Study: 73% of advertisers plan to make live sports streaming buys in next year
A new study found that 73% of advertisers plan to invest in live sports streaming or CTV over the next 6–12 months, rising to 79% among agencies. The main appeal is access to highly engaged fans and large live audiences, but advertisers say cost, fragmented buying, and proving ROI remain major barriers. Read more from TV Technology.
Sinclair, Nexstar launch joint NextGen TV consumer campaign
Sinclair and Nexstar are launching a joint GoNextGenTV consumer education campaign across more than a dozen markets to increase awareness of ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV. The effort combines on-air, digital, and social promotion and directs viewers to information about compatible devices and local availability. Read more from The Desk.
49% of Halloween shoppers start planning before October
Nearly 49% of Halloween shoppers begin planning before October, and The Trade Desk data shows Halloween-related content consumption starts rising as early as July. Consumption increased 22% from July to August, another 25% into September, then surged 58% in October. Read more from The Current.
Google expands commerce tools ahead of holiday shopping rush
Google is expanding its agentic commerce tools ahead of the holidays, including broader AI visibility reporting in Merchant Center, a beta that brings Business Agent into YouTube ads, and new Universal Commerce Protocol checkout capabilities. The updates are designed to move shoppers more smoothly from discovery to product questions and ultimately purchase, while also giving retailers more insight into how they appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews. Read more from Search Engine Land.
ESPN gets its biggest Week 1 Monday Night Football audience ever
ESPN averaged 23.2 million viewers for its 2026 Monday Night Football opener between the Chiefs and Broncos, up 5% from last year’s comparable Week 1 game. It was the largest Week 1 MNF audience in ESPN’s 20 years carrying the package and the third-most-watched MNF game of the ESPN era overall. Read more from Front Office Sports.
