The Dynasty: New England Patriots debuts on Apple TV Plus February 16. From Imagine Documentaries and Matthew Hamachek, there are 10 episodes. The series is based on the 2020 book by Jeff Benedict.

Apple TV Plus said the project showcases “the rise of the most dominant sports dynasty of the 21st century.” It features interviews with former quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, along with a variety of other past Patriots, including Adam Vinatieri, Drew Bledsoe and Rob Gronkowski. 

Brady was with the Patriots from 2000 to 2019, then played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2020 to 2022. 

The Patriots are a grim 4-13 this season. Belichick was still the Patriots coach at deadline. 

Others sharing their thoughts on the Pats in the docuseries include Jon Bon Jovi, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Goodell. 

The Dynasty looks at the team’s 20-year “journey” to dynasty status, which includes a half dozen Super Bowls. 

Apple TV Plus shared a trailer. 

Produced by Imagine Documentaries, The Dynasty is executive produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Benedict and Hamachek. Hamachek directs. 

Hamachek directed the 2020 Tiger Woods documentary Tiger. 

Non-football fans and pigskin aficionados sick of seeing the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl will have a bevy of other viewing choices before and during Sunday's big game.

In the hours prior to the 6 p.m. start of the Patriots/Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LIII game on CBS, pet lovers will once again get to choose between watching playful and adoptable adults cats during Hallmark Channel’s 1st Annual Cat Bowl -- which follows the network’s Kitten Bowl VI-- or viewing adorable and adoptable baby canines during Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XV.

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During the game, viewers can pick up the remote and choose between marathons of such TV shows as The Office (Comedy Central), Planet Earth: Blue Planet (BBC America), Botched (E!), Ridiculousness (MTV), 48 Hours (Investigation Discovery) and The Simpsons (FXX).

The WWE will step into the counterprogramming ring in an effort to draw wrestling fans away from Maroon 5’s Super Bowl halftime performance. The WWE will offer a live, tag-team wrestling performance on its WWE Network subscription streaming service, marking the first time in 20 years the pro wrestling outfit has offered a live match during halftime of a Super Bowl event.

Super Bowl LIII is projected to draw more than 100 million viewers, but there are plenty other viewing choices for the millions of people looking to pass on the big game. 

Super Bowl LII produced an exciting upset on the field as the underdog Philadelphia Eagles overcame the defending champion New England Patriots in a 41-33 shootout. 

The nail-biting game salvaged what was a so-so lineup of Super Bowl commercials, which have become as big an attraction for viewers as the football game itself. With many of the big commercials leaked prior to the game – especially those from television networks and streaming services -- it's tough for advertisers to surprise viewers with their ads, which were reported to cost more than $5 million on average for a 30-second spot.

That said, Netflix and HBO did make some news along with their Super Bowl commercial offerings. Netflix premiered a trailer for its movie The Cloverfield Paradox during the Super Bowl, and then surprised fans of the horror franchise by announcing that the film would be offered on the streaming service immediately after the Eagles-Patriots game.

The Cloverfield Paradox finished among the top 10 Super Bowl commercials that received the most attention from viewers during the game, according to research company TVision Insights.

The stunt was touted by none other than Netflix’s 13th director/producer Ava DuVernay, who tweeted last night about the surprise launch of the movie.

Woman of color-led, sci-fi thriller released worldwide day + date w/ big Netflix muscle for black director, his super producer + POC cast. No advance press, ads, trailer. Straight to the people. Gamechanger. Congrats to helmer #JuliusOnah + my dears JJ, Gugu, David. #Cloverfieldpic.twitter.com/m186Hprhqz

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 5, 2018

HBO also made news last night by announcing the April 11 premiere of the second season of its sci/fi western series Westworld via the series's Super Bowl trailer. The Emmy Award-winning series boasts a star-studded returning cast featuring Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright and James Marsden.

Other OTT networks stepped on the Super Bowl advertising field last night with spots for their respective new shows, including Amazon Prime, which touted its new series Jack Ryan -- based on Tom Clancy’s political/thriller novels – and Hulu, which debuted the first spot for its Castle Rock anthology series from Stephen King.

Below are the TV ads that aired during the Super Bowl:

The Cloverfield Paradox – Netflix

Westworld – HBO

Castle Rock – Hulu

Jack Ryan – Amazon

Pet lovers will have plenty of animal-themed programming to cuddle up to leading into and following Super Bowl LII this Sunday. 

While the big game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t officially kick off until 6 p.m. on NBC, viewers can get into the football spirit all afternoon long with Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl and Hallmark Channel’s Kitten Bowl.

The three-hour Kitten Bowl V pet adoption event will premiere at noon on Sunday and will feature displaced kittens rescued from the country’s most recent national disasters seeking the to win the “Feline Football” trophy, according to Hallmark officials. Animal advocate Beth Stern will host the event, with Boomer Esiason calling play-by-play action.

Hallmark will partner with the North Shore Animal League America to host 500 adoption parties for the event, which over its tenure has inspired the adoption of more than 10,000 animals, according to the network.

