Hot List: 18 Think Pieces on AI, Influencers and Fragmented FUBAR
“The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.” — Gloria Steinem
Meta got slapped with $17B+ in fines for the addictive, negative ramifications of its UX. People (me included) cheered like a human finally scored a punch to the face of the robot.
School is back, and so are the NFL and Fall premiers. But shows are not the only talk of kitchen tables and water coolers. Now, it’s the freakish weather, FUBAR geo-political climate, the frightening prognostications about AI and the disparate realities flowing from a fragmented influencer-driven marketplace.
And while this week’s newsletter is a curation of 18 original think pieces from analysts at TVREV and our sister pub The Measure about the business of television, you’ll see the topics of our times reflected in their art.
On Fragmentation: Alan Wolk’s dispatch from IBC looks at Europe’s 42 language programming problems. Additionally, our best selling author and inventor of the term FAST is now offering pre-orders for his forthcoming book on Media’s Dark Ages while our friend Emmanuel Landi unpacks Feudal advertising
On AI: XR on how marketers are using AI for ad production, iSpot’s Sean Muller on how measurement prevents ad waste, news about Amazon and OpenAI, and Alan Wolk has some choice words for Apple’s new boss.
On Influencers: Explain It to a Teen talks with a teen wunderkind on building a Gen Z influencer business. And John Cassillo looks at Texas Sen. candidate James Talarico on YouTube after the political machine got the (recently canceled) Kimmel to also pull his Talarico interview.
On the political FUBAR: Tim Hanlon has a piece on the “new catch” in Local TV’s political ad boom and a podcast with BIA’s Rick Ducey on that $185B market
All that and more— as always thanks for being part of the TVREV community. If you’re planning your 2027 budgets and want to get more involved, please get in touch.
“If you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving.” - Morgan Freeman
YouTube Extends Streaming Lead With 14% of TV Viewership in July [TheWrap]
TL;DR: YouTube hit a record 14.2% share of TV viewership in July per Nielsen's Gauge, boosted by the tail end of the World Cup, as overall streaming climbed to 49% of total TV viewing.
US DOJ widens probe into Fox's Roku deal, Semafor reports [Reuters]
TL;DR: The U.S. Department of Justice is widening its antitrust inquiry into Fox's $22 billion deal for Roku, Semafor reported on Tuesday.
Walmart Eyes CTV, AI and Self-Service Tools to Build a Bigger Ad Business [TradingView]
TL;DR: Walmart Connect U.S. GM Ryan Mayward told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference the business has evolved from a managed-service, event-sponsorship model into a scalable performance-advertising platform built on self-service tools and broader CTV reach.
Production Outlook Solid For Broadcast, Less For Cable, Streaming [MediaPost]
TL;DR: Ampere Analysis finds linear TV production has proven more "resilient" than streaming: U.S. linear orders fell 26% (to 1,304/year) between 2022-25, versus a steeper 41% drop for streaming orders.
Amazon makes it easier to buy what you see on Prime Video [TechCrunch]
TL;DR: The retail giant on Thursday announced a series of new features that will allow customers to discover products across thousands of Prime Video titles through integrations with its existing X-Ray experience, which today displays real-time actor bios, character names, soundtrack music, and more.
Trade Desk Layoffs Follow Disappointing Financial Reports, Stock Declines [MediaPost]
TL;DR: The Trade Desk was removed from the S&P 500 the same day roughly 575 laid-off employees, about 15% of its global workforce, officially departed, capping a brutal stretch that includes an ~82-90% stock decline.
Hot Links
MS NOW’s New ‘Membership’ Service Lets Users Talk to Rachel Maddow, ‘Morning Joe’ [Variety]
ADWEEK TV Advantage: Buyers Detail Involved Super Bowl Negotiations and a Complex Upfront [Adweek]
CNN Found a Large Audience for Its Free Service. Now Comes the Hard Part [TheWrap]
How Telemundo Retained The Fans They Brought In For The World Cup [Adexchanger]
Scott Hanson Promises Fewer RedZone Ads to Start 2026 Season [Front Office Sports]
Local sports streamer Victory+ ends operations following team exodus [StreamTV Insider]
Hanlon’s Local Links
Local TV News Employment Continues To Decline - [Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)]
Scripps Issues More Pink Slips As Part Of Regional Local Market Restructuring Effort - Matthew Keys [TheDesk.net]
Toledo Blade Newspaper Will Shut Down If Buyer Isn't Found - Luke Ramseth [The Detroit News]
Graham Media Station To Air Anchorless Newscasts - Scott Jones [FTV Live]
Sinclair Shifts SSAs To Ownership In Northern Nevada - Adam Jacobson [Radio+Television Business Report]
Sinclair Exercises Its Option for Providence Pair - Adam Jacobson [Radio+Television Business Report]
