IAB has released its “2025 Unified Media Planning Playbook,” diving into the realities of cross-platform video planning and execution in an increasingly fragmented ecosystem across CTV, OLV, Social Video, and FAST. Some key themes from the playbook include:
· Unified planning today means stitching together modular solutions like CDPs, clean rooms, and identity graphs—not chasing a single-stack fix.
· With each video channel operating in its own data silo and identity environment, true interoperability remains a work in progress.
· Marketers must layer A/B tests, MMM, outcome-based models, and hybrid KPIs to fill in the blanks for measurement across platforms.
· The end of cookies and IDs is accelerating reliance on contextual targeting, first-party data, and clean-room collaboration.

The conclusion? “Unified media planning, execution and measurement, today isn’t clean. It’s messy, improvised, and often inefficient,” notes the report. “But it’s evolving. While we may never fully eliminate fragmentation, we can build smarter systems to work across it. The best strategies don’t aim to force everything into a single platform, they embrace complexity with flexible, modular solutions. This is a patchwork playbook for a patchwork problem. Success lies not in perfection, but in integration: of data, teams, tech, and standards. If we can’t eliminate the seams, we can at least make them hold.”

Ad sales dipped 4% in 2Q25 for TelevisaUnivision, but CEO Daniel Alegre is optimistic. In a call with analysts, Alegre said the current quarter is moving “in line with our expectations,” with “a number of great shows” set to launch in 3Q25. Upfront negotiations are still underway, but conversations with agencies and their clients “are going well,” he said, as buyers have expressed enthusiasm for “the stability of our ratings, particularly in the United States, from very difficult quarters a couple of years ago.”

Sky New Zealand has reached a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to take control of Discovery NZ for the equivalent of 60 cents. Discovery NZ owns Three, ThreeNow, eden, Rush and HGTV. WBD will retain ownership of its remaining assets in the New Zealand market, including pay TV channels, HBO Max and Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) New Zealand. The deal also includes a multi-year commercial agreement for continued supply of WBD content. “This is a fantastic outcome for both WBD and Sky,” said Michael Brooks, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand for WBD. “While this business is not commercially viable as a standalone asset in WBD’s New Zealand portfolio, we see the value Three and ThreeNow can bring to Sky’s existing offering of complementary assets. The transaction includes a significant and ongoing content supply agreement for WBD’s premium content, for the mutual benefit of both parties.”

Amid Paramount’s cost-cutting ahead of its merger with Skydance Media, staffers in Africa have been told the company is considering closing its offices there as it “evaluates its pay TV strategy and local footprint.” The plan is to continue prioritizing global content, while focusing on lines of business with the most opportunity for revenue growth.

Paramount+ has canceled “Happy Face” after one season. The series was based on the real-life story of Melissa G. Moore, who found out that her father was the infamous serial killer who went by the name of Happy Face.

Horror movie TV campaigns have become one of the most effective genres for theatrical advertisers, reports TV outcomes company EDO. The fourth quarter may be horror’s historic sweet spot, but EDO’s linear TV ad performance data shows the genre is now holding its own during the summer blockbuster window. So far in 2025, “28 Years Later” leads all theatrical ad campaigns across genres in effectiveness. Key Horror & Theatrical Ad Trends (TV, Linear Only) include:
· Horror movie TV ads in 2025 have been 22% more effective than the average theatrical movie ad.
· 2025 has seen as many horror titles with linear TV campaigns (15) as in all of 2024.
· 2025 horror ads are 5% more effective than last year’s.
· So far this year, horror ads have driven 13% more consumer interest than action-adventure titles.

Interpublic is launching Argentic Systems for Commerce, a service aimed at helping CPG brands manage their commerce ecosystems. The platform captures data signals for products and competing products, said IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky during an earnings call, and “ingests insights into consumer searches, digital shelf position, product page content, pricing, inventory levels, and more.”

Canela Media reports that in June, Canela’s FAST ecosystem surpassed 6 million monthly viewing hours, up 88% year-over-year. “Our FAST strategy isn’t just scaling — it’s succeeding because it’s built intentionally: for culture, for community, and for choice,” said Karsten Amlie, SVP of Content Distribution and General Counsel at Canela Media. “From our owned-and-operated experiences on Canela.TV to our third-party partner channels, and through wide distribution on platforms including Samsung, Roku, LG, Vizio, Xumo, TCL, VIDAA, Fubo, and Plex, Canela now boasts one of the largest and most dynamic Latino FAST footprints in the market.”

NBC gave a series order to cheerleading pilot “Stumble,” starring Jenn Lyon (“Claws”). The mockumentary comes from Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof, who will executive produce alongside cheerleading coach Monica Aldama (“Cheer”) and producer Dana Honor through her Defining Eve Productions.

STARZ has ordered a new “Power” prequel series, “Power: Origins.” The series will continue to explore the “Power” universe, delving into the origin story of the characters Ghost and Tommy as ambitious young entrepreneurs on the rise. MeKai Curtis (“Power Book III: Raising Kanan”) is set to reprise his role as Kanan Stark.

“Big Brother” winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur will lead the new bi-weekly series “Big Brother: Unlocked,” an insider look at season 27. Set to premiere Friday, July 25 at 8p on CBS, the show will air every other week.

Season two of “Doc” premieres Tuesday, September 23 at 9p on Fox, as Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker) continues to rebuild her life after a car crash erased eight years of her memory.

“Countdown to Delicious” will debut on VIZIO WatchFree+ on Friday, July 25. The six episodes executive produced by Keller/Noll and Immaculata Media will star celebrity chefs and social media influencers with a combined total of more than 22 million followers as they work against the clock to make easy, quick meals.

Original franchise crime thriller “Dutch III” premieres Thursday, July 31 on BET+.

Lionsgate film “Freaky Tales” starts streaming exclusively on HBO Max on Saturday, August 9 at 8p.

Swerve TV has introduced Swerve Sports, a free live-streaming women’s sports channel launching on The Roku Channel and Pluto TV with more than 30 content and distribution partners. The channel offers access to women’s football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, boxing, rugby and more.

Yahoo! Sports is launching “28 Days of Fantasy,” a campaign dropping 28 new features over 28 consecutive days ahead of fantasy football season. Starting Monday, August 4, fans can expect a wave of new ways to elevate the game, from drafting to team management to winning strategies.

“Friday Night Fights,” the combat series from Pro League Network, drew over 1 million live views for its “SlapFIGHT Championship 46: Gold Rush” event, streamed live from the AMP Summer House.

Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race on The CW drew 1,047,000 viewers, to rank as the most-watched NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Dover in nine years. Viewership was up +19% compared to last year’s race from Dover.

The AKC Diving Dogs Challenge on ESPN averaged 389,791 total viewers, slightly surpassing its previous high set two years ago on July 4 on ESPN2, which drew 386,010 viewers following Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Cuebig, a provider of privacy-first location intelligence, has named Zora Senat as Chief Commercial Officer. Senat was previously Chief Commercial Officer at Verisk Marketing Solutions.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced the promotion of Ellie Terveen to Executive Vice President, Operations.

Laura Crowson has been hired as SVP of Global Development for Great Pacific Media (GPM), the unscripted arm of Thunderbird. Crowson most recently served as VP of Development for Warner Bros. Discovery.

It’s promotion time at NATAS! Elevations include Amy Schmelzer to Head of News & Sports; Christine Chin to Head of Documentary and Technology & Engineering; Cherie Housely to Head of Awards; Jessica Ward to Manager of Academy Operations; and Clara Fortuna to Digital Content Producer.

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the name of Oliver’s cow on “Green Acres” (1965-71)? (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.)