MrBeast signs multi-year deal to promote Gemini and Google Health
The Verge’s Stevie Bonifield reports that Google inked a multi-year partnership with Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson to feature Gemini, Google Health, and the Fitbit Air in upcoming videos.
Podium signs four creator-led podcasts weeks after Roost rebrand
Deadline’s Jesse Whittock reports that Podium, the Night-owned network formerly known as The Roost, has signed Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, Commander at Home, Stan Wars and Love, Lex P, adding to a roster with over 50 million monthly impressions.
Netflix adds another YouTube creator as cross-posting deals multiply
Travel vlogger Drew Binsky will bring select videos to Netflix starting September 19th, joining Kevin Langue, Nick DiGiovanni, and Mythical Entertainment in similar cross-posting arrangements. YouTube has reportedly offered creators millions of dollars not to strike such deals.
Pangram CEO: internet is ‘dangerously close’ to dead internet theory
TechCrunch’s Rebecca Bellan and Theresa Loconsolo report that Pangram co-founder Max Spero says AI text and images now flood job applications, reviews, and insurance claims, not just social feeds.
GTA VI preview tops Netflix’s global weekly chart
Deadline’s Katie Campione reports that a 27-minute Grand Theft Auto VI preview drew 31.1 million views on Netflix over its debut weekend, ranking No. 1 on the English film list in 87 of 93 countries Netflix tracks.
Amazon adds AI scam-checker to Alexa for Shopping
TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez reports that Amazon is rolling out an AI feature in Alexa for Shopping that checks whether a suspicious email, text, or other message actually came from the company.
Creator marketing may be nearing its own programmatic-style correction
Digiday’s Future of TV Briefing argues influencer marketing is following ad tech’s path, as companies like Dentsu, L’Oreal and LTK automate deals between brands and creators.
CTV should chase causal proof, not attribution, argues new column
AdExchanger’s AdExchanger Guest reports that a Central Control opinion piece argues CTV cannot out-attribute Google, Meta or retail media, which own closed-loop conversion data.
Mansa Studios launches microdramas directly on TikTok Minis
David Oyelowo and Nate Parker’s Mansa Studios is releasing three vertical microdramas straight through TikTok Minis, its first shows on the platform after months of talks with TikTok’s team.
MrBeast’s biggest business risk is MrBeast himself
Business Insider’s Lucia Moses and Dan Whateley report that a Business Insider review of court documents and interviews finds investors in Beast Industries, valued above $5 billion, have raised “key man” concerns about Jimmy Donaldson’s outsize role.
Disney+ adds 1.1m UK homes as Sky ad-tier deal pays off
Advanced Television reports that Barb’s Q2 2026 Establishment Survey shows Disney+ gained more than 1.1 million UK homes to reach 8.9 million, over 700,000 of them on its ad tier.
IAB Australia review: measurement’s real gap is data, not methods
IAB Australia’s Future of Measurement review finds confidence high within individual channels but low on advertising’s collective impact, with respondents naming shared, standardized campaign data as the fix, not new measurement methods.
Google courts Hollywood studios for AI training rights on copyrighted IP
The Verge’s Charles Pulliam-Moore reports that Google is pitching Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Universal on licensing deals to train AI models on copyrighted characters, reportedly offering around $40 million per character with potential ad-revenue sharing on outputs.
Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat locks 20-microseries slate with aTwist
TheWrap’s Tess Patton reports that Hartbeat will supply more than 20 original microseries to aTwist, the vertical-video platform launching this Thursday from veteran TV execs Jana Winograde, Susan Rovner and Lloyd Braun.
News programming led pharma drug TV ad spend in H1
eMarketer’s Beth Snyder Bulik reports that Prescription drug marketers directed the largest share of their TV ad dollars to news programming in the first half of the year, according to EMARKETER.
Workweek raises funding to open its creator platform beyond core network
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter reports that Workweek, a B2B creator platform with a Puck-like model, raised new funding to offer its publishing tools to creators outside its vetted core network.
Netflix strikes global deal for true-crime podcast ‘Outlore’
Deadline’s Jesse Whittock reports that Netflix has signed an exclusive global deal to host “Outlore with Eleanor Neale,” a UK true-crime podcast that has drawn more than 500 million YouTube views and 2.8 million subscribers.
VCs chase AI and live events as Hollywood’s next venture bet
The Ankler surveys eight venture capital firms betting on entertainment, finding investors drawn to AI and live experiences rather than traditional studio startups.
Streaming nears half of all US ad-supported TV viewing
VideoWeek’s Dan Meier reports that streaming made up 48.2 percent of ad-supported TV viewing time in the US during Q2 2026, per Nielsen’s Ad Supported Gauge.
Google launches Pics, an AI design tool baked into Workspace
TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez reports that Google is rolling out Pics, an AI image-creation and editing tool built on its Nano Banana model, to Workspace and Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers starting with Docs and Slides.
Analyst: BBC, Netflix now chasing YouTube’s playbook as phones become the new TV
At Edinburgh TV Festival, YouTube’s Pedro Pina and BBC’s new DG both signaled convergence: YouTube called itself television while BBC floated an “iPlayer 2.0" with creator uploads and a public-service algorithm ahead of the license fee’s 2027 expiration.