Kimmel, ABC in renewal talks as late-night ad economics keep sliding
Jimmy Kimmel and Disney’s ABC are negotiating whether he continues hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” past the 2026-2027 season.
63% of US internet homes now use generative AI, up from 51%
Parks Associates finds 63 percent of US internet households use AI tools, up from 51 percent in 2025, while paid adoption reached 22 percent.
Paramount sits on $100M Trey Parker-Kendrick Lamar reparations musical
Paramount has spent $100 million on a Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Kendrick Lamar musical about slavery reparations, but the studio has left it undated. Insiders describe ballooning costs, creative conflicts and long delays on the project.
FilmNation, CAA execs say distributors over-index on streaming risk-mitigation
At TIFF: The Market, FilmNation CEO Glen Basner said indie distributors default to selling projects to pay TV and streamers to mitigate risk, which he argued produces movies built for streaming rather than theatrical.
Hallmark and the NFL expand their rom-com franchise to a third team
Hallmark’s third NFL-branded holiday film, set with the Chicago Bears, debuts Oct. 17 after the Chiefs edition drew 3.7 million viewers and the Bills sequel drew 2.3 million, making both among the network’s highest-rated movies.
Audacy signs Smosh, adding YouTube comedy brand to podcast network
Audacy struck a multiyear deal for exclusive sales and distribution rights to Smosh’s podcast lineup, starting October 1. Smosh brings more than 75 million followers and 20 billion YouTube views to Audacy’s push into creator-led video and audio.
Audacy signs exclusive sales, distribution deal with creator brand Smosh
Audacy became exclusive sales and distribution partner for Smosh’s podcast slate, starting October 1, 2026, covering Smosh Mouth, Smosh Reads Reddit Stories, Assumptions and URL.
Tubi launches first global brand campaign as it surpasses 110 million users
Tubi debuted “Find Any Feeling For Free,” its first global marketing campaign, built with agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address around humorous spots and a “TubiFone” hotline that recommends titles by mood.
Online video narrows the attention gap with linear TV, EMARKETER finds
EMARKETER’s exclusive data shows online video’s attention levels are closing in on linear TV, long considered the gold standard for ad attention.
Dolby adds AI game-tracking and ad flexibility to sports streaming platform
Dolby unveiled updates to its OptiView live sports platform at IBC, including an AI tool that builds a minute-by-minute read of game action and viewer engagement.
ABC, Jimmy Kimmel begin talks on late-night contract renewal
ABC has opened renewal talks with Jimmy Kimmel, whose show runs through the 2026-27 season under a one-year deal signed after last fall’s suspension. Disney reportedly wants budget cuts on a show said to cost up to $100 million.
Google Cloud exec: agentic AI, not gen-AI clips, is Hollywood’s real cost lever
A Google Cloud guest column argues studios’ biggest AI payoff isn’t synthetic video but agentic systems that orchestrate fragmented back-office workflows.
Amazon deepens shoppable Prime Video with scene-level product discovery
Amazon is expanding shopping features within Prime Video, letting viewers discover and buy products tied to specific scenes as they watch, per EMARKETER.
Stars Collective, LH International form AI content JV with $300M fund target
Peter Luo’s Stars Collective and Dubai-based LH International are launching an AI joint venture to develop, produce and distribute film, TV and digital projects.
Reacher season four tops streaming chart despite softer opening
Prime Video’s Reacher drew 1.5 billion viewing minutes for the week of Aug. 10-16, with 1.19 billion from its new season alone.
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
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
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
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
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
Profit at Kroger Precision Marketing grew 24% in the second quarter, its best retail media profit growth since 2021, CEO Greg Foran told investors.