Hot List: The Cost And Spoils Of Fragmentation
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." — Benjamin Franklin
Sure feels like now is a profound media moment. Not for its mega merger moments or the fact that TikTok now has an American version, but for the up & down sides of the relentless fragmentation frenzy.
Yes, fragmentation gives us more vantage points, and greater freedoms. And things like Heated Rivalry which seems to have broken the algorithm, showing word of mouth remains undefeated.
But also, all this choice comes with a cost to the TV business which is losing its grip on the water cooler. And in TV’s place, a new system of feudal media, where multiple points of failure are impacting culture itself.
This week explores the pros and cons of the shifting media landscape, offering profiles in courage, solutions in action and a real pill on what may never come back again.
Thanks for being here. Until next week.
The CTV home screen will be 2026’s advertising hero spot [The Drum]
TL;DR: As viewing fragments across apps, the CTV home screen is becoming the new front door to streaming, offering high-attention, high-frequency exposure before content selection.
The three forces that will shape CTV’s 2026 growth [EMARKETER]
TL;DR: Advertiser demand for performance outcomes, improved measurement infrastructure, and broader adoption of ad-supported tiers are the primary drivers of CTV’s next growth phase.
Netflix Prepping All-Cash Bid for Warner Bros. Studios and HBO Max Amid Paramount Skydance Pressure: Report [Variety]
TL;DR: Netflix is reportedly considering an all-cash acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming business, signaling continued consolidation among global streaming leaders.
Measurement maturity, curation's center stage, and AI optimization: CTV trends for 2026 [EMARKETER]
TL;DR: CTV is entering a phase where curated supply, standardized measurement, and AI-driven optimization are no longer differentiators but baseline expectations.
How AI is reshaping connected TV ad buying and creative [Ad Age]
TL;DR: At CES, industry leaders outlined how AI is accelerating CTV media planning, automating optimization, and enabling rapid creative iteration tailored to audience signals.
Recommended Reading:
EDO Found Liable for Contract Breach as Jury Awards iSpot $18.3M in Damages [Adweek]
Packers-Bears is most-streamed game in NFL history [The New York Times]
The reach gap: why streaming reallocation is doubling household exposure [The Drum]
Netflix Wanted to Reinvent Live TV. It Hasn’t Been Easy [The Wall Street Journal]
The Atlantic Sues Google Over Its Digital Ad Model, Alleging Manipulation and Fraud [The Wrap]
Agentic OS, CTV growth spurt, and changing content: CES 2026 takeaways [EMARKETER]
Hanlon’s Local Links:
“Waiving” The Communications Act’s National Broadcast Ownership Cap Is A Legal Non-Starter - Lawrence Spiwak [Yale Journal On Regulation]
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Rips Some Local TV Stations As “Mouthpieces” For National Networks - Dade Hayes [Deadline]
Unaffiliated - Amos Barshad [Columbia Journalism Review]
Sinclair Consolidates Local News Operations In New England - Matthew Keys [TheDesk.net]
KDSM FOX 17 Changes 9 p.m. Newscast, Trading WHO For KCCI - Cooper Worth [Des Moines Register]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Says It Will Close Down, Citing Losses And Labor Rules - Laura Wagner/Scott Nover [Washington Post]
New York Wants To Save Local News. They’re Forgetting About Nonprofits And Public Media - Steven Waldman [AMNY]
EdgeBeam: We’re ‘Crossing The Chasm Of Pre-Revenue To Revenue’ - Phil Kurz [TVTech]
How Fox 32 Chicago Acquired Local Rights To Packers-Bears Wild-Card Game - Jeff Agrest [Chicago Sun-Times]
Highlighting The Funniest Moments, This Startup Aims To Bring Public Meetings Into The TikTok Era - Sophie Culpepper [NiemanLab]
