‘Bad Friends’ podcast signs ad sales and distribution deal with Wave
TheWrap’s JD Knapp reports that Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee’s “Bad Friends” podcast has joined Wave, which will handle ad sales and distribution across YouTube, podcast platforms and other social channels starting with Monday’s episode.
Hollywood unions: US share of film budgets fell below half since 1999
TheWrap’s Jeremy Fuster reports that an Ernst & Young study commissioned by Hollywood’s major unions found U.S. studios’ domestic production spending share fell from 72% in 1999 to under half by 2024.
WBD’s JB Perrette jumps to Skydance in expanded streaming, ad sales role
Deadline’s Dade Hayes reports that JB Perrette, WBD’s head of global streaming, is moving to Skydance as Co-Chair and Chief Business Officer of both Skydance TV and Skydance DTC once the $110 billion merger closes.
Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ bombs with $20M worldwide on up to $180M budget
The Ankler reports that Tom Cruise’s Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu on a reported $140 million to $180 million budget, opened to just $8 million domestically and $20 million worldwide.
T-Series tops YouTube again as MaviGadget’s Shorts surge to No. 2
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that T-Series led the Global Top 50 YouTube channels for the week of October 4 with 974.7 million views, surpassing 358 billion lifetime views.
Skydance’s Cheeks inherits three TV studios — and a consolidation question
The Ankler’s Elaine Low reports that George Cheeks now oversees Warner Bros. TV, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios as Skydance closes its Warner Bros. Discovery deal, while HBO’s Casey Bloys has signed a new deal to lead the combined direct-to-consumer division.
IAB webinar: most TV ad inventory never touches a DSP, so what is AI learning?
IAB is hosting a State of Data webinar where Dstillery, LightShed and Tatari executives examine CTV AI claims, noting only seventeen to eighteen billion dollars of the ninety billion dollar US TV market is purchasable through a demand-side platform.
McDonald’s eyes drive-thru screens as retail media inventory
The Drum’s Kristina Kaganer reports that McDonald’s is turning its drive-thru screens into advertising inventory as part of a broader retail media push, raising the question of what value customers actually get back.
Fox adds two senior execs to its creator studios unit
The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin reports Fox Creator Studios hired Bryan Thoensen, ex-TikTok, as SVP of content partnerships and Kirsten McAuliffe, from Moonbug and Warner Bros. Discovery, as SVP of strategic partnerships and growth, both reporting to chief Billy Parks.
Brian Monahan exits Albertsons Media Collective in leadership shake-up
Digiday’s Kimeko McCoy reports that Brian Monahan, who led Albertsons Media Collective for just over a year, has left the company, with the retail media unit now folded under CMO Emily Turner.
WARC: planning’s influence with clients rebounds this year
MediaPost’s Joe Mandese reports that WARC’s “Future of Strategy 2026" study found planning’s perceived influence with clients climbed to a net positive score of 35 this year, up from 15, though still below 2022’s 45, even as AI and agency consolidation squeeze the role.
Dentsu becomes a Hollywood producer with ‘Angry Birds 3' investment
Campaignlive.com reports that Dentsu has made a “material capital investment” as producer and global agency of record on The Angry Birds 3, contributing to its $66 million marketing and distribution budget.
Hollywood unions: US film/TV production share hit record lows
Deadline’s Katie Campione reports that a study commissioned by the DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters, LIUNA and both WGAs found U.S. studios’ domestic production spending share fell from 74% to 42% for movies and from 94% to 64% for TV between 1999 and 2024.
Wall Street sees debt bomb ticking under Paramount Skydance deal
The Ankler’s Claire Atkinson reports that as Skydance’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery closes Tuesday, analysts warn the combined company’s $80 billion debt load leaves no room for error against declining cable and a maturing streaming market.
Celebrity deaths and Disney Junior drove August’s YouTube traditional media rankings
StreamTV Insider’s Bevin Fletcher reports that Chartbeat’s August ranker shows news channels took six of the top ten traditional media YouTube spots, driven by celebrity death coverage, while Disney swept the podium with Disney Junior, Disney+ and ABC News.
Podcasting faces its own viewability reckoning, op-ed warns
AdExchanger is reporting that a guest column argues podcast advertising is entering a viewability-style crisis, as Spotify’s skippable-ad test and YouTube’s engaged-view methodology erode the assumption that an impression equals consumption.
Samsung Ads exec: planners should treat gamers as TV viewers, not a niche
VideoWeek’s Dan Meier shares a Samsung Ads byline arguing planners should treat gaming as part of TV, not a separate channel, since console gamers average nearly six hours of CTV play weekly and often over-index on streaming too.
Ad Week NY leans into creator-commerce dealmaking, not just panels
StreamTV Insider’s Bevin Fletcher reports that Advertising Week New York, under new owner Forge, is targeting $100 million in creator-brand deals within 12 months, pairing Dhar Mann’s Creator Challenge with on-site matchmaking between brands and micro-creators.
Morning Brew buys CPG newsletter Express Checkout
Adweek’s Mark Stenberg reports that Morning Brew Inc. has acquired Express Checkout, a creator-led CPG and ecommerce newsletter, in an all-cash deal giving it full IP rights as co-founders Nate Rosen and Jenna Movsowitz join full time.
Goldman upgrades Stagwell to Buy, cites media division growth
Markets Insider reports Goldman Sachs assumed coverage of Stagwell with a Buy rating and $13 price target, up from Neutral. The analyst cites pitch wins in marketing services and digital transformation, plus upside from the media division.
Ellison names Skydance’s top executives ahead of Tuesday deal close
The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin reports David Ellison named the executives who will run Skydance when Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery deal closes Tuesday, with Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO and Casey Bloys over streaming, including Paramount+ and Pluto.
Ad Alliance CEO: TV earns bookings on short-term sales proof, not just brand
VideoWeek’s Tim Cross-Kovoor reports that Ad Alliance CEO Frank Vogel, speaking at DMEXCO 2026, argues TV has always faced pressure to prove short-term sales impact, not just long-term brand building, or marketers wouldn’t book it.
Zappi: what makes social video ads stand out often isn’t what persuades
The Measure’s Jon Lafayette reports that Zappi studied over 3,300 social video ads and found visual hooks, surprise and humor boost its Creative Power score, but those attention-grabbing traits don’t reliably drive brand connection or persuasion.