The news: Paramount outlined the future of its cable and studio assets on Wednesday a week after completing its merger with Skydance Media. Paramount president Jeff Shell characterized the company’s vision for its cable networks, including MTV, BET, and Nickelodeon, not as shrinking linear assets, but as “brands that we have to redefine.” Our take: Paramount’s emphasis on growing its traditional media businesses signals a bet that legacy channels can drive meaningful revenues when accounting for shifting viewing habits and pursuing higher-volume content pipelines.

Younger consumers increasingly prefer creator content over TV, film: A Deloitte study indicates that advertisers need to rethink their strategies to remain competitive.

FAST platforms like Roku, Tubi, and Pluto TV are gaining buzz from viewers and industry professionals alike. Find out more about the FAST landscape.

The Roku Channel takes first place in value among free ad-supported TV services. Among US users of these services, 84% said it provides excellent or good value. The CBS app holds the No. 2 spot, cited by 80%.

Among connected TV (CTV) companies we forecast, Hulu will lead in US ad revenues in 2021 at $3.13 billion, up 44% over 2020.

Although a growing percentage of ad spending around TV content is happening through addressable, programmatic, and connected TV channels, making advertising more accountable, holistic campaign metrics that cut across the linear and digital domains remain elusive.

US advertisers increased their investments on digital media by almost 15% last year despite a pandemic and recession, looking for flexibility and accountability.