well the upfront calendar opened up a bit

I hosted an event the other night featuring a cross section of folks from the creator-meets-media-meets-brands world. They had a lot to say about the future of the industry mikeshields.substack.com/p/the-creato...

All the biggest advertisers say they are going big with creators - but the numbers (at least the ones we have) tell a different story mikeshields.substack.com/p/despite-so...

Fascinating podcast conversation with YouTube Jordan Matter on how his daughter became the star of his channel, and how their new skincare line with Sephora almost shut down New Jersey open.spotify.com/episode/7dAN...

Talked to Kin Community founder Michael Wayne about the many ups and downs of building a business with creators on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fV2...

New episode of Next in Media features illuminating chat with Unilever's Selina Sykes explaining how the beauty brand is going to work with a bazillion creators at once open.spotify.com/episode/7DhJ...

Dug deep into the origins of Amazon's ad business as a guest contributor for Big Technology www.bigtechnology.com/p/how-amazon...

Here's the problem: how do you advertise in Jimmy Kimmel right now? They'll come after you. And I like Jimmy Kimmel

Got to talk with top YouTuber Dhar Mann and his CEO Sean Atkins about why they've leaned into scripted content, and how they plan to partner with brands to make originals open.spotify.com/episode/7BTz...

Exclusive: Paramount Skydance is preparing a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery that is backed by the Ellison family.

If you think micro-dramas are new, you may not be old enough to remember Prom Queen mikeshields.substack.com/p/before-the...

Could anyone actually AI-ify TV buying across networks? Maybe Amazon? mikeshields.substack.com/p/could-amaz...

Alcarez about to get deported

What is the USTA thinking having the men's final- which should be epic- against the opening of the NFL season?

In case you were wondering, we tried the creator commentary versions of the NFL game on YouTube and I'm rooting for nuclear war

I wrote about YouTube's big first date with the NFL mikeshields.substack.com/p/youtubes-b...

Can Bari Weiss fix Paramount+?

Regulators: companies shouldn't share data for online ad targeting. Also, Google should share everyone's search data with everyone

So I didn't get the Vogue job

Wow. Trump and Putin to appear later today together on New Heights podcast

whoa www.theinformation.com/articles/wal...

What's going on with AppLovin? It's complicated mikeshields.substack.com/p/applovin-a...

This is cool but how about spending $7 to fix the app www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/b...

Hitler is an ad network www.businessinsider.com/grok-ads-cha...

Disney+ and Hulu coming together. This way it will be easier to show the same ad again and again to the same user www.businessinsider.com/disney-hulu-...

Tubi is working with 50 plus creators trying to figure out how to take YouTube and TikTok talent and translate it to streaming open.spotify.com/episode/3qdu...

Can any of these people make an app that works? deadline.com/2025/08/skyd...

When it comes to its ads and media strategy, for Spotify it's been pivot after pivot mikeshields.substack.com/p/spotifys-m...

For my 50th birthday we got wings

Latest episode of Next in Media features Snap CMO Grace Kao talking about trying to normalize ads in chat open.spotify.com/episode/4wLN...

I mean, should I tell The Information? Or do you want to? www.axios.com/2025/07/14/t...

Fun chat at Cannes between Omnicom's Megan Pagliuca and Walmart Connect's Khurrum Malik on trying to harness creators for commerce, without going overboard open.spotify.com/episode/0kfU...

Could AI Agents (if they're real) blow up the Retail Media party? mikeshields.substack.com/p/could-ai-w...

Google wants to be all in on AI, while also being the home of human-led authentic engatement mikeshields.substack.com/p/google-vs-...

Are the Knicks using Indeed.com at this point?

Talked to Vayner's John Terrana about the two distinct TV upfronts this year, and the coming battle within Google open.spotify.com/episode/7i7K...

Got to hang in the Spotify studio in Cannes with Chloe Wix to talk about how the company is trying to get consumers, creators, and advertisers to think about the app as a video platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duo_...

Did I accidentally DVR Linkedin?

Maybe there's a simple way for the TV ad industry to get bigger. Suck it up and partner with big tech mikeshields.substack.com/p/tv-learns-...

Hung on the Walmart Connect Cannes rooftop and talked about pushing retail media into TV with ad boss Ryan Mayward www.youtube.com/watch?v=54jK...

I talked to Google's Sean Downey at the Google Beach in Cannes about why its still too hard for brands to find the right creators open.spotify.com/episode/5ZPk...

It's important for legacy media to embrace the creditor economy bsky.app/profile/wsj....

All you hear about is how FAST is growing like crazy. But as for ad dollars.... mikeshields.substack.com/p/free-ad-su...

The people who own CNN and HBO want to keep HBO, and sell CNN and every other cable channel they own. By me: www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-...

Latest Next in Media chat with super consultant Emily Riley on the Amazon/Trade Desk DSP drama and what happens if Paramount sale drama never ends open.spotify.com/episode/4FRM...

For me this is like when the Cowboys play the Eagles and I just pray that everyone gets injured www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

I'm a small advertisers looking to get on TV. I now have 47 choices mikeshields.substack.com/publish/post...

You haven't lived until you've seen Mission Impossible the Final Reckoning on Landry Shamet's forehead

For all the talk about alternative currency and the JIC and all that, Nielsen wins every new deal www.axios.com/2025/05/27/w...

Wrote about the behind the scenes battle to grab viewers on you TV operating system, and why free often wins mikeshields.substack.com/p/inside-the...