Trade journalism for CTV and streaming: platforms, advertising, measurement, deals, policy.https://thestateofstreaming.com/en-useditor@thestateofstreaming.com (The State of Streaming Staff)https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/omnicom-ai-agent-adtech-disintermediation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/omnicom-ai-agent-adtech-disintermediation/Omnicom CEO John Wren and CTO Paolo Yuvienco told the April 28 Q1 2026 earnings call the holdco is running live agent-to-agent ad buys with several clients via the Ad Context Protocol, with the explicit goal of cutting out ad-tech intermediaries Wren called a "toll" on clients.Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechOmnicomIPGAcxiomAdCPagentic-advertisingholdco-directprogrammaticad-tech-taxThe-Trade-DeskMagnitePubMatichot-takehttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/apple-services-q1-fy26-record-trend/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/apple-services-q1-fy26-record-trend/Apple's Services segment hit $30.97 billion in Q2 fiscal 2026, up 16.3% year-over-year — the sixth consecutive quarterly record and the longest such streak in the segment's history. The bundle hides one of the largest ad businesses in tech and a $20B regulatory line at risk.Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsAppleApple ServicesQ2-fiscal-2026Apple TV+Apple Adsearningsad-techinstall-baseDOJ-Googlehot-takehttps://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/youtube-q1-2026-ad-revenue-trajectory/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/youtube-q1-2026-ad-revenue-trajectory/YouTube ad revenue reached $9.88 billion in Q1 2026, up 10.7% year-over-year, while Alphabet's paid subscriptions across Google services crossed 350 million — with YouTube Music and Premium posting their largest quarterly subscriber gain since the paid tier's 2018 launch.Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 GMTplatformsYouTubeAlphabetQ1-2026-earningsYouTube PremiumYouTube Musicad revenuesubscriptionsstreaming-adsNewFronts-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/05/meta-aws-graviton-continuous-ai/https://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/05/meta-aws-graviton-continuous-ai/Meta and AWS disclosed on April 24, 2026 that Meta will deploy tens of millions of Graviton cores — a compute moat GDPR, ATT, and TikTok each failed to dilute, and the agentic-AI ad-tech cohort is competing against it now.Sun, 03 May 2026 22:30:00 GMTopinionopinionhot-takeai-infrastructuremetaawsgravitonandromedawalled-gardenagentic-aiad-tech-moatMatt-Garmanhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/cognition-attention-currency-ctv-ads/https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/cognition-attention-currency-ctv-ads/Cognition is the new bid layer for CTV ads. Viant's $40M TVision close and IAB-MRC attention guidelines are forcing a 2026 upfront pricing reset.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeasurement-dataattention-measurementcognition-layerCTV-measurementattention-currencyviant-technologytvision-insightsadelaide-metricsneuro-contextual-advertisingIAB-MRC-guidelinespre-bid-attentionupfronts-2026seedtaghttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/comcast-charter-merger-talks-resurfacing/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/comcast-charter-merger-talks-resurfacing/Charter raised projected Cox synergies from $500 million to $800 million while Comcast posted its first year-over-year broadband improvement since 2020. The operators are betting on broadband consolidation, not cable consolidation. The merger talk is analyst chatter both publicly waved off.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealscomcastcharter-communicationscox-communicationsbroadbandspectrum-mobilexfinity-mobilecable-mergersversant-media-groupq1-2026-earningscable-strategybroadband-mobile-bundlehttps://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/ctv-transparency-ad-supported-default-ias/https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/ctv-transparency-ad-supported-default-ias/Streaming reached 45.6 percent of U.S. ad-supported TV viewing in Q4 2025, making it the largest single TV segment. IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider used that data to launch IAS Total TV on April 27, 2026, the latest in a four-month sequence of CTV transparency products — alongside DoubleVerify's DV Authentic Streaming TV...Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeasurement-datactv-measurementad-supported-streamingverificationIASIAS-Total-TVDoubleVerifyDV-Authentic-Streaming-TVNielsennielsen-gaugeIAB-EuropeIAB-Tech-LabLisa-UtzschneiderCTV-advertisingVPPAmrc-accreditationhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/dazn-viewlift-rsn-infrastructure-pivot/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/dazn-viewlift-rsn-infrastructure-pivot/DAZN announced its agreement to acquire ViewLift on April 30, 2026 — Sportico exclusively reports the price at roughly $100 million. After December's Main Street Sports talks collapsed, DAZN bought the platform powering 15 teams' DTC apps instead of the RSNs themselves.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsDAZNViewLiftregional-sports-networksRSNsports-streamingM&Awhite-label-OTTSaaSMain-Street-Sports-GroupDiamond-Sports-Groupsports-DTCinfrastructure-vs-destinationhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/deepfake-ai-state-law-patchwork-q2-2026/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/deepfake-ai-state-law-patchwork-q2-2026/Three deepfake regimes go live for CTV advertisers in 54 days — NY June 9, WA June 11, CA Aug. 2 — with no federal floor and only the IAB's January framework as buyer-side guidance. XR Extreme Reach is the only ad-stack vendor that has shipped tooling for synthetic-performer compliance.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationAI-regulationdeepfakessynthetic-performersstate-AI-lawsfederal-preemptionIAB-frameworkSAG-AFTRApolicy-regulationhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/disney-exec-reorg-arora-1000-layoffs-leadership/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/disney-exec-reorg-arora-1000-layoffs-leadership/Disney's April 14 memo on roughly 1,000 layoffs and Adam Smith's April 27 reorg memo, obtained by Business Insider and The Desk, route streaming data engineering under the ad platform org and dissolve the Commerce, Data and Identity alliance 15 days before the May 12 upfront.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTplatformsdisneydisney-streamingdisney-advertisingdisney-compassexec-reorgad-platform2026-upfrontadam-smithtony-donohoeerin-teagueajay-arorajosh-damarohttps://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/doj-nfl-streaming-antitrust-fox-sinclair-sba/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/doj-nfl-streaming-antitrust-fox-sinclair-sba/The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 was written for a broadcast world. A DOJ probe, an FCC docket, and Fox and Sinclair's own filings now converge on the same question: does the NFL's antitrust shield survive once carriage moves to subscription streaming?Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationantitrustsports-rightsnflfccdojsports-broadcasting-actstreaming-policyhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/fcc-abc-license-renewal-disney-escalation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/05/fcc-abc-license-renewal-disney-escalation/Carr's FCC ordered Disney to refile every ABC license by May 28, two to three years early. The lever is narrow by statute, the audience it touches has migrated to Hulu and Disney+, and NAB and a top Senate Republican have broken with the chair. The ceiling is closer than the pace implies.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationFCCbroadcast-licensingregulationDisneyABCFirst-Amendmentstreaming-jurisdictionhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/machine-cognition-programmatic-ads-agentic-ai/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/machine-cognition-programmatic-ads-agentic-ai/Machine cognition in programmatic ads: 30 autonomous campaigns live on PubMatic AgenticOS, Kokai at near-total penetration. The audit trail is the moat.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechagentic AIprogrammatic adsmachine cognitionautonomous buyingPubMaticThe Trade DeskAmazon AdsIAB Tech LabAAMPARTFKokaiAgenticOSaudittrust layerDPG Mediahttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/netflix-amazon-yahoo-q2-targeting-upfronts/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/netflix-amazon-yahoo-q2-targeting-upfronts/Netflix's Q2 2026 turn-on of Amazon Audiences targeting, Yahoo DSP deterministic signals, and a proprietary Conversion API gives buyers operative third-party data layers on Netflix inventory ahead of the May 14 upfront.