ESPN has launched its long-awaited direct-to-consumer subscription app, consolidating 12 networks and sports rights under one platform. Two tiers—ESPN Select at $11.99/month and ESPN Unlimited at $29.99/month—offer up to 79,000 live events annually, with Unlimited subscribers gaining access to marquee programming like Monday Night Football and NBA games. A Disney+/Hulu bundle is also available for $35.99/month, discounted in year one. Features include multiview, betting tools, live stats, fantasy integrations, and an AI-powered personalized SportsCenter. The move signals an existential reset for ESPN, aiming to convert cable loyalists and younger fans while stabilizing growth in a cord-cutting era.
The news: As US interest in soccer grows with the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a year away, one streaming brand with deep ties to soccer is notably absent from the pre-World Cup hype: Apple TV+. Our take: Apple TV+ is fathoms behind leading services with approximately 45 million subscribers, per The Information. Without a legacy media business to support its streaming operations, sports leagues have a wealth of other channels to partner with for better reach.
The news: Meta’s new auto-translation feature for Reels could simplify global content sharing. The AI-powered translation tool can automatically dub and lip-sync Reels on Instagram and Facebook into other languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It’s available to Facebook creators with at least 1,000 followers and to all public Instagram accounts. Our take: Creators and brands should lean into short-form multilingual content to maximize audience reach and watch for engagement spikes in views in unexpected regions to identify new markets and audiences worth targeting.
The news: Google is bringing Gemini AI to the living room. Starting in October, Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant on Nest speakers and displays, per The Verge. Gemini for Home opens new channels for contextual, voice-driven ad engagement inside households. With millions of Nest and Google Home devices expected to get the upgrade, the scale is massive and the stakes are high. Our take: Gemini for Home lets Google fuse search ads with household AI. But winning against Amazon will depend on trust, adoption, seamless ad integration, and pricing. Google’s challenge is making its service compelling enough to drive adoption and subscribers.
Audience customization is the top GenAI use case for marketers who produce multiple versions of video ads (42%), per a March Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) survey.
Fiddelke inherits a tough hand. Target’s recent missteps—from scaling back DEI initiatives to pulling back Pride Month offerings—have weakened its brand and left it vulnerable to rivals like Walmart, which continues to win over shoppers with lower prices and broader grocery selection.
The news: Child safety concerns are mounting as several platforms face heightened scrutiny over lacking moderation capabilities. Google settled a lawsuit on Tuesday over claims that it violated children’s privacy through YouTube by collecting personal data for targeted ads without parental consent, though the company denied wrongdoing in its decision to settle. Our take: Heightened scrutiny over where advertisers spend and what they promote is a must-have amid current concerns over child safety online, and brands must practice caution when implementing strategies that could be perceived as targeting minors.
The news: AI dominated Wednesday’s Made by Google event, where the company unveiled its Pixel 10 lineup. Google pitched Gemini as “personal intelligence,” framing it as a universal AI assistant across smartphones, wearables, smart homes, and connected cars. The showcase feature, Magic Cue, anticipates user needs by pulling data from Gmail, Calendar, and Messages to suggest timely actions. Our take: If features like Magic Cue prove indispensable, Google gains a recurring revenue stream and deeper ecosystem lock-in. If they fade as gimmicks, Pixel risks remaining a niche brand, especially if competitors can provide similar apps or services.
The news: Meta and Google still account for 88% of mobile ad spending despite shifting user habits, per a Moloco report. But while advertiser attention remains firmly focused on Big Tech, those that diversify their media mix could increase financial returns as much as 214%. Our take: As audiences become fragmented across social media, advertisers are increasingly faced with the need to look beyond the big players—but with big tech still commanding attention, a balanced approach is key.
Accenture Song has acquired Superdigital, a Florida-based social-first and influencer agency with clients including Microsoft, Welch’s, and Nerf. Founded in 2013, Superdigital specializes in TikTok-driven content, community building, and creator-led campaigns, with activations ranging from Welch’s pop-ups to Microsoft’s AI influencer work. The deal reflects a broader wave of M&A as consultancies and holding companies buy into the creator economy. With social and influencer marketing outpacing other formats, the move positions Accenture to win young, digital-first audiences and scale creator-driven growth.
Ten years after its establishment, Amazon Business is expanding its seller network and product selection to serve an 8 million global organization customer base, which has grown 33% from 6 million in 2023. Many of the capabilities that individual shoppers enjoy on Amazon’s B2C platform—broad selection, cost savings, and advanced technology—are being applied to its B2B marketplace to help organizations work smarter and more efficiently. As Amazon Business continues to innovate, it is poised to compete for more sales from companies seeking to save time and resources.
The news: Lowe’s is acquiring Foundation Building Materials (FBM) for approximately $8.8 billion. The North American distributor of interior building products generated roughly $6.5 billion in revenues in 2024 on a pro forma basis and operates more than 370 locations across the US and Canada, serving 40,000 Pro customers. Its business spans both new construction and repair/remodel applications. Our take: Lowe’s is playing the long game. By doubling down on Pro customers, the retailer is building a buffer against consumer caution and the frozen housing market. FBM’s scale positions Lowe’s to capture long-term share as construction rebounds, and the raised sales guidance signals confidence that its Pro-focused playbook is already delivering results. That stands in contrast to Home Depot, which recently fell short of both revenue and earnings expectations for the first time in a decade. While Home Depot has leaned into its Pro business as well, tariffs, elevated housing costs, and labor pressures are weighing on its results. Lowe’s acquisitions and investments could give it an edge in weathering near-term headwinds and winning share from contractors and builders who will be critical growth drivers over the next decade.