At 3 p.m. on Sunday, puppies will take the field for Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIV. The two-hour special will feature 90 adoptable puppy “players” running around chasing soft footballs and chew toys in a bone-shaped stadium featuring more than a dozen cameras, according to network officials.

Animal Planet has teamed with 48 different animal shelters and rescue organizations from 25 U.S. states and territories to field its lineup of puppies.

Animal Planet will begin the festivities with a Puppy Bowl pre-game show at 2 p.m., said the network. 

After Super Bowl LII is over, animal lovers can tune into Nat Geo Wild for the return of its Safari Live series beginning at 10 p.m. – kicking off a five-day run for the wildlife show. The network will showcae in real time wildlife action from Kenya’s Maasai Mara and South Africa’s iconic Sabi Sands Game Reserve, according to network officials. 

Nat Geo Wild’s Safari Live drew an average of 160,000 viewers for its initial run in 2017.

Mobile games company WinView is letting users cash-in on the their sports know-how during this Sunday's Super Bowl, with quarter-by-quarter contests that allow them to compete for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes.

With “The Perfect Game Jackpot for the Big Game” promotion, users will answer 18-to-25 Yes/No questions during each quarter of this Sunday’s championship match-up between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. In order to win the jackpot, a user must answer all the questions during the course of a quarter correctly. Each question will be sent directly to their mobile device as the game unfolds and include questions like “Will the first play of the quarter be a run or pass?”, “Will New England complete a pass of 15+ yards on this drive?” or “Will Philadelphia record a sack or turnover on this drive?” Payouts are immediate at the completion of each quarterly contest.

“There are some feats that lead to instant sports immortality,” WinVew executive chairman Tom Rogers said in a statement. “We’re proud to add the WinView Perfect Game to the pantheon. Never before have fans watching at home become such a big part of the game. This year, the Big Game’s not only on TV...it’s in your hands.”

Participants must download the WinView Games app on iOS or Android to play. They can also enter a Paid Entry Contest for a chance to win the $25,000 jackpot, or enter a Free Contest for a chance to win a $5,000 jackpot.  WinView’s paid contests, which are legal to play in 36 U.S. states, range from $2 to $100 in entry fees, competing against sports fans ranging from 6 to 25 players. WinView’s free entry contests offer smaller prize pools and are legal to play in all 50 states.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) says the retrans impasse between CBS and Dish -- CBS stations are off the satellite service in major markets as the big Thanksgiving holiday viewing window opens -- needs to get settled ASAP, particularly given that his hometown football team, the New England Patriots, could be blacked out.

The Patriots meet the Miami Dolphins on CBS Sunday (Nov. 26) at 1 p.m.

“These contract disputes between Dish and CBS will make a lot of fans frustrated when they tune into the Patriots on Sunday and see nothing but a blank screen,” Markey said in a statement.

Related: As Dish Battle Rages, Charter Could Be CBS’ Next Big Retrans Fight, Analyst Says

He said he was not taking sides, just saying he didn't want viewers to be sidelined for the big game. “I make no representations as to the merits of either side’s position, but hope for Patriots fans' sake that a quick resolution can get our team back on Dish customers' screens in time to see this AFC East rivalry game on Sunday.”

Frequently it is the lack of access to big-ticket sports, like pro and college football, that gets Capitol Hill urging swift settlements of carriage disputes or local-market modifications for the sake of their hometown constituents.

At press time CBS was saying the two sides remained far apart. CBS stations have been off Dish since Monday (Nov. 20).

NBC’s Thursday night Kansas City Chiefs-New England Patriots National Football League game telecast was a huge hit on social media, according to Nielsen.

The game, in which the Chiefs upset the Patriots 42-27 in the first game of the 2017 NFL regular season, drew a whopping 7.9 million Facebook and Twitter interactions from more than 3.5 million unique users to finish first among all TV shows, according to Nielsen’s Social Content Ratings report for Sept. 7.

Among entertainment shows, CBS’s Big Brother drew 713,000 social media interactions on Thursday, followed by NBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Lifetime’s Project Runway and Fox News Channel’s Hannity.

ESPN’s 2017 Monday Night Football schedule will feature both Super Bowl teams and all 12 playoff teams from last year, the network announced Thursday.

The network’s 17-game primetime schedule will feature one appearance from the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (Dec. 11 against Miami) and two appearances by the Atlanta Falcons (Nov. 20 against Seattle and Dec. 18 against Tampa Bay.)

In addition, all of last year’s playoff teams – New England, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers – will make at least one Monday night appearance.

ESPN’s coverage will open on Sept. 11 with New Orleans Saints-Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers-Denver Broncos doubleheader telecast, said the network.

The network will look to rebound from its disappointing 2016 campaign which generated a double-digit ratings decline from 2015.

ESPN’s regular season schedule is a follows: 

Altice USA's request that CBS-affiliate WFSB in Connecticut unblock programming to its customers in the state for the National Football League’s AFC Championship game on Jan. 22, pitting the local favorite New England Patriots vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been stuffed.

