02/02/26: Cynopsis Media Tech Update

Monday February 2, 2026

   TOP MEDIA TECH NEWS

Comcast shared its fiscal earnings for 2025, which suggest that streaming – and, increasingly, live sports in particular – is the driving force behind the company’s growth. While Comcast saw an overall 1.2% year-over-year increase in Q4 revenue, Peacock saw a 20% jump in revenue.

What’s going on? – Peacock’s expansion of live sports content is driving much of the platform’s subscriptions and advertiser spend. NBCU added 170 new advertisers as a direct result of expanding its NBA inventory.
So what? – Nearly all major entertainment companies are now trying to capitalize on live sports streaming. NBCUniversal is in an advantageous position with both this year’s Super Bowl and Winter Olympics on its programming slate.
Now what? – Although advertising commitments are already largely decided for major tentpole sporting events this year, programmers are expanding and touting their content libraries and ad products to attract as much advertiser interest as they can ahead of this year’s upfronts.

Google sent a cease and desist letter to Kantar Media and Barb, a British research organization that provides figures used for audience measurement in the UK. The letter accuses the two organizations of violating contractual terms of service with the joint measurement offering they created to attribute viewing data to specific content creators.

What’s going on? – Last year, YouTube began allowing roughly 200 of its TV channels to be included alongside viewership figures of British broadcasters including ITV and BBC. Barb and its research partner, Kantar Media, then created a measurement offering to compare YouTube viewership with TV.
So what? – As more YouTube viewership takes place on TV devices, YouTube wants media buyers to treat the platform like premium TV and streaming investments. Which explains why it took issue with comparisons that suggest it isn’t TV.
Now what? – The service in question has been halted, and YouTube continues its efforts to convince media buyers that it’s premium TV. This effort includes new crackdowns on low-quality AI content, or AI slop.

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US ad spend is projected to keep growing, with connected TV and social video channels seeing the most growth – in large part thanks to the state of tentpole events happening in 2026, according to the IAB’s 2026 Outlook Study. Connected TV advertising is expected to grow 13.8% this year, second only to social video, which the IAB expects will see 14.6% growth.

NBCU’s initial asking price for a 30-second commercial on Peacock during the Super Bowl was $3 million. NBCU also requires media buyers to commit to matching that spend on other Peacock inventory. This spend requirement could benefit buyers who want to capitalize on engagement surrounding other major tentpole sporting events happening this year.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, expect to see more ads for AI companies during the Big Game. As consumers grow increasingly distrustful of AI and AI-generated content, the Super Bowl is a promising opportunity for this vertical to begin building an emotional connection with viewers by dispelling the belief that AI and human creativity are mutually exclusive.

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One in three US viewers will be using social media during the Super Bowl this weekend, according to Adtaxi’s 2026 Super Bowl survey. The stat is a testament to the rise of second screen usage during TV and streaming viewing sessions, which creates a lucrative opportunity for advertisers to engage consumers with multiscreen experiences.

Xumo announced an integration with OpenPath, The Trade Desk’s direct-to-publisher supply connection. The announcement follows OpenPath’s expansion to include CTV inventory in 2024, after initially launching in 2022. The Trade Desk maintains it’s not trying to disintermediate supply-side platforms, but instead hopes to create more options for buyers to access premium inventory as supply-path optimization continues to be an industry priority.

Ad measurement firm EDO rolled out a new cross-platform measurement offering with NBCUniversal and Paramount Global as early adopters. The new offering, called Always-On, aims to connect EDO’s ad performance data directly to media owners’ databases to more effectively deliver outcomes-based measurement. The product is available to all major TV and video publishers.

The most popular shows among US viewers increasingly originate on major streaming platforms, according to Luminate, the Penske-owned data supplier for Billboard charts. But while overall viewing hours are up for original TV content on streaming services, Netflix’s share of viewing hours in that category dropped below 59% for the first time in years as competitors win more viewer attention.

Cynopsis Team

Lynn Leahey
Editorial Director
lleahey@accessintel.com

Stephanie Cronk
Brand Director, Convergent TV World, Top Women Network
scronk@accessintel.com

Dave Colford
SVP, Media
dcolford@accessintel.com

 

Advertising Opportunities
Kelly Mahoney
Group Director, Sales
kmahoney@accessintel.com

Kerry Smith
Division President
Access Intelligence

 

Cynopsis Job Listings Sales
Rob Hudgins

Cynopsis General Inquiries
clientservices@accessintel.com

 

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Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »
Job of the day
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE, MULTI-EPISODE TELEVISION PRODUCING >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: Develope, produce, and manage scripted and unscripted multi-episodic series for linear television and/or streaming. Qualified applicants will be distinguished multi-platform practitioners with a significant body of “boots on the ground” work in the TV and streaming industry. The position will require in-class instruction and on-set exercises. Full info HERE

PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: STUDIO AND/OR FIELD DIRECTING; MULTIPLE CAMERAS >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a significant body of practical work in television directing using multiple cameras for linear television and/or streaming platforms. Familiarity with visual effects and AI-supported tools is considered a plus. This position includes teaching directing of scripted and/or unscripted content using multiple cameras at many levels. Full info HERE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE: VERTICAL FILMMAKING/CONTENT CREATOR >>
BOSTON UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION/BOSTON, MA: We seek a colleague with a professional track record in the creation and development of original short-form content aimed at promoting, activating, and motivating young people through social activism, experimentation, entertainment, brand building, and audience engagement across today’s leading content platforms and social media ecosystems. More info HERE

