Hot List: Is Nielsen Grading Their Own Homework? 🤔

“It will test your head, and your mind, and your brain too.” — Dewey Finn (Jack Black)

It's back to school in America – let’s talk about grading homework! Starting with the self-reported heights and weights at Fulton County jail…here is what 6’3”, 215lbs looks like:

JICCUP? Networks are crying foul on Nielsen for integrating Amazon’s logs into its measurement. But those same networks are combining their data streams into the JIC and asking measurement companies to use as a source. First party data + return path IP based data seems like it would add more transparency, create better advertising and – if measured and verified correctly – could be the future... thoughts?

Meantime, what we are reading:

• Alan Wolk looks at how the binge-model highlights core issues for the future of TV.

• Trump-Carlson interview on X draws nearly 190 million view ‘impressions’, while GOP debate on FOX claims 12.8 million viewers... fair and balanced? You decide.

• Agencies wonder “what gives?” as YouTube will trade on its own co-viewing data.

• And it’s not Google’s only counting question, as Mike Shields discusses.

• THR’s Alex Weprin looks at streamers’ big ad-tier push to fix their own math problems.

• David Bloom thinks that when Hollywood strikers return, the industry could be radically different…

• As AMPTP’s latest offer to the WGA is closer but not quite there.

• And Apple might just buy live sports dominance.

• Speaking of live sports, the Women’s World Cup attracted 22% more advertisers than four years ago, despite team USA’s early exit.

• Got a sweet tooth for CTV? A recent VIZIO Ads case study reveals a bump in sales for a confectionary brand utilizing CTV ad strategy.

And don’t miss: “CTV By The Sea” series earlier this week; check out the final four videos below, or find the entire series here.

• Hayley Diamond On How Publicis Views CTV.

• LG Ads' Esther Maguire On Enabling Creativity In TV Advertising.

• Teads' Natalie Bastian On How Brands Are Making Use Of CTV Data.

• iSpot's Sean Muller On The Importance of Measuring Unique Audiences On CTV.

 “We became aware that Nielsen and Amazon were going through this process of defending their measurement to each other and going through a kind of reconciliation. The MRC had its auditors sit in on those discussions, and the results were inconclusive initially, he said. “They were trying to collaborate, but they really didn’t find a smoking gun of the source of the differences, so that concerned us,” - George Ivie, CEO, MRC (in AdAge)

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NEWS YOU CAN USE

Advertising

• Why Retail Media is the Future of TV Advertising - Sara Lebow [Insider Intelligence]

• Basis Technologies Integrates into FreeWheel to Access CTV Ads - Jon Lafayette [Next TV]

• Our Goal is to Make TV as Shoppable as Social: How Roku is Growing its Ad Business to Attract More DTC Brands - Vidhi Choudhary [Modern Retail]

• How Nexxen is Lowering the Walls Between Linear and Streaming - Alyssa Boyle [AdExchanger]

• Amazon launches a Fire TV Channels app with 400+ free ad-supported TV channels - Lauren Forristal [TechCrunch]

• How This Minority-Owned Publisher with Cable Roots is Wooing Advertisers - Alyssa Boyle [AdExchanger]

Streaming Wars

• Binge Baby Binge: How the Great Catch-Up of the Strike Era Is Shaping the Future of Television - Alan Wolk [Next TV]

• Warner Bros. Discovery Adds CNN Live News Service to Max Streaming Platform - Isabella Simonetti [The Wall Street Journal]

• Why Streaming Services Are Pushing Subscribers to Ad Tiers - Alex Weprin [THR]

• YouTube Is Trying to Walled Garden TV - Mike Shields [Next in Media]

• Cox Media Launches Ad-Supported Streaming Local News Service 'Neighborhood TV' - Bevin Fletcher [StreamTV Insider]

• ‘Suits’ Creator on Surprise Resurgence, Potential Spinoffs and Writer Pay - Lacey Rose [THR]

Data & Measurement

• Nielsen Incorporates Amazon's Data, Networks Demand Answers - Jack Neff [Ad Age]

• Comscore Embeds Gender Equity Metrics in Campaign Planning Tool - Jon Lafayette [Next TV]

• YouTube Will Trade Its Own Co-Viewing Data, Sparking Agency Pushback - Jack Neff [Ad Age]

• YES, THERE ARE ORIGINALS ON FAST - Gavin Bridge [Variety]

• Google's Second Wave of Alleged Ad Fraud Means Advertisers Need Full Transparency - [AdExchanger]

• DirecTV: Digital Media, Addressable TV Still A Project Not Ready for Primetime - Laurie Sullivan [MediaPost]

Landscape

• WGA Says AMPTP’s Latest Contract Offer “Is Neither Nothing, Nor Nearly Enough” - David Robb [Deadline]

• Analyst: US OTT Boom Years Are Over - Karlene Lukovitz [MediaPost]

• Verizon Has Talked with Disney About ESPN Partnership - Sahil Patel [The Information]

• Nexstar, Sinclair, Fox Could Be Most Impacted By Cord-Cutting, Affiliate Fee Declines: Analyst - Wayne Friedman [MediaPost]

• Film and TV studios post AI jobs with salaries up to $1 million as workers strike - David Ingram [NBC News]

Sports

• Apple Wants To Be a Force in Live Sports. Buying ESPN Could Be the Answer. - Michael McCarthy, [Front Office Sports]

• AMAZON’S BLACK FRIDAY NFL ADS WILL BE COMING TO YOU LIVE. MAYBE. - Anthony Crupi [Sportico]

• Apple’s Messi Complex - Julia Alexander [Puck]

• ViewLift to Power Local NHL Vegas Golden Knights Streaming - Bevin Fletcher [StreamTV Insider]

• NBC’S PRIMETIME BIG TEN SHOWCASE HAS ADVERTISERS GOING HOG WILD - Anthony Crupi [Sportico]

• Pickleball went pro. Can it profit? - Lauren Hirsch, Alisha Haridasani Gupta, Ravi Mattu and Bernhard Warner [NYT]

• Sources: ACC expansion talks still alive as leaders consider new financial proposal - Ross Dellenger [Yahoo Sports]

• NFL Scores Big in Advertising Effectiveness Bowl, EDO Report Finds - Jon Lafayette [Next TV]