A look at how much the top execs at some publicly traded programmers and MVPDs made last year suggests media's CEOs fared well, on balance, compared with 2016.

On an individual basis in 2017, a number of them experienced dramatic fluctuations from the prior year, pendulum swings ranging from a nearly 300% increase for one exec to a nearly 100% decrease for another.

Among 10 whose companies had reported by May 1, half saw increases in total compensation over their 2016 pay, driven primarily by stock options and awards.

In the other half, two CEOs took hits, while two remained steady. (For one, 2017 was his first full year as CEO.)

Bookmark This: Visit MCN's Executive Compensation page to read more about media CEOs' pay, including recent stories detailing their 2017 packages.  

Some 800 guests convened at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York March 22 to honor Multichannel News's 2018 class of Wonder Women.

The 12 honorees comprise MCN's 20th anniversary class of accomplished and influential women from multichannel media industries. Nominated by their peers and selected by the MCN editorial team, they have demonstrated vision, commitment and leadership as they've fostered the success of their companies and driven growth and innovation across the industry.

Profiles of MCN's Wonder Women Honorees | Watch Their Speeches

In candid remarks that touched on both the professional and the personal, they demonstrated those qualities at the podium as they shared the experiences, insight and advice that landed them on the Ziegfeld's stage.

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MCN 2018 Woman of Influence: Hannah Storm

Beth Main of HBO offered a vivid look back at becoming a member of the Joffrey Ballet, describing it as her most "foundational" experience in a varied career, as it taught her that "it very much is possible to do impossible things if you really want it, and you work like hell for it." 

ESPN's Stephanie Druley had a wry perspective on being named a Wonder Women honoree, telling the crowd, "It's a lot to live up to. You know, personally, I'd prefer to be known as She Ra, Princess of Power."

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Turner's Jennifer Mirgorod delivered a message from her daughters: "This award has made their day. ... It helped them make a connection between the hard work they see me do and the rewards. I believe this award has inspired them to work a little harder." 

MCN's 2018 Women to Watch, 12 up-and-coming trailblazers, were also honored at the luncheon, and got a shout-out from Debra O'Connell.

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"I am so excited for the next generation of women," the NCTA's Loretta Polk said. "They are bold and assertive, confident and inventive, and plenty fearless."

Bookmark This: Complete Coverage of MCN's Wonder Women Honorees and Events

The proceedings came to a close with a call to look ahead from CBS's Josie Thomas, who spoke of creating an inclusive environment now and for the next generation of women.  

[embed]https://twitter.com/MultiNews/status/976875814435414018[/embed]

Since fuboTV launched a small, soccer-focused OTT-delivered pay TV service in January 2015, some seven other virtual MVPDs, have entered the market. Their subscriber numbers suggest that traditional MVPD customers may be willing to cut the cord but don't want to cut out the bundle, at least not completely. Here's how the services stack up (video last updated 2-23-2018).

Following fuboTV (which in February 2017 launched a new, broader service) cameSling TV (February 2015),Sony PlayStation Vue (March 2015), DirecTV Now (November 2016),YouTube TV (April 2017), Hulu Live TV (May 2017), CenturyLink Stream (June 2017, beta) and Philo (November 2017).

Together they ended 2017 with 5.3 million subscribers, a recent study by The Diffusion Group found.

UPDATE (2-21-2018): CenturyLink Pulling Plug on OTT TV Beta Service

While the vMVPD services are growing, and new ones will come -- including T-Mobile's in the wake of its $325 million Layer3 TV acquisition -- it appears cord-cutters and cord-nevers so far favor the myriad streaming subscription VOD options vs. OTT-delivered live TV.

General entertainment (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video) and premium direct-to-consumer (HBO Now, Starz) SVOD services held a massive lead over the newer, more expensive vMVPDs in a November 2017 Parks Associates survey of U.S. consumers. Sling TV was the only vMVPD to crack the list of 2017's Top 10 OTT services.

Related: Tracking Sling TV

But possibly weighing in the skinny bundle's favor, it turns out that network brands really do matter, a Hub Entertainment Research study suggests. Despite the accepted tenet that consumers care about shows but not the programmers behind them, Hub's tests revealed that viewers' interest in a program is influenced by the network that carries it. For example, after hearing a description of a hypothetical reality show, about 47% of participants were extremely or very interested in watching it as a Netflix series vs. 30% if on Travel Channel.

The subscriber numbers in the video -- all estimated minimums -- were compiled by Jeff Baumgartner, MCN senior content producer-technology, from company reports, CNBC projections and the TDG study. Read more here.

Watch MCN | Tune In for More Videos

Representing all segments of the pay TV ecosphere, the honorees in MCN's 2018 Wonder Women class have achieved their organizations' goals while fostering overall industry growth and innovation.

They're among media's most influential women, the ones who have found the keys to "breaking through the clutter," as one described her team's approach to getting the job done.

Their perspectives on problem-solving, driving results and creating success demonstrate the leadership qualities that make them MCN's 20th anniversary honorees. And on the most timely issue facing this year's class — the impact of the #MeToo movement on the companies they lead — they offer vision for forging lasting change in the workplace.

Meet these 12 executives in person March 22 at the 20th Anniversary Wonder Women Luncheon. In the meantime, visit Celebrating Media's Influential Women to read their profiles.

More: MCN's Women to Watch 2018|The #MCNWW Online Archives

Related:With #MeToo, TV Hits the ‘Reset Button’| Q&A: Some On-the-Job Gender Training

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.

WWE chair Vince McMahon will take another shot at scoring on the professional football field with the 2020 relaunch of the XFL pro football league. 

McMahon said Thursday (Jan. 25) during an afternoon press conference that he will look to reshape the XFL -- which ran for one season in 2001 in a joint venture with NBC -- into a new, reimagined format that will be "fan-friendly" and exciting. 

McMahon said the XFL will look to secure traditional network as well as digital distribution, but has yet to secure any deals.

McMahon said the league will listen to experts to help put the best product out on the field.

“We want to give fans more of that they want to see and less of what they don’t want to see,” he said.

McMahon said the eight-team league will be fully-owned by his company Alpha Entertainment and will play from late January into the spring, but would not reveal the cities in which the league will look to field teams.

The league will also feature no crossover talent from McMahon’s WWE franchise.

MCN Flashback: Vince McMahon: WWE's Ringmaster

He added that XFL games will be likely be condensed to two hours -- much quicker than the current three-hour average National Football League games – including the possible elimination of the traditional halftime period.

McMahon also said that the NFL's woes over declining ratings and political controversies did not factor into his decision to relaunch the league. He added that players with crimminal records will not be allowed into the league, and that players will most likely be required to stand during the national anthem.

"It will have nothing to do with politics and social issues ... we want really good football," McMahon said "That’s what we’re going to deliver."