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| Tuesday February 10, 2026 |
 IN THE NEWS |
| Sunday’s Super Bowl is projected to be the most-watched ever, with an estimated 127.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The halftime show starring Bad Bunny is expected to set a viewership record as well, topping the 133.5 million viewers who tuned in for Kendrick Lamar last year. As for the All-American Halftime Show, the alternative event drew up to 6.1 million concurrent viewers on its YouTube channel Sunday night, reports The New York Times.
Which Super Bowl advertisers really got their money’s worth this year? With some 30-second ads topping $10 million, audience engagement was the name of the game. EDO ranked Super Bowl spots based on how effectively they drove real consumer response using signals more predictive of future sales, and found the top performing ads were:
1. ai.com, Introducing ai.com :30 – 9.1x as much engagement as the median Super Bowl LX ad
2. Universal Pictures, Minions & Monsters :30 – 9.09x as much engagement
3. Lay’s, The Lay’s Challenge :30: – 7.1x as much engagement
4. Netflix, The Adventures of Cliff Booth :60 – 5.7x as much engagement
5. Dunkin’, Good Will Dunkin’ :60 – 5x as much engagement
6. Universal Pictures, Disclosure Day :60 – 4.7x as much engagement
7. Cadillac, The Mission Begins :30 – 4.3x as much engagement
8. Budweiser, American Icons :60 – 4.1x as much engagement
9. Invest America, Investing :30 – 4x as much engagement
10. Wegovy, A New Way :90 – 3.7x as much engagement
“When it comes to Super Bowl advertising, value propositions, familiar cultural cues, and compelling offers consistently drive measurable consumer response and predictive business outcomes,” said Laura Grover, SVP, Head of Client Solutions, EDO. “We saw this playbook employed effectively in both traditional Big Game categories like beer, snacks, and movies, as well as in fast-growing spaces like GenAI and GLP-1.”
TVision also weighed it with Super Bowl ad analysis, noting that Super Bowl spots with celebrities and pets usually perform well, and this year was no different. |
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| While pre-game buzz focused heavily on AI and futuristic tech, nostalgia emerged as the Super Bowl’s true breakout theme, according to Bess Devenow, Senior Strategic Insights & Communications at Vantage. Brands tapped into familiar movies, music, and characters to quickly capture attention and create emotional resonance with an audience that historically skews older, said Devenow. Notably, wellness messaging moved firmly into the mainstream, signaling a shift in what resonates at scale, while brand rivalries and playful jabs proved to be effective attention drivers.
After seeing a Super Bowl ad, 31% of respondents in a CintSnap said they’re most likely to Google search the brand to learn more, versus 17% going to the brand’s website, 14% YouTube, 10% Instagram, 8% TikTok. Notably, 20% say they don’t follow up at all. Additional takeaways include:
· 50% of respondents say what matters most in a Super Bowl ad is being entertained (only 7% say learning about the product matters most; 43% prefer an equal balance).
· Thinking about Super Bowl ads they remember from the past three years, 43% say humor/comedy had the most impact on their likelihood to purchase (ahead of celebrity endorsement at 12% and emotional storytelling at 10%).
· If a Super Bowl ad makes someone cry or feel deeply emotional, 49% say it makes them more likely to buy (vs. 5% who say it makes them less likely because it feels manipulative).
· 50% say they’ve purchased a product or service months after seeing it in a Super Bowl ad (not immediately).
· Viewers see the Super Bowl as both performance and brand: 53% believe Super Bowl ads are designed for both immediate impact during the game and longer-term brand building after.
YouTube TV is launching a sports plan – called “Sports Plan” – for $64.99/month. Programming includes access to major broadcast networks, ESPN’s networks, FS1 and NBC Sports Network. For $71.99/month, subscribers of the Sports + News Plan also get CNBC, Fox News, MS NOW, CNN, CSPAN, Bloomberg and Fox Business. The Entertainment Plan, an economical $54.99/month, skips live programming, but features content like Hallmark classics, FX dramas, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network and HGTV. All of the options cost less than the main tier.
HBO Max is launching in the UK and Ireland on March 26. Are they late to the streaming party? “Our focus has been on harnessing the benefits of what we call the last mover advantage,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games at Warner Bros. Discovery. “We are likely the last scaled global streamer to come to market. We’ve tried to learn from the rest, and on this journey of strategic iteration and refinement that we’ve been on over these last several years, it’s led us to this exciting moment.” Entertainment plans start at £4.99/month.
The E.W. Scripps Company is selling its Court TV network to Law&Crime. The multiplatform true crime and legal content studio was created by ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams – who began his career at Court TV – and is now owned by media creator holding company Jellysmack. Scripps relaunched Court TV in May 2019 after acquiring the rights from Turner Broadcasting. “This move is consistent with the way Scripps has operated for nearly a century and a half: We identify where consumer behavior is headed, build and grow businesses that meet those evolving interests and make strategic decisions about how we unlock their greatest value – whether in our portfolio or through exits that strengthen our balance sheet and position us for the future,” said Adam Symson, Scripps president and CEO. “The Court TV brand we’ve built is a natural complement to Law&Crime’s existing library of crime and trial coverage.”
