• Paramount Global announced that it is folding Showtime, its premium TV channel, into its Paramount+ streaming property across both linear and streaming platforms. The combined venture, branded as “Paramount+ With Showtime,” will launch later this year and follows a trend of internal reorganization at media and entertainment companies as economic uncertainty challenges the industry. (Variety) 
• Twitter Inc. is reportedly applying for regulatory licenses in a number of U.S. states and designing software to support payment services, the latest efforts by the social media platform to build revenue streams beyond advertising. Owner Elon Musk has previously stated he eventually wants Twitter to become an “everything app” that can facilitate a wide range of online transactions, including messaging, payments and commerce. (Financial Times)
• Spotify Technology SA surpassed 200 million paid subscribers during the fourth quarter and grew its ad revenue 14% year over year, largely driven by podcasting. The audio giant’s results represent a bright spot for the broader digital advertising industry, where growth has slowed in recent months. (The Hollywood Reporter)

The Plant-Based Meat Industry Faces More Challenges Ahead — Here’s Why

Morning Consult

EssenceMediaCom Launches as World’s Largest Media Agency Network

Brian Bonilla, Ad Age

The official launch comes nine months after the merger was announced.

As Cookies Wane, Retargeting Protocol Fledge Emerges as Privacy Sandbox Favorite

Catherine Perloff, Adweek

Nine new firms have begun testing the retargeting protocol since September 2022.

Horizon Media Connects Its ID To OpenX’s SSP

Anthony Vargas, AdExchanger

Supply-side platform OpenX announced Monday that it is deepening its partnership with ad agency Horizon Media by integrating Horizon’s blu.ID into the OpenX platform.

Retail Media Networks Attract ‘Reluctant Buyers,’ ANA Finds 

Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

New report analyzes growing trend and what it means for marketers.

Governments around the world are changing their policies to support esports

Alexander Lee, Digiday

Governments’ interest in esports is encouraging, but despite a groundswell of policy-level support, not all countries are equally enthusiastic about the space.

Premier League signs NFT deal with SoftBank-backed Sorare

Elizabeth Howcroft, Reuters

The Premier League is partnering with French fantasy sports platform Sorare to sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a sign that the sporting world is continuing to embrace digital assets despite the rout in markets.

USC has an influencer group that helps students get deals with brands like DoorDash and American Eagle

Nhari Djan, Insider

Student organization USC Reach is here to prove that you can finish a degree while furthering your career as a content creator.

How Rolling Stone Uses Its Super Bowl Party as a Massive Marketing Opportunity for Its Events

Jason Notte, Adweek

With help from event partner Talent Resources Sports, the publication manages its party guest list to maximize its year-round marketing impact.

Celebrities Who Endorsed Crypto, NFTs Land in Legal Crosshairs After Investor Losses

Corrinne Ramey et al., The Wall Street Journal

Prominent endorsers named as defendants in class-action lawsuits, while agents warn clients away from future deals.

NBCU and PointsBet extend betting deal by two years

Sara Fischer, Axios

NBCUniversal and PointsBet are extending their five-year sports betting deal by two years, executives told Axios. The extension amends the initial deal terms to reduce PointsBet’s annual ad spend commitment with NBCU properties and to shift some of its ad spend obligations to more regional NBCU assets.

Fox Renews Deal to Put Prime-Time Shows on Disney’s Hulu Service

Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg

Fox Corp. renewed a deal to stream its TV shows on Walt Disney Co.’s Hulu service the day after they air on the Fox broadcast network.

CNN to Air Bill Maher ‘Overtime’ Segments on Friday Nights

Justin Baragona, The Daily Beast

CNN chief Chris Licht has reportedly floated the idea of getting a late-night comedian in the network’s primetime lineup.

Meta’s Twitch Competitor Cuts Contracts With Gaming Creators

Mahira Dayal, The Information

Since 2018, Meta Platforms has paid videogamers to stream their play on Facebook’s gaming service, its alternative to Twitch. Now, in a new era of austerity, Meta is cutting back on those payments.

Meta is testing members-only worlds for its social VR platform

Jay Peters, The Verge

Meta is starting to test members-only worlds in Horizon Worlds, its social VR platform, which will allow people to build curated worlds for a select community of users.

Lawmakers Seek Bipartisan Push on Big Tech Regulation. Voters’ Views Indicate Censorship, Content Moderation Could Be Sticking Points

A.J. Dellinger, Morning Consult

Over half of Republicans view censorship as a major threat, while an equal share of Democrats believe social media platforms need stricter content moderation policies.

Instagram’s AIM-like text status feature is expanding to Europe and Japan

Jay Peters, The Verge

Instagram Notes launched in December, and people immediately equated them to AIM away messages. This week, they’re coming to Europe and Japan.

Busch Light enlists Sarah McLachlan for Super Bowl LVII

Jessica Deyo, Marketing Dive

The spot, titled “Shelter,” riffs on McLachlan’s song “Angel,” which has become synonymous with commercials for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as brand mascot Busch Guy attempts to speak to the importance of finding adequate shelter outdoors. 

Burberry in spotlight over ad showing model with double mastectomy

Amy Houston, The Drum

Burberry pulled an image from its latest campaign after heavy criticism. Now groups representing trans people have slammed the brand for trying to “profit from our image” but failing to stand by its decision.

What’s behind Foot Locker’s ‘bold’ cost-cutting spree

Julia Waldow, Modern Retail

In an 8-K form filed with the S.E.C. last week, Foot Locker revealed that it is winding down its Sidestep banner in Europe to “focus on its core and growth banners,” while also eliminating a “number” of corporate and support roles across the company. 

How Nonalcoholic Brands Amped Up Collaborations for Dry January and Beyond

T.L. Stanley, Adweek

Katy Perry moonlights at a booze-free bottle shop as part of a growing partnership trend.

Unilever names former Heinz exec Schumacher as CEO

Richa Naidu, Reuters

Unilever on Monday appointed Hein Schumacher to replace Alan Jope as chief executive from July in a move that was welcomed by investors including board member and activist shareholder Nelson Peltz.

Why Is Assessing Job Satisfaction So Hard?

Alina Tugend, The New York Times

Companies nationwide spend hundreds of millions of dollars assessing their workers’ satisfaction and engagement. Some have added quarterly, monthly and even weekly check-ins to their annual surveys.

CEOs take pay cuts after brutal 2022

Matt Egan, CNN

Corporate boards are slashing the pay of some leading CEOs in a new trend that could just be getting started.

Davos Returned as a Microcosm of Workplace Changes Everywhere

Julia Hobsbawm, Bloomberg

From buzzwords like “Acting your Wage” to “Algorithm Management,” the World Economic Forum called time on outdated leadership styles.

Philips to Cut a Further 6,000 Jobs

Ian Walker, The Wall Street Journal

Health-technology company swings to a fourth-quarter loss as costs rise.

Remote workers are losing ground in the work from home wars: More than half of employees went into the office last week

Matthew Boyle, Fortune

More than half of workers in major US cities went to the office last week, the first time that return-to-office rates crossed 50% of their pre-pandemic levels.

Impossible Foods Plans to Lay Off About 20% of Workers

Deena Shanker, Bloomberg

Impossible Foods Inc., the maker of meatless burgers and sausages, is preparing to cut about 20% of its staff, according to a person familiar with the matter.