Agency & Consulting
Disney consolidates streaming under new DTC chairman Adam Smith
Disney promoted product and tech chief Adam Smith to sole head of its direct-to-consumer business, ending his shared role with Joe Earley.
Streaming viewers follow shows, not platform brands, new data suggests
A commentary piece cites predictive intelligence firm Sooth, which found a “non-expressive majority” of 53.6% of shoppers show no brand loyalty across categories, based on analysis of 21.6 million households.
Wells Fargo downgrades Netflix, cites falling viewership and thinning hits
Wells Fargo cut Netflix to underweight and slashed its price target to $57 from $80, implying 24% downside. The bank cites falling per-subscriber viewing hours and a heavy reliance on a shrinking pool of Top 100 titles for engagement.
Commercial production spreads beyond California and New York
XR data shows commercial production volume down just 2% year-over-year through H1 2026, after a 25% decline from 2019 to 2025, as Texas, Florida and Georgia gain share from coastal hubs.
Retail media networks pitch brand-building, but proof is thin
Retailers now sell streaming, social and off-site partnerships alongside conversion ads, but most inventory still gets measured by attribution models built for performance, not brand lift.
Spotify bets on superfans, not average users, to hit $100 billion
At its Investor Day, Spotify unveiled “Reserved by Spotify,” a Live Nation partnership giving select Premium subscribers early access to concert tickets.
BBC pitches opening iPlayer to rival broadcasters, resists ad funding
The BBC told the UK government that its funding model is unsustainable as license evasion rises and live TV viewership declines, even though 94 percent of the population still consumes BBC content.
Commerce media wants a bigger media budget role, but brands aren’t convinced yet
Retail media networks are pushing beyond bottom-funnel placements toward broader brand and awareness budgets. Brands still need a clear reason to shift dollars, since commerce media has yet to prove it belongs alongside traditional upper-funnel channels.
‘Resident Evil’ reboot opens to franchise-record $60 million
Sony’s “Resident Evil” opened to $60 million domestically, beating projections of $40 million to $50 million and more than doubling 2010’s “Afterlife.” Sony spent just $6.4 million on national TV ads, concentrated on NFL and college football broadcasts.
OnlyFans launches podcast hub, joining Patreon and Substack in creator audio
OnlyFans has launched a community page for podcasts, giving creators like Harry Jowsey and Jiaoying Summers dedicated pages for video episodes, most available free without a subscription. New comedy and sports community pages are also coming.
Paramount-WBD consent decree locks in Pluto TV for five years
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger settlement with 12 states requires the combined company to keep operating a free, ad-supported streamer under the Pluto TV brand, at current service and quality levels, for the full five-year term.
Scott Aukerman launches paid subscription tier for Comedy Bang! Bang!
Scott Aukerman is launching Comedy Bang!
Seven.One Media adds retail data partners to target Joyn, CTV ads
ProSiebenSat.1’s sales house Seven.One Media is folding retail and commerce data into its targeting products for Joyn, connected TVs and digital inventory.
Wondery launches three FAST channels on Amazon’s Freevee
Starting October 31, Amazon’s Freevee will carry three new free ad-supported channels featuring more than 20 Wondery podcast video series across true crime, sports, and pop culture.