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechupfronts-2026ctv-advertisingidentityprogrammaticnetflix-adshttps://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/05/netflix-clips-vertical-video-discovery-war/https://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/05/netflix-clips-vertical-video-discovery-war/Netflix shipped Clips — a vertical, swipeable discovery feed — on iPhone in nine markets on April 30. The format is borrowed from TikTok, Reels, and Shorts; the question is whether the ad-load math comes with it.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTcontent-programmingnetflixproduct-strategymobileshort-formdiscoverytiktokdisney-plusclipssvodhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/nfl-comcast-espn-blackout-first-dispute/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/05/nfl-comcast-espn-blackout-first-dispute/NFL Network went dark on Comcast's Xfinity TV on May 1, 2026, the first carriage dispute since ESPN closed its $3 billion deal for the channel in exchange for a 10% NFL equity stake. The standoff is the first market-priced test of whether the new ownership structure changes how NFL distribution gets negotiated.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealscarriage-disputeNFL-NetworkESPNDisneyComcastsports-rightscarriage-blackouthttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/pubmatic-agenticos-creative-suite-launch/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/pubmatic-agenticos-creative-suite-launch/PubMatic's AgenticOS scaled from one deal to 1,000-plus in five months; the Creative Innovation Suite is now live with Celtra, BrightLine, and KERV. With AdCP's IAB Tech Lab status contested, the May 7 earnings print is the first quantitative test of whether the agentic thesis pays.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechpubmaticemma-newmanagentic-advertisingcreative-innovation-suiteadcpiab-tech-labmagniteprogrammaticsspearnings-q1-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/roku-q1-2026-print-100m-segment-split/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/05/roku-q1-2026-print-100m-segment-split/Roku's first quarter under split Advertising and Subscriptions reporting itemizes a $613M ad business at 60.5 percent gross margin and confirms third-party DSP spend grew more than 40 percent year-over-year — putting structural distance between Roku and every other US TV-OS peer ahead of Magnite, TTD, and PubMatic.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTplatformsrokuq1-2026-earningssegment-reportingctv-advertisingthird-party-dsproku-curateroku-exchangemagnitethe-trade-deskpubmaticamazon-dspyahoo-dspnewfronts-2026gaap-segmenthttps://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/05/roku-tcl-class-action-bricked-tvs/https://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/05/roku-tcl-class-action-bricked-tvs/Else v. Roku, filed March 27 in the Central District of California, alleges Roku and TCL pushed software updates that bricked smart TVs across the Select, Plus, and TCL 3- through 6-Series lines — the first US federal class action that names the OTA update mechanism itself as the defect.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdevices-distributionsmart-tvsmart-tv-osrokutclclass-actionlitigationsoftware-updatesconsumer-protectioncalifornia-uclclrasong-beverlyota-updatesos-stewardshipctvdevices-distributionhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/05/social-ad-concentration-omdia-meta-70/https://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/05/social-ad-concentration-omdia-meta-70/Omdia's data puts social ad concentration at four platforms above 90%, Meta alone at 70%. Three resets promised to dilute it. All three compounded it.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTopinionopinionhot-takesocial-ad-concentrationwalled-gardenMeta-ad-revenueomdiasocial-advertisingtriopolyanalyst-takeMaria-Rua-Aguetehttps://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/state-of-streaming-cognition-gap-conviva-ads/https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/05/state-of-streaming-cognition-gap-conviva-ads/The state of streaming has a measurement split. Reach reports — Nielsen, Conviva, Comscore, Antenna — measure hours and share. The cognition layer that prices CTV ads now lives in DSPs and verification vendors on a separate cycle, anchored by Viant-TVision and the IAB-MRC November 2025 guidelines.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeasurement-datastate-of-streamingcognition-gapctv-measurementattentionviewing-reportsupfront-2026vianttvisionnielsenconvivaiasdoubleverifyadelaideiab-mrchttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/tubi-amazon-dsp-priority-access/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/tubi-amazon-dsp-priority-access/Tubi unveiled Priority Access at Tubitopia, giving Amazon DSP exclusive first-look access to its audience and making another 'independent' FAST player a walled-garden front door.