Amazon is set to invest $115 million into Diamond Sports Group, which operates the various Bally Sports RSNs, with an option for an additional $50 million.

This investment positions Amazon Prime Video as the primary platform for Diamond’s Bally Sports Plus direct-to-consumer (DTC) offering. David Preschlack, CEO of Diamond Sports Group, expressed gratitude for the support from Amazon and major creditors, highlighting the potential of the business to create value.

The collaboration with Amazon will allow Prime Video to become the primary partner for customers seeking DTC access to stream local Diamond channels. This includes live MLB, NBA, and NHL games and pre and postgame programming for teams where Diamond retains DTC rights. While specific details regarding pricing and availability are yet to be disclosed, the move marks a shift in how consumers access local sports content.

Diamond Sports Group has also announced a restructuring service agreement with Sinclair.

This agreement includes Diamond’s withdrawal of its $1.5 billion litigation against Sinclair in exchange for a $495 million cash payment from Sinclair to Diamond Sports Group.

Sinclair will also provide transition services to support Diamond’s reorganization and separation from Sinclair’s operations. This deal is currently pending court approval.

This restructuring comes at a critical time for Diamond Sports Group, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last March. The sports broadcasting landscape has been notably affected by cord-cutting trends and the consequent decline in advertising revenue. The restructuring plan is a strategic move to stabilize the company and ensure its operations beyond 2024.

Major League Baseball took over the production and distribution of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks following Diamond’s lapse in rights payments to the Padres and failure to reach an amended deal with the Diamondbacks. This situation indicated wider issues within Diamond Sports, as evidenced by the termination of agreements with Bally Sports Arizona by the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Coyotes due to the company’s financial struggles.

Phoenix Suns’ graphics blur the line between reality with sweeping views of local landscape

Diamond Sports Group operates 18 RSNs under the Bally Sports brand, covering 37 professional teams including 11 MLB, 15 NBA and 11 NHL organizations.

The agreement with Sinclair is designed to resolve pending litigation and support Diamond’s reorganization. The RSA includes promises from certain debt holders to provide $450 million in financing to support Diamond’s operations, finalize a reorganization plan, and repay $350 million of existing debt.

Sinclair purchased the RSNs from The Walt Disney Co. in 2019, following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets.

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This will be MacCallum’s second tour at the network, having previously worked on digital products including the mega-flop CNN+.

MacCallum is an experienced product, business and media executive who joins from the Washington Post where she served as chief revenue officer overseeing subscriptions, partnerships and advertising.

At the Post, MacCallum began the transformation of the Post’s business, from changing the way its advertising team was structured to evolving how cross-functional work happens across the company.

She returns to CNN after previously serving as global head of product for CNN Worldwide and general manager of CNN+ where she managed product, data, design, growth marketing and business operations.

At CNN the first time, MacCallum led cross-functional teams to the launch of CNN+, a direct-to-consumer streaming service as well as re-structured the core CNN.com product teams to better serve its users.

MacCallum was one of the key leaders behind the high-profile failure that the network’s CNN+ streamer ended up being — with the service costing the company millions and staid in operating for less than a month.

She left CNN in June 2022 and is now poised to return less than two years later.

Since her departure, CNN launched CNN Max, a channel on parent Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform as a way to distribute its content directly to consumers, both live and via VOD.

There were numerous reports that WBD wanted CNN to wait to launch CNN+ until after its deal to acquire then-CNN parent WarnerMedia closed, but legal issues prevented them from communicating that message. CNN went head with launching CNN+ before the deal was done only to have WBD take over and shut it down after less than a month.

The closure reportedly cost job losses as well as millions of dollars the network (even causing its profit to dip below $1 billion) had invested in talent, editorial teams and other investments to launch the streamer, including staff focused only on the streamer.

Before joining CNN the first time, she spent eight years at The New York Times in various roles, including head of product for standalone products, a NYT portfolio that included Cooking, Games, Wirecutter, Audio and Kids, and as the founding masthead editor for audience in the newsroom. She was the founding product leader on NYT Cooking, leading the creation and growth of the product in partnership with editorial. She also spent time in the newsroom overseeing NYT Video, re-focusing the team on user-oriented formats and experiences.

