Reports surfaced Wednesday that Comcast has had talks with smart TV companies Vizio and TP Vision about possible acquisitions. While the seriousness of those talks is debatable, Protocol said discussions with Vizio were held in 2021 and in early 2022, but that it was "unclear how far the discussions with each company progressed, or whether they are still ongoing." Of more imminent importance will be whether the tone for the rest of the year concerning broadband growth will be better or worse.

Reportedly, Comcast is in talks to acquire a few different companies right now, but the big name that has appeared in these reports is – VIZIO. Comcast wants to acquire VIZIO so that it can strengthen its smart TV platform. Comcast is also kicking the tires on digital entertainment company TP Vision.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. (Scroll down to watch them all.)

A few highlights: Vrbo wants you to know that it offers “only whole vacation homes” so “it’s just you and your people.” Jon Hamm stars in another of a continuing series of Progressive spots focused on his attempted romance with Flo. (See an earlier Jon Hamm Progressive spot in the July 13 edition of Hot Spots.) And hospitality brand Hilton serves up a spot starring Paris Hilton and her “fur babies.” (Ad Age’s Adrianne Pasquarelli has the backstory: “Hilton unveils biggest marketing push in six years as travel surge continues.”)

"What we have seen is an increase in intensity (of encounters) and increased occurrences in places where polar bears don't normally occur," study co-author Geoff York, a researcher with Polar Bears International, told The Globe and Mail

In the new study, the researchers described six case studies that showed above-average (and occasionally deadly) polar bear encounters with Arctic communities in the United States, Canada and Russia. In each town or community, the number of polar bear sightings has increased steadily over the past several years or decades, leading to some dicey situations.

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Vizio’s SmartCast smart TV platform has evolved into one of the best interfaces for streaming media consumption. It doesn’t have a full-fledged voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant, but it does offer a solid selection of popular streaming apps. It also supports both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, as well as Bluetooth for listening to audio via headphones without disturbing anyone else. Overall, it’s simple and easy to use.

Vizio stock (NYSE:VZIO) has jumped 3.2% off a report that Comcast (CMCSA) has been eyeing an acquisition of the consumer electronics maker as it considers getting further into building its own smart televisions.

By acquiring Vizio, Comcast can stay ahead of the digital curve by having its own manufacturer of smart TVs, which has become the primary device for streaming in many households in recent years. Considering that Comcast's own recent report on the rise of free streaming channels, it comes as no surprise that the cable titan is doubling down on streaming.

Cable giant Comcast has been weighing the acquisition of a TV-maker to bolster its nascent smart TV platform efforts, Protocol has learned from industry insiders. One of the companies approached by Comcast has been California-based Vizio, according to three sources with knowledge of these conversations.

Rounding out the ranking is the sole traditional broadcaster – CBS – which promotes reality competition The Challenge: USA in fifth.
However, The Challenge: USA scores the week’s highest iSpot Attention Index (137), meaning viewers were, on average, highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV’s most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through July 24. Discovery’s Shark Week is No. 1 for the second week in a row.

NewsNation --- the former WGN America -- is a Nexstar Media Group cable news network in 75 million U.S. TV homes. It launched in September 2020.

From July, 25 2021 through July 25, 2022, it is estimated the network earned $129.8 million in national TV advertising revenues, according to iSpot.tv.

With over eight years of historical data across brand and agency clients, hundreds of thousands of campaigns, and partnerships with all major social platforms, CreatorIQ is uniquely positioned to help brands implement these standards and further optimize their creator programs. These standards closely align with CreatorIQ’s existing measurement solutions and have already been integrated into the company’s industry-leading influencer marketing software platform, which powers efforts for Fortune 1000 brands and their global agencies.

Despite losing accreditation, Nielsen maintains a healthy number of media partners. The company is leveraging Vizio data of about 20 million U.S. connected TVs, while Tubi and Studio71 are tapping into Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings.

Karate Combat continues to grow. After its most recent event, the organization is reporting that it has beaten major MMA organizations, PFL and Bellator, in online viewership numbers. They say they are the fastest-growing combat sports organization. This feat was measured by Tubular Labs. Through a press release, Karate Combat and Tubular Labs have shared their findings.

For instance, Marvel released trailers for both the upcoming She-Hulk: Attorney at Law show and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie over the weekend. The trailer for the streaming show, which arrives in a matter of weeks, has 6.6 million views on Twitter according to data from Tubular Labs. The trailer for the movie, which is out in November has 36.3 million views on Twitter alone and was the centerpiece of Marvel’s presentation from Hall H at Comic-Con.

Televisions, which currently average 55 inches in North America, also come with nearly paper-thin 4K-resolution TV screens and the ability to watch thousands of channels. If you really want to go out, check out the new 85-inch entry from Vizio.

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only.

Even with fewer games on national TV for the All-Star Break, MLB action still increased impressions by nearly 41% week-over-week. Including the All-Star Game, baseball served up 2.72% of TV ad impressions from July 18-24 to lead all programs.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. (Scroll down to watch them all.)

A few highlights: ​​Dick’s Sporting Goods says it’s “surprising teens with fire looks.” Old Navy serves up another “written by the internet” ad to hype its back-to-school fashions. (Previously: “A TikTok post inspired Old Navy’s new commercial,” from Ad Age’s Alexandra Jardine, March 2.) And Tally says it can help you find “the smartest way to pay down your credit card debt.”

“Bears don’t know all the negatives that come with plastic ingestion and the diseases and toxins they’re likely exposed to in a (landfill) setting,” Geoff York, study co-author and senior director of conservation at Polar Bears International, said.