Hot List: Recapping A Sizzling Summer Week
"Dealmaking begets dealmaking. Seeing deals get announced is like a permission slip for corporate development activity." - Terence Kawaja on the recent M&A activity in ad tech.
OPEN THE FLOOD GATES
Mousey: The global media company famous for animated characters and theme parks posts great earnings and signals its readiness to catch up to a FAST, TikTok world.
All Politics is Local: TV station groups got the FCC green light to consolidate without concern for political and ideological repercussions.
The Great Ad Unboxing: The largest retailers in the world are becoming the fastest growing TV ad businesses in America.
Rome is Falling: The king of $20 streaming subscriptions is scrambling to stop the attention churn with a UX redesign and stated interest in (checks notes).. live linear TV?
Below the Fold: A TV ratings monopolist buys a digital ad verification company for $2B that was cratering in value to obscure its own sinking value and relevance behind buzzword-y value props no one really understands.
Analysts missed the big picture: Movie theaters are once again selling out all over America as global warming gives people something cool to do, proving nay-sayers wrong.
And that’s just some industry news from a week in mid-August.
Your Sunday Hot List has all that and more covered + some great audio and video conversations perfect for your next commute.
Walmart Closes Vibe.co Acquisition, Signaling a Big Push Into Ad-Supported Streaming to Compete With Amazon [Adweek]
TL;DR: Walmart has officially closed its acquisition of Vibe.co, a 5-year-old adtech company that sells software for buying streaming ads, reportedly paying $1.4 billion for the startup.
Amazon’s Ad Revenue Hits $76B Over the Past 12 Months [Adweek]
TL;DR: Amazon's advertising revenue hit $76 billion over the trailing 12 months, with Q2 ad revenue reaching $20 billion (up 26% year-over-year), while overall Q2 net sales were $200.6 billion (up 20%) and AWS revenue grew 37% to $42.2 billion.
Antitrust Trial Over Paramount-Warner Merger Set for March [The Wall Street Journal]
TL;DR: A federal judge set a March 2, 2027, start date for the antitrust trial over Paramount’s $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The delay could cost Paramount about $650 million a quarter in ticking fees to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders starting this October.
Nielsen to Acquire DoubleVerify for $2.15 Billion in Bid to Augment Digital Measurement [Variety]
TL;DR: Nielsen Holdings agreed to buy DoubleVerify in a deal with an enterprise value of about $2.15 billion.
FCC Eliminates TV Station Ownership Cap in Win for Nexstar and Other Big Broadcasters [Variety]
TL;DR: The FCC voted 2-1 to eliminate the longstanding national cap limiting any single company from owning TV stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households, a move likely to draw legal challenges.
Tubi Hits 110 Million Monthly Users as Fox Streamer Delivers Highest Revenue Quarter Yet [The Hollywood Reporter]
TL;DR: Fox-owned free streamer Tubi now has more than 110 million monthly active users and just reported its highest-revenue quarter in company history, with annual revenue now topping $1 billion.
Free tiers are Hollywood’s next big idea in the streaming wars [Business Insider]
TL;DR: According to an internal presentation viewed by Business Insider, Paramount's flagship streamer plans to expand access to movies and shows available without a subscription, while Disney's Chief Product & Technology Officer reportedly told staff Disney+ could add a free tier, though no timeline or content scope was shared.
Hot Links
Paramount Execs Reveal Why They Believe They'll Win WBD Merger Trial [Adweek]
Genius Sports' media surge shows shift beyond sportsbook data [CNBC]
Universal Ads Adds Audience and Mobile Measurement Partners to Premium TV [Martech Vibe]
Fox Appears to Block NFL’s Effort to Re-Do Massive Rights Deal [Variety]
Google Loses Bid to Block UK Class Action Over Search Ads [Bloomberg]
Disney Wraps Upfront, Super Bowl Sells Out [MediaPost]
FIFA tests the limits of private equity in sports with World Cup subsidiary sale [CNBC]
Study Finds More Than Half Of CTV Programmatic Served On Large Screens [MediaPost]
Fox’s World Cup Coverage Broke Records For Both Linear and Streaming [AdExchanger]
June Ad Market Re-Accelerates Thanks To World Cup Spending [MediaPost]
Media measurement is becoming an asset in boardroom theater [Digiday]
Samsung bans smart TV apps that share users’ internet connections with strangers [TechCrunch]
Coke and Visa Score, Adidas and McDonald's Fumble on Pricey World Cup Sponsorships [Adweek]
Hanlon’s Local Links
E.W. Scripps To Cut 268 Jobs, Launch 24/7 Streaming Model- [TVNewsCheck]
Refounding Scripps For The Future - Adam Symson [LinkedIn]
FCC Reviewing Recent Affiliation Swap Announcement, Chairman Carr Says - Matthew Keys [TheDesk.net]
What If Losing The Network Was The Best Thing To Happen To Your Station? - Kirk Varner [TVND.com]
I Helped Create The FCC’s Ownership Cap. Here’s How We Did It. - Tom DeLay [Daily Wire]
Is NHL Hockey On The Radio A Dying Art? Veteran Broadcasters Worry About Its Future - Aaron Portzline [The Athletic]
A Community Can Have Local Newspapers And Still Lack Local News - Jennifer Nehrer [Poynter]
Meet Wrinkles, An App That Uncovers The Hidden Stories Of The Places Around You - Aisha Malik [TechCrunch]
