Hulu, YouTube set to anchor virtual event in June Saying that industry reaction to the coronavirus crisis has shifted from panic to innovation, the Internet Advertising Bureau said this year’s NewFronts will focus on how fast media habits are changing. NewFronts during the in-person days. Originally scheduled for the end of April, the Digital Content NewFronts--where streaming video companies make their pitch to advertisers--were postponed to June 22-26 because of the virus and turned into a series of virtual presentations. The live broadcast and cable network upfronts were also canceled.  ..read more

Move follows Disney absorbing streamer Peter Naylor, long-time head of ad sales at Hulu, has been named VP, Americas at Snapchat, a new position, effective early May. Naylor’s departure follows The Walt Disney Co. acquiring control over Hulu, having acquired stakes in the streamer from former co-owners 21st Century Fox and Comcast. Peter Naylor answer questions at a B+C event. Hulu CEO Randy Freer stepped down in January as Disney moved to more tightly integrated Hulu into its direct-to-consumer group, which also oversees Disney+. Disney named Kelly Cambell as president of Hulu in February ..read more

Apptopia, Braze see 30.7% increase in March Pointing to the successful launch of Disney+, a new report said there is still room for new players in the crowded streaming market. 'Rick and Morty' proved a big online draw for Adult Swim.The report, from Apptopia and Braze, said that partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming sessions were up 30.7% globally. “Clearly, 2020 will be a big year for streaming. As consumers adapt to the new normal, we’ll see the launch of Quibi on April 6, HBO Max in May, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock on July 15, further challenging a strong group of established ..read more

Exec was first CEO of Hulu AT&T named former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar as CEO of its WarnerMedia unit, effective May 1. Jason KilarHe succeeds John Stankey, who was promoted to president and COO of AT&T last year. Kilar is known for his ideas about shaking up the TV business at Hulu, which created friction with Hulu’s owners, which at the time included Fox, NBCUniversal and the Walt Disney Co. Disney now controls Hulu. “Jason is a dynamic executive with the right skill set to lead WarnerMedia into the future. His experience in media and entertainment, direct-to-consumer video streaming and ..read more

Move was part of agreement to sell stake to Disney Comcast said that it has integrated the Hulu streaming service into its Xfinity Flex and X1 video platforms. The move was part of the agreement last year for Comcast to sell its stake in Hulu to The Walt Disney Co. Effective immediately, Flex and X1 customers who sign up or log into Hulu will be able to view Hulu content. In the near future, customers will be able to use the Xfinity Voice Remote to find Hulu programming. Comcast has been integrating streaming services into X1 and Flex in order to give its customers convenient access to additio ..read more

Kent Gibbons and Michael Malone talk about what's happening on the programming scene B+C's Kent Gibbons and Michael Malone discuss Atlanta's TV Fest and Kim Cattrall's new show, Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu, The Plot Against America on HBO, and more. View the original article to see embedded media ..read more

Debuts March 18 on Hulu Little Fires Everywhere is a tense drama that features the white-bread Richardson family in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and what happens when an African-American mother and daughter enter their lives. Reese Witherspoon plays Elena Richardson, an uber-uptight mother of four, and Joshua Jackson her husband. Kerry Washington plays Mia Warren, and Lexi Underwood her teen daughter Pearl. Mia is a peripatetic artist, constantly moving Pearl around to new locales, at times living out of their car. When Pearl becomes friends with the Richardson son Moody, Elena works hard to welcome ..read more

Senior content producer Michael Malone’s look at the programming scene Anti-Social Networks on PBS Niall Ferguson’s Networld debuts on PBS March 17. It’s a three-part docuseries that looks at the role of social networks in our lives, and how they are not quite delivering on the ideals envisioned for them years ago. 'Networld'Historian and author Ferguson hosts. Stephen Segaller, executive in charge, said Ferguson likes to “use history to shed light on the present day.” The series dives into social networks from the days of yore, including how the printing press helped Martin Luther’s Reformati ..read more

Broadcast’s big week goes online The Walt Disney Co. is taking its upfront presentation, as well as the Hulu newfront, online as the Coronavirus has effectively ended the week of glitzy live events traditional aimed at separating media buyers from their clients money. Disney Ad Sales President Rita Ferro at last year's upfront at Lincoln Center.Disney is just about the last of the big media companies to cancel their upfront, which for years had been held at New York’s Lincoln Center, headlined by Jimmy Kimmel. In recent years, the event has expanded from covering ABC to including other Disney ..read more

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington star and produce Drama Little Fires Everywhere premieres on Hulu March 18. Based on the novel by Celeste Ng, the series follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives after they arrive in Shaker Heights. “The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood,” said Hulu, “and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.” The cast includes Reese Witherspoon (Elena Richardson), Kerry Washington (Mia ..read more