Magellan AI benchmarks podcast ads on clicks, leads and sales
Inside Radio reports that Magellan AI’s first Podcast Measurement Benchmark Report, covering Q1 2026 campaigns, finds 2.29% of listeners reached by a podcast ad visited an advertiser’s site within 30 days.
Brands race to get recommended by ChatGPT’s ‘AI shelf’
Modern Retail’s Gabriela Barkho reports that a new podcast episode examines the “AI shelf,” a concept from newsletter writer Deana Burke describing how chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini now recommend products.
Nielsen refinances debt with $1.2 billion notes offering
Inside Radio reports that Nielsen affiliate Neptune BidCo US priced an upsized $1.2 billion senior secured notes offering due 2031, carrying a 10.375% coupon, with proceeds and cash on hand refinancing part of its second-lien term facility.
Adweek podcast: Microsoft scaled 42 creators, 69 assets in six weeks
Adweek’s Adspeak podcast features leaders from Microsoft, Pearpop and AntiSocial detailing how Microsoft scaled a campaign to 42 creators and 69 assets in six weeks while measuring impact through search lift, foot traffic and brand lift studies rather than impressions alone.
eMarketer: AI is collapsing the marketing funnel for retailers
eMarketer’s Christopher Wood reports that AI is collapsing the traditional marketing funnel, forcing retailers to rethink what comes after search and discovery.
Beckham’s brand company hits record earnings on World Cup ad blitz
The FT’s Daniel Thomas reports that DRJB Holdings, David Beckham’s brand company, paid him a $51.1 million dividend after revenue grew a fifth to $110.5 million in 2025.
Vertical video moves from social feeds into streaming and shopping
EMARKETER’s Gadjo Sevilla reports that vertical, short-form video has become full-funnel engagement infrastructure, citing HubSpot data that 49% of marketers name it their top-performing format versus 29% for long-form and 25% for livestream.
Banijay adapts Beat the Star as creator-led livestream for Twitch, YouTube
Advanced Television reports that Banijay Media Germany will launch Beat Aaron, a creator-led version of its Schlag den Star format, simultaneously on YouTube and Twitch on October 26th.
DoorDash’s Inventory Insights lets brands target by local stock levels
eMarketer’s Asa Hiken reports that DoorDash’s new Inventory Insights tool gives brands local marketing versatility, letting them adjust ad targeting based on real-time product availability at nearby stores.
NBC’s ‘Traitors: New Blood’ is network’s best unscripted premiere in 6 years
TheWrap’s Loree Seitz reports that “The Traitors: New Blood” premiere averaged 6 million viewers across NBC and Peacock over three days, ranking as NBC’s top new unscripted premiere in six years among adults 18-49.
Apple TV’s Emmy haul can’t hide its streaming math problem
Puck’s Julia Alexander reports that Apple TV racked up 28 Emmys this year, roughly 90 over six years, even as its acclaimed shows still struggle to draw ratings.
New TVOD platform lets indie filmmakers keep IP and most revenue
Variety’s Alex Ritman reports that RecDek and Hiway are launching The Drive-In, a TVOD service inside the RecDek app, letting filmmakers set prices, keep receipts from first sale, retain IP and pull territories instantly if sold to distributors.
‘Dateline’ turns 35 by out-distributing rivals off the broadcast hour
TheWrap’s A.J. Katz reports that NBC’s “Dateline” enters its 35th season leading true-crime rivals in multiplatform reach, with its showcast podcast surpassing 2 billion lifetime downloads and its “Dateline 24/7" FAST channel on 12 U.S. platforms, twice ABC’s “20/20.”
WNBA’s 2026 season was ESPN/ABC’s most-watched ever, third straight record year
Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley reports that ESPN/ABC’s WNBA coverage averaged 1.37 million viewers across 29 games this season, up 17% year over year.
McDonald’s pilots ads on drive-thru digital menu boards
Inside Radio reports McDonald’s has begun piloting a McDonald’s Media Network at 450 company-owned U.S. restaurants, letting outside brands buy digital menu boards, kiosks and app placements, including post-order drive-thru screens while customers wait.
Dave & Buster’s taps Gut, Mediaplus after 13 quarters of falling sales
Adweek’s Christopher Cicchiello reports that Dave & Buster’s named Gut as creative agency of record and Mediaplus as media AOR, replacing incumbents Deloitte Digital and Dentsu X following a competitive pitch.
Luminate data: long gaps between seasons sink streaming series viewership
Variety’s Andrew Wallenstein reports that Luminate analyst Tyler Aquilina found long breaks between seasons hurt viewership, citing Netflix’s “Wednesday” dropping nearly 60% after a three-year gap.
NBC’s Today ends GMA’s 14-year reign atop morning news ratings
Adweek’s Mark Mwachiro reports Nielsen data show NBC’s Today dethroned ABC’s Good Morning America as the top morning news show in total viewers for the 2025-2026 season, up 13% year over year.
The Ankler ranks Hollywood’s 67 superheroes by box office and cultural clout
The Ankler’s Adam B. Vary ranks 67 superhero characters by box office, streaming performance, cultural footprint and studios’ willingness to keep betting on them, spanning Marvel and DC’s biggest hits and its most memory-holed flops like Eternals and Morbius.
A24 pushes theaters for major-studio cut on Backrooms terms
The Ankler’s Alison Brower reports that A24, fresh off Backrooms becoming its biggest hit ever, is demanding theatrical terms closer to a major studio’s rather than the 40 to 45 percent indies typically take.
IAB’s CreatorFronts spotlights measurement gaps in creator ad spend
IAB reports that creator advertising has grown from $13.9 billion in 2021 to roughly $44 billion this year, and its inaugural CreatorFronts event flagged inconsistent view definitions, weak reporting, and uneven usage-rights terms as barriers to reaching $100 billion.
Paramount+ plans a free ad-supported tier post-WBD merger
Simon Owens reports that Business Insider found Paramount streaming leadership telling employees this summer that Paramount+ will add a free tier, micro dramas, interactive ad formats, and a TikTok-style feed with comments and AI clipping.