Estée Lauder posted a wider quarterly loss as sales slumped and warned that tariffs could reduce earnings by about $100 million over the next year. Estée Lauder is taking necessary steps to turn around its business—focusing on product innovation, cutting costs, and broadening its customer reach—but it will be tough given intense competition in the beauty market. With key rival L’Oreal gaining US momentum and newer brands emerging, Estée Lauder must accelerate product innovation, reduce reliance on discounting, rebuild momentum in China, and take other steps to win new customers, or risk ceding more ground in the longer term.
The news: Epic rolled out new genAI tools for clinicians, including an AI scribe solution that transcribes doctors’ notes during patient visits. Epic will incorporate ambient technology from Microsoft to power its medical documentation technology. Our take: Epic’s AI scribe solution with Microsoft/Nuance as its development partner delivers a major blow to startups like Abridge and Ambience. These two companies are part of a booming ambient AI scribe space that has totaled nearly $1 billion in investment funding so far this year, per a July analysis from STAT. But Epic’s presence will make it much tougher for smaller players to stand out in the category, since doctors will be drawn in by the efficiency of using scribe tools from their EHR system.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to best decide who to partner with, the right conditions for a successful store-in-a-store relationship, how to approach long-term partnerships versus one-off collaborations. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and the Founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, Brian Berger. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The situation: TJX is thriving as shoppers flock to its off-price value proposition. Our take: Off-price retailers like TJX’s T.J. Maxx and Marshalls are poised to thrive this holiday season, when consumers are likely to be both budget-minded and eager for discovery. TJX’s model allows it to avoid much of the tariff pain weighing on full-price retailers, since it sources excess merchandise at steep discounts. At the same time, retailers frontloading inventory in anticipation of tariff impacts may unintentionally flood the off-price channel with fresh product. That could create a double advantage heading into Q4: sharper values for shoppers, and a “treasure hunt” experience that can pull traffic away from department stores and specialty chains at a time when promotional intensity will be fierce.
The news: Publishers are tackling AI scraping with a new strategy—pay per crawl. Rather than one-time licensing deals, usage-based compensation models would have AI companies pay publishers and content providers based on how often their work is used in AI-generated responses. Our take: These usage-based models could be a more equitable deal for publishers whose content powers AI engines that are earning tens or hundreds of millions of dollars per year. To avoid getting locked out of monetization, brands should act now to review existing content agreements, explore licensing opportunities, and push for fairer models that recognize the value of original content.
The news: CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reorganized Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) into four units focused on research, superintelligence, products, and infrastructure, per The New York Times. Meta further splitting its AI division, which it spun off in June, underscores both ambition and internal turmoil as it races rivals like OpenAI and Google. Our take: Meta’s public growing pains show it won’t sit out the AI race, even if upheaval is the cost. Its future direction will have wider implications—if Meta leans into closed AI models, the shift could reshape how outside developers and partners interact with its platforms. For advertisers, the signal is clear: Expect fresh AI features in Meta’s ad products, but brace for volatility as Meta struggles to align its people, platforms, and technology.
The news: Many marketers and salespeople doubt AI’s ability to boost company revenues or customer satisfaction. Some even believe it adds to their workload, signaling a disconnect between AI adoption and employee confidence. Only 39% of marketers and sales professionals in the US and UK are confident that their departments’ use of AI drives revenues, per General Assembly’s AI in Marketing & Sales report. Nearly half (46%) believe AI only somewhat improves the customer experience or doesn’t at all. Our take: Organizations that prioritize tailored training and tie outcomes to KPIs like team efficiency and customer satisfaction could help employees feel empowered and translate AI investments into measurable impact.
The news: Home Depot is raising prices on select products to offset tariff-driven cost increases. The move marks an about-face from May, when the retailer said its diversified supply chain would shield it from price hikes. At the time, Home Depot framed holding prices steady as a chance to gain share, but near-universal tariffs have made that increasingly untenable. Our take: Home Depot’s shift illustrates how tariffs are weighing on retailers across categories—even those with diversified supply chains and strong domestic sourcing. Passing costs along to consumers could protect margins in the short term, but it risks dampening demand in an already fragile housing and home improvement market. If tariffs remain in place or expand further, retailers like Home Depot will be stuck between paying more for goods and serving customers reluctant to spend. That dynamic could accelerate SKU rationalization, push more retailers to lean on higher-margin private labels, and force difficult trade-offs between protecting margins and holding share. For Home Depot, its ability to retain relatively high-spending homeowners and pros gives it a cushion, but sustaining growth into 2025 will hinge on how successfully it balances pricing power with customer loyalty in a sluggish housing market. Adjusted earnings per share were $4.68, up from $4.67 a year earlier, but short of the $4.71 expected. Revenues were $45.28 billion, up 4.9% YoY, but below the $45.36 billion expected. However, Home Depot reaffirmed its full-year outlook, guiding to growth in total sales of 2.8% and comparable sales of roughly 1%.