News
The latest stories published on The Desk.
NBC beats Netflix in Week 1 NFL kickoff ratings battle
Netflix's U.S. viewership for its Week 1 game in Australia was lower compared to NBC's viewership for its Super Bowl rematch one day earlier.
RATINGS
Flock worker calls police on WANF reporter during camera installation
Reporter Brendan Keefe was stopped by police after filming a Flock camera installer on a public street near Atlanta; the company says it is normal operating procedure.
Gray Media expands weekday lineup with new seasons, daily “The Good Side”
Gray Media has launched new seasons of “Investigate TV Plus” and “Aging Untold” while expanding “The Good Side” to a Monday-through-Friday schedule.
Tech companies form new lobbying group to press for streaming-friendly policies
Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video and Google's YouTube are founding members of the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, which will lobby lawmakers for favorable policy.
Gray Media brings 111 local TV news streams to Local Now
Local Now is expanding the amount of local television news content available on its platform through a new deal with broadcaster Gray Media.
Spectrum News launches California-specific news initiative on YouTube
New stories will publish regularly on the Spectrum News California YouTube channel, with a weekly recap airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Spectrum News channels.
FIRST ON THE DESK
MAD Project wants forced FCC vote on WTXF broadcast license
The MAD Project says recent court rulings support its argument that the FCC has a duty to resolve applications for review rather than leave them pending indefinitely.
FIRST ON THE DESK
ARF: Bedroom TV viewing create blind spot for measurement firms
Measurement systems that rely on information from a single TV manufacturer might miss viewing opportunities taking place on other platforms, ARF said.
AMC Global Media launches free streamer in some European countries
AMC has launched SELEKT Light in Czechia and Slovakia, replacing its former AMC Mikro service with a free, advertising-supported streaming platform.
IAB raises 2026 U.S. ad growth forecast to 12.3 percent
The figure is an increase from the 9.5 percent growth that IAB first projected in January; the bump was attributed to stronger spending against certain events like the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup tournament.
DATA
Sinclair CEO: Monetizing spectrum is $4 billion opportunity for broadcasters
Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley said a mandatory transition to NextGen TV could allow the broadcaster to repurpose, sell or lease bandwidth reserved for video capabilities.
FIRST ON THE DESK
Nielsen: “The Pitt,” “Abbott Elementary” lead viewing among Emmy nominees
Nielsen measured total viewing across broadcast, cable and streaming from June 2025 through May 2026.