Amazon bets creator video podcasts can be the next TV network – if it can fix measurement

May 15, 2026 Amazon wants to turn creator-led video podcasts into the next generation of TV networks – multiplatform franchises that can soak up TV budgets and spin out into retail, live events and social clips. That pitch was front and center at Amazon’s May 11 Upfront in New York City, where performances from Diplo and Kacey Musgraves bookended appearances from Ice Spice, Shaboozey, and Oprah Winfrey, who unveiled a new podcast deal with Amazon’s podcast studio Wondery. Advertisement TOP STORY The Creator Economy Amazon bets creator video podcasts can be the next TV network – if it can fix measurement Amazon’s Upfront presentation leaned into its podcast offerings, which the company believes are the next generation of TV networks. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW The first-ever Next Gen Store Awards celebrate the innovations reshaping the modern in-store experience. Discover this year’s categories and submit by May 22 for the lowest rate on entries. More organizations are using AI to produce more with fewer resources — but the advantage comes from how creative and technical marketers activate AI, not just add it to their tech stack. Partner insights from Contentful. Even with the biggest FIFA men’s World Cup in history rapidly approaching and modern sports fans continually demonstrating their digital savviness, the success of so many brands’ campaigns still relies on outdated strategies and technology. Partner insights from Sportradar. MARKETING The Sports Marketing Playbook Ally wants influence over women’s sports media deals — not just sponsorships Ally is accelerating ad spend in women’s sports, gaining more influence over media deals as brands compete for inventory and audience growth. Member exclusive Future of Marketing Briefing: The brands winning at AI started with process not tech The AI agent conversation is a distraction. Here’s what matters more. The Sports Marketing Playbook CeraVe taps Carmelo Anthony as ‘head coach’ of its new dandruff campaign CeraVe found that the NBA and Carmelo Anthony could give it access to a very diverse, engaged and Gen Z fandom. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE Why publishers who wait on agentic AI risk falling behind Agentic workflows fueled by quality data allow teams to make better decisions quickly. But nearly one-third of publishers lack immediate plans to invest in agentic solutions, putting them at risk of falling behind. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM AUDIOEYE AI builds the web faster than ever, but accessibility can’t be forgotten The brands getting accessibility right on AI-built sites realize that it isn’t a compliance checkbox sitting outside the marketing function. It’s a conversion problem, a retention problem and, increasingly, a legal problem. Advertisement DPMS 2026 Member exclusive Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit May Recap: How marketers are navigating agentic ad buying Execs are already using AI agents to buy ads. At DPMS, they shared what’s worked (and what hasn’t) and the guardrails that the industry needs to put in place to future proof. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM NEXXEN Native CTV is capturing viewer attention on the home screen Increasingly, viewers turn on their TVs without a fixed plan. Nielsen estimates that viewers spend as long as 10.5 minutes browsing on the home screen before they decide what to watch. ICYMI Marketing on Platforms TikTok launches MCP server to let AI agents run campaigns The platform launched its own model context protocol (MCP) server during its sixth annual TikTok World event. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy