TikTok partners with Disney
TikTok and Disney have announced a global licensing partnership that will let creators use approved characters, scenes, and other assets from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, FX, and additional brands in their videos. Participating creators can opt to have their content appear in a new Verts short-form feed on Disney+. Read more from Social Media Today.
Hearst Television to acquire full ownership of A+E Global Media
Hearst Television has agreed to buy Disney’s 50% stake in A+E Global Media for more than $1 billion, giving Hearst full ownership of properties including A&E, History, Lifetime, Vice TV, and a stake in Philo. The deal is expected to close by September as Disney exits the cable joint venture. Read more from The Desk.
“Stranger Things” and “The Pitt” top streaming charts for first half of 2026
Nielsen’s midyear streaming rankings show Stranger Things led all titles with 23.26 billion viewing minutes, followed by Bluey with 22.81 billion and The Pitt with 21.12 billion. Five titles surpassed 20 billion minutes during the first half of 2026, while streaming originals occupied three of the overall top 10 spots, up from just one a year earlier. Read more from Nielsen.
Study finds more than half of CTV programmatic ads are served on large screens
Large-screen devices accounted for 57% of U.S. open-programmatic connected TV ad spending in June, compared with 43% served on mobile phones, tablets, and other smaller screens, according to Pixalate. Amazon Fire TV led large-screen open-programmatic spending with a 30% share, followed by Roku at 18%, while reality programming and news attracted the largest portions of open-auction spending. Read more from MediaPost.
2027 Super Bowl ad units selling at record pace
Disney has already sold out its advertising inventory for Super Bowl LXI, more than six months before ESPN and ABC air the game in February 2027. The company secured commitments from 58 brands across 34 categories, including nine first-time Super Bowl advertisers, at rates reportedly approaching a record $10 million for some 30-second spots. Read more from Sportico.
