Nielsen Fast Nationals and Tubi/NFL First Party Analytics data projected an average audience across Fox, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties of 126 million viewers, a record high, and a peak audience of 135.7 million viewers from 8-8:15p in the second quarter. The game also saw record high streaming viewership via Tubi and NFL digital properties of 14.5 million.

Fox Corporation has acquired Red Seat Ventures, a business in the creator economy that powers talent (including Fox News alums Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly) as they build their direct-to-consumer media businesses. Red Seat Ventures will operate as a standalone entity within Fox’s Tubi Media Group, with Paul Cheesbrough, CEO of Tubi Media Group, assuming the role of Chairman, Red Seat Ventures. “The creator economy is one of the fastest growing media categories worldwide by measure of reach and influence, and consumers are increasingly looking to get their information, insights and entertainment directly from the voices and brands they trust across these platforms,” said Paul Cheesbrough, CEO, Tubi Media Group. “We see tremendous opportunities to drive additional scale in genres such as sports, news and entertainment and look forward to supporting the continued growth of this business.”

Allen Media Group announced the refinancing of its $100 million revolving credit facility, extending its debt maturities to 2027. “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this refinancing, which provides us with the capital support needed to continue building on our growth strategy,” said Byron Allen, Founder/ Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “This achievement demonstrates the strength of our business and the capital markets’ confidence in our future, as we execute on our long-term vision.”

Kids media company Cricket Media has acquired majority control of kids streaming service Sensical, launched in 2021 under Common Sense Networks. Eric Berger, who had run Sensical since its launch, will head the merged company as CEO.

“This year’s Super Bowl advertisers were more diverse than in years past, proving that relevance, authenticity, and differentiation continue to be the way to win on advertising’s biggest stage,” said Kevin Krim, President & CEO of EDO. “With a wide range of brand categories represented in our top 10, the results show that the investment was well worth it for products that aligned with consumer priorities. Beyond game-day impact, we will continue to see the lasting halo effect of Super Bowl ads, driving sustained engagement and business outcomes well past the final whistle.”

Total day advertising revenues for the Big Game on Fox hit $801.9 million, according to EDO Ad EnGage, down from $819.5 million last year. The actual game pulled in an estimated $652.2 million in national TV advertising, coming from 70 airings of commercials. Last year, CBS milked $709.2 million from 80 airings.

Humor was present in 85% of Super Bowl ads (up from 71% in 2023), while celebrity appearances dropped to 54% (down from 77%), as brands prioritized storytelling and authenticity while breaking new ground in representation, reports XR Extreme Reach, based on insights delivered by XRIQ, XR’s AI-powered creative intelligence suite.

Analysis by TVision, which measure eyes-on-screen attention, found the top five Super Bowl ads were:

Billy Magnussen (“The Franchise”) joins Sarah Goldberg to play a tech CEO in AMC’s untitled Silicon Valley-set drama, produced buy AMC Studios. Creator Jonathan Glatzer will executive produce with Gina Mingacci.

ITV announced new entertainment format, “The Neighbourhood,” which has families and households competing in a street-sized reality game. Hosted by Graham Norton, the 12-part series developed by Lifted Entertainment is headed for ITVq and ITVX next year.

Production is officially underway for the new talent competition show, “Song vs Dance,” from Smart Dog Media for Japan’s TV Asahi. It’s Asahi’s first co-production with a US-based partner.

Television executive and producer Kate Fenske is launching Hound, an independent production company that will develop and produce across television and film. “I founded Hound because everyone should have one in their corner, whether you’re a creator in need of a loyal champion, or a financier wanting a diligent producer to support the creative team and business imperatives,” said Fenske. “Having worked extensively on both sides of the creative table, as an executive and a producer, I’m excited to dedicate that collective experience to supporting talented writers and filmmakers in bringing their unique voices and ideas to fruition.” Fenske most recently served as Chief Creative Executive at Sister LA.

For the fourth year, BritBox will stream the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards for audiences in the US and Canada. The event airs from the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, February 16 at 2p.

AXS TV is holding a “National Guitar Day Celebration” today, an all-day homage to legendary rock and roll guitarists. The stunt kicks off at 8a.

In collaboration with FOX Sports, Cosm will produce the Daytona 500, transporting fans to the track via immersive venues in LA and Dallas. Leveraging multiple vantage points throughout the Daytona International Speedway, cameras will deliver real-time footage to Cosm’s 12K+ LED domes on February 16.

Quickplay has named Jordan Bartow as General Manager, North America. Prior to joining Quickplay, Bartow worked at Google Cloud.

Today’s Trivia Question
Who was the first golfer to make a hole-in-one on television? (Email [email protected] 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.)