Tag: Fox

Argentina/France World Cup Soccer Final Set Fox Broadcast, Peacock Streaming Records

Fox Dec. 20 reported that a record 16.8 million viewers Dec. 18 watched Argentina defeat defending World Cup champion France 4-2 on penalty kicks. The viewership was up 48% from the 11.3 million who watched the 2018 final between France and Croatia.

The tally topped the previous ratings World Cup final record holder: the 1994 final between Italy and Brazil, which was watched by 14.5 million, according to Nielsen. It also topped the 15.5 million viewers for the USA/England group play match on Nov. 25.

The final generated 3 million streamers across NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform and 9 million when adding in Telemundo. Indeed, when including Telemundo, 22.3 million combined viewers in U.S. watched the final on linear TV. The match narrowly lost out to the the NCAA College Football National Championship between Georgia and Alabama (22.6 million) and the Winter Olympics debut in February (22.5 million).

Overall, Sunday’s final ranks fifth all-time for soccer TV matches viewed in the U.S. The highest-ever TV soccer viewership was the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final between the U.S and Japan, which was watched by 26.7 million people. The 2014 Germany/Argentina men’s World Cup final generated 26.7 million, followed by the 2014 U.S./Portugal group play match (24.7 million) and the 24.3 million who watched Spain play Holland in 2010.

Veteran Fox Publicist James Finn to Head Content Marketing at Audible

Less than two years after he lost his job at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in the wake of the studio’s takeover by the Walt Disney Co., veteran publicist James Finn has been tapped as head of content marketing at Audible, the online audiobook and podcast service owned by Amazon.

Finn will “oversee the marketing of our titles, including Audible Originals,” the company announced in a LinkedIn posting. “He has decades of experience driving successful campaigns and collaborations with top creators and entertainment and technology companies to shape the future of next-generation storytelling. Now at Audible, he will be working to amplify a wide spectrum of voices around the globe.”

Finn had enjoyed a nearly 20-year run at Fox, the last 10 at the studio’s home entertainment division, which he joined in August 2009 to succeed Steve Feldstein as SVP of corporate and marketing communications.

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In April 2013, he was promoted to EVP and co-head of marketing for both 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and the Fox Innovation Lab. Four years later, he assumed additional duties as EVP and head of marketing at FoxNext.

Disney closed its $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox in March 2019 and soon began cutting staff, including Mike Dunn, the longtime home entertainment president.

While at Fox, Finn was known for his strong relationships with the media, innovative approach to marketing and passion for all things high-tech, particularly in the areas of virtual reality and augmented reality.

In 2018, Finn was selected as one of Media Play News‘ digital drivers, hailed for his role in advancing the digital evolution of entertainment.

Finn began his 20th Century Fox career in Oct. 2000 as a publicist in New York. In June 2003, he was named VP of national publicity for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Prior to 20th Century Fox, he worked at Miramax and NBC News, both in New York.

Finn holds a bachelor of business administration degree from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.

CBS: 50 Million Watched Chaotic 49ers, Cowboys NFL Wild Card Game Ending

The NFL playoff game between longtime rivals the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys was watched by more than 41 million people — the highest audience for a wild card contest in seven years, according to CBS.

Driving viewership in part was the chaotic fourth quarter that saw the Cowboys battle back from a 23-7 deficit with a chance to take the lead with just minutes remaining. A slew of penalties and mistakes by both teams resulted in time running out for the Cowboys deep in 49ers territory.

CBS said 50 million people watched the ending of the game that sends San Francisco to Green Bay, Wisc., to the play the Packers on Jan. 22.

The NFL postseason remains a ratings giant, with the weekend’s other games drawing big numbers. More than 26 million people watched the Buffalo Bills easily beat the New England Patriots 47-17. The game was also streamed on Paramount+.

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The Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles generated more than 30 million viewers, while the Cincinnati Bengals’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders generated almost 28 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. The platforms combined for more than 28 million viewers of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs game won by KC.

Streaming Video Betting Big on Legalized Sports Gambling

Live sports and gambling have a long co-dependent relationship, which is expanding beyond casinos to over-the-top video. The new field of dreams for incremental billions in revenue began in 2018 after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal anti-sports-gambling law. Wagering on pro and college sports became legal in September 2019 with both mobile and in-person betting permitted.

