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Giants Could Bring in Rogers if the Price is Right
The San Francisco Giants face a potential high-stakes bidding war for southpaw Trevor Rogers.
Omnicom lands Coca-Cola’s North American media business, as WPP retains its global remit
The beverage giant's US and Canada media move to Omnicom as the holdco's CEO John Wren made the case it would build a bespoke team, not a Pepsico holdover.
Giants Must Attempt to Sign Morejón
Adrian Morejón’s dominant track record at Oracle Park makes him the ideal solution for the San Francisco Giants' crumbling bullpen.
Business merger bodes well for Bellingham's cider scene
Sitting down with 2 industry pros from Bellingham Cider Co., Lost Giants
Giants release veteran linebacker after just 2 games
Giants quickly move on from Jihad Ward after two unimpressive games.
Dru Phillips: Giants' defensive stands stem from preseason practice
Dru Phillips said the New York Giants' recent stands come from preseason practice reps where players trust each other to simply do their jobs.
Isaiah Likely fully takes part in practice
Giants TE Isaiah Likely posts back-to-back full practices
Netflix’s latest cliff-hanger? Where it’s headed as a business.
The streaming giant has shaken up its staffing and is looking to compete in an evolving entertainment landscape.
Salesforce goes back to the M&A well to fortify a weaker business. Why it's a smart move
The enterprise software giant's planned acquisition of Braze will beef up its marketing business and avoids diluting shareholders in the process.
Beloved Yankees Player Lands Job Managing His Former Japanese Team
Former New York Yankees star Hideki Matsui landed a job managing the Yomiuri Giants, his former team. The post Beloved Yankees Player Lands Job Managing His Former Japanese Team appeared first on HEAVY.
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
To celebrate the launch of the iPhone Duo this Friday, Apple has set up oversized iPhone Duo promotional displays at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City, Apple Covent Garden in London, Apple BKC in India, and Apple Jing'an in Shanghai. The installations were already spotted under wraps, and Apple CEO John Ternus has since revealed what they look like in a photo of Apple Jing'an shared on his Weibo account today.
Danaher and NVIDIA Partner to Accelerate Autonomous Science
Danaher CEO Julie Sawyer Montgomery says the company's partnership with AI giant NVIDIA will help “researchers move faster to advance discoveries”
Meet D. rex, the newly crowned giant fungus ‘king’ that measures almost 2 feet tall
Origins of a towering fungus identified in China traces back about 65 million years ago right after the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs.
New York Giants release running back Najee Harris
The New York Giants released veteran running back Najee Harris, a league source told UPI on Tuesday. Harris had signed with the Giants in August.
STEAM dreams: Children discover science, creativity and hands-on fun as iMAGINE Festival fills Uptown Greenwood
Giant bubbles floated through the air, robots whirred to life and children became scientists, engineers and artists for a day Saturday as the iMAGINE STEAM Festival took over a large
Meta's board thinks keeping Zuckerberg at its California office is key
The tech giant's effort to dissuade its CEO from relocating reflects a common belief that the best work happens when everyone is together in person.
Meta updates business terms, sparking AI training fears among news outlets
Tech giant’s revised rules could allow automated scraping across entire websites, legal experts warn
Does Blade Tidwell Have a Future With the Giants?
San Francisco Giants right-hander Blade Tidwell saw an increase in opportunities in 2026, but has he done enough to be a part of the team's future plans?
