Sony Classics’ Tom Bernard on why Oscar campaigns now favor the best film
The Ankler’s Katey Rich reports that Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard, speaking at the Montclair Film Festival, credited the Academy’s screening room app with making Oscar wins track more closely to quality films, reducing “How did that win?” moments.
Lionsgate, Steven Paul’s SP Media launch joint film venture
Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro reports that Lionsgate and Steven Paul’s SP Media are forming a joint venture, with SP Media making a capital investment and producing independent films for Lionsgate to distribute, while Lionsgate holds the majority stake and manages the venture.
Nielsen: 98% of marketers now use AI, but trust hinges on verification
Nielsen reports that nearly 90% of marketers now use AI, with 55% trusting AI-generated recommendations only when paired with human verification, and that marketers prioritizing measurement precision has doubled year over year.
Political ad spending squeezes holiday TV and CTV inventory
eMarketer’s Marisa Jones reports that off-cycle political advertising is competing with holiday marketers for TV and CTV inventory, pushing up prices during a critical shopping window.
Microdrama glut: 32,000 titles in 3 months, still no breakout hit
The Ankler’s Elaine Low reports that the 16 leading vertical video apps outside China released 32,000 microdrama titles in three months, more than 10,000 new shows a month, yet none has become a category-defining hit.
McCann names Ordóñez global chairman and chief creative officer
MediaPost’s Steve McClellan reports McCann promoted Andrés Ordóñez, who joined via Omnicom’s IPG acquisition, to the combined role of Global Chairman and Global Chief Creative Officer, reporting to Andrew Robertson. The move follows CEO Tyler Turnbull’s exit to WPP.
Omnicom’s Q3 organic growth accelerates to 7.2%
Campaign’s Elena Lewis reports that Omnicom’s organic revenue from core operations grew 7.2% in Q3, up from 6.1% in Q2 and 3.9% in Q1, with total core revenue rising 7% to $6.01 billion year on year.
Ex-60 Minutes EP Bill Owens joins creator startup Newpress
The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin reports that Bill Owens, former executive producer of 60 Minutes, is joining creator media startup Newpress as its EP.
Comscore to report Q3 2026 earnings November 3
Comscore announced it will hold a conference call on Tuesday, November 3rd at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, with details on webcast and telephone registration access.
Banana Republic launches scripted TikTok series to court Gen Z
Retail Dive’s Jessica Hammers reports that Banana Republic debuted “The Agency,” a five-part TikTok series starring Jack Innanen, as parent Gap Inc. pushes its Fashiontainment entertainment-marketing platform. The debut episode has drawn 10.1 million views.
Ad Age/iSpot tracks new Nationwide, AT&T and Google Pixel TV spots
Ad Age reports that its daily Hot Spots roundup with iSpot.tv highlights new commercials, including Peyton Manning and Saquon Barkley promoting Nationwide’s financial services and Google touting Gemini Intelligence on the Pixel 11 Pro.
Skydance pairs five-day office mandate with voluntary buyouts
The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin reports that Skydance’s David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz told staff in a memo they are imposing a mandatory five-day return-to-office policy while launching a voluntary buyout program with personalized exit terms.
Netflix Q3 revenue up 12%, ad tier now leads subscriptions
Advanced Television’s Nik Roseveare reports that Netflix delivered on its Q3 forecast with revenue up 12 percent year-on-year to $12.9 billion and operating margin at 34.6 percent.
MrBeast’s Beast Industries partners with Mastercard on creator finance tools
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that Beast Industries and Mastercard are launching co-branded card programs, experiences and education tools for creators, building on Mastercard’s existing creator debit card.
Comcast eyes deeper Peacock-YouTube bundling after second profitable quarter
MediaPost’s Wayne Friedman reports that Comcast co-CEO Michael Cavanagh told analysts a deeper marketing tie-up between Peacock and YouTube Premium/YouTube TV is a priority.
Caliber CEO details pivot from social sponsorships to a branded content agency
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter reports that Caliber CEO Ramin Beheshti explained how the company, born from The News Movement, abandoned reliance on traditional sponsorships for a branded content agency model.
YouTube’s record 15.8% of US TV usage dwarfs Disney and Netflix
Media War & Peace’s Evan Shapiro reports that Nielsen data shows YouTube grabbed a record 15.8% of US TV usage in August 2026, 70% more than Disney and over twice Netflix’s share, while also leading UK viewing for a third straight quarter.
Reed Hastings: Netflix must out-create YouTube, not chase short-form
Deadline’s Dade Hayes reports that Reed Hastings, on Kara Swisher’s podcast, said Netflix’s answer to YouTube isn’t short-form content but “more and better” TV shows and movies.
Netflix’s leadership shakeup widens amid content and stock woes
Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reports that Netflix has moved through a wave of firings and leadership changes, including film and TV executive cuts, a new content chief in Peter Rice, and David Fincher’s exit, as the company chases hits after a stock wipeout.
Daily Mail runs 15 GEO tests ahead of AI-visibility product launch
Digiday’s Jessica Davies reports that the Daily Mail is running 12 to 15 generative engine optimization tests across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, planning to turn the work into an official branded-content product early next year.
The Media Leader recaps its Creator Economy Week in Focus
The Media Leader’s Charli West rounds up its Creator Economy Week in Focus, covering creators becoming media businesses in their own right. The recap also revisits the ongoing debate over measurement, brand safety and authenticity in creator marketing.
GTA VI’s Netflix premiere rewrites the gaming attention playbook
ExchangeWire reports that Rockstar’s GTA VI trailer premiered exclusively on Netflix for six hours, driving 31.1 million views in four days, over 100,000 new US sign-ups, and a 436% pre-order jump, all with minimal television buying.
Buyers push Q4 dollars to retail, social and video as storm clouds gather
Digiday’s Sam Bradley reports that advertisers are funneling Q4 media dollars into social, video and retail media, lifting year-on-year spend, even as Omnicom, Havas and Publicis post positive Q3 growth while WPP and Dentsu results remain pending.