In this week’s edition of On Background, ADWEEK’s Mark Stenberg examines how Netflix’s flashy courtship of Warner Bros. Discovery collapsed, leaving Paramount holding the $110B bag and Netflix pocketing a $2.8B breakup fee.
The Trade Desk is testing generative AI campaign-building tools with CEO Jeff Green saying a closed beta lets some advertisers create campaigns through Anthropic’s Claude.
Everyone talks about being authentic, but brands have to do the work and walk the walk before that happens.
Join us at Social Media Week in NYC from April 14-16 for more conversations like this one we had with Irsis Cabral.
Grab your passes here 👉 https://bit.ly/3P19du4
The cuts affected various departments across the organization, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke under the condition of anonymity. Horizon declined to specify which departments were impacted.
In a company-wide email sent Monday evening, obtained by ADWEEK, CEO Bill Koenigsberg said that the layoffs were “part of a skills optimization effort and broader realignment across the agency.”
EXCLUSIVE | Horizon Media underwent a round of layoffs this week, cutting 50 roles out of a headcount of over 2,000 globally as part of a broader restructuring.
EXCLUSIVE | Playboy has appointed media veteran Phillip Picardi as its new chief brand officer and editor in chief, ushering in a new chapter for a legacy brand looking to reestablish its relevance in the modern era.
Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4bjs9Mk
Time has largely completed its digital pivot by becoming an events-led business: events and their digital extensions are on pace to generate over half of total revenue this year, up from 28% in 2023, and nearly 80% of ad revenue.
The escalating dispute between Anthropic and the United States Department of War is becoming more than a government procurement fight.
For advertisers and tech buyers, it’s an early signal that the AI platforms powering future media and commerce may increasingly be shaped by geopolitical alliances.
AI is not eliminating marketing jobs at scale, but it is reshaping them. NewtonX data for ADWEEK shows most organizations saw little to no AI driven headcount reduction.
Americans carry about four credit cards on average, but The Points Guy editor Nick Ewen says he has 28, and he has spent two decades squeezing value from them to travel widely on miles, credits, and points. bit.ly/4b5ouTu
In an ADWEEK and NewtonX survey, nearly two-thirds said AI is meaningfully affecting their day-to-day work, yet 39% of agency contracts don’t mention AI at all and 27% address it only broadly.
McCann global CEO Tyler Turnbull thrives on high-pressure challenges, from intense early-career agency work to pushing his limits on the ski slopes of Ontario.
From CES to Davos to the AI-heavy Super Bowl ads, one thing came through loud and clear: AI has moved past being a shiny new feature.
Here are 10 trends that Shiv Singh, CEO of Savvy Matter, sees colliding right now.
JCPenney’s CMO Marisa Thalberg’s first year in the position has focused on repositioning the 123-year-old retailer with witty, social-first campaigns, aiming to make shoppers feel savvy about getting style and quality at a good value.
In 2026, more brands are publicly rejecting “AI slop” and tech gimmicks to position themselves as authentic alternatives, with campaigns from Equinox and Almond Breeze joining earlier moves by Dove, BMW, and Aerie as ADWEEK expands its running list. bit.ly/4qRMpL0
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski Instagram taste-test for the Big Arch stayed quiet until Irish creator Garron Noone stitched it on TikTok Feb. 25, triggering parodies and brand pile-ons that turned the launch into a global. https://bit.ly/4rWU77u
🏦 Full-year adjusted diluted EPS of $0.83
🏦 Full-year adjusted EBITDA of $422 million. This is a 17% margin on net revenue
📈 Full-year net revenue of $2.43 billion (+6%)
📈 Full-year 2025 revenue of $2.9 billion (+2%)
🏦 Q4 adjusted diluted EPS of $0.30
🏦 Q4 adjusted EBITDA of $129 million. This is ~20% margin on net revenue
📈 $651 million in Q4 net revenue (+3%)
📈 $807 million in Q4 2025 revenue (+2% year over year)
Here are the numbers 👇
The remarks came alongside Stagwell’s latest financial results, which showed modest revenue growth and stronger profitability.
“I can say with some confidence that our Q1 2026 net new business is shaping up to be the strongest in the history of the firm,” Penn said during Stagwell’s fourth quarter and full year earnings call Tuesday.