Sinclair and Balance of Nature announced a national sponsorship partnership in support of Amazing America 250: From Neighborhood to Nation, Sinclair’s multi-platform media initiative celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. As the presenting sponsor, Balance of Nature will be integrated across Sinclair’s ecosystem, including local and national news features, and community storytelling segments. |
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| CONVERGENT TV AWARDS
Honoring the Best in Convergent TV
Finalists and Special Recognition honorees for the 2026 Convergent TV Awards have been announced. Join us March 5 in NYC as we celebrate the leaders, teams, and platforms driving cross-screen innovation—and reveal the winners live.
VIEW FINALISTS & JOIN US IN NYC |
| NEW & RETURNING SERIES |
| “Born to Bowl” debuts Monday, March 16 on HBO. The five-part docuseries follows five stars on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. |
Today’s Premieres
Hulu: The Artful Dodger
Netflix: Motorvalley |
| TECH |
| Amid the marketing industry’s shift toward full-funnel marketing, Anzu. the in-game ad solution, is launching click-enabled intrinsic in-game ad formats. By combining Anzu’s non-clickable intrinsic in-game ad placements with performance-led formats, Anzu says advertisers can now reach gaming audiences while driving lower-funnel results using familiar digital KPIs.
Cineverse announced the launch of Matchpoint® Creative Labs (MCL), an in-house agency established to support the creative demands of CTV, FAST channels, and streaming services. Operating within the Cineverse Technology Group, MCL is designed to help advertisers and channel operators create video ads that feel native to CTV, combining creative direction, design, and production with technology-enabled workflows that allow campaigns to scale cost-effectively. |
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| CYNOPSIS SPORTS AWARDS
Setting the Standard for Modern Sports Media & Marketing
Stanley has been named a Luminary Award recipient for the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Awards, recognized as Brand of the Year for setting the pace in modern brand building and cultural relevance. Join the industry leaders being recognized. Entries are now open for 2026.
VIEW CATEGORIES & ENTER NOW |
| PRODUCTION |
| UK animation studio Beakus (“Big Lizard”) and Canada’s Big Bad Boo Studios (“Judge Jodhi”) are teaming to co-produce two new animated series for children. “Alien Book Club” encourages young children to read, and “S.TINK” is based on the Fairy vs Boy book series. |
| COMING UP |
| Peacock will exclusively stream “Song Sung Blue” starting Friday, February 13. The film was released in theaters on December 25. |
| SPORTS REPORT |
| LIV Golf has renewed its broadcast partnership with Africa’s SuperSport, a subsidiary of MultiChoice, a Canal+ Group company.
Alianza de Futbol, the Hispanic soccer organization in the US, has introduced a refreshed brand identity. Anchored by the new brand message “More Than Futbol,” the brand introduces a contemporary visual system. |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| 8 Lions Entertainment, the digital studio focused on scaling premium IP on YouTube, has partnered with UK’s Lupus Films to launch, manage and grow the global YouTube presence of preschool animated series “The Hive.” As part of the rollout, 8 Lions will launch and manage English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and German channels in addition to rolling out multi-language audio tracks in Arabic, Turkish, Polish, and Italian to scale fast reaching new audiences across multiple regions.
ITV Studios has closed a new deal with RTL Croatia for two unscripted formats, “Love Island” and “Game of Chefs.” |
| RATINGS |
| HBO Max’s “Heated Rivalry” has topped 10.6 million US viewers, with its season finale quadrupling its premiere viewership. The Canadian drama has doubled its audience since the final episode of its freshman run dropped on December 26, reports Warner Bros. Discovery.
Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” wrapped up its latest season last week averaging .50 P25-54/.61 W25-54 Live+3 ratings, up double-digits vs. prior season (+19% and +15% respectively), and ranking in the top 5 non-news/sports ad-supported cable programs for P/W25-54 on Sunday nights during its run. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| John Vilade has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer at CuriosityStream. Most recently, after senior leadership roles at NBCUniversal, Hulu, Discovery Communications, and Premion, Vilade served as Chief Executive Officer of 6P Color. |
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This Day in History
1855 – US citizenship laws were amended to grant all children of US parents born abroad US citizenship.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which 1970s ABC sitcom had a sequel in the ‘80s that, like the original, ran for three seasons, but aired in first-run syndication? “What’s Happening!!” (1976-79) spawned “What’s Happening Now!!” (1985-88). Kudos to: Ivan Cohen/NYC; Mike Goscia-NBCUniversal/NYC; Andrew Goldman-Phanes Funding Group/NYC; Kevin Cirrito-Opportunity Media/NYC; Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago; John Kukla-KDFW Fox 4/Dallas; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
Today’s Trivia Question
In which series was Detective Antonio Dawson introduced? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.) |
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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