IP Saves the Day On Streaming
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get started, I wanted to highlight a new idea I saw from Real Good AI, proposing a ratings system for AI use. (H/T to Anthony Kaufman’s article highlighting this.) It would look something like this: In general, I think that this is a solid, middle-ground solution that should appease both the pro-AI camp (who love AI) and the anti-AI camp (who wants to know if what they’re watching didn’t come from humans). Regardless of your feelings on AI/LLMs—I’ll never use it for my writing—transparency is often the best solution to many problems. In general, I think way more media outlets need to be using way more AI disclosures. My quick “Yes and...” to this idea: what about ads? In particular, I hate it when I see or hear ads that are obviously AI-generated, but a person or voice says, “I used this product”. AI doesn’t use products! Just today, I watched a YouTube ad where a “person” said they use some sort of rain wind chime...but that’s not a real person! They didn’t use this product. (Especially since the video of the wind chime itself also appeared to be AI-generated...) I believe most traditional advertising already has standards like this anyway.1 Okay, on to this week’s issue. We’re covering the week of 14-Sep, and then next issue, I’ll be fully caught up with Nielsen’s new release schedule. In the future, I plan to put out Streaming Ratings Reports each Monday after Nielsen’s Thursday releases. Overall, we had some big new shows this week, like Prime Video’s Reacher spinoff_, Neagley_, which is off to a big, big start, and Netflix’s latest in its Monster anthology, which is their largest opening since June and the second-largest since One Piece came out in March. All that, plus Slow Horses returns, the trio of returning shows (Lioness, Reacher and Ted Lasso) continue to dominate the top tens, Paramount+’s latest crime drama, a big whiff for a Netflix original film and a precipitous drop for Netflix film charts, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of September 14th to September 20th 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - IP For the TV Win Can I use the dirty word of entertainment journalism right now? IP. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone I said it. But IP works at the box office, and we’ve seen some evidence it works in TV too. Not as well, and not all the time—no absolutes here!—but often enough. And glancing at the Nielsen top ten…it worked this week! Take Prime Video, who has a monster hit in the crime drama Reacher. Would a spinoff work for that show? Yep! They binge-released Neagley, about a detective from the original Reacher series, and its eight episodes debuted to 29.6 million hours. Here’s how it stacks up to Reacher, one of Prime Video’s biggest shows: That’s great. Nearly as strong as Reacher’s opening! (Both shows started with eight, binge-released episodes, so this comparison is apples-to-apples.) Notably, Prime Video scheduled the debut of Neagley to overlap with Reacher’s most recent season, to help drive tune-in. Obviously, I love smart release strategies like that. And even though I wrote “obviously”, it’s not really that obvious, since streamers don’t often take advantage of natural overlaps like this_._2 Other data backs how well Neagley performed. It opened at second place on Samba TV for two weeks and got 51.7 million hours on Luminate. That’s the eleventh biggest opening on Luminate since May of 2024 and tied with Bridgerton’s third season opening. That’s a huge opening! Its IMDb is solid too, a 7.7 on 24K reviews. Netflix’s latest edition in the “Monster” series—which started with Jeffrey Dahmer and comes from Ryan Murphy—did well too, opening to 24.7 million hours. That’s the biggest opening for Netflix since I Will Find You in June, and second biggest since March. Unlike the Reacher series, this franchise is trending downward, though. The first Monster show—Dahmer - Monster—was giant. More than anything, I think this reflects that Netflix running out of extremely popular—if that’s the right word?—serial killers to feature. Still, the data says this is a very good opening. It made it to third place on Samba TV for two weeks. It also opened to 40.0 million hours on Luminate. That’s not quite as elite as Neagley, but still very, very strong. I’ll be honest: my priors coming into any given week are that IP works to help drive buzz for new shows, but TV shows need to stand on their own even more than movies, so they will succeed or fail based on their quality. But these two spinoffs definitely worked. Quick Notes on TV The top show, film or special this week? Football, again. Specifically, Prime Video’s season opener of Thursday Night Football. The games run long (three hours) but mainly a lot of people watch each game. That adds up to a lot of viewership. Paramount released the second season of MobLand on an unusual day for that service, a Friday! Often, they put their new shows out on a Sunday, as they did last year with a run of shows (Lioness, Tulsa King and Landman). MobLand didn’t make Nielsen in its first week, but on Samba TV it got to eighth and seventh place. Luminate had a smaller opening too, only 5.3 million hours. MobLand missed the Nielsen charts for its first eight weeks, so