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechnewfronts-2026amazon-dsptubifox-corporationctv-advertisingwalled-gardenshttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/walmart-vizio-ctv-stack-consolidation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/05/walmart-vizio-ctv-stack-consolidation/We argue Walmart has converted Vizio from a smart-TV business into a deterministic identity gateway buyers cannot replicate without striking a similar device-layer deal. Connect Select's curated marketplace and the mandatory Walmart-account login at TV setup are the same architecture viewed from two ends.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechopinionctvretail-mediawalmart-connectvizioidentitywalled-gardenshttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/agentic-ai-creative-production-adobe-deepdub-2026/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/agentic-ai-creative-production-adobe-deepdub-2026/In Q1-Q2 2026, agentic AI moved from generation demos into the production workflows that ship advertising and television — Adobe Firefly Assistant, Deepdub's dubbing co-worker, WPP Media's YouTube 5K — six weeks before New York's June disclosure law begins forcing CTV buyers to operationalize provenance.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechagentic AIgenerative AIcreative productionAdobe FireflyDeepdubSynthesiaVibe.coWPP MediaYouTube 5KIAB AI Transparency FrameworkContent CredentialsC2PANewFronts 2026NY synthetic-performer lawholdco AI toolinghttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/agentic-ai-creative-production-adobe-deepdub-2026-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/agentic-ai-creative-production-adobe-deepdub-2026-2/In Q1-Q2 2026, agentic AI moved from generation demos into the production workflows that ship advertising and television — Adobe Firefly Assistant, Deepdub's dubbing co-worker, WPP Media's YouTube 5K — six weeks before New York's June disclosure law begins forcing CTV buyers to operationalize provenance.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechagentic AIgenerative AIcreative productionAdobe FireflyDeepdubSynthesiaVibe.coWPP MediaYouTube 5KIAB AI Transparency FrameworkContent CredentialsC2PANewFronts 2026NY synthetic-performer lawholdco AI toolinghttps://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/cord-cutting-pause-2026-thesis-rewrite-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/cord-cutting-pause-2026-thesis-rewrite-2/Pay-TV added 303K subs in Q3 2025 — the first quarterly gain since 2017 — and Comcast and Charter just narrowed Q1 2026 video losses. The 'Cord Cutting 2.0' consensus is built on a misdated MoffettNathanson Q1 2025 figure, not Q1 2026 data.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdevices-distributioncord-cuttingpay-TVvMVPDMoffettNathansonComcastCharterYouTube TVSling EssentialsQ1-2026broadbandhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/cord-cutting-pause-2026-thesis-rewrite/https://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/cord-cutting-pause-2026-thesis-rewrite/Pay-TV added 303K subs in Q3 2025 — the first quarterly gain since 2017 — and Comcast and Charter just narrowed Q1 2026 video losses. The 'Cord Cutting 2.0' consensus is built on a misdated MoffettNathanson Q1 2025 figure, not Q1 2026 data.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdevices-distributioncord-cuttingpay-TVvMVPDMoffettNathansonComcastCharterYouTube TVSling EssentialsQ1-2026broadbandhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/hisense-vidaa-overtakes-lg-webos-europe-2026-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/hisense-vidaa-overtakes-lg-webos-europe-2026-2/Omdia forecast on April 15 that Hisense's renamed V smart-TV OS will pass LG webOS in European TV shipments, with the ad-supply path that comes with it routing through Nexxen, the Trade Desk Ventura Ecosystem, and Teads, not LG.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdevices-distributionctvsmart-tv-osvidaav-home-osweboshisenselgomdiaeuropead-supply-pathteadsnexxenventura-ecosystemforecasthttps://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/hisense-vidaa-overtakes-lg-webos-europe-2026/https://thestateofstreaming.com/devices-distribution/2026/04/hisense-vidaa-overtakes-lg-webos-europe-2026/Omdia forecast on April 15 that Hisense's renamed V smart-TV OS will pass LG webOS in European TV shipments, with the ad-supply path that comes with it routing through Nexxen, the Trade Desk Ventura Ecosystem, and Teads, not LG.