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The stage is set! Advertisers, don’t miss this cultural moment. ADWEEK House The Big Game is headed to New Orleans on February 7. RSVP. Paramount is setting itself up for a big win in the AFC Championship game. Today, the company announced that, for the first time, it’s bringing live, shoppable ads to Sunday’s NFL playoff matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. To do so, the company is promoting its CBS Sports HQ digital storefront, a second-screen shoppable experience. Here’s how it works: Using a phone or tablet, viewers can shop the CBS Sports HQ Store and peruse featured products that cater to an NFL-viewing audience. Among the goods, fans can shop for snacks and entertainment, with sports marketing partners like Pepsi coming on to make it happen. NFL and Bleacher Report Team Up for Content Rights and Super Bowl Coverage The storefront is run through Shopsense technology. Paramount previously kicked off its Shopsense partnership at the 2024 CMT Music Awards red carpet pre-show and had a Shopsense AI Lens at the MTV VMAs. According to Paramount Advertising, unlike previous QR code experiences, the CBS Sports HQ Store activation is all bout immediate fulfillment as it looks to drive results for participating brands and companies. The goal of the live sports activation is to make a frictionless experience, according to the company. Additionally, shoppable activations for the CBS Sports HQ Store will run during commercial inventory, much like Paramount has done in its other marquee programming, such as its NFL Thanksgiving game.  The company has a history of success with introducing interactive ads during major sports matchups, previously partnering with Innovid for interactive ads in Super Bowl 58. During the game, Paramount+ ran its first-ever “Add to Watchlist” interactive ads to promote content including Ghosts, Halo, The Chi, Tracker, Fire Country, Family Stallone, Lioness, The Tiger’s Apprentice, and Mission Impossible 7. At the time, Paramount+’s interactive ads outpaced expectations, coming in at 6% higher than Innovid’s benchmarks. You can see the NFL AFC Championship on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and its streaming platforms. Bill Bradley is Adweek’s deputy TV, Media and Sports editor. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the

deputy TV, Media and Sports editor. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

ADWEEK House is heading back to Vegas! Unpack commerce trends and technology at ADWEEK House Las Vegas on March 25. RSVP. Following the 75-day extension for a possible TikTok ban in the U.S., Instagram is aggressively courting top creators. Over the past couple of weeks, Instagram has rolled out a flurry of updates aimed at creators. Instagram’s short-form Reel videos now last up to three minutes, a revamped profile layout looks similar to TikTok’s 4:5 ratio, and Instagram is offering cash bonuses to incentivize creators to make Reels. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has also actively been sharing insights and updates for creators through his account on how to make effective videos native to Instagram and how often to post to Instagram. Despite Instagram’s efforts to become a new hub for creators coming from TikTok, creators told ADWEEK that they still face challenges that the platform must address before they’re willing to go all-in on Instagram. It’s also not clear how long Instagram’s courtship with creators will last. “It is tough because it does feel like a back-and-forth game, and it can get discouraging,” said fashion creator Tayla Santos. A spokesperson for Instagram said that the company is providing creators with one-to-one help from members of its partnership team. Instagram will also use Mosseri’s account and a dedicated creators account to provide education resources to creators about its platform. Meta is also offering a free year’s trial of Meta Verified, a subscription product that helps with account support and protection. Instagram often tests new features with small user groups before broadly rolling out products. For example, Instagram recently introduced a tall grid format. However, creators did not get enough time to prepare for the update, Mosseri acknowledged in a post. Plus, the feature is not available to all creators. Creators told ADWEEK that the tall grid update isn’t the only feature rollout that Instagram has botched. Some creators said that it’s frustrating that updates don’t roll out out to everyone at once. “It puts people at an unfair advantage or disadvantage when the app isn’t the same for everybody,” said Santos. Inaccessible features can demotivate creators from using Instagram because there are not equal tools for everyone. In one example, Santos said that her