MacCallum has deep experience in building products that bring world class journalism and storytelling to life. At the Times, she championed a cross-functional product development process that allowed for rapid iteration, new product creation and innovation in product and in particular, direct to consumer businesses.

She began her career in media at the Washington Post and was the first news editor for the Huffington Post. She graduated from Brown University and holds a law degree from U.C. Berkeley.

MaCallum’s first day back at CNN will be March 4, 2024. She will be based out of CNN’s New York bureau.

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FAST Channels now available include:

GolfPass: GolfPass brings together thousands of lessons from the game’s biggest instructors, exclusive series, GOLF Channel news and features, and more.

Universal Westerns: Cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws roam the wild west in these series. Viewers can get swept away by classic tales of heroism and family adventure set against scenic frontier backdrops, such as The Virginian and Tales of Wells Fargo among many others.

American Crimes: Explore the dark side of the American dream and life behind bars, featuring award-winning series American Greed and Lockup.

The Lone Ranger: The masked cowboy known as the Lone Ranger, and his trusty accomplice Tonto, fight for justice in the wild west.

Top Chef Vault: Bravo’s Top Chef Vault has a rotating library to catch up on and learn the latest in sous-vide, gastronomy and more from the ultimate food competition show.

Made in Chelsea: Follow the lives and loves of the socially elite 20-somethings who live in some of London’s most exclusive post codes.

Oxygen True Crime Archives: Oxygen True Crime Archives is home to deep dives into infamous cases and binge-watching original series.

Bravo Vault: From Shahs of Sunset to Flipping Out, Bravo Vault immerses viewers in high-sheen content and drama.

Lassie: Join Lassie, the Martin family’s beloved canine, and her human animal companions as they embark on adventures in the Emmy-winning series.

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This event, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs against the Miami Dolphins, has been officially recognized as the most-streamed live event in U.S. history, concurrently driving internet usage to a record peak for a single day in the country.

The game, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs emerge victorious with a score of 26-7 over the Miami Dolphins, was notable for being the NFL’s first-ever playoff game exclusively broadcast via live stream. The matchup attracted a significant viewership, with Nielsen reporting a reach of nearly 28 million total viewers. Notably, the viewer count peaked at an average of 24.6 million between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. ET.

In terms of streaming statistics, the game’s average audience (AMA) was approximately 23.0 million viewers. This figure includes viewers across Peacock, NBC stations in Miami and Kansas City, and mobile through NFL+. The viewership marked a 6% increase compared to the previous year’s primetime AFC Wild Card Game.

Additionally, Peacock experienced its most significant day in terms of audience usage and engagement, registering a record 16.3 million concurrent devices. This surge in digital consumption underscores the increasing preference for streaming platforms among viewers.

The local viewership ratings also reflected the game’s popularity, with KSHB (NBC Kansas City) scoring a 45.1/74 and WTVJ (NBC Miami) achieving a 14.5/41 local rating/share. These figures, based on custom fast national live + same day data from Nielsen, highlight the significant impact and reach of this landmark streaming event. Official national data for the Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card will be released later this week.

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The study, titled “The New Streamer 2024,” was conducted by Dynata and surveyed U.S. consumers to gauge their sentiments on streaming offerings and identify opportunities for providers to build stronger brand loyalty.

The findings reveal a significant shift in consumer behavior and expectations in the streaming domain. Amidst the rising costs of streaming subscriptions, there is a clear expectation for enhanced content and experiences. Most notably, there is a pivot from a passive to a more active streaming experience, highlighting the growing indispensability of robust and reliable networks.

Key findings from the survey indicate that 90% of consumers seek greater control over their streaming experience. This includes a preference for customized packages, allowing them to pay only for content that interests them, rather than having access to an entire library that they may not fully explore. Furthermore, 82% of Americans desired a single portal or app to access all their streaming subscriptions, simplifying the search for content across various platforms.

The survey also delved into the realm of advertisements within streaming services. Opinions on ads appear divided, with 38% of consumers opposed to seeing more ads, while 45% are open to the idea. Notably, younger generations, including Gen Z and Millennials, are more receptive to advertisements.

Original programming emerges as a top priority for consumers, with 72% citing it as the most crucial consideration. This is followed by a desire for new content every few weeks, access to older titles, and the ability to watch content anywhere. Surprisingly, the price of streaming services seems to have a lesser impact on consumer loyalty compared to previous years.

