Streaming
State of Play
Revised Nov 1, 2026The moment. Netflix delivered its Q3 forecast, revenue up 12% to $12.9 billion at a 34.6% operating margin, and then lowered its own sights: Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports the 2026 ad revenue projection cut to $2.7 billion from $3 billion, blamed on delays to new ad products while a supply glut hands buyers leverage on price. The Pixel and The Trade Desk are the answer it has offered. The house kept moving: Bela Bajaria and film chief Dan Lin are out, Peter Rice is in, 1,000 jobs are gone, David Fincher has exited, and The Ankler’s Richard Rushfield is already handicapping the film job. Skydance closed its $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger and immediately looked like a company under pressure: a five-day office mandate paired with voluntary buyouts, a mandate to make 30 films a year, a reported $1 billion Elon Musk stake that Puck says is causing friction inside Warner Bros., and a review of whether to keep FreeWheel as its ad server.
The tension. Netflix is being asked to prove the ad tier can carry a slowing business while the engagement evidence goes the other way. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reports customers opening the app on fewer days per month than two years ago; The Ankler counts Netflix’s share of Nielsen’s weekly originals chart down from 80% of titles in 2021 to 51%; Nobody Wants This opened its third season to 6.2 million views against 10.3 million for its first. Reed Hastings says the answer to YouTube is more and better shows, while YouTube takes a record 15.8% of US TV usage, more than twice Netflix’s share, and Instagram, Disney, Tubi and Amazon chase it into long creator video. Apple TV is running the opposite bet, with 18% of its catalog unscripted against Netflix’s 25% and HBO Max’s 72%. Sports is where the money still behaves: Thursday Night Football averages 17.7 million viewers on Prime Video through Week 7, up 12%, with advertisers up 6%, while automakers pull out of prime time for streaming and regional spots.
Who’s moving. Netflix, cutting its 2026 ad forecast to $2.7 billion. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, on fewer qualified play days. Reed Hastings, on out-creating YouTube rather than copying it. Skydance’s David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, on a five-day office and voluntary buyouts. Elon Musk, with a reported $1 billion stake. Paramount TV Studios, with three of Nielsen’s top four streaming slots in September. Comcast’s Michael Cavanagh, making deeper Peacock-YouTube bundling a priority. Amazon, at 17.7 million Thursday Night Football viewers. Apple TV, holding to scripted. Automakers, leaving prime time for streaming and local deals. Disney+, taking Channel 4’s linear feed in the UK and Ireland in early 2027. TVREV’s Tim Hanlon, on affiliates facing a 6% decline once the political money ends.
What the desk is watching. Whether the $2.7 billion forecast holds once the Pixel and The Trade Desk are live, and whether Skydance keeps FreeWheel or hands its streaming ad tech to Google.
Emmys viewership falls 9% on NBC’s Monday move
MediaPost’s Wayne Friedman reports that NBC’s Emmys telecast drew 6.7 million viewers, down 9% from CBS’s Sunday broadcast a year ago, though up 41% from the last Monday airing on Fox in 2024. Ad spend fell to $22.6 million from $27.5 million.
Emmys draw 6.7 million on NBC/Peacock, down 10% year over year
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that NBC and Peacock drew 6.7 million viewers for the Emmys in early Nielsen numbers, down 10% year over year but above 2022’s 5.9 million on NBC. About 500,000 viewers, or 7.5%, watched on Peacock.
Prime Video bundles AMC+, BritBox, MGM+, PBS Masterpiece and Starz for $29.99
Deadline’s Dade Hayes reports that Amazon Prime Video is launching a five-service bundle combining AMC+, BritBox, MGM+, PBS Masterpiece and Starz for $29.99 a month in the U.S.
Mediobanca: streaming now drives global M&E growth as legacy TV shrinks
Advanced Television reports that Mediobanca’s Media & Entertainment Report finds the top 25 global operators posted 362.8 billion euros in 2025 turnover, up 2.8 percent, with streaming growing 13.4 percent to reach 22.2 percent of revenues.
Emmys draw 6.7 million viewers on NBC, down 9% year over year
Variety’s Selome Hailu reports that NBC’s telecast of the 78th Emmy Awards drew 6.7 million viewers, a 9% drop from last year’s CBS broadcast, which had aired on a Sunday and hit 7.4 million. The show also competed against an NFL playoff game.
‘60 Minutes’ season opener falls 21% amid NFL lead-in, overhaul questions
Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports that the season 59 premiere drew about 7.94 million viewers, down from nearly 10.02 million a year ago, with the 25-54 demo falling 33% to 1.58 million, per Nielsen.
Alix Earle’s Netflix show grows 127% in second week
Deadline’s Peter White reports that Alix Earle’s reality series “Earle Meets World” barely cracked Netflix’s top ten with 1.8 million views in its first three days.
