Sports video ads near 97% completion rate, eMarketer data shows
eMarketer’s Marisa Jones reports sports video ads are nearing a 97% completion rate, underscoring why advertisers keep chasing live sports audiences.
Wall Street bets against Skydance beating the media merger curse
TheWrap’s Jon Lafayette reports that Wall Street analysts remain skeptical of the newly closed Skydance-Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal, citing roughly $80 billion in debt and a history of failed media mergers, even as the company touts over $30 billion in planned content spending.
Albertsons folds retail media arm into merchandising under CMO
Grocery Dive’s Peyton Bigora reports Albertsons is moving its media and marketing capabilities within its merchandising organization under CMO Emily Turner, following the recent departure of former retail media head Brian Monahan.
Polymarket builds celebrity-stocked ad universe with LeBron, Jeter, Spike Lee
Marketing Dive’s Chris Kelly reports that Polymarket and Stagwell shop Today on the Moon built a “Polymarket HQ” campaign, a fictional skyscraper office housing LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Spike Lee and other celebrities.
Survey: 73% of advertisers plan to boost live sports streaming spend
TVREV’s Blake Hebert reports that an Advertiser Perceptions survey with Premion found 73% of advertisers, and 79% of agencies, plan to invest in live sports streaming and CTV over the next six to 12 months.
Netflix readies layoffs affecting 5% of staff, Puck reports
Puck’s Matthew Belloni reports that Netflix is preparing a restructuring cutting about 5 percent of its roughly 17,000 employees, or around 850 jobs, with an announcement possible as early as next week. Netflix declined to comment to Puck on the plan.
Walmart tests stocking marketplace stores for faster pickup, delivery
Adweek’s Mitchell Parton reports that Walmart is testing placement of third-party marketplace products inside its stores, letting shoppers pick up or get delivery instead of waiting days for warehouse shipping.
Nielsen’s new “synthetic” ratings method raises bespoke-measurement questions
MediaPost’s Joe Mandese reports that Nielsen quietly announced new “content measurement solutions” for early 2027, which he ties to its STAR (Synthetic Total Audience Ratings) methodology shown to researchers in March.
Blumhouse signs horror TikTok star Heidi Wong for short films
Variety’s Jack Dunn reports that Blumhouse Atomic Monster signed horror creator Heidi Wong to develop original horror shorts, announced at New York Comic Con’s Blumfest panel with Jason Blum, with her first project drawing on Eastern mythology and folklore.
Ellison picks Bloys over Holland to lead Skydance’s streaming operation
The Ankler’s Lesley Goldberg reports that David Ellison chose Casey Bloys over Cindy Holland to run Skydance’s combined streaming business, a decision that left some Paramount employees in tears.
Askinasi to lead Skydance ad sales as WBD sales chiefs exit
Adweek’s Bill Bradley reports that Paramount CRO Jay Askinasi will lead ad sales for the combined Skydance after its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, with David Decker and Ray Hopkins named presidents of content sales and distribution, while WBD’s Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio exit.
Skydance’s combined TV empire edges out YouTube in total viewing share
TheWrap’s Kayla Cobb reports that Skydance now owns nearly 190 shows, more than 70 cable channels and two major streamers after closing its Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery acquisitions.
Havas exec: Total TV infrastructure is ready, brands aren’t
VideoWeek’s Dan Meier interviews Havas Media Germany’s Ellinor Klier, who says agencies, publishers and tech platforms have already built the infrastructure for Total Video, but brands still need to adopt the unified buying approach across linear, CTV and digital video.
Comscore argues linear TV buying should ditch age and gender for intent
Comscore is publishing a blog post arguing that linear TV should move past age-and-gender buying toward the behavior-based audience targeting digital has used for years, naming interests, purchase behavior, and brand affinity as better currencies for selecting programming.
Walmart’s TV ad push runs through Vizio and Vibe, not owned media
AdExchanger reports that Walmart is entering TV advertising via its $2.3 billion Vizio and $1.4 billion Vibe.co acquisitions, contrasting with Amazon’s owned-media approach through Fire TV, Prime Video and Twitch. Vibe brings non-endemic advertisers who don’t sell at Walmart.
Streaming ads set to pull in $2.5 billion this midterm cycle
Lowpass’s Janko Roettgers reports that political streaming ad spending is projected around $2.5 billion this midterm season, with another $1.4 billion going to other digital ads, per a 2025 AdImpact forecast.
Creatorville, Homecoming Studios team up on true crime documentaries
C21Media reports that UK social video producer Creatorville has partnered with documentary prodco Homecoming Studios on true crime projects.