-tech company, but it approached advertisers Wednesday with old-school TV talk: The company aims to make dozens of shows and movies that people like to watch and talk about. During an upfront presentation, executives from the streaming giant showcased a msssuve pipeline of content that included two Christmas Day games from the NFL, a year of WWE matches and a new movie that features the return of Cameron Diaz, who will come-star with Jamie Foxx in “Back in Action.” “At a time when the competition is pulling back, we are investing,” said Bela Bajaria, the company’s chief content officer.

EXCLUSIVE: Philippines‘ Nathan Studio has struck a deal with Singapore’s Momo Film Co to invest strategically in Momo’s slate of upcoming projects.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor NBC is increasingly throwing the ball to the NFL. The Comcast-backed media conglomerate said Monday that it had purchased the rights to broadcast an extra NFL game on Saturday, December 21, presumably adding a bigger audience to the last shopping weekend before Christmas. NBC already has the rights to broadcast a game on December 22 as part of its “Sunday Night Football” lineup.

Now You See Me 3 is finally in the works, and it will feature a truly star-studded cast!

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor NBC is adding a new event to its coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Steve Kornacki in front of his big board. Kornacki, who is known for his deft on-the-fly analysis of political campaigns and races, will turn his focus for a short period of time to athletic competition in Paris as part of a cadre of NBC News journalists who will present some coverage of the extravaganza, Willie Geist, Sam Brock, Gadi Schwartz and Anne Thompson will also participate, with Kornacki offering analysis from the U.S., and his colleagues on the ground in France. The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics is Friday, July 26 on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Dale Earnhardt Jr. is changing vehicles. The legendary racer will leave NBC Sports’ NASCAR team, where he has held forth as a color commentator since 2018, in favor of lending his expertise to both Warner Bros.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kim Godwin hoped to build ABC News‘ future by cutting out some of its past. Tasked, ostensibly, with shaking up a culture of the Disney-backed news organization that pit anchors against one another and led to claims of intolerable behavior behind the scenes, Godwin was supposed to revamp a storied journalism hub without losing any of the impetus that spurred employees to make shows such as “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America” the most-watched in their category.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kim Godwin, the ABC News president who was the first Black woman to run a broadcast network news operation, is leaving the Disney unit amid increasing concern about the way she was managing the home of shows like “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” Godwin told staffers in a memo Sunday that she planned to “retire from broadcast journalism.” Her command had come under increasing scrutiny since a restructuring of ABC News and Disney’s ABC stations had her reporting directly to Debra OConnell, a Disney business veteran who is seen as a valued operator at the company. OConnell will lead ABC News for the foreseeable future, she told employees Sunday evening.

It was time.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Rob Marciano, a longtime meteorologist at ABC News known for his appearances on weekend broadcasts of :”Good Morning America,” has left the network, according to a person familiar with the matter. ABC News declined to make executives available for comment.

SM Cinema, the largest exhibitor in the Philippines, and IMAX have pacted for a significant expansion to their longstanding partnership with 10 IMAX with Laser systems in the market. The deal more than doubles IMAX’s footprint in the market and will bring the IMAX experience to three new locations, as well as seven IMAX with Laser upgrades to existing systems across the SM Cinema network. 

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor After helping to transform a soccer team and a town in Wales, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have set their sights on central Mexico as the next spot to invest in a beloved local sports franchise. Reynolds and McElhenney have purchased a stake in Club Necaxa, the century-old Mexican soccer club that also counts Eva Longoria among its owners. The pair will work with Longoria and fellow investors Al Tylis and Sam Porter to enhance Club Necaxa’s standing and grow its profile in international sports circles at a time of heightened TV and streaming demand for soccer content.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Prolific Philippines-based Epicmedia Productions has come on board “The Passport,” a Malaysian coming of age story about a Tamil family and their punk rock daughter. Production is by Malaysia’s Sixtymac Pictures. Currently at financing stage, the project will mark the directing debut of Ananth Subramaniam, whose short films have played at BiFan and Fantasia, and whose works explore his Tamil-ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre.

EXCLUSIVE: M3GAN and Girls star Allison Williams is set to executive-produce and star alongside Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) in the murder mystery Kill Me, which will XYZ will be selling at the upcoming Cannes market.