from using Instagram because there are not equal tools for everyone. In one example, Santos said that her account didn’t have the option to add 20 pictures to a carousel post—a feature Instagram rolled out in August—until January. “It was the day the Tiktok ban happened—that’s when I got the ability to post 20 pictures on my carousel,” Santos said. Santos said she was frustrated about the slow rollout to her page because she has a large audience and consistently posts content on the platform. Creators told ADWEEK that they tend to prefer the variety that TikTok’s algorithm offers compared to Instagram’s version. For instance, on TikTok’s “For You” page, users encounter a diverse range of videos from dancing to cooking. In contrast, Instagram’s algorithm does not provide the same level of variety and struggles to balance different interests, said lifestyle creator Sean O’Donnell. “The algorithm is entrenched in Instagram,” O’Donnell said. “It makes it hard to expand—you have to go actively looking for other things, type them in the search bar, and make them pop up.” Unlike Instagram, O’Donnell said the TikTok algorithm evenly shows content that represents his interests. “If I pull up a video on Reels of a car, and I swipe to another one, it’ll be another car video,” he said. “On TikTok, it feels like every one of the interests that I have is at least evenly represented.” On Jan. 22, Meta announced a bonus program for creators, allowing them to apply for up to $5,000 in exchange for posting to Instagram and Facebook. The program specifically targets creators who are new to the platforms. According to the program’s description, creators can earn money from Reels, videos, photos, and text posts through Facebook’s invite-only Content Monetization program. Despite the allure of cash, creators that ADWEEK spoke to were frustrated with the lack of clarity around the program. They said that it’s not clear on the exact amount of money that Meta is offering and what steps a creator must take to qualify for the bonus. Renee said that Instagram’s payout program is not as clear as YouTube’s version, which provides specific

Instagram’s payout program is not as clear as YouTube’s version, which provides specific dollar amounts based on the success of content. “It needs to be more like YouTube, where I know if I’m getting X amount of views, I’m getting X amount of dollars,” said Renee. “If you are trying to push to be the No. 1 app, you need to make it worth it.” Benjamin De Almeida, a comedy creator, believes that Instagram has the opportunity to become the new primary monetization platform for creators given TikTok’s uncertain future. But first, Instagram needs to address creators’ frustrations. “I never really used Instagram other than for pictures, but since TikTok has been threatened to be banned, Instagram Reels does feel like a bit more of a viable place than TikTok,” he said. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

The stage is set! Advertisers, don’t miss this cultural moment. ADWEEK House The Big Game is headed to New Orleans on February 7. RSVP. Meta has added a new topic to the list of its recent right-leaning actions, as several providers of abortion pills experienced issues that have been intensifying over the past two weeks, according to The New York Times. Posts from two of those companies were blocked, blurred, or removed on Facebook and Instagram, while several abortion pill providers said their accounts were suspended and they were excluded from appearing in recommendations and search, the Times reported. Some of those companies told the Times that over the past two days, content from their accounts on Instagram was no longer visible, and in some cases, their accounts were gone altogether. Specifically, Aid Access told the Times it has been blocked from accessing its Facebook account since November, its Instagram account was suspended and restored this past week, and some of its posts were removed from Facebook and blurred on Instagram. Just the Pill and Women Help Women told the newspaper their accounts were suspended and restored in recent days, saying Meta told them the accounts did not follow its standards on guns, drugs, and other restricted goods. And Hey Jane head of marketing Rebecca Davis told the Times the company’s account had been invisible when searching on Instagram. The Times reported that some accounts and posts were restored Thursday after it contacted Meta. A spokesperson for the company told the newspaper that the actions were tied to rules that prohibit the sale of pharmaceutical drugs on its platforms without proper certification, and that “over-enforcement” may have been an issue in some cases. Meta took similar steps regarding abortion pills when Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2022. The abortion pill controversy joins a growing list of recent activities by Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg that many perceive as cozying up to the administration of President Donald Trump, including: The Times noted that telehealth providers are allowed to prescribe medication online and deliver prescription drugs that cause an abortion, including mifepristone and misoprostol, per Food and Drug Administration regulations. But 12 states have banned abortions, while several others placed gestational limits or restrictions on mail-order pills. Meta Scraps Third-Party Fact-Checking For X-like Community Notes. Some Claim It’s Gone ‘Full MAGA’  David Cohen is a freelance writer for ADWEEK, covering breaking news. Adweek

’  David Cohen is a freelance writer for ADWEEK, covering breaking news. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

Top of the Ticker: After five years anchoring the CBS Evening News, Norah O’Donnell opened the Eye Network newscast for one last time on Thursday. “This has been an honor of a lifetime to anchor this legacy broadcast,” she said toward the end of the program, adding: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting us and welcoming hard news with heart.” O’Donnell is not leaving CBS News, but instead shifting into a broader role as the network’s senior correspondent focusing on long-form reporting and interviews. Meanwhile, the new Evening News team begins Jan. 27, featuring the triumvirate of  John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois in New York and Margaret Brennan from Washington D.C. Join us as we look back at @NorahODonnell’s extraordinary work. pic.twitter.com/zb3H2ISZcv C-SPAN Streaming: As more cable networks secure streaming carriage rights deals, C-SPAN risks being left behind. A bipartisan written letter by Rep. Mike Flood and Sen. Ron Wyden was sent to FuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube urging them to carry the non-profit news network. “As greater numbers of Americans ‘cut the cord’ and migrate from cable to streaming services, it is vital that C-SPAN’s non-partisan coverage of Congress and the White House continue to be accessible,” the duo wrote. This morning, Senator @RonWyden and I wrote @fuboTV, @hulu, and @YouTube urging them to carry @cspan. Over the years, new entrants to the television market like fiber and new satellite providers have agreed to carry and fund C-SPAN. Awards Watch: 12 news organizations received nominations for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. MSNBC and CNN each scored four, while ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and Telemundo received three. PBS News, Bloomberg, BBC Mundo, Scripps News, and Univision earned one nomination apiece. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on March 27.   The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect our lives. Closing Time: Former CNN, MSNBC, and NBC News anchor Soledad O’