this season is off to a stronger start. (Bonus note: the first season streams on both Prime Video and The Roku Channel, but I only have it as Paramount+ on those charts.) I’ve mentioned a few times that foreign-language originals do lower numbers than English-language originals on Netflix most of the time. But I don’t usually emphasize what country those originals come from, and observationally, they tend to be from Western or Northern European countries, in general. So credit to Not a Stranger, a Turkish Netflix original, for breaking through on Luminate, getting to 7.9 million hours in its first full week on those charts. As I mentioned last issue, Crew Girl ended up making the Nielsen charts in its second week. That’s still a soft performance compared to many shows, but again this, one looks affordable. And if you’re curious, here’s how it stacks up to some other sports romance shows: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… …about a new data source and how it drives streaming viewership… ...what reality show is struggling in its latest season…. ...what Netflix film bombed…. ...How Reacher, Ted Lasso, and Lioness are doing on the charts… ...what obscure sport put up great viewership numbers… …how far streaming films are falling… …all the flops, bombs and misses for the last week… …and more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue. Coming Soon! Next week, we’ve got a double issue, then we’ll be all caught up with Nielsen’s data. Yes! The goal is to have my report out on the Monday after I get Nielsen’s data. So next issue, I’m looking at East of Eden, The Great British Baking Show, a Willy Wonka game show (that people are upset uses AI, but viewers might not care), and a Cosby show spinoff reboot on Netflix, and Brothers on Apple TV (starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey). That’s about it for TV, but who’s going to win the streaming week, The Breadwinner or Backrooms on streaming? Answer: Toy Story 5. Plus Netflix has a Unabomber film and a new Tyler Perry film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma tries to repeat The Substance’s run on MUBI, and Paramount+ has Jackass: Best and Last. Long term, Netflix is remaking Lonesome Dove. I love this choice, but man, there are a lot of westerns on TV right now. And they’re making Sega TV shows, including a Crazy Taxi TV show and Sonic show with an “edge”.
Meta denies accusation of anti-Lula political bias in Brazil after electoral court ruling
SAO PAULO (AP) — Tech giant Meta denied accusations Friday that it acted with political bias during Brazil’s presidential campaign, less than a day after the country’s electoral court ruled the platform must give equal treatment to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and opposition candidate Fláv...
NY Giants need their ballhawk deeper against Houston
Houston expects Tank Dell back Sunday. For the Giants, I would treat that as a reason to protect more space […]
Jameis Winston reacts to losing job to J.J. McCarthy
The New York Giants have had a revolving door at the quarterback position this season. Jaxson Dart opened the season as the starter, but lost his season to a brutal knee injury. A veteran journeyman was inserted into the roll to replace Dart, but after he struggled with interceptions, a common theme throughout his career,…
Giants' John Harbaugh defends Kayvon Thibodeaux: Tape tells the story
New York Giants' John Harbaugh pushed back on calls for more from Kayvon Thibodeaux, arguing his film shows strong plays even without box score stats.
Apple F1 Advertising Booming in First Season With Racing Sport
The tech giant does not have an ad tier on its Apple TV streaming service, but one of the company's top ad execs tells THR that F1 is growing its share of the pie.
Giants' J.J. McCarthy Drama is Getting More Bizarre
What are the New York Giants exactly doing here?
Exiled Vikings QB Named Starter Once Again
The Giants have made their call at quarterback for Sunday, and a familiar name for Minnesota Vikings fans is getting another chance.
Netflix’s latest cliff-hanger? Where it’s headed as a business.
The streaming giant has shaken up its staffing and is looking to compete in an evolving entertainment landscape.
2 giant Ramesses II statues, one wearing a double crown, discovered by man in Egypt
The remains of two Ramesses II statues — one of which would have originally stood around 28 feet tall — were found by a villager in Egypt.
Vikings Face Criticism Over J.J. McCarthy From Unexpected Voice
Barstool Sports owner and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy went to bat for former Minnesota Vikings and current New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Portnoy spoke out about McCarthy’s time at the Vikings, as the latter made his debut with the Giants. McCarthy stepped in for Jameis Winston in the Giants’ game against the New Orleans […] The post Vikings Face Criticism Over J.J. McCarthy From Unexpected Voice appeared first on HEAVY.
Why Disney is courting creators to builder a deeper bond with fans
Disney is one of the many entertainment giants already investing big in the creator economy. Here's how it plans to scale its efforts.
Eagles sign ex-Giants first-round offensive lineman bust
This roster move from the Eagles is an interesting one.