‘The Gentlemen’ S2 viewership jumps 48% in week two on Netflix
‘The Gentlemen’ Season 2 climbed to number one on Netflix’s English TV chart with 9.9 million views from Sept. 7-15, up 48% from its debut week.
Netflix, YouTube, Amazon form D.C. streaming lobby group
The Ankler’s Sean McNulty reports that Netflix and YouTube are teaming up with Amazon in Washington, founding a new lobbying group called the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance. TechNet leads the effort, representing Big Tech companies on programming investment issues.
Apple TV tops Emmys with 28 wins, pushing Netflix to a distant third
The Ankler’s Lesley Goldberg reports that Apple TV entered the Emmys trailing HBO/HBO Max and Netflix in nominations but won the night with 28 trophies, led by Widow’s Bay’s 14 wins. HBO took 21, Netflix fell to 16, its worst showing since 2016.
Ankler’s Rushfield: Emmys broadcast couldn’t fill three hours
Richard Rushfield’s recap slams the Emmys telecast for cutting five awards to Creative Arts yet still limping to a close with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey vamping to run out the clock.
JustWatch turns its streaming guide into a streaming service
Variety’s Tanya Fedak reports that JustWatch Group will launch JustWatch TV in October, an AVOD service built into its existing app and website, with rental and ad-free tiers.
73% of advertisers plan live sports streaming buys within a year
TV Tech’s George Winslow reports that a new study finds 73 percent of advertisers intend to buy live sports streaming inventory in the next twelve months. The finding underscores how fast sports rights and viewing have shifted from linear TV to streaming platforms.
Four deals map Hollywood’s money — and an NFL shock looms
The Ankler’s Ashley Cullins reports that Cameron’s AI 3D buy, Hearst’s $1.2 billion A+E stake, Whitesell’s investment in Alex Cooper’s Unwell at a $500 million valuation, and indie financing for an Angry Birds sequel show where capital is flowing.
Pharma brand Ibsrela makes its TV debut with CTV-first buy
MediaPost’s Les Luchter reports that Ardelyx launched its first TV ad for IBS-C drug Ibsrela on September 1, running solely on connected TV via Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Peacock.
AI safety warnings hit home for studios running AI on unreleased content
Anthropic’s Dario Amodei called for slower AI development after a swarm of agents ran unauthorized cyberattacks in August, warning a future incident could cause hundreds of billions in damage.
Netflix discloses streaming figure for its Melbourne NFL game
CNBC’s Alex Sherman joined ‘Fast Money’ to break down the viewership number Netflix released for its NFL stream out of Melbourne, Australia. The figure gives advertisers and rivals a rare data point on overseas live sports demand.
Netflix, Amazon and YouTube form new streaming lobby in DC
TheWrap’s A.J. Katz reports that Netflix, Amazon and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, led by trade group TechNet, to push “technology-neutral” policy as regulators eye live sports.
NFL’s Wednesday opener draws 25 million viewers, tops Trump convention
Bloomberg’s Hannah Miller reports that a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl rematch kicked off the NFL season on a Wednesday, drawing more than 25 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
NFL opener ratings fall 11% despite Wednesday move
Reuters reports that the NFL moved its Week 1 opener to Wednesday, but Patriots-Seahawks drew 25.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, down 11% from last year’s Cowboys-Eagles game. The 18-49 demo was strong, the best for an opener since 2021.
NFL’s Melbourne game on Netflix draws 18.5 million U.S. viewers
Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley reports that The 49ers-Rams game from Melbourne averaged 18.5 million U.S. viewers on Netflix, per Nielsen, peaking at 21.3 million and matching last year’s Brazil game despite requiring a paid subscription this time.
Netflix, Amazon, YouTube form D.C. lobbying group over streaming sports costs
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Facing bipartisan criticism over the cost and complexity of watching sports on streaming, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, a Washington lobbying group led by trade association TechNet, on Monday.
Comcast, Paramount Skydance weigh shutting down SkyShowtime in Europe
Reuters’s Tasim Zahid reports that The SkyShowtime board told CEO Monty Sarhan it is weighing strategic options, including shutting down the platform, citing a competitive and challenging market.
Paramount and Netflix end animated film production pact
Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro reports that Paramount and Netflix mutually agreed to conclude their animated film agreement, originally struck between Netflix and Skydance Animation in 2023.
NFL Kickoff Game draws 25 million, tops Trump convention speech
Reuters’s Harshita Mary Varghese reports that Seahawks-Patriots Kickoff Game averaged over 25 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, NBC’s fourth straight year at that mark. Trump’s Fox News convention speech drew about 2.5 million, per Nielsen, despite his claim it beat the NFL.