Meta merges creator marketplaces, brings live video ads to Instagram
MediaPost’s Colin Kirkland reports that Meta launched a unified Creator Marketing Hub, combining Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub, and will let brands run live video ads on Instagram starting September 29.
Mediobanca: streaming now drives global M&E growth as legacy TV shrinks
Advanced Television reports that Mediobanca’s Media & Entertainment Report finds the top 25 global operators posted 362.8 billion euros in 2025 turnover, up 2.8 percent, with streaming growing 13.4 percent to reach 22.2 percent of revenues.
IAB’s first Creatorfronts exposes the measurement gap blocking creator budgets
Digiday’s Alyssa Mercante reports that at IAB’s inaugural Creatorfronts, president James Douglas unveiled the Trusted Creator Brand Deal Initiative, a survey mapping where creator deals break down.
Buyers say retail media measurement is costing networks real money
The Drum’s Gordon Young reports that new ARF research of 13 major buyers finds five have cut or dropped retail media investment over measurement problems, with two citing it as the primary reason.
Emmys draw 6.7 million viewers on NBC, down 9% year over year
Variety’s Selome Hailu reports that NBC’s telecast of the 78th Emmy Awards drew 6.7 million viewers, a 9% drop from last year’s CBS broadcast, which had aired on a Sunday and hit 7.4 million. The show also competed against an NFL playoff game.
‘60 Minutes’ season opener falls 21% amid NFL lead-in, overhaul questions
Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports that the season 59 premiere drew about 7.94 million viewers, down from nearly 10.02 million a year ago, with the 25-54 demo falling 33% to 1.58 million, per Nielsen.
Alix Earle’s Netflix show grows 127% in second week
Deadline’s Peter White reports that Alix Earle’s reality series “Earle Meets World” barely cracked Netflix’s top ten with 1.8 million views in its first three days.
Betches launches sponsor-free scripted series built by its own creators
Betches produced “Sisters,” a three-episode scripted show made in-house by video producers Tess Tregellas and Madeline Mahoney, who first tested the concept as short-form social videos before scaling it up. Season one ran with zero brand sponsorships by design.
New Meta data: high-click video ads deliver the worst ad returns
MediaPost’s Wayne Friedman reports that Billo’s analysis of 88,329 Meta video ads found the highest-click categories, health/beauty and arts/entertainment, posted ROAS of just 1.82 and 2.04, while low-click baby/toddler ads hit 4.99 against a 2.17 average.
‘The Gentlemen’ S2 viewership jumps 48% in week two on Netflix
‘The Gentlemen’ Season 2 climbed to number one on Netflix’s English TV chart with 9.9 million views from Sept. 7-15, up 48% from its debut week.
Netflix, YouTube, Amazon form D.C. streaming lobby group
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that Netflix and YouTube are teaming up with Amazon in Washington, founding a new lobbying group called the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance. TechNet leads the effort, representing Big Tech companies on programming investment issues.
Apple TV tops Emmys with 28 wins, pushing Netflix to a distant third
The Ankler’s Lesley Goldberg reports that Apple TV entered the Emmys trailing HBO/HBO Max and Netflix in nominations but won the night with 28 trophies, led by Widow’s Bay’s 14 wins. HBO took 21, Netflix fell to 16, its worst showing since 2016.
Ankler’s Rushfield: Emmys broadcast couldn’t fill three hours
Richard Rushfield’s recap slams the Emmys telecast for cutting five awards to Creative Arts yet still limping to a close with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey vamping to run out the clock.
JustWatch turns its streaming guide into a streaming service
Variety’s Tanya Fedak reports that JustWatch Group will launch JustWatch TV in October, an AVOD service built into its existing app and website, with rental and ad-free tiers.
Avail launches licensing platform to let brands multiply creator ads
Avail’s new creatorAPI lets creators set guidelines for how brands use their likeness and voice, then generate multiple ad variations within those limits. It launches with Night Media and creator Emily Higgins after closed beta testing with direct-to-consumer brands.
73% of advertisers plan live sports streaming buys within a year
TV Tech’s George Winslow reports that a new study finds 73 percent of advertisers intend to buy live sports streaming inventory in the next twelve months. The finding underscores how fast sports rights and viewing have shifted from linear TV to streaming platforms.
Four deals map Hollywood’s money — and an NFL shock looms
The Ankler’s Ashley Cullins reports that Cameron’s AI 3D buy, Hearst’s $1.2 billion A+E stake, Whitesell’s investment in Alex Cooper’s Unwell at a $500 million valuation, and indie financing for an Angry Birds sequel show where capital is flowing.