03/23/26: Cynopsis Media Tech Update

Monday March 23, 2026

TOP MEDIA TECH NEWS

Samsung Ads touts dessert brand Crumbl’s first streaming TV campaign as a testament to CTV’s ability to perform on par with search and social media – particularly by matching cost efficiency benchmarks and driving the bakery’s intended business results. Crumbl’s campaign involved Samsung’s smart TV home screen interface, which the brand said allowed it to capture attention in a way that’s hard to emulate on mobile.

· What happened? – Over a seven-week flight, Crumbl’s first CTV campaign resulted in more than 16,000 app downloads – or 213% more app installs than the bakery expected. The campaign also delivered a 32.37% return on ad spend.
· So what? – The bakery, which historically relied heavily on its mobile app to drive business, needs to broaden its horizon to continue growing its customer base. Leading up to its first CTV campaign, Crumbl hit a growth plateau and needed to branch beyond its social-first strategy to drive customers to one of its approximately 1,200 stores nationwide.
· Now what? – As brands and publishers increasingly look at streaming as a performance marketing channel, monetizing home screen inventory is emerging as a popular tactic. Home screen ad placements help brands get in front of viewers before they get lost in their favorite shows – which they may be streaming on ad-free subscription plans.

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Netflix has a unique upfront strategy, as evidenced by a preview presentation it hosted last week for a small selection of agencies and brands. Netflix has been inking more annual and multi-year agreements with key advertiser clients that more closely resemble joint business plans (which typically refer to deals between brands and retailers designed to expand reach) than traditional upfront deals. Under Netflix’s model, advertisers can earn certain perks or rewards for meeting ad spend thresholds, rather than locking themselves into fixed spend commitments. If increased flexibility and benefits draw more advertisers to Netflix, it’s possible that other streamers will follow suit as the upfront market becomes more and more digitized.

LinkedIn inked a partnership with The Trade Desk to give advertisers and agencies access to LinkedIn data that can help them reach the right audiences on streaming TV. The deal marks the next step in the networking platform’s efforts to get a bigger slice of the connected TV advertising pie, and follows the introduction of a conversion API meant to help brands retarget professionals on other channels, including CTV. Rising expectations for streaming to act like a digital performance marketing channel explains the more sophisticated targeting and CAPIs making an entrance into CTV advertising environments.

Nielsen decided to delay its March Gauge report following a request from publisher clients for more information to understand the expected decline in streaming viewership. Nielsen had warned clients they may see a slight dip in streaming viewership as broadcast and cable TV figures get a boost. That change is partly due to Nielsen’s recent integration of the Advertising Research Foundation’s DASH TV Universe Study. The Wall Street Journal reports that, according to people familiar with Nielsen’s unreleased data, streaming accounted for 41.9% of TV viewing in the US in February, while linear TV comprised 47.4%.

Meanwhile, A+E Global Media inked a new multi-year deal covering measurement and media intelligence analytics across the network’s digital and traditional portfolios. The contract includes access to Nielsen’s Data-Driven Linear API, reflecting the rising popularity of DDL among streamers and buyers looking to overlay more advanced targeting onto linear TV campaigns – even if that targeting is still done in aggregate, and not one-to-one. Either way, more advanced targeting and measurement has the potential to produce what both sides seem to care about most: performance.

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Peacock is rolling out new vertical video features to stand out from the competition – including an AI-powered experience led by a video avatar of “Watch What Happens Live” host Andy Cohen, launching this summer. Called “Your Bravoverse,” the new app feature will also include personalized and AI-edited playlists of vertical video clips from across the Bravo franchises.

Speaking of vertical video, Y+X Entertainment, an entertainment venture for content production and distribution, unveiled a new platform that it calls LumiView. The new product, formally launching in August this year, is a vertical IP platform that’s designed to turn short-form vertical dramas into performance marketing vehicles. The company claims its strategy differs from ad-driven microdramas by centering creators and a franchise-oriented expansion model within its growth strategy. Viewers can also expect AI-enabled clips of live events, set to debut in beta during NBA games this spring.

Smartly intends to acquire INCRMNTAL, an AI-powered incrementality measurement startup. As AI changes how consumers discover and engage with content, more marketers are turning to incrementality measurement to better understand which channels are contributing the most when it comes to driving intended business results.

DeepIntent, a health-focused demand-side platform, rolled out a marketing cloud meant to help marketers build more advanced campaigns based on the company’s health data. The marketing platform, called Helix, comprises data across 3.7 million healthcare providers, and is meant to help increase the odds that patients have awareness of and access to whichever healthcare solutions are most likely to help them.

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Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »

Job of the day

EXECUTIVE >>
TBS INTERNATIONAL/LOS ANGELES, CA: Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of entertainment and media agreements, with a primary focus on unscripted television, format licensing, and intellectual property distribution. Handle development, production, and co-production agreements, including situations where TBS is designated as the production entity providing production services. More info HERE

PRINT TRAFFICKER AND TECHNICAL COORDINATOR >>
FILM FEST DC/WASHINGTON, DC: Coordinate direct communication between print sources and the festival to ensure the on-time inbound and outbound delivery of all film materials and work with venue staff to deliver and test each film and KDM. Request and collect KDMs for all encrypted DCPs and maintain a spreadsheet that contains all the aspects of the film. Full info HERE

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

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

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