WFSB, which broadcasts to a small portion of Altice USA customers in Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut, went dark on Jan. 13 after the parties could not reach a retransmission consent agreement. Altice USA said the bulk of its Connecticut customers can see the game via the New York CBS affiliate (WCBS). The cable operator has also offered customers a free trial of CBS All Access, the over-the-top offering from the broadcaster, to watch the playoffs and other network content online. 

The fact that WFSB has not unblocked the channel shouldn’t be surprising. Going dark is usually a station’s only leverage in retrans negotiations and compelling event programming – like NFL playoff games – is usually what gets the parties to reach a compromise.

On its website, WFSB called Altice USA an “outlier,” adding that it has reached retrans agreements with every other distributor with no disruption in service.

“Without fair and equitable treatment, local TV stations will not be able to continue to provide top quality news, sports, entertainment, and other local programming that is most important to you,” WFSB said on its website.

Officials at WFSB parent Meredith Corp. did not immediately return a request for comment.

Altice USA said this is the second time its request to make the channel available for the NFL playoffs has been denied – it made the same plea for the Patriot’s Jan. 14 meeting with the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional playoff. Meredith refused that request even though the two U.S. Senators representing the state – Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy – had asked the channel be made available to Altice customers while talks continued.

“We’ve heard from our Litchfield and New Haven customers and know they want to watch the Patriots game this weekend,” Altice USA said in a statement. “We’re frustrated too and think it’s outrageous that WFSB refuses to put the channel back on for our customers as we continue our negotiations. We have asked WFSB and its owners repeatedly to stop holding our customers hostage. If WFSB cares about its viewers then why won’t they agree to put the game on?”

The midseason finale of AMC's The Walking Dead drew the most social media buzz for a television program on Sunday, according to Nielsen.

Sunday episode of the zombie-themed series drew 488,000 tweets reaching 3.6 million unique Twitter users to top all television shows yesterday, according to the Nielsen Daily Twitter TV ratings report. BET/Centric’s 2015 Soul Train Awards finished second with 471,000 tweets reaching nearly 3 million Twitter users.

E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians, ABC’s Once Upon A Time and AMC’s Into The Badlands rounded out the top five shows for the day, according to Nielsen.

 NFL football telecasts dominated the live sports programming list, led by NBC’s telecast of the Denver Broncos’ upset win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, which drew 1.1 million tweets reaching 6.8 million unique Twitter users, according to Nielsen.

After a stalemate that lasted about 10 days, Cordillera Communications and DirecTV agreed in principle on a new retransmission consent deal that enabled ten local broadcast stations to return to DirecTV local customers’ homes.

The Cordillera stations went dark to customers in 10 Nielsen DMAs on Jan.1.

DirecTV began re-authorizing homes earlier today, with the satellite giant prioritizing Cordillera’s five NBC affiliates in Tucson, Ariz.; Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colo., Lexington Ky.; Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo, Calif.; and Corpus Christi, Tex.; so viewers could join today’s AFC Divisional Playoff game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens which was already in progress.

In a statement on its website, Cordillera's NBC affiliate (KOAA) in Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colo. said it has reached an agreement with the satellite TV service proivider and that DirecTV hmave "flipped the switch," to return its programming to customers at 3:10 p.m. mountain time. 

The stations involved were: KOAA (NBC), Colorado Springs-ueblo, Colo.; WLEX (NBC), Lexington, Ky.; KATC (ABC), Lafayette, La.; KSBY (NBC), Santa Barbara, Calif.; KVOA (NBC), Tucson, Ariz.; KRIS (NBC) Corpus Christi, Tex.; KPAX (CBS), Missoula, Mont.; KBZK (CBS), Butte, Mont.; KTVQ (CBS), Billings, Mont.; KRTV (CBS), Great Falls. Mont.

A tight one in Foxboro found more than 16 million viewers at home for Thursday Night Football.

CBS and NFL Network's simulcast of the TNF matchup -- New England's Chris Jones block a last-second, 58-yard field goal attempt by Nick Folk (pictured) to preserve a 27-25 Patriots' victory over the New York Jets -- averaged a 10.1 rating and 16.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen fast nationals data. The total included 2.9 million from the NFLN side.

Those numbers were up 140% and 137%, respectively, from the 4.2 rating and 6.8 million viewers from last season's corresponding matchup between Seattle and Arizona that aired on NFL Network and stations in the participating clubs' DMAs.

The Oct. 16 deliveries were virtual replicas of the TNF's season averages for the first six simulcasts: a 10.0 rating, up 79% from last year's 5.6, and 16.1 million, also ahead by that rate from 2013's 9 million watchers.

Per usual, CBS's primetime benefited from TNF averaging 14.8 million viewers, a 36% jump from its lineup on Oct. 17, 2013, while registering even more significant demo advances: 78% among adults 18 to 49 (4.8 from 2.7) and 51% against adults 25 to 54 (5.6 from 3.7).

TNF also gave CBS lopsided Nielsen wins against ABC, Fox, and NBC on the night.