Gracenote: 85% of sports fans want better TV navigation
Advanced Television reports that Gracenote’s 2026 global sports fan report finds 26 percent often can’t identify which channel or service carries a specific event. Eighty-five percent want their TV home screen to show upcoming games and where-to-watch information for favorite teams and leagues.
Small radio owner signs digital ad deal with Townsquare’s Ignite unit
TVREV reports that Lakes Media owner Tom Birch says agency revenue at his six-station North Carolina/Virginia group fell from 30 percent in 2005 to just 5-10 percent today.
SAGE data: FanDuel’s NFL ads split hard by viewer age
The Measure’s Eleanor Semeraro reports that iSpot’s SAGE analyzed FanDuel’s 2025-26 NFL creative and found the top five ads scored well above the brand’s all-time Likeability average of 516, but reception diverged sharply by age group.
Nielsen tightens local TV currency with four methodology upgrades
Advanced Television reports that Nielsen has activated four local TV methodology changes into its currency data ahead of the 2026/2027 broadcast season.
Digiday maps payout rules across every major creator platform
Digiday compiled the follower thresholds, activity minimums, invitation status and payout terms for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, X, Facebook and Snap.
FreeWheel adds Truthset data ratings to its ad buying platform
FreeWheel is integrating Truthset’s audience data evaluations into its programmatic advertising platform for connected TV. The move lets advertisers configure data accuracy at the point of buying rather than checking quality after impressions are already delivered.
YouTube leads CTV ad spend for fourth straight year, but M&A looms
Modern Retail’s Catherine Wolf and Li Lu report that YouTube topped Modern Retail’s Q1 2026 survey of ad-supported streaming placements for a fourth consecutive year. The report, based on 125 brand and agency professionals, warns the CTV landscape faces major shifts over the next 12 months.
Nielsen shifts Local TV to a one-minute credit threshold
Nielsen activated four Local TV methodology changes on August 31, ahead of the 2026/2027 broadcast season. The headline shift replaces the five-minute qualifier with a one-minute one, previously leaving up to 24% of tuning events unreported.
19-year-old talent manager details path into creator economy careers
In a TVREV interview, 19-year-old Braden Blacker, founder of The Content Code, explains how he grew creator Asher Lara from 1.2 million to over 16 million followers by mining audience data to steer content toward proven niches like couples storylines.
Netflix, Disney+ eye free tiers as FAST goes mainstream
TheWrap’s Lucas Manfredi reports that Sony launched a free ad-supported service on PS5, Paramount+ is testing free mobile content, and Disney’s Josh D’Amaro has floated a free Disney+ tier.
Parks Associates: live TV still sways streaming bundle choice
TV Tech’s Tom Butts reports that Parks Associates research finds live TV access remains a significant factor for consumers when picking a streaming bundle, even as on-demand and ad-supported tiers proliferate across the market.
NBA builds Gen Z pipeline through 2K, creators and social formats
Next in Media’s Mike Shields reports that the NBA is treating NBA 2K, athlete-run shows like Joakim Noah’s Nomad, and social-native formats as a coordinated content ecosystem rather than side projects.
Silverpush taps Happydemics to validate contextual ad performance
Contextual intelligence firm Silverpush is partnering with Happydemics, adding independent brand lift measurement to its AI-driven video targeting. The tie-up shifts reporting away from impressions and clicks toward recall, interest, attribution and consideration data.
Netflix licenses ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’ from Warner Bros.
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports that Netflix added all three seasons of HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” via a non-exclusive licensing deal with Warner Bros. Television, joining Mindy Kaling’s Netflix original “Never Have I Ever.”
WTF is the Amazon ad surcharge lawsuit?
Digiday’s Seb Joseph reports that the FTC and 22 state attorneys general allege Amazon secretly abandoned its second-price search ad auction, inserting a fake “soft reserved” bidder to push prices higher.
Sony launches FAST service Live TV on PS5, adding ad inventory
VideoWeek’s Tim Cross-Kovoor reports that Sony launched Live TV on PS5, a free ad-supported streaming service with over 100 channels, drawing on content from Lionsgate, Fox, NBCU, Bloomberg, Spotify and A+E. It’s live in the US now, with Canada and other markets planned.
Amazon’s Alexa can now nudge you to buy before you even ask
TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez reports that Amazon launched “Update Me When,” an Alexa for Shopping feature that sends personalized alerts on new product lines, show seasons, concert tours or book releases tied to a shopper’s interests.
HBO Max to stream weekly filmed episodes of Howard Stern’s show
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that HBO Max struck a deal with Howard Stern’s production company and SiriusXM to release filmed episodes of “The Howard Stern Show” weekly, starting Sept. 17 worldwide, as his radio show scales back to one broadcast per week.
T-Series retakes YouTube’s global viewership crown, powered by Shorts
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that T-Series topped Tubefilter’s weekly Global Top 50 with 778.8 million views, pushing its lifetime total to 353.2 billion.