Hot List: Ode to the Ironies
“Give the People what they want - and they'll get what they deserve.” - The Kinks
We live in ironic times.
Ads are easier to avoid, yet the NFL is the dominant TV franchise with 1 full hour of ads per game.
Netflix is now a beast in entertainment, but its stock is getting pummeled.
TV Networks will profess the importance of independent measurement, then herald their new self reporting dashboards.
The explosion of streaming created more and better ways to watch, but old franchises like Friends, The Office and Seinfeld still rank among the most viewed.
Many are quick to declare the death of linear. But the slowing rate of attrition for paid cable TV has analysts predicting a floor of 50 million.
AI is ushering in incredible capabilities, and adoption rates are insane, all while things are getting sloppy and AI execs are warning of a robot-pocalypse.
People hate Meta, while taking to Insta to say so. They rage tweet against Musk from their self-driving Teslas.
It’s never been easier to stay in touch, yet we have a loneliness epidemic.
This week’s Hot List isn’t immune from these ironies. We take some swipes at the current system with inherent optimism for the future of TV.
I suppose in our industry, as with the rest of the world, we are getting used to the idea that seemingly opposite realities can be and are true.
“I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize” - Steven Wright
Broadcasting + Cable Hall Of Fame: William Wang
TL;DR: VIZIO founder and former CEO William Wang was inducted into the 2026 Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, honoring a career that took him from making computer monitors for Gateway to founding Vizio in 2002, building the first smart TV in 1998, and creating an Emmy-winning smart TV operating system.
Vibe Expands Connected TV Platform With Agent Access and Six New Integrations
TL;DR: Vibe outlined a quarter of platform expansion that makes its connected TV product accessible from outside its own interface.
Netflix, Amazon, YouTube launch new streaming coalition [Axios]
TL;DR: Netflix, Amazon and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, a policy coalition led by trade group TechNet to push "technology-neutral policies" as regulators scrutinize sports leagues moving rights to streaming.
Florida AG Sues Netflix for Data Tracking, Targeting Kids [TheWrap]
TL;DR: The Florida Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, claiming the streamer violated state laws when it allegedly lied about not tracking data and selling information to advertisers.
Universal Ads Adds Creator-Led Channels to Its Streaming TV Advertising Platform [Net Influencer]
TL;DR: Comcast-owned Universal Ads is expanding its self-serve platform to include creator-led streaming channels, letting advertisers extend creator marketing strategies from social media onto TV.
AI Buying Platforms Will Manage 27% of U.S. Ad Spend by 2030: Report [Adweek]
TL;DR: Madison & Wall projects AI-directed/automated ad spend will grow from just 2% of the U.S. market in 2023 to 12% in 2026 and 27% ($158 billion) by 2030, calling it a "share shift" from manually managed to automated campaigns.
Roku Adds 30 New Bundles To Premium Subscriptions, Offering Combos With AMC+, Fox One, Starz & More [Deadline]
TL;DR: Roku launched over 30 customizable subscription bundles, including AMC+, Fox One, Starz, Hallmark+ and its own Howdy service, offering up to 30% savings versus signing up individually, live now in the U.S. and Mexico.
Wurl Launches Content Intelligence Platform For CTV Targeting [TVNewsCheck]
TL;DR: According to a recent survey from AdExchanger and Wurl, 79% of the industry agrees that inefficiencies in data quality, fragmentation, and interoperability are limiting the scale and effectiveness of streaming TV campaigns.
Cable TV has shrunk from 100 million subscribers in 2016 to 62 million now. That decline may be over. [Business Insider]
TL;DR: Analysts at MoffettNathanson say they are finally seeing a "floor" at the bottom of the industry's long side. They think that by 2030, the industry will stay put at around 50 million US.
Hot Links
Nielsen Marketing Cloud Launches Data Enrichment Capabilities [TVTech]
Media Intel Firm KPI Wants to Shed Light on the Digital Ad Wars [Campaigns & Elections]
X and Samba team up to bring outcomes measurement offering to entertainment marketers [Marketing Brew]
Target hires ex-Hilton CMO as chief marketing and guest experience officer [Marketing Dive]
'Oops, I'm Not Really Dead! Did You Miss Me?': Tubi Shows Funeral Gone Wrong [MediaPost]
NFL’s Week 1 audience down 13%, even as ESPN scores best start to ‘MNF’ [Sports Business Journal]
New Roku Labs Brings Engineers’ Innovation Directly To Viewers [TVTech]
Horizon Media integrates Roku TV data [Advanced Television]
NFL RedZone making good on promise to cut ad load so far [Awful Announcing]
Creator Sports Network Is On A Mission To Help Brands Reach Younger Viewers [AdExchanger]
The NFL’s Shrinkflation Era Leaves YouTube Paying More for Less [The Wall Street Journal]
Emmy Awards ratings down nearly 10% from last year [AP News]
Omdia: 75% of U.S. TV Viewers Use Smartphones to Watch TV - Media Play News [Media Play News]
Hanlon’s Local Links
Senate Vote Awaits As House Passes AM Radio Act - Cameron Coats [Radio+Television Business Report]
FCC Fights Deadline To Settle Political Ad Rate Challenge - [InsideRadio]
5 Stations, One News Director - Scott Jones [FTV Live]
KPRC 2 Was No. 1 At 10 p.m. Why Did It Have 'Enough' With A Traditional Newscast? - Mike McGuff [mikemcguff .com]
Byron Allen’s Local Now Adds 111 Gray Media Stations - Lucas Manfredi [TheWrap]
The McClatchy Massacre - Brett LoGiurato [Status]
Seven Months After Its New Chairman Called Layoffs A ‘Bad’ Word, Lee Enterprises Cuts Staff - Angela Fu [Poynter]
Broadcasters’ YouTube Dilemma - Tom Sly [TVNewsCheck]