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdevices-distributionctvsmart-tv-osvidaav-home-osweboshisenselgomdiaeuropead-supply-pathteadsnexxenventura-ecosystemforecasthttps://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/04/independent-adtech-stack-walled-garden-thesis-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/04/independent-adtech-stack-walled-garden-thesis-2/We argue the 2026 wave of full-stack ad-tech consolidation has turned 'independent' into a marketing word. Buyers should apply walled-garden audit standards to Mediaocean, Viant, and Trade Desk the same way they apply them to Amazon and Google.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTopinionopinionwalled gardensindependent ad techconsolidationprocurementIAB Tech LabPGCsupply-path optimizationattention measurementidentityhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/04/independent-adtech-stack-walled-garden-thesis/https://thestateofstreaming.com/opinion/2026/04/independent-adtech-stack-walled-garden-thesis/We argue the 2026 wave of full-stack ad-tech consolidation has turned 'independent' into a marketing word. Buyers should apply walled-garden audit standards to Mediaocean, Viant, and Trade Desk the same way they apply them to Amazon and Google.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTopinionopinionwalled gardensindependent ad techconsolidationprocurementIAB Tech LabPGCsupply-path optimizationattention measurementidentityhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/mediaocean-innovid-stack-one-year-in-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/mediaocean-innovid-stack-one-year-in-2/Innovid Hypermode reached GA on April 21, 2026 — the freshest visible product evidence from the Mediaocean–Innovid stack 14 months after the $500 million deal closed February 13, 2025. Prisma Direct with Disney and Basis–Protected by Mediaocean shipped the same month; the May NewFronts is the buy-side test.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsMediaoceanInnovidFlashtalkingindependent ad-techPrisma DirectHypermodeCTV advertisingNewFronts 2026PE-owned ad-techworkflow-to-execution stackhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/mediaocean-innovid-stack-one-year-in/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/mediaocean-innovid-stack-one-year-in/Innovid Hypermode reached GA on April 21, 2026 — the freshest visible product evidence from the Mediaocean–Innovid stack 14 months after the $500 million deal closed February 13, 2025. Prisma Direct with Disney and Basis–Protected by Mediaocean shipped the same month; the May NewFronts is the buy-side test.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsMediaoceanInnovidFlashtalkingindependent ad-techPrisma DirectHypermodeCTV advertisingNewFronts 2026PE-owned ad-techworkflow-to-execution stackhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/04/mlb-2026-six-platform-rights-fragmentation-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/04/mlb-2026-six-platform-rights-fragmentation-2/MLB's three-year rights deals with ESPN, NBC and Netflix, announced November 19, 2025, scatter the 2026 national schedule across six platforms — Fox, ESPN, TBS, NBC/Peacock, Apple TV+, and Netflix. The fragmentation is a case study in what bundle dissolution costs the consumer.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTcontent-programmingMLBsports-rightsstreaming-rightsNetflixESPNESPN-UnlimitedPeacockApple-TV-Plusbundle-dissolutionvMVPDNewFronts-20262029-rights-auctionhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/04/mlb-2026-six-platform-rights-fragmentation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/content-programming/2026/04/mlb-2026-six-platform-rights-fragmentation/MLB's three-year rights deals with ESPN, NBC and Netflix, announced November 19, 2025, scatter the 2026 national schedule across six platforms — Fox, ESPN, TBS, NBC/Peacock, Apple TV+, and Netflix. The fragmentation is a case study in what bundle dissolution costs the consumer.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTcontent-programmingMLBsports-rightsstreaming-rightsNetflixESPNESPN-UnlimitedPeacockApple-TV-Plusbundle-dissolutionvMVPDNewFronts-20262029-rights-auctionhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/ny-synthetic-performer-disclosure-june-2026-2/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/ny-synthetic-performer-disclosure-june-2026-2/New York's first-in-the-nation synthetic-performer disclosure law takes effect June 9, 2026, exposing brands and agencies that produce NY-distributed creative to civil penalties of $1,000 per first violation and $5,000 per repeat. The IAB's January 15 voluntary framework is the operational template.