Multiple takes on the same IP are proving additive, not cannibalistic
Overlapping true-crime and IP projects like podcast, doc and drama versions of “American Hostage” are multiplying across platforms. Data from Ampere and Showlabs shows this cross-format layering boosts total viewership rather than splitting audiences.
Edison: Spotify overtakes Apple as top podcast app, YouTube close behind
Edison Research’s Q2 tracker shows Spotify now the most-used podcast app at 24%, ahead of Apple’s 21%, with YouTube at 18%. A year earlier Apple led at 25% and Spotify trailed at 15%.
One top streamer packs 18% more ad minutes into 2026 hours
Ampere Analysis and Guggenheim Securities find the top nine premium streamers averaged 18% more ad minutes per hour in August 2026 versus January.
YouTube pays 30% more for a shrinking NFL Sunday Ticket
Sunday Ticket costs YouTube nearly $9 billion over its seven-year deal, up sharply from DirecTV’s roughly $1 billion final season, even as the NFL shifts more games into prime-time windows and leaves fewer for the package.
Genius Sports bets athlete-led shows can convert parasocial fans into league fans
Genius Sports is launching a venture with Chris Paul’s Ohh Dip!!! and Connor Schell’s Words + Pictures to build athlete-led programming powered by official sports data, starting with Paul before expanding to other athlete-creators.
Judge Judy reruns still pull $160 million in ad spend on CBS
Judy Sheindlin is ending her on-camera career after Judy Justice wraps its current Amazon Prime Video season.
Walmart, Walgreens push digital ad screens into aisles and endcaps
Walmart is testing screens at aisle endcaps with live inventory and pricing, while Walgreens is outfitting 1,200 stores with Looma displays starting in October. Retailers see high-margin ad revenue beyond online.
Cable’s TV viewing share halved in five years, Nielsen data show
Cable networks drew 21.2% of U.S. television viewing in January 2026, down from 35.6% in January 2021, while streaming climbed to 47% from 28.9% over the same five-year span, Nielsen data show.
Amazon’s local ad unit is teaming with iHeart, Spectrum Reach on SMB deals
Amazon’s Local Ads division, led by former CBS Radio and Entercom exec Jennifer Mock Donohue, is partnering with broadcasters like iHeartMedia and Spectrum Reach to sell small and mid-sized advertisers into Amazon’s streaming, audio, and Twitch inventory.
Madison & Wall launches 50-market global ad forecast, sees 11% 2026 growth
Madison & Wall released its full 50-market global advertising data set, built bottoms-up from more than 600 media owners, with quarterly forecasts through 2030.
BIA cuts 2025 local ad forecast to $169 billion, citing tariffs
BIA Advisory Services now projects $169 billion in 2025 U.S. local ad revenue, down 2.4% year-over-year and 1.5% below its earlier $171.4 billion estimate, citing tariffs, weak consumer sentiment and tight credit.
BBC Studios exec: YouTube views alone no longer prove brand value
BBC Studios’ SVP of digital argues that after YouTube’s public view metric changed, a view now only shows something started, not whether audiences stayed, subscribed, or bought in.
Ad-supported streaming tiers keep creeping toward old ad-free prices
Netflix, Peacock and the Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle have all raised ad-supported pricing in the past two years. Peacock’s ad tier jumped from $7.99 to $10.99 monthly, while the bundle rose from $16.99 to $20 since its 2024 debut.
Channel 4 to cut 28% of workforce in turnaround plan
Channel 4 will cut around 340 roles, 28 percent of its workforce, by year end as part of a three-pronged transformation strategy.
Amazon MGM sets 2028 release for ‘Mandela Catalogue’ film
Amazon MGM Studios, United Artists and Amblin will release “The Mandela Catalogue” on June 9, 2028, following an 11-studio bidding war for the rights.
Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Kick draw sharply different audiences by region
Streams Charts’ new Audience Geo & Demographics tool shows 28% of Twitch’s audience is U.S.-based versus 15% on Kick and 14% on YouTube Gaming.
Walgreens rebuilds its in-store retail media business
Walgreens is rebuilding its in-store retail media operation after prior efforts stalled, aiming to turn pharmacy foot traffic and shelf space into a steadier ad revenue stream.
IAB lifts 2026 ad spend forecast, warns of 2027 pullback
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WARC: AI is turning measurement into a decision system, not a report
WARC’s Future of Measurement 2026 report says marketers are shifting from attribution and proxy metrics toward outcomes-based, AI-driven analysis. It warns of a “two-speed” landscape as digital platforms embed real-time optimization while legacy media still transition to effectiveness-based models.
French TV exports hit ten-year low as European broadcast spend craters
French international TV sales fell 21.6% year-on-year to €164.2 million, with co-production investment down 18.7% to €87.7 million, prompting the CNC to convene an emergency symposium.