Agency & Consulting
XR Extreme Reach extends Hollywood talent-payment infrastructure to creators
TVREV’s John Cassillo reports that XR Extreme Reach, which handles over 80% of U.S. commercial talent payments, launched XR Pay for Creators on October 22, combining onboarding, payments and rights tracking into one platform for brands and agencies juggling multiple creator payment systems.
Network-affiliate tensions mount as 2027 political ad windfall fades
TVREV’s Tim Hanlon reports that broadcasters face a 6% revenue decline after 2026’s record $11.6 billion political ad cycle ends.
Netflix taps ex-Apple Podcasts exec to lead podcast acquisition
Variety’s Payton Turkeltaub reports that Netflix hired Steve Wilson, a 15-year Apple veteran who led Apple Podcasts marketing, to run podcast content acquisition on a contract basis, building on its slate of more than 60 video podcasts.
NYC production spending surges past New Jersey, closes in on California
Deadline’s Jill Goldsmith reports that New York production spend rose 87% to $1.61 billion in the third quarter per ProdPro, outpacing every other U.S. state and trailing only California’s $1.76 billion.
WPP’s Q3 decline narrows as Rose’s turnaround plan takes shape
Adweek’s Alison Weissbrot reports that WPP’s Q3 revenue, less pass-through costs, fell 2.1% to $3.2 billion, narrowing from Q2’s 2.8% decline, while WPP Media returned to 0.3% growth for the first time in six quarters.
Comscore’s new report: broadcast still leads ad exposure, but streaming surges
MediaPost’s Wayne Friedman reports that Comscore’s newly launched “Score Report” finds broadcast leading TV/streaming ad-exposure time at 43.2%, ahead of cable at 34.5% and streaming at 22.3%.
Stagwell’s Freestar deal puts buying and selling under one roof
Digiday’s Ronan Shields reports that Stagwell’s Freestar acquisition, announced Oct. 26, folds publisher monetization technology and relationships into Stagwell’s Owned Media division, deepening the holding company’s reach into media selling.
Netflix’s share of Nielsen’s streaming hits chart halves in five years
The Ankler reports that Netflix held 80% of titles on Nielsen’s weekly Top 10 streaming originals chart in 2021, a share that has since fallen to 51%.
Amazon MGM Studios doubles investment in Japanese original content
Deadline’s Liz Shackleton reports that Amazon MGM Studios’ new Japan head, Buddy Marini, said at TIFFCOM the company has doubled its investment in original Japanese content, expanding live-action and anime slates.
Retail media networks multiply, but competition for ad dollars intensifies
eMarketer’s Karen Jacobs reports that retail and commerce media networks keep sprouting across retailers of all sizes, yet the field is getting crowded enough that growth prospects for individual networks now face real competitive pressure.
A recipe blogger bets on direct-to-consumer as Google traffic wobbles
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter reports that Nicole Hunn, who built Gluten Free on a Shoestring into a business with 130,000 email subscribers and six cookbooks, now relies on unpredictable Google and Facebook traffic for ad revenue.
eMarketer: Catalina Snacks leans on retail media for niche shopper targeting
eMarketer’s Christopher Wood reports that Catalina Snacks uses retail media networks and niche messaging to reach specific shopper segments in the grocery aisle, a strategy the piece frames as a way for a smaller snack brand to compete against larger rivals with bigger ad budgets.
Newsletter writers face subscriber fatigue as AI threatens inbox dominance
The Ankler’s Natalie Jarvey reports that newsletter growth is slowing industry-wide, with Taylor Lorenz saying newsletters are “cooked” after losing a third of her paid subscribers in recent months.
Circana adds AI-driven predictive signals to its commerce audience product
Markets Insider carried Circana’s release announcing predictive commerce signals added to its Complete Audiences product, using AI and household data to flag shoppers likely to enter a category, spend more, switch brands, or disengage.
85 South Media strikes distribution deal with Tubi
Deadline’s Katie Campione reports that 85 South Media has inked a distribution deal with Tubi, launching a curated ten-episode collection called The Best Of The 85 South Show.
World Series Game 2 draws 10.9 million on Fox, Univision
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that World Series Game 2 drew 10.9 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen numbers across Fox and Univision, down from 11.6 million for last year’s Game 2.
WPP Media wins £50m Transport for London media account
Campaign’s Ben Bold reports that WPP Media has won Transport for London’s media account, a contract worth roughly fifty million pounds, following a competitive review process.
Puck: Skydance faces internal friction over Elon Musk ties at Warner Bros.
Puck’s Kim Masters reports that Skydance’s leadership is navigating tension inside Warner Bros. tied to Elon Musk’s involvement, as the studio works through integration after its takeover. The piece is paywalled, with only the headline and teaser text available ahead of the full report.