News
The latest stories published on The Desk.
Nielsen: Traditional TV outperforms streaming without YouTube in January
Television viewing reached a 12-month high in January 2026, rising 3.7 percent compared with December, according to Nielsen.
THE GAUGE
VIDAA takes on Nielsen, Comscore with V Index measurement solution
The tool will aggregate viewing data across apps and channels from more than 30 million activated VIDAA-powered smart TVs, starting in EMEA markets.
FIRST ON THE DESK
NBA sees higher TV ratings from NBC, ESPN under new rights package
NBA games are averaging 1.8 million viewers across the NBA's three TV partners, up 16 percent from last season.
RATINGS
Apple to launch enhanced video podcasts experience within Podcasts app
Apple will soon allow fans of popular podcasts to switch between audio and video versions of the same show.
Winter Olympic Games pull in strong numbers for NBC affiliates
NBC affiliates across the country are seeing viewership boosts thanks to the network's coverage of the Winter Olympic Games.
Roku exploring other retail partnerships after Walmart buys Vizio, CEO says
Roku is expanding retail ties with Best Buy and Target as Walmart shifts some smart TVs to Vizio’s OS, reducing Roku’s role in holiday doorbusters.
ONLY ON THE DESK
Law&Crime president says Court TV buy was content-driven
Court TV will remain a separate brand focused on live trials, while Law&Crime repurposes archival and live content for on-demand programming.
Paramount hires ex-Trump official to lead policy as battle for WBD heats up
The appointment comes as Paramount competes with Netflix in bidding for WBD’s film studio, cable networks and streaming assets.
Spectrum acquires New England Cable News from NBC
As part of the acquisition, the regional cable news channel will rebrand to Spectrum News NECN.
Cineverse acquires ad tech firm IndiCue
Cineverse acquired ad tech firm IndiCue for $40 million, integrating its monetization tools into the Matchpoint platform across FAST and AVOD services.
Roku swings to profit in Q4, revenue jumps to $1.4 billion
Roku swung to profitability during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, capping what executives described as a year of “excellent results."
EARNINGS REPORT
Whistleblower claims Scripps misled public on Court TV sale
The complaint says workforce reductions will lead to less live programming, including an end to Court TV's current gavel-to-gavel coverage.
EXCLUSIVE