Another significant trend highlighted in the survey is the evolution of streaming beyond traditional video content. Cloud gaming is increasingly seen as a dominant future trend, with two-fifths of general consumers and 54% of gamers believing it will become a prevalent way to play games. Additionally, 52% of consumers are open to trying new cloud gaming services, indicating a potential market opportunity for brands like Netflix to explore.

However, more in-depth experiences like cloud gaming demand more capable networks.

Nearly half of the respondents (49%) have experienced connectivity issues while streaming movies and TV shows, and 10% reported lag when using cloud gaming platforms.

This survey paints a clear picture of the evolving streaming landscape as we head into 2024.

Consumers are not only expecting more from their streaming services in terms of content and experience but are also showing a willingness to embrace new forms of entertainment like cloud gaming. As the industry continues to evolve, these insights could be crucial for streaming service providers aiming to meet and exceed the growing and changing consumer demands.

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The tool was relaunched Jan. 11, 2024, ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Throughout 2024, Plan Your Vote will provide voters with key information leading up to the 2024 presidential election, the battle for control of the Senate and House, as well as state and local elections across the country.

Plan Your Vote provides a comprehensive, state-by-state guide on voting rules in every state and major changes since the 2022 midterms, including registration deadlines, mail-in voting, early in-person voting and ID requirements.

Plan Your Vote is available at nbcnews.com/playourvote or in Spanish at planificatuvoto.com, the latter of which is handled by sister network Telemundo.

This marks the earliest launch of the Plan Your Vote tool and the first time the tool includes presidential primary and caucus voting rules – available from the Iowa caucuses through election day.

Plan Your Vote made its debut ahead of the 2020 general election and has since helped five million voters, according to NBC.

In collaboration with Telemundo, the tool is available in both English and Spanish, with the ability to toggle between the two languages. NBCUniversal Local’s NBC and Telemundo stations across the nation will feature the Plan Your Vote tool on their local digital platforms.

The tool was built and is powered by the NBC News Data Graphics team with information supplied by the NBC News Decision Desk and politics team. 

As before, NBC is using an ultra thick, extended typeface to brand the effort. A similar look was used for the interactive tool Plan Your Vaccine, an interactive tool to help viewers navigate COVID-19 vaccines, particularly during the early days of the shots’ availability. 

Note: The promos embedded in this article are from the 2020 version of Plan Your Vote.

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This expansion follows a pilot program conducted in 2023, in which Scripps’ stations effectively utilized Waymark’s technology to enhance local advertising sales. This adoption by Scripps marks the latest in a series of collaborations for Waymark, following partnerships with industry leaders such as Fox TV Stations, Nine (Australia), Spectrum Reach, Gray Television, Beasley Media Group, and Morgan Murphy Media.

Additionally, Waymark’s technology is featured in the creative directories of prominent streaming platforms like Hulu and Roku, aiding ad managers in producing high-quality video advertisements.

The collaboration between Scripps and Waymark empowers Scripps to offer its local advertising clients access to quick, cost-effective video creative solutions. This initiative addresses traditional challenges in video advertising by streamlining and automating the ad creation process. Waymark’s AI-driven video platform is particularly beneficial for small businesses, providing them the capability to craft ads which were previously unattainable due to budget, time, or expertise constraints.

It is important to note that this agreement does not involve the newsrooms of any Scripps property.

Brian Norris, EVP and CRO at The E.W. Scripps Company, emphasized their commitment to aligning with audience and client interests. He underscored the significance of leveraging rapid technological advancements to offer real-time services to clients, aiming for agility and efficiency in reaching audiences beyond the scope of social media.

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The arrangement reflects Amagi’s goal to provide customers with cutting edge monitoring to control and protect the value of new revenue streams as the Company’s support for live digital linear channels grows. TAG’s solution seamlessly integrates into Amagi cloud and SaaS technologies expanding its scope of operations with support for new delivery protocols, opening doors to new business models, and enriching its Quality of Service for customers. The initial launch of this integration is leveraging TAG’s easy to use APIs to allow Amagi to efficiently monitor substantial amounts of streams for key customers.