TQL’s RICO response: rips carriers’ ‘poor business practices’
The first response in the RICO case initiated by a group of carriers against giant 3PLs C.H. Robinson and TQL has been filed by the latter, and it has two
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Apple is preparing what appear to be giant iPhone Duo displays outside its Fifth Avenue store in New York ahead of the device's launch on Friday, October 23. Photos from users on X show the structures on the plaza beside the glass cube. Their designs are hidden by wrapping and black covers, so it remains unclear exactly how Apple will present the device. October 21, 2026 The outdoor installations accompany a substantial retail push inside the store.
Giant iPhone Duo installations spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue ahead of launch
While the iPhone Duo doesn’t launch until Friday, preparations are already underway at Apple’s flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York for the big day.
PSV Secure Shuryjano Cornecion’s Future With New Contract Until 2031
Fresh off an impressive first-team debut, the teenage midfielder commits his long-term future to the Eredivisie giants as Peter Bosz looks to integrate the academy graduate permanently.
Netflix is laying off 6% of its workforce, in biggest round of job cuts at streaming giant in years
Netflix plans to lay off about 6% of its workforce as part of wider organizational changes. Co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos announced the cuts in a memo to employees
Giants Should Target This Starter to Pair With Logan Webb
The San Francisco Giants could unleash a groundball revolution by signing this veteran right-hander. His elite sinker offers the perfect high-impact complement to stabilize the Giants' inconsistent starting rotation alongside Logan Webb.
Giants Facing a Surprising Trap Game Against the Saints
The New York Giants are facing a major trap game this Sunday.
Should Giants Explore a Reunion with Gausman?
Kevin Gausman could bring in a veteran presence and stabilize the San Francisco Giants rotation.
Dealroom.co | Four entertainment giants take stakes in Japan's Flag
What's the deal? Japanese entertainment marketing firm Flag has…
Andrew Thomas’ latest update leaves the Giants waiting
John Harbaugh didn’t declare Andrew Thomas or Jermaine Eluemunor ready for Houston on Monday. He said both tackles, along with […]
Who are Giants fans rooting for in ALCS Game 5?
The ALCS continues this weekend with Game 5 between the Rays and Guardians. Who are Giants fans rooting for?
Trace Ford’s Giants promotion needs a pass-rush audition
Trace Ford has made three appearances, collected seven tackles and now has an active-roster contract. The next question is whether […]
Goldman Sachs spends big to give small businesses an AI boost
The Wall Street giant is committing $500 million to expand its 10,000 Small Businesses program and launch an AI institute, partnering with Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to bring AI know-how to Main Street. NBC's Christine Romans spoke exclusively with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and with small businesses figuring out how to make AI work for them.
MVP MMA On Netflix One And Done?
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano was the first live MMA event to ever feature on Netflix. It may also be the last for quite some time. Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) intended to disrupt the MMA world with their collaboration with the streaming giant, but Netflix has fallen on hard times. Its stock […]
Giants Could Trade Lee for Savings and Outfield Opening
The San Francisco Giants must decide if Jung Hoo Lee’s inconsistent production warrants a massive salary as rising prospects and urgent pitching needs force a roster overhaul.
Giants DC Dennard Wilson: We love being home underdogs
The Giants are 3-1-1 heading into Sunday's home game against a 1-4 Saints team that was excoriated by their owner this week, but oddsmakers don't view the Giants as heavy favorites to win that game.
Philip Morris Says Global Wars Have Disrupted Its Business and Clouded Earnings Outlook
Tobacco giant Philip Morris says it anticipates the global conflicts will impact operating income this year.
Saints GM Loomis in Paris addresses criticism from team owner amid slow start to season
VERSAILLES, France (AP) — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday he understands the recent criticism from owner Gayle Benson but asked for patience with what he called a “young developing team.”Benson, in comments before the Saints (2-4) beat the New York Giants last Sunday, said Loomis and his staff are responsible for “building a roster capable of sustained success.
On Main Street, Goldman Sachs makes a big bet on AI
The Wall Street giant says it’s teaming up with OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic to help small businesses embrace artificial intelligence.
Morning Break: Saints prepare to face Giants, Chris Olave returns to practice
A collection of headlines and news about the Saints and the NFL for Saturday, October 17
Giants Lose Top Tackler Edmunds For The Year
Tremaine Edmunds is out for the season with a torn chest muscle. The Giants must pivot quickly to Micah McFadden or risk their defense collapsing.
