Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Paramount Global is seeing a rush on advertising slots in its coming 2024 broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII, a bright spot in a bleak market for the TV business. Paramount’s CBS is slated to broadcast the NFL’s next Big Game on Feb. 11 of next year from Las Vegas — the first time the football extravaganza has taken place there. Already, the company has sold a significant portion of prominent spots in the first half of the game, according to three people familiar with the matter, and a good chunk of the same in the third quarter. “We have been telling clients, if you want Super Bowl — now!” says one media-buying executive. Buyers estimate that CBS could have sold at least 70% of its available inventory, and potentially more. To be sure, some chunk of that projection would come from advertisers who have multi-year sponsorship deals to support the event, but notching such a level of sell-out in July is more robust than typical.
Weak TV Upfront May Spur Media Companies to Bet Heavy on ‘Scatter’ Ads
27.06.2023 - 21:03 / variety.com
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The nation’s biggest media chiefs have for months asked investors to be patient. Wait until the back half of 2023, they’ve said, when ad money will start to flow once again. Now companies like Paramount Global, Comcast, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery need to play a waiting game of their own. Ad budgets are expected to be down in the industry’s “upfront” market, when U.S. media companies try to sew up deals for the bulk of their advertising inventory ahead of the fall launch of their next programming cycle. Big marketers are not only uncertain about what new content will be available come autumn – a writers’ strike has squelched production of everything from late-night programs to scripted comedies and dramas – but what they should expect from the economy over the next few months.
“The overall entertainment advertising marketplace has been challenging,” said Christine McCarthy, the Disney executive who recently stepped down as the company’s CFO, during a quarterly call with analysts. “While the weakness has moderated somewhat, we anticipate that some softness may continue into the back half of the fiscal year.” TV networks like CBS, NBC and ABC typically sell 70% to 80% of their inventory in the “upfront,” leaving the rest to be traded as “scatter,” or advertising that sells on an as-needed basis closer to the time the commercials need to run. Chances are the networks will hold more back to sell as “scatter,” betting that the economy will improve, and would-be sponsors will be willing to pay a premium after waiting At present, CFOs at big TV advertisers “don’t feel the pressure to get money down,” says one executive familiar with current negotiations. “Let’s hope it comes later,”
‘May December’ To Open The 2024 New York Film Festival
Venice may have Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” with Zendaya and Josh O’Connor to open the annual soiree on the Liido, but the New York Film Festival is going to kick off with some Cannes gold. Today, the Film Society of Lincoln Center revealed that Todd Haynes’ “May December,” which premiered on la Croisette, will open the 61st edition of the New York Film Festival.
Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’ To Open New York Film Festival
Todd Hayes’ May December will open the New York Film Festival on September 29, organizers said today.
‘May December,’ Starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, to Open New York Film Festival
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Todd Haynes’ soapy romantic drama “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, will open the 61st New York Film Festival. The movie is scheduled for Sept. 29 at Alice Tully Hall with the director and cast expected to attend in person. Following its NYFF premiere, “May December” will be released theatrically on Nov. 17 before landing on Netflix on Dec. 1. “May December,” which centers on a scandalous age-gap relationship, premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews and sold to Netflix for $20 million. Moore and “Riverdale” star Charles Melton play Gracie and Joe, a married couple with a 20-year age gap. Their relationship sparked a national tabloid scandal because Joe was just 13 when the two fell in love. Decades later, their union is put to the test when Portman’s character Elizabeth, a popular TV actress, travels to Georgia to study the life of Gracie, whom she’ll be playing in a movie.
‘Spotlight’ Casting Director Paul Schnee Makes Directing Debut In TV Series ‘Mother, May I Have A Kidney?’
EXCLUSIVE: Spotlight casting director Paul Schnee is making his directorial debut in a comedy-drama TV series.
Elizabeth Arden in Amazon Prime Day as iconic 'lifesaver' £16 cheaper than Boots
Amazon Prime Day's beauty deals are a great place for skincare lovers and one competitive offer is for the classic Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.
Fewer Ad Dollars Expected As Weak TV Upfront Nears End
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor To collect ad dollars this year, the nation’s big TV networks did something they rarely do. They held a fire sale. U.S. media companies have largely closed out their “upfront” ad-sales process, according to four executives familiar with recent negotiations, and are likely to see a decline in volume for the first time since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic — and just the second since 2015. These executives said the volume of advertising commitments the networks were able to secure fell in nearly all areas, except sports. And to get there, the networks had to cut their rates. The numbers in 2023 are expected to be less robust than last year’s. In 2022, the five broadcast TV networks secured around $9.9 billion in primetime sales, up 6.4%, according to Media Dynamics Inc., a consultancy that tracks the marketplace. Cable networks sold $10.2 billion, representing an increase of 5.2%. In total, linear TV saw ad commitments last year increase 5.8% to $20.1 billion. NBCUniversal, Fox, Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney declined to make executives available for comment. More details are likely to surface in the companies’ second-quarter earnings results, slated for release over the next few weeks.