Online video platform FuboTV’s pending gaming unit just launched marketing partnerships with the NFL’s New York Jets and NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers — a first for an OTT platform.

“Everybody does the NFL draft. Everyone’s got a mock draft. Well, seemingly every content area has their betting expert. So, I think the key is gamification of it,” Aaron Nagler, co-founder of Cheesehead TV, told a Streaming Media panel this summer. “It’s just extending what your visit to Vegas might be to an online experience wrapped inside whatever specific content you’re creating.”

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Fox Sports became the first major media company in the U.S. to acquire a stake in sports gambling after paying $236 million for a 5% ownership of The Stars Group.

“Digital sports wagering represents a growing market opportunity that allows us to diversify our revenue streams, connect directly with consumers and expand the reach of the Fox Sports brand,” said Eric Shanks, CEO of Fox Sports.

Fox Bet Super 6 just added nearly 3 million players during the 2020 NFL season, bringing its user base to more than 4.3 million players. It claims to be the biggest free-to-play online game of its kind in the country. The platform is rolling out in states that have legalized wagering, including most recently Michigan on Jan. 26. Fox also owns a 18.5% stake in FanDuel, the daily fantasy and online sports book.

“A key differentiator for Fox Bet has been across promotional power of all of Fox’s assets (including ad-supported streaming site Tubi) to ignite the Fox Bet brand,” Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on an investor call earlier this year. The executive said sports gambling factors into ongoing distribution of NFL games.

“The NFL is very aware of the importance of sports wagering,” Murdoch said.

FanDuel in 2019 inked a deal with FuboTV, making it the exclusive sports book, online casino, horse racing and DFS (distributed file system) partner of the TV streaming service. The agreement was FanDuel Group’s first partnership with an online TV service aimed at expanding FuboTV’s sports offering for consumers while integrating betting data on the platform.

“We are always looking for ways to add value for consumers and enhance their premium experience with FuboTV,” said Min Kim, VP of business development at Fubo. “Gaming and sports are natural complements.”

Adam Kaplan, VP of content business and operations at FanDuel, said the company’s data analytics will change how people watch live sports on TV and the Internet.

“We can enhance the live-viewing experience by allowing cord-cutting sports fans to view the content that matters to them the most from their TV, phone, tablet or computer,” Kaplan said.

But FanDuel’s relationship with FuboTV could change as the latter branches out into its own sports gambling. The 6-year-old service last year acquired Balto Sports, a backend developer of fantasy sports gaming software, and Vigtory, an interactive sports gaming company, for its Fubo Gambling unit launching in the fourth quarter.

“The valuations around sports betting operators are so huge, why not take a punt on being one?” Andy Clerkson, a partner at Red Knot Communications, a gambling PR firm, told LegalSportsReport.com. “You could be a super-affiliate worth hundreds of millions. Or you could try and be an operator worth billions.”

The Motley Fool’s Rick Munarriz contends FuboTV can open the “spigot of sports gambling” without raising eyebrows the way Google or Disney might with regulators.

“FuboTV can go places where others can’t,” Munarriz wrote.

Disney-owned ESPN has partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, offering sport-betting-related content on ESPN and ESPN+, the brand’s SVOD platform.

“The sports betting landscape has changed, and fans are coming to us for this kind of information more than ever before,” said Mike Morrison, VP of business development at ESPN. “We are poised to expand our coverage in a big way.”

WarnerMedia Entertainment inked a deal with Caesars Entertainment to build a branded Vegas studio for its online Bleacher Report (B/R) platform.

Disney, which has sought to downplay tacit support for gambling, is changing its tune. ESPN recently launched “The Daily Wager” and “ESPN Bet.” In September, CEO Bob Chapek said the company would get more aggressive with sports wagering, including licensing the ESPN brand name to a third-party sports book for the right price.

“Let’s just say our fans are really interested in sports betting,” Chapek said at the virtual Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference event. “Let’s say our partners in the leagues are interested in sports betting, so we’re interested in sports betting. Strategically, sports betting gives us the ability to appeal to a much younger sports fan who has a very strong affinity for those sports. So it’s definitely a place we want to be.”