SALES MANAGER – AP AD INSIGHTS HUB >>
ADVERTISER PERCEPTIONS/NEW YORK, NY: Drive direct sales of the platform offering, focusing heavily on new client acquisition. Reporting to and working closely with the GM of the Ad Insights Hub, this individual contributor will partner cross-functionally with Sales, Business Intelligence, Operations, and Client Services teams to build awareness and engagement with new clients. Full info HERE

SALES DIRECTOR – OMG
MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT
NEW YORK, NY
Deliver and exceed sales revenue targets as well as build, manage and grow a strategic account list with a focus on Omnicom agencies and their clients directly, within the northeast. Ability to navigate holding company structure and negotiate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (ratecards, preferred programmatic deals, content deals, etc.). More info HERE

DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE MARKETING >>
ATHLETE TO ATHLETE/SANTA MONICA, CA: Lead the performance marketing team across Meta Ads and new paid digital channels (TikTok, YouTube, Google, etc.) as well as build and execute a roadmap for channel expansion and profitable scale. Develop and run structured testing frameworks. Partner with Creative Strategist on ad briefs, testing priorities, and creative feedback loops. Full info HERE

SENIOR MANAGER, TRAFFIC >>
INSP, LLC./CHARLOTTE, SC: Oversee the Traffic staff and manage and monitor the day-to-day operations. Responsible for the prompt and accurate execution of broadcast logs for three networks. The manager assumes a leadership role within our Network Operations and consistently looks to streamline processes and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Traffic department. Full info HERE

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER>>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Oversee daily sales pipeline operations focused on national sponsorships, integrations, and branded content tied to unscripted programming. Manage and coach the Business Development team, drive outbound activity, shape proposals and pricing, and lead CRM strategy, reporting, and optimizations via Salesforce. Full info HERE

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
>>
NTD/WASHINGTON, DC: Pitch story ideas and write scripts/segment outlines as well as research guests and interview topics. Book guests and coordinate interviews. Help with logistics and sometimes field production. Support shoots and ensure production runs smoothly. Review footage and work with editors to shape final episodes. Write headlines, teasers, and social posts. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION
>>
THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/HOLLYWOOD, CA: Responsible for all HR functions and oversight of administrative and management needs. This strategic role is charged with operating from a customer service driven viewpoint that prioritizes employee satisfaction as well as enforce legally compliant policies, increase efficiency by implementing administrative and record-keeping best practices. Full info HERE

SENIOR DESIGNER >>
REELZ CHANNEL/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Responsible for the concept, design and execution of various motion graphics projects for on-air promo and sales presentations. Will be required to design and create graphics for social media, digital and print. Must be able to follow brand guidelines and expand and change the brand look when necessary. Full info HERE

EVP, COMMERCIAL & TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, LEGAL & BUSINESS AFFAIRS
>>
A+E GLOBAL MEDIA/NY(HYBRID): Oversee the three major areas of commercial transactions (comprised of supporting the Distribution, Total Media Solutions and Global Content Sales divisions) and the adjacent areas supported by the attorney teams that principally support those divisions (including vendor management and privacy). Full info HERE

SR. DIRECTOR OF SALES, KSTU & KUPX >>
THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY/SALT LAKE CITY: Leverage our suite of advertising solutions to unlock growth opportunities for local and national businesses. Play a role in driving the station’s revenue goals as well as serving as the home station for Utah’s new NHL team. Collaborate with our production team to create campaigns that connect our clients with their customers in meaningful ways. Full info HERE

DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER >>
FURMAN ROTH ADVERTISING/NY(HYBRID): Plan, launch, and optimize digital marketing campaigns across various paid media channels (including Display, Google products, Paid Social, CTV, and Programmatic, etc.) while managing budgets effectively. Support the execution of media plans across platforms, overseeing targeting, budget allocation, and performance tracking to drive campaign success. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR; CTV BRAND PARTNERSHIPS – MID WEST/WEST COAST

FUTURE TODAY
REMOTE
Build, maintain and expand a pipeline of sales targets, contacts, and sales opportunities leveraging your relationships with a heavy focus on new business revenue. Build/nurture relationships with the investment, strategy, precision and digital agencies as well as clients. Also maintain an ongoing knowledge of the streaming media landscape. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
THE SHADE ROOM/REMOTE: Develop and execute a revenue growth strategy to drive direct advertising, branded content, and sponsorship sales as well as lead the development of compelling advertising and branded content offerings tailored for TSR’s audience and cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key advertisers, media agencies, and brand partners. Full info HERE

PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
MARIST UNIVERSITY/ POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: Teach studio and field broadcasting and new media courses in sports media and journalism as well as be able to teach a studio course on producing a newscast and help students live stream a podcast or produce short-form feature content suitable for social media streaming. Also demonstrate through their teaching, professional activity, and service. Full info HERE

SALES LEAD – AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS

UPWAVE
NEW YORK, NY

Build and manage relationships with our agency partners – mostly targeting media buyers and planners – and help them see the value of adding Upwave measurement to The Trade Desk campaigns. You will both leverage your existing network and open new doors to achieve aggressive but achievable sales targets. Full info HERE

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