Capcom confirms data breach affecting 11.7 million accounts
Japanese gaming giant Capcom has confirmed that hackers breached its membership service, CAPCOM ID, exposing more than 11.7 million customer email addresses and associated information.
Antonio Conte 'Makes Decision' On Accepting Man Utd Manager Job
As chaos engulfs Old Trafford following Champions League heartbreak and internal friction, Antonio Conte signals his readiness to return to England and restore the fallen giants.
SpaceX bear flips to big bull because of AI business. Analyst now sees 70% gain
PhillipCapital moved its rating on the Elon Musk giant to buy from sell, with the bullishness stemming from the company's AI business.
Florida's manufacturing ambitions take flight as aerospace, medtech giants fuel Sunshine State's economic push
Florida is moving beyond tourism as aerospace and medtech giants drive an manufacturing boom aimed at securing a top-10 global economic ranking by 2030.
European giant ready to take Liverpool's biggest problem
It is still early days in Andoni Iraola’s reign as Liverpool manager, but the first few months have lacked consistency. The Reds have only lost once under the Spaniard, but the team have struggled ...
Giants’ strong special teams unit has one big weakness: counting
One of the best special teams units in the NFL can’t keep getting burned by something as simple as counting to 11.
Giants Give Surprising Injury Update on Breakout Star
The New York Giants had a surprise injury update on their breakout defensive star on Wednesday. The post Giants Give Surprising Injury Update on Breakout Star appeared first on HEAVY.
WT Natural Sciences Department to honor Steed as graduate of distinction
A giant in the area energy industry will be honored by West Texas A&M University’s Department of Natural Sciences at an upcoming event.
Lab testing giant Quest Diagnostics confirms patients' personal and health data was compromised during breach
Quest is the latest in a series of healthcare technology companies that have been hacked in recent months.
Netflix is laying off 6% of its workforce, in biggest round of job cuts at streaming giant in years
Netflix plans to lay off about 6% of its workforce as part of wider organizational changes. Co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos announced the cuts in a memo to employees
Meta's giant data center is creating a new path to $30-an-hour jobs
A community college in Louisiana is training students to work at Meta's giant new AI data center.
Giants are releasing running back Najee Harris, AP source says
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Giants are releasing running back Najee Harris, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the move, which was first reported by NFL Network, had not been announced.
Jameis Winston is Turning the Giants' Franchise Around
Who would have thought Jameis Winston would be the answer for the New York Giants/
Giants Part Ways With Najee Harris After Sunday's Comments
The New York Giants are releasing running back Najee Harris.
Giants Urged to Move on From Chapman
Saddled with a massive $100 million contract and declining production, the San Francisco Giants must offload veteran third baseman Matt Chapman to clear payroll and pursue fresh international talent.
J.J. McCarthy’s 243 Yards Put Giants QB Job in Play
Down 34-10, the Giants turned to Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, and now their starting job is open. #Michigan
Giants' Cutthroat Najee Harris Move is Surprisingly Refreshing
The New York Giants' decision to cut Najee Harris this week was surprisingly refreshing.
Giants Draft Pick Makes Immediate Impact in Pro Debut
San Francisco Giants 17th-round pick Tanner Mally carried his elite college hitting into professional baseball.
Giants Cut Ties with Former Steelers RB Najee Harris
The New York Giants are releasing former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and first-round pick Najee Harris, per Ian Rapoport of […]
Game Recap: Saints visit Giants in Week 6 Clash
Catch up on everything that went down in East Rutherford.
From labs to billboards: Behind China’s push to turn scientists into patriotic icons
Giant tributes to nuclear physicists and rocket scientists are popping up across major Chinese cities. However, academic Erik Baark observes that behind the scientific drive is a push for academic reforms.
Tiki Barber Says Cam Skattebo Must Fix Mindset Now
Giants legend Tiki Barber calls out Cam Skattebo for his fourth fumble, insisting the rookie must change his mindset to stay on the roster.
J.J. McCarthy Could Solve One Massive Problem for Giants
New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy could solve a huge problem for the team.
Meta denies accusation of anti-Lula political bias in Brazil after electoral court ruling
Tech giant Meta has denied accusations it has acted with political bias during Brazil’s presidential campaign.
