RedBird, Sound Ventures form $1 billion AI and media investment partnership
TheWrap’s A.J. Katz reports that Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures struck a $1 billion partnership to invest in technology, media and culture companies, pairing RedBird’s investment platform with Sound Ventures’ AI founder network.
IAB guide tackles audio’s data gaps in media mix models
IAB published a guide on strengthening audio’s role in media mix models, building on its 2025 beginner’s guide, identifying where audio data gets lost in the measurement process and offering a framework for fixing it.
Ampere: 65% of Netflix acquisitions are non-English, 50% on Disney+
C21Media reports that Ampere Analysis finds non-English-language content makes up 65% of Netflix’s acquired titles and 50% of Disney+‘s, as of September. Netflix leans toward Japanese and South Korean content, while Disney+‘s top source countries are Germany and Japan.
Blink49 Studios bets its future on brands and creators, not distribution
Variety’s Cynthia Littleton reports that Blink49 Studios, marking its fifth year under CEO John Morayniss, built itself as a pure-play content shop betting that owning audience relationships would matter more than owning a content library.
AdExchanger: DoorDash-Instacart deal will remap retail media partnerships
AdExchanger’s Sarah Sluis reports that DoorDash’s deal to buy Instacart will likely merge DoorDash Ads with Instacart’s Carrot Ads, which also runs a white-labeled retail media business that recently added Gopuff as a customer.
Brands go direct with creators as spend hits $44 billion
Business Insider’s Lucia Moses reports that marketers from Disney, e.l.f. Beauty, Keurig Dr Pepper, Yahoo and the NFL are spreading creator work across TikTok Live, YouTube, Substack and Threads, while increasingly hiring creators directly instead of through platform marketplaces.
Amazon: Prime Video’s run rate now in the ‘tens of billions’
TheWrap’s Lucas Manfredi reports Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Prime Video’s revenue run rate has reached the “tens of billions” of dollars and remains profitable.
CTV’s next pitch to advertisers: proven sales, not just reach
eMarketer’s Christopher Wood reports that analyst Ross Benes says CTV advertising is shifting from a brand-awareness play toward one expected to drive measurable sales and customer acquisition.
Amazon: Prime Video now profitable, generates ‘tens of billions’ annually
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told analysts Prime Video is now profitable “in its own right,” with a revenue run rate in the tens of billions.
Amazon joins the Q3 ad-spend pullback chorus
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that Amazon’s contribution to advertising spend pullback signals adds a third major player flagging caution about 2027, after similar signals elsewhere.
Amazon folds unlimited audiobooks into revamped Kindle+ bundle
Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter reports that Amazon is adding unlimited audiobook listening to Kindle Unlimited, rebranding the service Kindle+, a response to inroads from Spotify and YouTube into Amazon’s long-dominant audiobook market.
Red Seat Ventures adds golf franchise with LeBron-fueled launch
Inside Radio reports that Fox-owned Red Seat Ventures signed an exclusive audio and video rights deal with Homecoming Golf, adding the creator-led golf brand to its roster of more than 40 podcast and digital talent.
Campaign’s Pitch Update: Lidl, Coca-Cola, Virgin Atlantic, TfL, B&Q, Williams F1 in review
Campaign reports that its Pitch Update roundup tracks live agency reviews including Lidl, Cushelle, Coca-Cola, Virgin Atlantic, Tour de France, TfL, B&Q and Williams F1.
Omnicom Media takes lion’s share of Lidl’s $1bn European media account
Campaign’s Shauna Lewis reports that Omnicom Media has won the majority of Lidl’s European media account, estimated to be worth $1 billion, following a competitive review.
TF1 revenue falls 6.6% as linear ad slide offsets Netflix lift
Advanced Television reports that TF1’s nine-month revenue dropped 6.6 percent to 1.45 billion euros, even as TF1+ advertising revenue jumped 20.5 percent to 160 million euros on its Netflix partnership.
Stagwell shares jump 11% on Q3 growth, software pivot
MediaPost’s Steve McClellan reports Stagwell posted 7% net organic revenue growth and $664 million in reported revenue for Q3, sending shares up over 11%.
XR Extreme Reach extends Hollywood talent-payment infrastructure to creators
TVREV’s John Cassillo reports that XR Extreme Reach, which handles over 80% of U.S. commercial talent payments, launched XR Pay for Creators on October 22, combining onboarding, payments and rights tracking into one platform for brands and agencies juggling multiple creator payment systems.
Network-affiliate tensions mount as 2027 political ad windfall fades
TVREV’s Tim Hanlon reports that broadcasters face a 6% revenue decline after 2026’s record $11.6 billion political ad cycle ends.
Netflix taps ex-Apple Podcasts exec to lead podcast acquisition
Variety’s Payton Turkeltaub reports that Netflix hired Steve Wilson, a 15-year Apple veteran who led Apple Podcasts marketing, to run podcast content acquisition on a contract basis, building on its slate of more than 60 video podcasts.