HBO Max Picks Up Exclusive Streaming Rights to ‘Prodigal Son’

HBO Max has acquired the exclusive U.S. subscription-video-on-demand streaming rights to the drama “Prodigal Son” in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

The first season of the show is available to stream now on HBO Max. Season two is currently airing on Fox.

The series follows Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne), who has a gift. He knows how killers think and how their minds work. Why? His father (Michael Sheen) is “The Surgeon,” a notorious serial killer who has taken the lives of more than 20 people. “Prodigal Son” follows criminal psychologist Bright as he uses his twisted genius to get inside the minds of murderers to help the NYPD solve cases. He works alongside NYPD Detective Gil Arroyo (Lou Diamond Phillips), a seasoned lawman who has become Bright’s surrogate father; Detective Dani Powell (Aurora Perrineau), a headstrong no-nonsense cop who is quickly impressed with Bright’s work; Dr. Edrisa Tanaka (Keiko Agena), a slightly off-center medical examiner; and Detective J.T. Tarmel (Frank Harts), a born-and-bred New Yorker who questions whether Bright is a psychopath himself. But Bright’s best resource for solving crimes is his dear old dad, the homicidal-yet-oddly-loving Martin Whitly, whose expertise he must reluctantly call upon. As Bright helps track down the city’s most dangerous criminals, he also battles his own demons — and it doesn’t help that his mother, former leading socialite Jessica Whitly (Bellamy Young), can’t seem to accept her fallen status and has an opinion on every aspect of Bright’s life. But he has the support of his sister Ainsley (Halston Sage), a news reporter with a soft spot for her brother and all his eccentricities.

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Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones will joining the cast in the March 2 episode of season two airing on Fox.

Fox Nation SVOD Service Available to Cox Contour Customers

Fox Nation, the on-demand, subscription streaming service complement to the Fox News Channel, is now available to Cox Contour TV customers and to Internet-only customers with the Contour Stream Player.

Cox customers will now have access to Fox Nation through Cox on Demand on Contour, and across devices via the Contour app and portal, as well as the Contour Stream Player, Cox’s service for Internet-only customers. Contour customers can add Fox Nation to their service for $5.99 per month. Additionally, Contour and Contour Stream Player customers with a voice remote can say “Fox Nation” directly into the remote to launch the service.

“Since first launching our platform in 2018, the demand for Fox Nation has only grown and we look forward to further expanding and introducing Cox’s customers to this service,” said John Finley, EVP of development for Fox Nation.

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Fox Nation’s content includes historical documentaries, long and short-form programming, extended versions of Fox News Channel’s most popular shows, investigative series from Fox News personalities and specials. Original programming includes series such as “PARK’D,” helmed by travel and lifestyle host Abby Hornacek, who takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the country’s landmarks; “The Pursuit!,” hosted by country music star John Rich featuring interviews with fellow musical guests; “Lara Logan Has No Agenda,” hosted by the former “60 Minutes” anchor and war correspondent; and longtime legal analyst and former prosecutor Nancy Grace’s daily crime stories program.

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Fox Nation is available on iOS and Android devices as well as Apple TV, Web, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One and Comcast Xfinity platforms.

Tubi Adds Another Fox Primetime Series

Fox-owned AVOD service Tubi is adding free streaming access to network TV show “Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back.” All episodes of the first two seasons are now available, while current season-three episodes will be available on Tubi a week following their broadcast on Fox.

The series is part of San Francisco-based Tubi’s 300-hour offering of Gordon Ramsay content, which includes “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares” and “The F Word.”

Earlier this week Tubi added Fox’s music competition show “The Masked Singer.”

“Making this show available on Tubi, alongside Gordon’s other series, will only grow his footprint while also further promoting his programs on Fox,” Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox Entertainment, said in a statement.

“24 Hours to Hell and Back” follows Ramsay as he drives across the country to help struggling restaurants in his state-of-the-art mobile kitchen and command center, Hell on Wheels. From California’s coastline to the heart of New Jersey and everywhere in between, Gordon is joined by celebrities and local experts, as he tries to bring each of these failing restaurants back from the brink of disaster — all in just 24 hours.

