Consumers are increasingly open to shopping directly from their TV screens, according to a study released by Roku and Dentsu. And not surprisingly, viewers are more likely to act when they feel they’re getting something meaningful in return, like exclusive offers, time savings, or personalized recommendations. Key insights from the research show that:
· Nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers say they pay more attention to ads that reflect their personal interests and purchase habits.
· 71% of consumers are more attentive to ads for brands or products they’ve previously purchased.
· Nearly half of streamers report they would pay attention to ads that allow them to purchase items featured in movies, shows, or live events. Particularly when the shopping experience feels like a natural extension of the content—especially in categories like apparel and electronics, which consumers note are the top two retail categories in terms of retail media ad attention.
· Personalized ads based on shopping behavior and past purchases are perceived as valuable by over two-thirds of respondents. However, there’s a noticeable gap between perceived value and actual attention: while 83% say relevant ads are valuable, only 34% report paying attention to them.
· Ads that help users discover content or enable seamless shopping experiences capture the attention of over half of all viewers, as do ads that help users discover content or provided seamless shopping experiences.

A sequel to Cartoon Network series “Steven Universe” (2013-19) is in development at Prime Video. “Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars” follows Lars Barriga, “eternal teenager and space outlaw, as he and his pirate crew smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and uncover the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire,” says the show description.

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FOX Nation has signed a new deal with Martin Scorsese for season two of docudrama “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints.” The latest deal encompasses eight all-new episodes, which will premiere in November 2025 and run through Spring of 2026. “For many years, I dreamed of telling stories of the lives of the saints,” said Scorsese. “It’s been an obsession of mine for as long as I can remember. So the chance to do this series meant the world to me, and it’s heartening to know that people have responded to it. I’m very excited to be coming back for a second season.”

Music competition series “Building the Band” premieres Wednesday, July 9 across three weeks on Netflix. The late “One Direction” singer Liam Payne, who died last October at age 31, will be featured as guest judge. Netflix consulted with the singer’s family about whether to include him; they reviewed the series and are “supportive of his inclusion” said the streamer in a statement.

Display prospecting ad costs dropped 27% year-over-year in Q1, according to AdRoll’s Q2 State of Digital Advertising Report, highlighting a broader shift away from upper-funnel campaigns as economic uncertainty grows. In contrast, the retargeting cost per mile fell just 8%, signaling that brands are doubling down on high-intent audiences and prioritizing performance-driven strategies. “As brands tighten budgets, lower-funnel campaigns remain a lifeline for performance,” said Courtney Herb, Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Public Relations at AdRoll. “While retargeting offers immediate return on investment, marketers shouldn’t ignore the long game. Capitalizing on lower CPMs to maintain brand visibility now will pay off when consumers return to spending.”

Free streaming platform Zone·ify has launched a new feature: free interactive games playable instantly with an existing TV remote. In partnership with ES3, the launch makes Zone·ify the first AVOD platform to offer native gaming as part of the core TV experience. The games are now available on a range of streaming devices and cable and satellite providers.

Your Channels, an MPG Media Group company based in The Netherlands, is bringing its live news technology Your News Channel to the US for the first time. The OTT platform for live news broadcasting empowers news outlets to reach viewers with minimal technical barriers. “We’re building the future of news distribution,” said Natalie Boot, CMO at Your Channels. “Your News Channel is designed to help local and regional news providers thrive in the digital age — with a turnkey solution that brings their local news brand and content to FAST and premium platforms on a local, regional, national, and/or global basis.”

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LiveRamp is partnering with Walgreens’ retail media division, Walgreens Advertising Group, to power WAG’s clean room solution. The partnership enables WAG to increase access to its first-party data at speed, scale audience insights, and offer more transparency and control to advertisers. “We’re committed to empowering our partners with a transparent, self-service approach that allows them to leverage data on their own terms—with privacy in mind,” said Abishake Subramanian, Group Vice President of Customer Marketing and Media Monetization at Walgreens. “Our focus is on investing in leading technologies that enhance data portability, audience scalability, and campaign measurability—while executing responsibly to create more meaningful experiences for Walgreens shoppers.”

PMG announced the acquisition of retail media company Momentum Commerce, known for its marketplace intelligence and proprietary Velocity™ platform. The acquisition formalizes Momentum Commerce’s integration into PMG and marks the launch of PMG’s commerce capability.

Family Movie Classics blasts off with “Space Week” from July 14-20, celebrating the anniversary of the 1969 moon landing with classic films including “The Right Stuff,” “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Forbidden Planet”, and more. The stunt concludes with a special presentation of the NASA documentary “The Flight of Apollo 11: Eagle Has Landed.”

Meyer Shank Racing will kick off the first race weekend in St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 with Spectrum back on the No. 66 Honda car driven by Marcus Armstrong. Spectrum, will also have three more placements with MSR on the remaining INDYCAR calendar as primary sponsor on the No. 66 Honda car for Road America (June 22), Mid-Ohio (July 6) and Portland (August 10).

The US faces Canada in the race for the Calder Cup with the 2025 Calder Cup Finals set to stream exclusively on AHLTV on FloHockey beginning Friday, June 13 at 8p.

Blue Ant Studios sold the rights for seasons 1-3 of investigative history series “Mysteries from Above” to History Channel in the US. “This sale is a true reflection of Blue Ant Studios’ commitment to showcasing premium Canadian content on a global scale,” said Mark Bishop, Co-President, Blue Ant Studios.

Curiosity Inc. is expanded its partnership with Samsung TV Plus with the launch of Curiosity Now in Spain. Broadcasting in Spanish, this marks the fourth localized Spanish feed available on Samsung TV Plus with Curiosity, Inc.

Blink49 Studios has named Kate Pfetsch as Vice President, Partnerships for the company’s newly established Brand Studio. Pfetsch most recently served as Global Senior Director of Content Strategy and Head of the Content Studio at Marriott International.

Guy Griggs is joining Warner Bros. Discovery US Advertising Sales and CNN Worldwide as SVP of CNN Ad Sales and Client Partnerships starting later this month. Griggs joins WBD following nearly a decade at The New York Times, where he most recently oversaw and managed the national advertising sales business as Vice President of National Sales.

The Television Critics Association announced the election of its new Board of Directors, headed by the new TCA President, Andy Dehnart. Dehnart is a writer and teacher who covers the reality TV industry through his online publication reality blurred.

Today’s Trivia Question
Which western drama was set in Absaroka County, Wyoming? (Email your answer to trivia@cynopsis.com and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)