Law Firm Granderson Des Rochers Taps Former Google and Universal Music Exec Jackson Abbeduto for its New Media Practice
Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor Law firm Granderson Des Rochers (GDR) has announced that Jackson Abbeduto, formerly an exec at Google’s YouTube and Universal Music Publishing, has joined the firm’s New Media Practice as senior counsel. Abbeduto joins a collective of former in-house attorneys, led by Elizabeth Moody, working in the arena of digital music and tapping into opportunities to create new revenue streams for artists and songwriters. In addition to licensing deals on behalf of tech companies including Roblox, Hydrow, Styngr and Wave XR, GDR has been at the forefront of the legal implications of the current AI-generated music trend – helping creators and tech companies navigate the emerging landscape and ensuring that the artists and creators are appropriately compensated.
New car park planned in Mayfield makeover could be taken down after it's built
A new multi-storey car park planned in Manchester city centre could be taken down after it's built if it's no longer needed. The 'greener' car park has been given a makeover in fresh plans put forward for the Mayfield development.
Judge Limits Biden Administration Contact With Social Media Companies
A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a ruling that restricts parts of the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies on “protected speech.”
Offset Details Soul-Clearing Surprise Reunion Performance With Quavo at BET Awards
Offset and Quavo reunited for a surprise performance during this year's BET Awards, the Georgia-born rapper is reflecting on how it all came together in memory of their late groupmate, Takeoff, who was fatally shot on Nov. 1 in Houston, Texas.On Thursday, Offset — born Kiari Kendrell Cephus — took to Instagram Live to share with his followers how the touching tribute to Takeoff came to be. The performance was the duo's first together since they disbanded their hip-hop trio, Migos, after releasing their fourth and final studio album, in 2021.
MAFS’ Jamie Thompson Shares Cryptic Message About Husbands’ Choices Amid Elizabeth Bice Divorce
Amid Jamie Thompson’s ongoing divorce from Elizabeth Bice, he is seemingly offering insight into his breakup decision.
Pro Surfer Bethany Hamilton Welcomes Baby No. 4 with Husband Adam Dirks
Bethany Hamilton has given birth!
‘Weeds’ Star Elizabeth Perkins Is ‘On Board’ for Reboot: ‘I Loved Working With Mary-Louise Parker’
BreAnna Bell Nancy and Celia may be back in business. Elizabeth Perkins, who starred as Celia Hodes on the Showtime series “Weeds” from 2005-2009, tells Variety she’d gladly step back into the role now that a revival of the show is reportedly in the works. “It’s just that— it’s talking,” Perkins said when asked about talk of a reboot. “I’d be on board. I loved working with Mary-Louise Parker. I love those two characters together, Nancy and Celia!” Deadline reported in May that a “Weeds” reboot was in development at Showtime with lead star Parker attached to star and executive produce. (Variety first exclusively reported the reboot was in the works at Starz in 2019). Lionsgate, the studio behind the production, declined to comment at the time.
Corrie's Georgia May Foote opens up about autoimmune disease affecting her mental health
Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote has revealed to fans that she suffers from an autoimmune condition that is affecting her appearance. The 32-year-old star, who played Kay Armstrong on the soap until 2015, suffers from vitiligo.
Here are the best performances from the 2023 BET awards
You’ve probably heard by now about how this year marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. It’s a theme last night’s BET awards embraced with gusto, featuring performances from generational icons alongside the hottest up-and-comers of the moment.
What to expect at Manchester International Festival's huge free public opening event at Mayfield Park
At Manchester's Mayfield Park the bees are literally buzzing as they dart among the lavender and blooms. The city's first new park for a century has exploded into floral life in its first summer - and it will be the simply stunning location for Manchester International Festival's big opening event for its 2023 return.
Youngest Media Revived As U.S. Production Company After Ed October Acquires IP Of Shuttered UK Producer Behind NBC’s ‘Small Fortune’
EXCLUSIVE: British production company Youngest Media, which was behind series including NBC’s Small Fortune and MTV’s Game of Clones, is being revived as a U.S. production company.
TikTok and Candle Media to Co-Develop New Branded Entertainment and Content
TikTok and Candle Media have entered a strategic partnership wherein Candle Media’s business units will create custom creator-focused opportunities for the TikTok platform’s users.Chiefly, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine (which Candle Media acquired in 2021) will help elevate underrepresented indie authors of the #BookTok community. Authors will be able to support the development of film, TV, and audio projects.“TikTok continues to experience explosive growth and has become a critical platform for storytelling and marketing,” said Kevin Mayer & Tom Staggs, Candle Media’s co-founders and co-CEOs.
TikTok Partners With Candle Media & Supports Reese Witherspoon’s Search For “Underrepresented Storytellers”
Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Candle Media has struck a partnership with TikTok, with an initial focus on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine to uncover underrepresented independent authors and literary material from the #BookTok community.