Fox says the cooking show is No. 1 for the 2019-20 season among adults 18-49 and total viewers. The series averages 4.6 million multi-platform viewers, up +113% from its live + same-day delivery.

Animated ‘Spies in Disguise’ to Be Unveiled on Digital and Disc — Including 4K — March 10

The animated comedy Spies in Disguise will come out on digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD March 10 from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

In the film, super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is none of the above. But this unlikely duo must team up for the ultimate mission to save the world when a “biodynamic concealment” experiment transforms Lance into a pigeon.

The film earned $163.5 million at the global box office.

Blu-ray bonus features include multiple making-of featurettes and two music videos as well as “Super Secret Spy Mode,” an immersive, in-movie experience that takes you deeper into the story with Easter eggs, facts and behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the film.

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Oscar Nominated ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Coming to Digital Feb. 4, Disc — Including 4K — Feb. 18

Writer-director Taika Waititi’s six-time Oscar nominated Jojo Rabbit will debut on digital Feb. 4 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Feb. 18 from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The World War II satire follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic.

The film has been nominated for Best Picture Academy Award Nomination, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Picture, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Star Davis, whose first-ever acting role was Jojo, won a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Young Actor, as well as a nomination for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Additionally, Johansson has received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her performance as Rosie. Waititi has received Academy Award Nominations for Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture (with Carthew Neal), as well as nominations from the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, and BAFTA (Adapted Screenplay). Earlier this year, the film was honored at the AFI Awards, making it onto AFI’s list of the Top 10 Movies of the Year for 2019. And the film also won TIFF’s highly acclaimed Grolsch People’s Choice Award, while Waititi garnered the Ebert Director Award at the festival’s tribute gala awards event.

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Bonus features include deleted scenes, outtakes, “Inside Jojo Rabbit,” audio commentary from Waititi and theatrical trailers.

Online TV Confronts Rising Carriage Fees

When launched in 2015, online TV services such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now were championed as pay-TV saviors in the face of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

Now Vue is history, DirecTV Now has been rebranded AT&T TV and Sling remains stagnant with about 2.6 million subscribers. All the while, the carriage fees paid by distributors to content holders continue to rise, leading to programming blackouts for subscribers.

A carriage dispute is a disagreement over the right to “carry”, that is, retransmit, a broadcaster’s signal. Carriage disputes first occurred between broadcasters and cable companies and now include satellite and other multichannel video programming distributors such as online TV.

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Sports-themed fuboTV just announced it was dropping Disney-owned FX, FXX, FXM and National Geographic due to increased costs to carry the channels.

Disney reportedly is demanding $16 monthly in retransmission fees per subscriber to carry the combined channels, including ESPN — an amount deemed too expensive by fuboTV.

A fuboTV staffer recently went on Reddit to address the issue: “As many of you know, neither fuboTV nor any other distributor is able to license just ESPN from Disney; instead, distributors are required to license the ‘Disney bundle.’ There is no way around this. As such, we [opted] to make the difficult decision of building a channel lineup that is both differentiated and affordable to consumers.”

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The staffer contends the Disney bundle price would require fuboTV to revisit bundle pricing, i.e. raise prices.

“Additionally, it’d come with high penetration (user) requirements, which would limit our ability to offer a differentiated offer for different consumer cohorts,” the staffer wrote.

In a media statement, fuboTV said it has added dozens of entertainment networks to its base package, including channels from AMC Networks, WarnerMedia, Viacom and Discovery.

“fuboTV remains a leading platform for the best movies and TV shows across every genre — from comedy and drama to nature and reality — both live and on demand,” read the statement.

Last month, Sling TV raised its monthly subscription fees by $5 to $30 each for Sling Orange and Sling Blue to offset program distribution costs. A combined bundle fee costs $45 monthly.

“Sling doesn’t own the networks you watch — we have to pay programmers for their channels so that we can provide them to you, and the price of programming has been going up,” Warren Schlichting, president of the online service, wrote in a blog post. “Unfortunately, we have to share those rising prices with you, so we can continue to provide you with the same great experience you’ve come to expect from Sling.”