J.J. McCarthy’s ‘whirlwind’ Giants tenure takes big leap into starting role
It’s J.J. McCarthy time for the Giants.
YouTube is upending Hollywood — and Alphabet might be the best entertainment bet
The creator economy has turned the entertainment industry on its head this year, with YouTubers now directing box-office hits. Are entertainment giants like Disney (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) still the stocks to buy? Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management CEO Ross Gerber and his expert panel weigh in on the rise of creator-led projects taking hold in the film industry. Today's Market Hang panel consists of Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman, Business Insider Today executive editor Dan DeFrancesco, Baird investment strategist Ross Mayfield, and SlateStone Wealth partner and chief market strategist Kenny Polcari.
Leipzig Face Nkunku Injury Scare Ahead Of Elversberg Clash
Martín Demichelis navigates a selection crisis as Christopher Nkunku battles an adductor injury, though Christoph Baumgartner’s long-awaited return offers hope following bruising defeats to European giants.
Why Giants Should Part Ways With Adrian Houser
The San Francisco Giants are on the hook to pay Adrian Houser more money in 2027, but his production does not justify it.
Jaxson Dart is Officially on Notice After Giants' Latest Decision
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart may have to watch his back.
Meta denies accusation of anti-Lula political bias in Brazil after electoral court ruling
SAO PAULO (AP) — Tech giant Meta denied accusations Friday that it acted with political bias during Brazil’s presidential campaign, less than a day after the country’s electoral court ruled the pla…
A Giant Asteroid Spins Once Every 4 Minutes. Scientists Aren't Sure How It Holds Together
It's whirling far faster than something its size has any right to.
Kroger pledges to cut grocery prices by $5B by 2029
Kroger shoppers could soon see lower prices at checkout as the grocery giant’s new CEO looks to cut costs.
Scientists Unlock 700,000-Year-Old Secrets Hidden Inside a Giant Elephant Tooth
A giant elephant’s tooth has preserved clues to the watery world that sustained early humans nearly 700,000 years ago. Researchers studying elephant remains from Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY-NBA) in northern Israel have reconstructed a Pleistocene environment rich in water, vegetation, and wildlife. Published in Quaternary Science Reviews, the study reveals the landscape shared by enormous
Jameis Winston or J.J. McCarthy the starter?
New York Giants QB Jameis Winston was benched Sunday in Week 6, and QB J.J. McCarthy nearly led the team to a comeback win
Jerry Jeudy Trade: Giants Connected to Browns WR
Jerry Jeudy is not living up to his paycheck, and one prominent NFL insider believes the Cleveland Browns could trade him despite the team's winning record. A first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeudy began his career with the Denver Broncos and established himself as a good but not great pass-catching weapon. However, he …
Vikings, Chargers Floated in Realistic Justin Herbert Trade Idea
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have any commitment to a quarterback beyond this season after the trade of J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants. Both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz are on one-year contracts, and new general manager Nolan Teasley could look to go in a different direction if neither impresses. Heading into the bye […] The post Vikings, Chargers Floated in Realistic Justin Herbert Trade Idea appeared first on HEAVY.