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationAI-regulationsynthetic-performersadvertising-disclosureNew-York-state-lawIAB-frameworkC2PApolicy-regulationcompelled-commercial-speechhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/ny-synthetic-performer-disclosure-june-2026/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/ny-synthetic-performer-disclosure-june-2026/New York's first-in-the-nation synthetic-performer disclosure law takes effect June 9, 2026, exposing brands and agencies that produce NY-distributed creative to civil penalties of $1,000 per first violation and $5,000 per repeat. The IAB's January 15 voluntary framework is the operational template.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationAI-regulationsynthetic-performersadvertising-disclosureNew-York-state-lawIAB-frameworkC2PApolicy-regulationcompelled-commercial-speechhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/amazon-identity-stack-consolidation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/amazon-identity-stack-consolidation/Inside one nine-day window in April 2026, Amazon publicized three releases — Acxiom audiences live in Amazon DSP's Audience Hub, Dynamic Traffic Engine donated open-source to the IAB Tech Lab, and Samsung Ads in Amazon Publisher Cloud — that finish a six-year ad-stack build ahead of the IAB NewFronts.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/comcast-q1-peacock-inflection-followups/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/comcast-q1-peacock-inflection-followups/NBCU will sell Peacock Premium Plus through The Roku Channel, the first time Comcast has put its ad-free Peacock SKU inside a competitor hub — alongside a Q1 print teeing up a Q2 'meaningful inflection,' a $71.76M Cavanagh comp disclosure, and Fox's $45M-$55M reclaim of the Big Ten title game.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTplatformscomcastpeacockrokuQ1-2026earningsdistributionexecutive-compensationsports-rightsnewfrontshttps://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/espn-layoffs-youtube-blackout-aftermath/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/espn-layoffs-youtube-blackout-aftermath/ESPN is preparing layoffs of fewer than three dozen employees, primarily in off-camera roles, in the aftermath of the 15-day YouTube TV blackout that Disney has now booked at $110 million in lost ESPN segment operating income, Puck's John Ourand reported.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTplatformsESPNYouTube-TVDisneycarriage-blackoutantitrust-settlementESPN-UnlimitedlayoffsNewFronts-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/fcc-carr-streaming-jurisdiction-pressure/https://thestateofstreaming.com/policy-regulation/2026/04/fcc-carr-streaming-jurisdiction-pressure/Three FCC actions in 10 days — an NFL meeting on the antitrust exemption, a TV-Y14 inquiry naming streamers, and a Nexstar/TEGNA waiver under DC Circuit appeal — describe a soft-power posture toward a streaming layer the agency has no statutory authority to regulate.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTpolicy-regulationFCCBrendan Carrregulationpolicy-regulationNexstarTEGNANFLsports-rightsTV-Parental-Guidelinesstreaming-jurisdictionDC-CircuitAnna-Gomezhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/iab-tech-lab-pgc-leap-launch/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/iab-tech-lab-pgc-leap-launch/The IAB Tech Lab's new Programmatic Governance Council launched April 21 with 13 founding members and no direct advertiser at the table. MediaPost's reading of the seating chart is the launch's open question.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechIAB Tech LabProgrammatic Governance CouncilPGCANA transparency benchmarkDynamic Traffic EngineLEAPOmnicom Media GroupAnthony KatsurBen HovanessJoe MandeseMediaPostAdExchangerDigidayAmazon AdsPubMaticMagniteThe Trade DeskDisneysupply-path optimizationauction transparencyhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/iheart-siriusxm-merger-talks/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/iheart-siriusxm-merger-talks/Bloomberg reported April 24 that iHeartMedia is in early talks about a sale to Sirius XM Holdings, with Irving Azoff and Apollo Global Management advising. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed via their own sources; all parties declined or did not respond. SiriusXM's Q1 earnings call is April 30.