02/17/26: Cynopsis Media Tech Update

Tuesday February 17, 2026

   TOP MEDIA TECH NEWS

Anthropic’s Super Bowl commercials for Claude AI won the Super Bowl in terms of consumer interest and online engagement, according to analytics provider Sprout Social. Anthropic’s commercials appear to mock the idea of running ads in AI chatbots or similar products that claim to offer genuine advice in moments of vulnerability. According to data from Sprout Social, Anthropic’s ad drove 7,847 mentions on social media between January 27 and early February 9, compared with OpenAI’s 7,040.

· What’s happening? – Anthropic aired two separate creatives during the Big Game highlighting possible user friction when ads appear in AI. One spot shows a man asking his therapist, a thinly veiled stand-in for ChatGPT, for advice about communicating with his mother, to which the “therapist” recommends a dating site for finding older women. The other spot depicts a young man asking a personal trainer, again evoking ChatGPT, to create a personalized workout plan, to which the “trainer” then recommends an insole for “short kings.” Both spots end with the tagline, “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.”
· So what? – Anthropic is not the first company to center marketing efforts on its lack of ads. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was previously very vocal about ChatGPT remaining an ad-free service. In 2024, he referred to the idea of ads in AI as “uniquely unsettling,” noting he thinks of ads as the “last resort” for a good business model.
· Now what? – AI companies must keep working to persuade consumers that their products are empowering rather than intrusive or sloppy. Part of building trust involves convincing people that AI is trustworthy – and won’t prey on their vulnerabilities.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s board is reportedly considering reopening discussions with Paramount Skydance after the latter sweetened its bid to acquire the entire company. Paramount Skydance’s new offer includes a $2.8 billion termination fee paid to Netflix if the two put an end to their proposed merger.

· What’s happening? – Paramount Skydance and Netflix have been going toe-to-toe for months over WBD. In December, Netflix agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Studios and HBO Max in an $82.7 billion deal. Shortly afterward, Paramount Skydance issued a hostile takeover bid, and in January, it sued WBD to force a disclosure of information about the proposed merger with Netflix. Both Paramount and Skydance have sweetened their offers for WBD in that time frame.
· So what? – As competition among TV and video platforms for subscribers and sustainable ad revenue growth comes to a head, the new owner of WBD stands to gain a tremendous advantage in the intensifying streaming wars.
· Now what? – While WBD’s future is still unknown, expect the imminent upfront season to be where the major streamers are focusing their attention in the heated battle for viewership hours and ad dollars.

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   BEST OF THE REST

The Winter Olympics are airing now, and NBCUniversal sold out its Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ad inventory a month ahead of the games, setting a new Winter Olympics ad sales record with the highest linear and digital revenue to date. NBCU bundled its Olympics and Super Bowl inventory in its upfront packages, which means that, according to the broadcaster, roughly three-fourths of Super Bowl advertisers are continuing their campaigns into the Winter Olympics.

Super Bowl ads for Salesforce and AI.com caused quite a few website outages when they airedwhich isn’t entirely a bad thing. Both advertisers used their Super Bowl spots to encourage viewers to visit their websites, and while the site crashes that followed were inconvenient, they can bolster people’s interest in a brand by underscoring its popularity.

Twitch is testing pause ads, a part of the Amazon-owned streaming platform’s efforts to diversify creator monetization options by testing multiple ad formats including skippable ads. Several other streaming and ad tech platforms announced pause ad technology in the back half of 2025 as pause ads become an increasingly popular tactic to balance ad revenue growth with non-disruptive and user-friendly ad experiences.

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YouTube made $60 billion in ad revenue in 2025, but the biggest YouTube creators are lessening their reliance on YouTube ad dollars while exploring other avenues. Some YouTube creators have built large enough fanbases or product lines originating from YouTube engagement to start their own businesses – and are finding that these businesses are growing more sustainably than their YouTube monetization.

And speaking of YouTube, YouTube TV will introduce cheaper bundles starting next month, including a $65 per month sports package. It’s also offering discounts to new subscribers that could further lower the price of certain plans for the first few months or the first year after signing up. The move is another testament to the importance of sports-focused content slates in publishers’ quest to compete for eyeballs and ad dollars.

And it’s only getting more complicated for viewers to figure out how and where to access their preferred sports content. MLB.TV subscribers now also have to subscribe to ESPN Unlimited if they want to watch out-of-market games this year due to complicated broadcast licensing arrangements between ESPN and Major League Baseball.

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MANAGER, MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS >>
TELEVISION ACADEMY/NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA:
Lead the execution of initiatives such as the Peer Circle program and Your Voice Matters, reviewing data to enhance program participation and ensure metrics are achieved; collaborate with the Senior Director of Engagement and Retention and stakeholders across marketing to manage delivery and optimization of the Member Benefits Perks newsletter. Full info HERE

BROADCAST ENGINEER >>
HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY/HIGH POINT, NC: Ensure high-quality production environments and provide technical leadership to faculty, staff, and students in live and recorded productions and play a role in supporting the school’s mission to provide industry-standard production experiences for students and will have opportunities to contribute to the development of emerging media technologies. More info HERE

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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