There’s a Reason That Netflix’s Ad Business Has Underwhelmed
Somewhat lost in the company’s slew of firings and engagement warnings over the past few weeks was the fact that Netflix is scaling back its ad forecast for 2026 from $3 billion to $2.7 billion. That’s despite the fact that: CTV is growing by 14-15% this year This year saw a monster upfront Netflix is the biggest streamer out there this side of YouTube, and was the platform that for years brands were supposedly dying to be a part of In other words, that’s an alarming pull-back from Netflix. A Wall Street analyst I spoke with last week was blunt, calling Netflix’s ad business “disappointing.” To me, a red flag on the ad front is that Netflix has never revealed how many ad-supported subscribers it has. Because if I know anything about how big companies work, if they have a positive number that makes them look really good - they tend to share it. (How many subs does go90 have right now? We’re not saying just yet. How are ads going on ChatGPT? Oh, a billion run rate - I see). Yes, to date Netflix has shared some fuzzy ad numbers, such as the idea that the company’s ad tier ‘reaches’ 250 million users globally.’ Here’s why that figure gives me pause: a)they lead with global, and b) they don’t explain how they are calculated. (Are they based on average people in each room? Surveys of some kind?). Regardless, some insiders say that Netflix’s ad tier is scaling nicely - others not so much. Either way, one of Netflix’s biggest challenge on the ad front appears to have been its starting point. Remember, when Netflix launched ads in 2022, it had 73 million subs in the US and Canada. That’s 73 million people who were used to Netflix with zero ads. And when the ad product rolled out, the company clearly was going after new users - a limited pool of potential subscribers by default. That focus seems to have changed over time, as Netflix has tried to convert longtime subscribers to the ad tier. Historically Netflix subscribers are very sticky. But is the company’s low churn a problem? Not necessarily, according to Antenna data. Rather, Netflix’s consumer loyalty is a bit of a double-edged sword. “Netflix is the one streamer which actually has seen substantial “trade downs” but has much lower ‘win backs,’ said Antenna founder Jonathan Carson (win-backs being people who were on the ad-free plan, cancelled, then rejoined on the ad plan). “Netflix has lower churn and so has less opportunity to win back old subs with a lower cost plan option.” This all might explain why Netflix has been so slow to roll out all of these table stakes targeting options until just this week. It likely didn’t have enough users to carve up into various targets. etc. However, what really hit Netflix’s ad business was Amazon’s move a few years ago to turn on advertising for Prime Video by default. Suddenly the market was awash in premium inventory, and Netflix was playing catch-up on multiple fronts. Thus, the streaming giant appears to still be figuring out if if wants lead in ‘programmatic TV,’ or premium ‘upfront’ TV sales. “The CTV market now sorts into three businesses, and Netflix is not the leader of any of them,” wrote analyst Jack Myers. Ouch. So how does Netflix ratchet up its ads business? Get the next NFL package You’re gonna have to wait until 2030 unless one of the bigger media companies like Skydance opts out, but the easiest (not cheapest) way for Netflix to become a huge TV ads contender is to get one of the regular NFL packages, ideally Sunday afternoons. That way it can sell ads to its whole U.S. subs base overnight. Go FAST This one is risky, because to program a compelling FAST channel, you’d likely have to take some older Netflix exclusive shows and make them available for free to non-subscribers. But FASTs, for better or worse, are ad-inventory machines. Go full UGC I’m not sure I see this happening. There is something already off about Netflix carrying podcasts and shows for creators. The experience sticks out in what is such a produced, and generally non-communal environment. But Netflix could open up its platform by allowing creators to upload videos without having to be approved by the service. But that opens a whole other can of worms (policing brand safety, copyright infringement, overall quality). Make a huge RMN Deal I was going to suggest something crazy, such as ‘instead of buying Warner Brothers, Netflix should buy Target. But the company doesn’t want to be in the brick and mortar business. Yet for Netflix’s ad business to compete in an Amazon world, it needs to be able to connect ad exposures to shopping. What if, instead of letting Amazon target Netflix viewers with its DSP, Netflix inked a deal with Target, or even took control of Roundel, and created its version of the Amazon full-funnel for brands? Price us out. I hope they don’t do this, but Netflix’s price increases - while significant - haven’t been enough to push long-term customers out of the ad-free tier. But if they made those prices so prohibitive, it could push large swaths of consumers to trade down. Then again, that could also dent engagement - as binging becomes much less appealing once you bring ads into the equation. Or, they could just launch a bunch of hit shows and maybe everyone will quickly forget all this angst. More from Amazon unBoxed A few weeks ago, I recorded two podcasts live at Amazon’s unBoxed event in San Francisco. I was able to go really deep with several brand partners about how Amazon’s various data and ad products work - particularly the under appreciated Amazon Marketing Cloud. First, I talked with Laura Abadias Velilla, of the Amazon specialty agency Amerge, along with Amazon’s own Charlotte Maines, Vice President, Devices Content & Advertising, about how the two partners helped a very specific printer company Epson launch into a brand new category - high end projectors. It’s a great example of how brands connect audience data across platforms to make budget deployment decisions. Next, I chatted with Monks VP Head of Digital Investment for North America Tom Burchill about how the agency actually brought in data from Linkedin to help target B2B customers across various Amazon properties for the brand Quicken. Check it out: Check these out, or just listen:
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