Hulu’s ‘Furious’ turned weekly drops and social buzz into a Season 2 renewal
“Furious” premiered quietly and fell off Nielsen’s top 10 within a week, but TikTok, Threads and X word of mouth drove viewership up 90% by the finale versus the premiere.
YouTube’s own study says YouTube is the new mainstream
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that YouTube and research firm NRG’s new Culture and Trends Report finds 67% of 14-to-44-year-olds watch more channels no one they know watches, versus five years ago, while theatrical release awareness fell nearly 10% since 2017.
Trump convention fails to lift Fox News ratings
Deadline’s Ted Johnson reports that Fox News averaged 2.3 million primetime viewers on the GOP convention’s first night, below its 2.54 million September 2025 average. CNN also dipped, while MS NOW rose to 1.1 million, up from 810,000 a year earlier.
AWS unveils dynamic multiview for up to 10 live feeds per stream
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that AWS launched MediaPackage Dynamic Multiview, letting streamers deliver up to 10 personalized camera feeds in one channel without per-layout encoding costs.
Old Navy’s MrBeast bet pays off with 22% traffic jump
Marketing Dive’s Peter Adams reports that Old Navy’s first single-creator back-to-school campaign, a multiyear tie-up with MrBeast, drove an over 22% jump in traffic to its kids’ assortment online.
Kroger’s retail media profit grows 24%, best pace since 2021
Modern Retail’s Mitchell Parton reports that Profit at Kroger Precision Marketing grew 24% in the second quarter, its best retail media profit growth since 2021, CEO Greg Foran told investors.
FCC pressure pushed Talarico’s interviews to YouTube — and boosted his views
TVREV’s John Cassillo reports that Tubular Labs data shows Talarico’s Colbert and Kimmel interviews, bounced from broadcast under FCC pressure, drove 75 million of 354 million YouTube views about him this year, with most from media pages.
Alex Heath leaves independent media to join VC firm as partner
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter reports that veteran tech reporter Alex Heath, who built an independent Substack after leaving traditional media, has joined Sound Ventures as a partner. He says he will keep running his media business alongside the new investing role.
Nielsen: The Pitt tops Emmy-nominated dramas in total viewing hours
Nielsen’s third annual Emmy viewing report crowns HBO Max’s The Pitt as the most-watched nominated drama with nearly 400 million viewing hours, up from fourth place last year.
Advertisers press OpenAI for prompt-level data on ChatGPT ad placements
eMarketer’s Grace Harmon reports that Amazon’s new OpenAI partnership brings advertisers into ChatGPT ads, but reporting stays shallow. Buyers want prompt-level detail and stronger placement insights before shifting real budget toward the format.
VIDAA CEO teases TV measurement overhaul ahead of London DisrupTV event
VIDAA CEO Guy Edri previews a DisrupTV Executive Summit set for November 11 in London. He argues TV needs new measurement built for the digital era, citing VIDAA’s reach in over 50 million households across more than 500 brands.
Samba: 13% of Netflix households watch podcasts, no correlation to audio rankings
Inside Radio reports that Samba TV’s first Netflix Podcast Ranker finds 13% of U.S.
‘The Gentlemen’ Season 2 sheds 15% of UK premiere audience despite Markle buzz
Deadline’s Jake Kanter reports that Season 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Gentlemen’ drew 3 million UK viewers in its first seven days, per Barb-sourced Overnights.tv data, down from 3.5 million for Season 1’s debut.
Nielsen appeals judge’s order to force new Cumulus ratings offer
Inside Radio reports that Nielsen is appealing Judge Jeannette Vargas’s Sept. 9 order requiring a new standalone Nationwide ratings offer to Cumulus on court-set terms and a deadline, backed by daily penalties for noncompliance.
Evan Shapiro: Ellison’s Paramount-WBD bid could leave him $85 billion in the hole
Media War & Peace’s Evan Shapiro reports that a Media War & Peace breakdown pegs the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal at $111 billion, beating Netflix’s $84 billion bid. If Oracle’s debt gets downgraded to junk, Larry Ellison’s assets freeze, jeopardizing his $40 billion cash backstop.
BIG Money for a short story: Netflix buys Understudy short story for $1 million with Lord Miller, Yeun producing
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports that Netflix has set up drama Understudy, based on Nicholas Binge’s short story, for development with Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Steven Yeun executive producing.
Disney pitches shared streaming and new ad tools at ANZ upfronts
au.variety.com’s Simran Pasricha reports that Disney Australia and New Zealand used its 2026 Upfronts in Melbourne to position Disney+ as the centrepiece, arguing shared viewing moments like finales and premieres are prime advertising opportunities.
Twitch’s 2026 gaming report: cozy and horror titles surge past esports staples
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that Twitch’s State of Gaming 2026 report tallies 8.6 billion hours of gaming watch time from January through September.
Brands enlist creators to shape what AI chatbots say about them
Ad Age reports brands are working with creator marketing leaders at agencies to build strategies aimed at improving visibility in AI search results.