Topgolf launches media network to sell out-of-home ad inventory
Modern Retail’s Mitchell Parton reports that Topgolf’s new CEO David McKillips is building out a retail media and licensing business, launching Topgolf Media Networks in July. The unit combines sponsorships, retail media and licensing across 103 venues, 28,000 screens and a mobile app.
YouTube expands Stations feature beyond music to creator content
Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle reports that YouTube is rolling out its always-on Stations format, first tested with music at Coachella, to creator content, media channels, and podcasts, positioning it as a native FAST rival to Netflix and Tubi.
Netflix ads chief exits as leadership shakeup hits ad unit
Business Insider’s Lucia Moses reports that Netflix advertising president Amy Reinhard has parted ways with Jon Whitticom, a key exec who helped build the streamer’s ad business. Ads product exec Marc Heneghan takes over on an interim basis during the search for a replacement.
TikTok’s live boxing debut draws 3.4M views, dwarfed by Netflix’s Serrano numbers
Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner reports that OMG. TikTok LIVE streamed Amanda Serrano’s title defense as its first world title fight, pulling 3.4 million views. That’s far below the 50 million views Netflix claimed for her 2024 bout, though the two platforms measure audiences differently.
NFL says Nielsen’s mid-season methodology shift broke ad-deal trust
The NFL’s measurement chief says Nielsen rushed methodology changes mid-season, disrupting ratings the league and advertisers rely on to price billions in ad deals. He points to integrated weighting and panel-versus-big-data tradeoffs as core, unresolved problems.
Nielsen’s new streaming data shows only 30% of U.S. homes are streaming-only
MediaPost reports that Nielsen’s DASH-enhanced measurement reveals just 30% of U.S. households are “streaming TV only,” a finding described as a reset on the conventional streaming-dominance narrative. The data lands as Nielsen also faces criticism over unexplained methodology changes.
Social’s ad-dollar share keeps outrunning its share of attention
EMarketer data shows social platforms, led by Meta, take nearly 30% of US ad dollars while claiming just 12.5% of adults’ daily media time — the widest gap of any channel.
Marketers chase ‘fandom’ as the new buzzword for brand loyalty
Digiday’s Kimeko McCoy reports that marketing execs are rallying around “fandom” as a way to embed brands in culture rather than advertise around it.
Ad frequency capping fails despite mature retail data tools, eMarketer finds
Colgate-Palmolive’s Keith Lehmann says the tech to stop retargeting past buyers already exists, but campaign volume and disconnected data cause repeat ads anyway. One pharma brand hit him with 24-25 ads in a single session.
Streamers widen ad-tier discount as price hikes cool
StreamTV Insider reports that Ampere Analysis finds Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video have slowed average price hikes from 24% to 14% over three years, signaling limits on consumer willingness to pay.
Appeals court clears procedural path in Cumulus-Nielsen ratings fight
Inside Radio reports that The Second Circuit will issue its mandate Tuesday, sending the Cumulus-Nielsen dispute back to district court to resolve whether Nielsen’s standalone Nationwide ratings offer meets a January injunction. Cumulus’s access expires in September.
EMarketer: global subscription OTT growth is stalling in mature markets
EMarketer’s H2 2026 forecast finds paid streaming has saturated mature economies, with future viewer growth now dependent on Asia-Pacific and other emerging markets. Netflix leads globally, while local players like JioHotstar hold their own turf.
WPP’s legal woes mount, but clients aren’t fleeing yet
Digiday’s Michael Bürgi, Seb Joseph reports that WPP faces a former exec’s kickback lawsuit, a class action alleging execs misled shareholders for 19 months, and a Sony probe finding WPP kept 80% of publisher rebates. Clients like Coca-Cola still praise the holdco publicly.
VAB study: local TV news ads lift purchase intent and brand image
TV Tech’s George Winslow reports that a VAB/Dynata survey finds ads in local TV news boost purchase likelihood and brand perception across age groups, including younger viewers. The findings arrive as advertisers have grown wary of news environments over political polarization concerns.
Asda’s George taps Lucky Generals for its biggest brand push yet
Asda’s George brand launches “If you know, you know,” created by Lucky Generals, its first campaign leading the entire George brand. The homeware-led push spans TV, social, OOH, retail media and in-store, with fashion activity to follow later this season.
Undisclosed AI sponsorships spark fan backlash for top YouTube creators
Filmmakers Matti Haapoja and Sam Kolder posted unlabeled videos promoting AI platform Higgsfield’s Seedance 2.5, prompting fan accusations of undisclosed paid partnerships. Higgsfield later confirmed creators were compensated via cash and platform credits.
Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime ease off price hikes as ad tiers grow
Advanced Television reports that Ampere Analysis finds average streaming price rises fell from 24% of prior price in 2023/24 to 14% in 2025/26. Ad-free tiers still see the steepest increases, widening the gap versus ad-supported plans.
California AG wants Paramount to divest cable channels to settle merger suit
Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner reports that California AG Rob Bonta will ask Paramount CEO David Ellison to divest cable channels and keep the studio separate from Warner Bros. as conditions to settle the 12-state antitrust suit over the $110B WBD deal.