Agency & Consulting
TripleLift exec: CTV commerce data finally proves performance, not just reach
TVREV reports that TripleLift’s Taylor Stewart argues retailers are now piping first-party purchase data into CTV through clean rooms that match records without exposing raw data.
Madhive CEO: local media sales must shift from reach to outcomes
TVREV reports that Madhive CEO Jim Wilson told the In the Vicinity podcast local sellers can no longer rely on ratings and reach, since small-business advertisers now demand qualified leads, store visits and sales as proof of performance.
GEICO sponsors Vizio Christmas movie as WatchFree+ adds creator channels
The Measure’s Jon Lafayette reports GEICO is the presenting sponsor of Vizio WatchFree+‘s original holiday film, Jingle Bells Wedding Bells, arranged through Omnicom and Walmart Connect.
Opinion: AI is making imperial ads cheaper, not more native
TVREV’s Emanuele Landi argues advertising solved addressing but never language, shipping one imperial message into a thousand fragmented media “duchies.”
iSpot’s SAGE breaks down why Progressive’s Dr. Rick ads top Likeability
The Measure’s Eleanor Semeraro reports that iSpot’s SAGE tool found Progressive’s “Dr. Rick: Rules” leads 2026 Likeability at 671, but drives 82% Purchase Intent Top-2-Box versus 40% and 31% for its two closest Dr. Rick rivals.
Retired NFL stars dominate ad airings three weeks into the season
The Measure’s John Cassillo reports that iSpot data shared with Sportico shows Jason and Kylie Kelce led all NFL ad spokespeople with 191 airings through three weeks, 62 ahead of Peyton Manning.
Retired players, not active stars, dominate NFL ad spots this season
The Measure reports that iSpot data shows retired player Jason Kelce leading NFL TV ad appearances this season, with 191 showings through week three, ahead of fellow retirees Peyton Manning and Rob Gronkowski.
NBCU, FreeWheel, Carat and Newton launch agentic buying for streaming TV
AdExchanger reports that NBCUniversal, FreeWheel, Dentsu’s Carat and Newton launched custom buying agents pairing identity and audience data to recommend NBCU inventory against advertiser outcomes, with an unnamed luxury retailer as first user.
Moloco is first ad-tech firm to earn IAB Europe retail media certification
ExchangeWire reports that IAB Europe certified Moloco under its Retail Media Certification Programme, the first ad-tech company to pass after retailer Albert Heijn and network Nectar360.
Ellison’s AI vision: test 15-20 cuts of a movie before release
The Ankler’s Erik Barmack reports that David Ellison told a March finance conference AI could let Paramount make 15 to 20 versions of a film, test audience reaction, then pick the winner, with Skydance carrying $80 billion in debt.
New studies show Hispanic viewers lean free, ad-supported streaming
Digiday’s Tim Peterson reports that Nielsen and Horowitz Research studies show Hispanic audiences’ share of streaming watch time roughly matches their share of the U.S. population, while still watching significant traditional TV, with free ad-supported services preferred over paid subscriptions.
WNBA playoffs post most-watched first round ever at 1.3M viewers
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that the WNBA’s first-round playoffs averaged 1.3 million viewers across ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and USA Network, the most-watched first round ever.
Lumen: cumulative attention beats frequency 8x on brand lift
The Media Leader’s Jack Benjamin reports that Lumen Research, with Amazon Ads and Cint, studied 270 streaming campaigns and found cumulative attention is 8x more predictive of brand lift than frequency, with four thresholds set for awareness, favourability, consideration and purchase intent.
Skydance CEOs split duties, defend $30B-$40B content spend amid $79B debt
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports that David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz held their first press conference as Skydance co-CEOs, dividing responsibilities between creative strategy and day-to-day operations.
Omnicom Media partners with Rembrand on in-content streaming ads
Digiday’s Michael Bürgi reports that Omnicom Media has partnered with Rembrand to let brands identify, plan and activate in-content placements across premium streaming inventory, using Rembrand’s AI-driven VISTA platform.
Skydance leads TV ad share at 21%, but market stays stagnant
MediaPost’s Wayne Friedman reports that Skydance launches with a leading 21% share of U.S.
Ellison pledges original bets at newly merged Skydance-Warners
The Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch reports that David Ellison, fresh off closing the $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal, said Skydance will outspend Disney and Netflix on content and still back original films like Sinners despite $80 billion in debt.
‘East of Eden’ tops Netflix TV chart with 6.5 million views
Variety’s Selome Hailu reports that “East of Eden,” Zoe Kazan’s adaptation of the Steinbeck novel starring Florence Pugh, drew 6.5 million views in its first four days on Netflix, taking the No. 1 spot on the streamer’s weekly TV chart.
Repurposed creator content is becoming the new TV ad format
MediaPost’s Stadium Rules argues that brands should build CTV and TV spots from existing creator and social assets rather than commissioning new shoots, pairing authentic creator footage with brand B-roll and a television-grade edit. EMarketer projects U.S.
Sinclair launches national news brand on Substack
Axios’s Sara Fischer reports that Sinclair is launching The National Press, a subscription news brand on Substack built from reporting by its roughly 1,200 journalists across 60 local newsrooms.
Skydance CEOs warn of layoffs, $6B in cuts after WBD deal closes
TheWrap’s Lucas Manfredi reports that Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz told staff at their first town hall to expect “difficult decisions” as the company targets $6 billion in cost savings over three years following the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger close.
Fox News’ ratings lead over CNN and MS NOW hits an all-time high
Axios’ Sara Fischer reports that Fox News, turning 30, averaged 1.69 million total-day viewers last year versus 551,000 for MS NOW and 432,000 for CNN.
Chili’s, Disney, Alaska Air detail deeper, longer-term creator deals
Marketing Dive’s Peter Adams reports that at Advertising Week New York, marketers from Chili’s, Disney and Alaska Airlines described creators moving from campaign add-ons to central drivers of creative strategy.
UK ad-supported streaming overtakes all other TV viewing, Roku finds
Advanced Television reports that Roku’s first VOD Evolution study finds ad-supported streaming now accounts for 52 per cent of all UK TV viewing, with streamers watching 14 of their 26 weekly hours through BVoD, ad-supported SVoD, or FAST.