Alex Cooper leaves UTA for CAA amid Unwell’s $500M valuation
Alex Cooper is exiting UTA after six years, reportedly for CAA, days after her Unwell media company hit a $500 million valuation via WME co-founder Patrick Whitesell’s firm.
Political ad spend hits record $11.6B for 2026 midterms, CTV takes 23% share
AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in 2026 midterm political ad spend, the most expensive midterm cycle on record, with CTV reaching $2.7 billion — 23% of total spend. Campaigns are pairing linear reach with streaming precision rather than choosing one.
WNBA ad impressions surge, but no brand dominates the airtime
iSpot data shows Amex, Allstate and McDonald’s already topped last season’s full-year TV impressions in the WNBA’s 2026 season. Yet the top ad by share of voice holds just 1.13%, with the top 10 under 8% combined.
TVREV’s Hot List rounds up execs on fragmentation, AI outcomes, and local TV consolidation
TVREV’s weekly digest gathers exec commentary on TV-vs-social walled gardens, AI-driven ad outcomes, and local broadcast consolidation. It also previews Alan Wolk’s “Feudal Media” thesis on mass media’s fragmentation into rival platform fiefdoms.
Daily Mail hires Dispatch exec to build direct video ad business
Daily Mail hired Mike Rothman, ex-president of The Dispatch, as North American GM to grow subscriptions and direct ad deals. He plans social video franchises, aiming for social video to top a third of direct ad revenue.
Open-source marketing mix modeling tools gain traction, with a new acronym in tow
Open-source marketing mix modeling tools are proliferating as marketers look for cheaper, more transparent alternatives to vendor black boxes. AdExchanger notes the trend now comes with its own new acronym to track alongside legacy MMM.
MediaCo grows Q2 revenue 9% but profitability slides on digital costs
MediaCo’s Q2 net revenue rose to $34 million, up 9%, with digital now 47% of ad revenue. But higher expenses drove Adjusted EBITDA down 38% to $942,000 and widened net loss 17% to $8.6 million.
Alex Cooper exits UTA amid Unwell’s talent-representation rethink
Alex Cooper has left UTA, frustrated in part by the agency’s ties to feuding influencers Alix Earle and Dave Portnoy, as her company Unwell expands into podcasts, TV, film and brand services and reportedly reconsiders traditional talent representation.
Disney puts creator clips and vertical video at center of D23 streaming push
At D23, Disney executives detailed a push into “Verts” (vertical microdrama-style clips) on Disney+, tied to a new TikTok deal letting fans create with licensed IP.
CTV impression caps push buyers toward incremental reach
CTV inventory is hitting a ceiling on impressions, so advertisers can’t just buy more of the same audience. The real gains now come from finding incremental reach beyond what linear and existing CTV buys already deliver.
Alex Cooper’s Unwell Beverage shuts down, joining a pattern of creator CPG flops
Cooper’s functional beverage brand is closing after less than two years despite heavy podcast promotion and a Target exclusive. It joins Prime, Feastables and Something Navy in showing that creator fame drives trial but not durable retail sales.
Disney embraces vertical clips and creators to feed Disney+
Disney execs detailed a TikTok tie-up and “Verts” shortform push to complement long-form shows, marking a shift from strict IP enforcement toward creator-driven promotion. It signals streamers now see creator clips as core to subscriber growth, not just marketing noise.
Europe’s broadcasters merge to survive Netflix, YouTube squeeze
Sky-ITV, RTL-Sky Deutschland, and MFE’s cross-border rollup mark a consolidation wave as linear viewing craters and production costs rise. Scale is now the only defense against Netflix, YouTube and Amazon’s global reach and balance sheets.
Creator brand trips lose their spark as playbook goes stale
Digiday examines why the once-novel creator brand trip is losing impact, as oversaturation and formulaic execution dull audience response. Brands now compete for the same influencer rosters and content beats, making differentiation harder and ROI murkier.
Disney+ super app plan draws analyst skepticism over ‘mediocrity’ risk
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro wants Disney+ to add games, merch, and personalization to boost lifetime fan value and cut churn. Analysts warn bundling shopping and gaming into streaming risks clutter without proven revenue upside, citing Netflix’s stalled gaming push.
Walmart closes $1.4B Vibe.co deal, pushes into ad-supported streaming
Walmart finalized its acquisition of Vibe.
LatiNation turns a legacy LA station into a $31M bilingual media business
LatiNation rebuilt LATV into a multiplatform digital company reaching 46 million U.S. Hispanic households, now valued near $31 million. It’s a case study in profitably serving an underserved niche as linear TV declines.
NFL rights renewals stall, but league still holds the leverage
Fox, CBS and the NFL remain without renewed deals as the season opens, but no streamer emerged to disrupt the market. That absence of a bidding war means legacy broadcasters keep their packages, with renewals likely 18-24 months out.
Citi buys Kard Financial to build its own financial media network
Citi acquired Kard Financial, instantly giving it a financial media network to rival Amex, Chase and PayPal. It can now monetize transaction data from 35 million cardholder accounts via targeted merchant offers.