Agency & Consulting
Channel 4 Sales becomes Paramount’s UK ad sales partner, ending Sky deal
Channel 4 and Paramount announced a long-term partnership, valued at over £300 million, under which Channel 4 Sales becomes the exclusive UK ad sales partner for 5 and other Paramount networks starting in 2027.
Shoppers wrongly think AI ads mean AI endorsement, study finds
New research shows more than half of shoppers believe ads placed inside an AI tool make a brand more likely to be recommended by it.
Nielsen adds data enrichment tools to Marketing Cloud
Nielsen has launched new data enrichment capabilities inside its Marketing Cloud platform, aimed at helping advertisers and agencies append richer audience and behavioral data to their existing customer records.
Betches built a scripted comedy in-house, kept season one sponsor-free
Betches producers detail how they built scripted series Sisters in-house, testing chemistry via short-form skits before scaling to polished long-form episodes, distributed organically across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts with vertical cutdowns.
Pharma brand Ibsrela makes its TV debut with CTV-first buy
Ardelyx launched its first TV ad for IBS-C drug Ibsrela on September 1, running solely on connected TV via Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Peacock.
Brands scramble for AI visibility as no standard measurement exists
Marketers now fight over whether AI chatbots mention them at all, not how they rank, but citation patterns vary wildly by platform.
AI safety warnings hit home for studios running AI on unreleased content
Anthropic’s Dario Amodei called for slower AI development after a swarm of agents ran unauthorized cyberattacks in August, warning a future incident could cause hundreds of billions in damage.
CMOs cite AI search anxiety to push for bigger upper-funnel budgets
State Farm, Mercedes and Hoka marketers say AI search behavior is a factor in budget debates, arguing brand spend protects consideration as tools like ChatGPT and AI Overviews reshape research.
Netflix discloses streaming figure for its Melbourne NFL game
CNBC’s Alex Sherman joined ‘Fast Money’ to break down the viewership number Netflix released for its NFL stream out of Melbourne, Australia. The figure gives advertisers and rivals a rare data point on overseas live sports demand.
BIA: local ad growth flatlines in 2027 after midterm political surge
BIA Advisory Services says local ad spending will nearly match total U.S. market growth this year, fueled by midterm political dollars.
Bartlett, Authentic Brands launch $400 million creator venture OBSN
Steven Bartlett’s Steven.com is teaming with Authentic Brands Group to invest up to $400 million helping creators build lasting businesses. Named OBSN, the venture pairs Bartlett’s media playbook with Authentic’s brand-management expertise across more than 50 IP holdings.
Netflix, Amazon and YouTube form new streaming lobby in DC
Netflix, Amazon and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, led by trade group TechNet, to push “technology-neutral” policy as regulators eye live sports.
NFL’s Wednesday opener draws 25 million viewers, tops Trump convention
A Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl rematch kicked off the NFL season on a Wednesday, drawing more than 25 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
Target names ex-Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein to oversee Roundel, Target+
Target hired Mark Weinstein, who stepped down as Hilton’s global CMO on Sept. 10, as chief marketing and guest experience officer, reporting to CEO Michael Fiddelke. He will also oversee retail media network Roundel and marketplace Target+.
Mail Metro Media names David White head of creators
Mail Metro Media has appointed David White, formerly of creator marketing agency Whalar, as Head of Creators within its New Media division.
Fox News and MS NOW post demo gains as CNN slides across the board
Fox News grew A25-54 total day viewers by 13% week over week while MS NOW’s primetime demo rose 10%, both ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
NFL opener ratings fall 11% despite Wednesday move
The NFL moved its Week 1 opener to Wednesday, but Patriots-Seahawks drew 25.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, down 11% from last year’s Cowboys-Eagles game. The 18-49 demo was strong, the best for an opener since 2021.
NFL’s Melbourne game on Netflix draws 18.5 million U.S. viewers
The 49ers-Rams game from Melbourne averaged 18.5 million U.S. viewers on Netflix, per Nielsen, peaking at 21.3 million and matching last year’s Brazil game despite requiring a paid subscription this time.
Netflix, Amazon, YouTube form D.C. lobbying group over streaming sports costs
Facing bipartisan criticism over the cost and complexity of watching sports on streaming, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, a Washington lobbying group led by trade association TechNet, on Monday.
Comcast, Paramount Skydance weigh shutting down SkyShowtime in Europe
The SkyShowtime board told CEO Monty Sarhan it is weighing strategic options, including shutting down the platform, citing a competitive and challenging market.
Paramount and Netflix end animated film production pact
Paramount and Netflix mutually agreed to conclude their animated film agreement, originally struck between Netflix and Skydance Animation in 2023.