The recent election may hasten other mergers. Speaking about how the change in administration is likely to affect the ad industry, Magna EVP and Managing Partner of Global Marketing Intelligence Vincent Letang acknowledged at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference that while there will be twists in the road, “Trump is still a Republican, so it’s still the GOP. That’s supposed to be pro-business, low tax, a laissez-faire approach to competition, so we can expect that indeed more consolidation will happen.”

Between US streamers’ international expansion and success at minimizing password sharing, there will be over 2 billion subscriptions globally by 2029, projects Ampere Analysis. Subscription streaming revenues are forecast to grow almost three times faster than subscribers as services focus on profitability. Subscription streaming is also expected to generate an additional $22 billion from ad sales. “The global streaming market is poised to generate $190 billion annually from two billion paid subscriptions by 2029,” said Maria Dunleavey, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis. “Key strategic developments, like Netflix’s account-sharing crackdown and cheaper ad tier offer, and rivals Disney+ and Max’s aggressive approach to bundling, are driving revenue growth in saturated streaming markets.” How to maintain subscriber growth? “Targeting the untapped Asia Pacific region is the most promising strategy,” said Dunleavy. “To surpass current subscriber expectations, streamers must double down on strategic investments in less saturated markets.”

Premium streaming advertising revenue saw nearly 50% growth in the third quarter, with year-over-year revenue hitting $3.8 billion, according to MoffettNathanson Research. Hulu had the highest revenue for the period at ($782 million, +5%), followed by Peacock at ($761 million, +114%); Prime Video ($441 million, + 230%); Netflix, ($429 million, +95%); Roku Channel ($331 million, +22%); Pluto TV ($272 million, +18%); and Tubi ($255 million, +19%). For the year, Disney+ will boast the best growth, up 261% (to $531 million in ad revenue). Prime Video is expected to gain 133% ($2.0 billion), and Netflix, 116% ($1.6 billion).

Netflix nabbed the most Golden Globes TV nominations with 23, followed by HBO/Max with 14 and FX/Hulu with 10. Competing in the musical or comedy TV series category are ABC’s “Abbott Elementary”; FX/ Hulu’s “The Bear”; Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”; Max’s “Hacks”; and Netflix’s “The Gentlemen” and “Nobody Wants This.” On the drama series side are Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses”; Hulu’s Shogun”; Netflix’s “The Diplomat” and “Squid Game”; Peacock’s “The Day of the Jackal” and Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” The ceremony is set to air Sunday, January 5 on CBS.

WPP’s GroupM and IPG’s Magna upgraded their year-end forecasts for the US and global ad economies, following Dentsu’s similarly optimistic take last week. Taken together, the companies project total worldwide ad spending will grow 9.3% this year and 6.1% in 2025, while US ad spending will expand 10.3% this year and 4.3% in 2025, a dip due to comparisons with political ad spending during 2024.

Comcast could shed over 100,000 subscribers in 4Q24, said Comcast Cable President and CEO Dave Watson during UBS’ conference, including the loss of about 10,000 subscribers due to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. On the flip side, Watson said Comcast’s broadband business has topped 63 million homes, with around one million new homes added this year and close to 1.2 million new homes expected in 2025.

Ratings for Fox News have declined, along with other cable news networks, since the highs of the election, but the net has maintained or grown share in every daypart since November 7, said Fox Corp. CFO Steve Tomsic at the UBS event. And it’s not just a matter of holding on to old viewers. “There’s no doubt we’re getting new viewers,” said Tomsic – some of whom might come as a surprise. “People think it’s just the conservative audience in the US – it’s not,” said Tomsic. “We capture our fair share of Democrats.”

A Nevada court rejected Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to alter his family trust in favor of his eldest son and CEO of Fox Corp., Lachlan Murdoch. In his ruling, commissioner Edmund J. Gorman Jr. determined that Rupert and Lachlan had acted in “bad faith” in their “carefully crafted charade” to amend the irrevocable trust in a way that would have left Lachlan siblings Elisabeth, James and Prudence, virtually powerless to counter decisions made by Lachlan regarding Murdoch’s right-wing businesses. Wrote Gorman, “The effort was an attempt to stack the deck in Lachlan Murdoch’s favor after Rupert Murdoch’s passing so that his succession would be immutable. The play might have worked; but an evidentiary hearing, like a showdown in a game of poker, is where gamesmanship collides with the facts and at its conclusion, all the bluffs are called and the cards lie face up.” A lawyer for Rupert Murdoch said he intends to appeal.

MSNBC’s “Way Too Early” is getting a new host. With Jonathan Lemire headed to an expanded role on “Morning Joe,” Ali Vitale will take over as host of “Way Too Early” on January 6.

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New episodes of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” launch the week of January 6 on PBS Kids.

Mediaprobe’s database of emotional reactions to televised content offers insights into viewer engagement. Mediaprobe CEO Pedro Almeida – a former professor who has spent his career studying decision-making – explains why that matters to advertisers, in Cynsiders.

Heroes & Icons Network is offering “A Toast to Twilight,” its seventh annual “Twilight Zone” marathon on the networks of Weigel Broadcasting. The stunt runs from Tuesday, December 31 at 8p through Thursday, January 2 at 6a.

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Next Level Sports & Entertainment is set to close out its Elite High School Showcase Series in 2024 with its presentation of the Super Games, two games showcasing elite high school girls’ basketball teams, tomorrow, December 10 at 5:15p.

Blue Ant Studios has struck a deal with Australian independent producer WildBear Entertainment to finance three new factual series: “Secrets of the Lost Cities”; “World War II: History on Trial”; and “Engineering by Catastrophe.”

Tina Gharavi (“I Am Nasrine”) is set to serve as showrunner for her new Scandi Noir drama series “The Fox.”

Cineflix Rights has announced multiple deals for Pernel Media docuseries “Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt,” including Hearst Networks UK and EMEA, Viasat, Mediaset Italy, AMC History Iberia, Warner Bros. Discovery Spain’s channel DMAX, and Radio-Canada’s channel Explora.

Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios to produce “The Trial of Michael Jackson” (w/t). The series will forensically examine archives to offer a deeper understanding of Jackson’s life in front of the cameras.

Miraculous Corp, the joint venture between Mediawan and ZAG, has named former Mercury Filmworks and Gaumont creative executive Heath Kenny as Chief Content Officer, and former Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios executive Ashley Depp as SVP of Marketing & Franchise.

Vincent Mifsud has been named Chief Executive Officer of Guideline, succeeding the company’s co-founder, Scott Knoll, who will now serve as Executive Chairman.

Today’s Trivia Question
Who was Woody’s main love interest in “The Woody Woodpecker Show” (1957-66; 1970-76)? (Email your answer to [email protected] and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. A limit of four answers per time zone.)