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsiHeartMediaSiriusXMApolloIrving Azoffaudio-advertisingM&Aaudio-vs-CTVupfront-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/04/viant-tvision-attention-currency-acquisition/https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/04/viant-tvision-attention-currency-acquisition/Viant agreed to acquire TVision Insights for $40 million, folding the panel iSpot, VideoAmp, and Oracle had all licensed into a buying platform. The deal lands two months after VideoAmp expanded its CTV co-viewing license and the same week iSpot pivoted its TVDisrupt keynote toward an AI platform.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeasurement-dataattention-measurementalt-currencyCTV-measurementvianttvisionispotvideoampJICDSP-MAmeasurement-datahttps://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/wbd-paramount-merger-followups/https://thestateofstreaming.com/business-deals/2026/04/wbd-paramount-merger-followups/Paramount Skydance disclosed Friday that David Ellison earned $63.2 million and departing president Jeff Shell earned $60.7 million in 2025, one day after WBD shareholders rejected David Zaslav's roughly $886 million golden parachute by 82% and as the UK CMA opened a pre-formal inquiry into the merger.Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTbusiness-dealsWBD-Paramount-mergerexecutive-compensationUK-CMAshareholder-voteParamount-SkydanceWarner-Bros-Discoverymerger-regulatoryhttps://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/04/doubleverify-tiktok-mrc-accreditation/https://thestateofstreaming.com/measurement-data/2026/04/doubleverify-tiktok-mrc-accreditation/DoubleVerify on April 23 became the first measurement vendor to earn MRC accreditation for TikTok video viewability, covering impressions, viewable impressions, and SIVT filtration on the mobile app via DV Pinnacle. IAS expanded its TikTok footprint three days earlier without claiming accreditation.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMTmeasurement-dataMRC-accreditationTikTok-measurementDoubleVerifyIASvideo-viewabilityad-verificationSIVT-filtrationNewFronts-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/magnite-q1-2026-ctv-crossover-preview/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/magnite-q1-2026-ctv-crossover-preview/Magnite reports Q1 2026 results May 6, and the guidance issued in February requires CTV to clear half of total contribution ex-TAC at every corner of the range — the first quarter the largest independent SSP would be definitionally a CTV-first business.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechmagnitectv-advertisingindependent-sspq1-2026-earningsctv-crossoverclearlinespringservenewfronts-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/netflix-q1-2026-buyback-ad-tier/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/netflix-q1-2026-buyback-ad-tier/Netflix authorized a $25 billion share repurchase after a $5.09 billion free-cash-flow quarter — and the ad tier's programmatic share is closing on 50 percent of non-live inventory.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMTplatformsNetflixNetflix-ad-tierNetflix-Ads-SuiteQ1-2026-earningsshare-buybackprogrammatic-CTVReed-HastingsNewFronts-2026streaming-upfronts-2026https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/paramount-askinasi-upfront-strategy/https://thestateofstreaming.com/advertising-adtech/2026/04/paramount-askinasi-upfront-strategy/Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ: PSKY) opened its first upfront under new ownership on April 16, 2026, led by CRO Jay Askinasi (ex-Roku), pitching a streaming fixed unit and UFC programmatic insertion. Head of U.S. ad sales Danielle Carney joined March 9 from Amazon Prime Video's live-sports group.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMTadvertising-adtechupfronts-2026paramount-skydancectv-advertisingprogrammatic-sportsexecutive-movesstreaming-ad-saleshttps://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/roku-q1-2026-earnings-preview-segment-split/https://thestateofstreaming.com/platforms/2026/04/roku-q1-2026-earnings-preview-segment-split/Roku reports Q1 2026 results April 30 — the first quarter under a new disclosure regime that splits its Platform segment into Advertising and Subscriptions, after the April 13 8-K and the April 16 100-million-households milestone.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMTplatformsrokuQ1-2026-earningstv-osctv-advertisingsegment-disclosureplatform-revenue