Ziv Mor, Chief Growth Officer at TAG Video Systems, commented, “Our collaboration with Amagi demonstrates the adaptability of the TAG platform, easily integrating sophisticated monitoring capabilities into a wide scope of formats and delivery protocols. We’re confident that our combined efforts will give Amagi’s customers the tools they need to keep up with the industry’s most advanced technologies, keep them ahead of the competition, and drive their business strategies.”

Srinivasan KA, Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer at Amagi, stated, “We are excited to collaborate with TAG Video Systems, a true industry leader known for its excellence in real-time media performance monitoring. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering the highest level of service to our customers. TAG’s advanced all-software and cloud native technology will allow us to offer our clients more accurate and reliable services. and exceed their expectations.”

As this collaboration progresses, both TAG and Amagi are poised to explore deeper integrations and develop innovative solutions for the media industry.

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One Platform Total Audience utilizes AI-driven technology to create a cohesive media plan that spans linear and streaming platforms. It employs machine learning and predictive analytics to target specific audience segments, intending to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of advertising campaigns. The technology also combines NBCUniversal’s extensive content portfolio with both their first-party data and advertisers’ data sets.

In 2024, NBCUniversal has reached a crucial point in its journey toward advanced advertising capabilities. The company has made substantial investments in automation and data interoperability. NBCUniversal notes these advancements include:

New Automation: The platform leverages machine learning for budget allocation across linear and streaming, optimizing media mix for targeted audience segments. It also introduces programmatic guaranteed for media buys and automated order and workflow management for strategic audiences.

Enhanced Data Interoperability: This feature allows for more efficient data onboarding by advertisers and agencies, emphasizing privacy and offering better match rates and reach for target audiences.

One Platform Total Audience has already seen significant adoption in its initial phase, selling out across major categories like tech, auto, and retail for Q1 2024.

This broad industry acceptance has prompted NBCUniversal to expand access in Q2 2024. Early metrics from tests show promising results, including increased reach, efficiency, and a 25% higher brand engagement rate compared to traditional age and gender demographics.

The launch of One Platform Total Audience represents NBCUniversal’s effort to align with evolving consumer viewing habits and the shift towards more strategic, audience-based advertising approaches. This development is indicative of the broader industry trend of integrating linear and digital platforms to create more effective advertising strategies. NBCUniversal’s investment in this technology reflects a commitment to adapting to and leading changes in the media advertising landscape.

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As subscription prices for streaming video services rise and more platforms introduce lower-cost ad-supported tiers, nearly two-thirds of consumers expressed a willingness to accept ads if it saves them $4-5 per month on their subscription. This preference significantly increased from just six months ago, highlighting a growing inclination towards ad-supported options over ad-free streaming.

Interestingly, the survey also points to a softening of resistance towards advertisements.

Consumers who previously identified as intolerant of ads are now more open to ad-supported services as a budget-friendly alternative. However, this tolerance is not without limits. Close to 40% of viewers preferred streaming services with fewer ads, suggesting that ad load is a crucial factor in their choice of service.

The survey findings also highlight the importance of ad load in maintaining viewer engagement. Most viewers consider ad breaks of one minute or shorter to be reasonable, with ninety seconds being the threshold beyond which ad breaks are deemed excessive. This insight is particularly relevant for advertisers, as shorter ad breaks not only retain viewer attention but also enhance perceptions of the advertised brands’ quality.

Despite the growing acceptance of ad-supported streaming, the survey reveals that many consumers are still unaware of these lower-cost options offered by major streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Max. This presents a significant opportunity for streaming platforms to attract new subscribers, especially those hesitant due to perceived high costs.

From an advertising perspective, streaming video offers a more favorable environment compared to traditional linear TV. The generally lower ad loads align with what viewers consider acceptable, leading to greater attention and more positive attitudes towards the advertised brands.

Mark Loughney, a senior consultant to Hub, encapsulates the situation, stating, “As consumers begin to get hit with the double whammy of needing multiple subscriptions to get their entertainment, coupled with significant price increases, opting in for advertising becomes more appealing to them.”

He further adds that maintaining reasonable ad loads is beneficial for both streaming providers and their advertisers.

These findings from Hub’s survey reflect a significant shift in the media consumption landscape, where cost considerations are increasingly driving viewer preferences towards ad-supported streaming options.

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