Retail media creative, not just placement, is deciding sales lift
EMARKETER’s latest guidance argues that as retail media inventory becomes commoditized, the creative shown in on-site and off-site placements is what separates campaigns that convert from those that don’t.
Netflix agrees to report box office for six upcoming theatrical releases
Variety’s Matt Donnelly reports that Netflix will report box office grosses for six upcoming films, including Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Variety learned.
iHeartMedia gives Netflix exclusive video rights to 15 top podcasts
Inside Radio reports that iHeartMedia struck an exclusive video podcast deal with Netflix covering more than 15 shows, including The Breakfast Club and My Favorite Murder, starting early 2026. iHeart keeps all audio rights and distribution; only Netflix will carry the video versions.
Streaming ad loads jump 18%, raising the creative bar
eMarketer’s Marisa Jones reports that streaming ad loads climbed 18% as platforms pack in more commercial minutes per hour, narrowing the gap with linear TV’s traditional load.
Google’s automated promotions feature ties online discovery to in-store shopping
eMarketer’s Asa Hiken reports that Google is testing a new automated promotions feature that connects online product discovery directly to in-store shopping behavior, according to EMARKETER.
Ad sector set for worst earnings growth of 2026, Bloomberg data shows
Bloomberg Intelligence data shows the S&P 500 media index will post the weakest earnings growth of any sector in 2026, dragged down by Trade Desk.
Can AI predict which ads will actually work?
System1’s Andrew Tindall pits AI creative testing against human panels across ten major ads, checking whether machine scores match established effectiveness benchmarks.
EDO: NFL ads outperformed typical primetime spots 73-to-1 last season
The Drum’s Margo Waldrop reports that EDO analyzed every national TV ad aired during the 2025-26 NFL regular season and found the average NFL spot drove the same consumer-behavior impact as 73 typical primetime ads, up 15% year over year.
Ipsos exec: culture can’t be reduced to a single metric
In Ad Age’s Data Unfiltered series, Ipsos’ Janelle A. James argues culture resists standard measurement and requires context, pointing to emerging, influential segments like Gen Z as “vibrant fringes” that defy neat categorization.
Digiday’s Q4 ins and outs for the creator economy
Digiday’s quarterly ins-and-outs list flags diversification over platform dependency, employee creators over firing them, and creator marketplaces folding into major platforms rather than standing apart.
US linear orders fall less sharply than streaming, Ampere finds
C21Media reports that Ampere Analysis found US linear orders fell 26% between 2022 and 2025, from 1,773 to 1,304, while streaming orders dropped 41%, from 1,144 to 678, over the same span.
11 retail media networks pitch their own version of differentiation
At Ascendant’s Showcase upfront, 11 retail media networks — from Home Depot to PayPal to Chase — each pitched a different edge: proprietary data, cross-merchant reach, or niche audience depth, while executives flagged incrementality and interoperability as shared industry asks.
Netflix households log 3.5 hours daily, most of any streamer
eMarketer’s Peter Clark reports that US households spent an average of 3.5 hours a day on Netflix in June 2026, up from 3.1 hours in March, ahead of every rival streaming service, per a Comscore survey.
Retail media’s tech gap isn’t the tools — it’s the org chart
The Drum’s Kiri Masters reports that a Drum column traces four eras of retail media tech, from in-house builds to composable cloud stacks to AI-ready data, arguing today’s networks have more good technology available than ever but little organizational appetite to install it.
YouTube terminates 20 ‘ghost creator’ channels after Semafor exposé
Semafor’s Max Tani and Graph Massara report that YouTube removed 20 channels tied to a network of AI-scripted “ghost creators,” days after Semafor exposed the operation.
Crooked Media’s nonprofit launches political creator drive for 2028
Crooked Ideas is launching video programming and brands to reach young, politically skeptical voters ahead of 2028, hiring digital strategist Kyle Tharp to lead it.
Brands loosen return policies to win holiday shoppers
Modern Retail’s Melissa Daniels reports that retailers expect about 17% of holiday sales to be returned, so brands are testing temporary Q4 policies like free returns and longer windows.
Amazon cancels ‘Spider-Noir’ despite 11 Emmy nods and 2.6B viewing minutes
Prime Video will not renew “Spider-Noir,” Sony’s Nicolas Cage-led series, after one season.
Streaming price hikes are outpacing cable’s worst inflation years
The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd reports that streaming rates have collectively risen 11.8 percent over the past year, versus a 3.9 percent annual average for cable and satellite historically.
Walmart expands restaurant delivery beyond its own stores, targeting Dunkin’s 10,000 locations
CNBC’s Kevin Williams reports that Walmart will deliver Dunkin’ products nationwide over the next year, expanding beyond in-store partners like Subway to standalone restaurant locations, a direct challenge to DoorDash and Uber Eats in third-party delivery.