lives. Closing Time: Former CNN, MSNBC, and NBC News anchor Soledad O’Brien’s weekly news program Matter of Fact will conclude its 10-year run in August. O’Brien joined the public affairs show in its second season and steered it to several awards, including the NATPE Iris Award of Excellence. According to Deadline, O’Brien will continue to work with the show’s producer, Hearst Media Production Group, on new projects.   Out of This World: NewsNation phone home. The network saw a viewership spike for its Jan. 18 primetime special Hunting UFOs, which scored 181,000 total viewers and 37,000 Adults 25-54 viewers. The special featured an exclusive interview with Air Force veteran Jake Barber, who claims to have been part of a top-secret government program investigating alien aircrafts. Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022. Based out of New York, Mark has also contributed to ADWEEK. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

Veteran meteorologist Bill Martin is retiring from Oakland Fox owned station KTVU after 33 years. Martin started working at KTVU in 1992 as the weekend meteorologist. “Over the years, he has become a trusted voice during the Bay Area’s most critical weather events. From his early coverage of the Oakland Hills fires to the San Bruno gas explosion, the Oroville Dam evacuations, and the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise—where he tragically lost the house he grew up in,” KTVU vp and news director Simone Aponte wrote in an email to staff. “Bill has guided viewers through some of Northern California’s most challenging moments with compassion and professionalism.” Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

The stage is set! Advertisers, don’t miss this cultural moment. ADWEEK House The Big Game is headed to New Orleans on February 7. RSVP. Forty years ago, in 1985, Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute assumed control of the fiercely independent U.S. Film Festival held in the Utah ski town of Park City. Over the ensuing four decades, the annual event—officially rebranded as the Sundance Film Festival in 1991—has become the launching pad for filmmakers, actors, and movies that have shaped and reshaped cinema culture. And with those famous faces came famous companies. As Sundance’s 2025 edition flickered to life on Thursday, Park City’s event spaces were filled with activations and special programming organized by a bevy of big-name brands. This year’s festival was already a notable one for Sundance-goers, as it’s the penultimate year that the festival will be based in its Utah hometown. Sundance executives are eying a move in 2027 that would take film lovers to one of three new locations: Boulder, Colorado; Cincinnati, Ohio; or closer to home in Salt Lake City. For now, though, Park City remains the center of America’s independent film scene. Here’s a round-up of the brand activations looking to make this year’s event even more memorable during Sundance’s Jan. 23 through Feb. 2 run. The Streamers to Watch at the Oscars: Netflix Leads, But Mubi Has Substance Acura House of Energy Dates: Jan. 24-27 Location: 550 Swede Alley For its 15th year as a presenting sponsor at Sundance, Acura has a full four-day program planned for its House of Energy, including A-list panels, happy hours, and a Women in Film-hosted brunch for women, nonbinary, and trans filmmakers. The space also hosts the ASCAP Music Cafe, a new installation by stop motion auteurs the Ambriz Brothers and the Accura ZDX, an all-electric vehicle that’s been designated the “official vehicle” of Sundance. The Adobe House Dates: Jan. 24-27 Location: 608 Main Street Adobe’s suite of products is well-known among the filmmaker set. The company’s Sundance hub features a look at its latest software, along

Street Celebrated Hollywood photographer Jay L. Clendenin is setting up a shot shop for official festival portraits, while GIPHY will be on hand to create bespoke GIFs for any and every occasion. Meanwhile, the chalet lounge will offer snacks and hot drinks and also host the invite-only Awardist Party thrown by Entertainment Weekly. Sundance Alumni Artist Party, Presented by Kanopy Date: Jan. 27 Location: The Park, 950 Iron Horse Drive Every library’s favorite free streaming service brings together alums from previous Sundance festivals. Kanopy is also looking ahead to the launch of its reality show, America’s Next Great Author, debuting in 2026. The UTA House Dates: Jan 24-26 Location: Main Street The talent agency is bringing the brands to the Sundance masses—L’Oreal, Google, Casamigos, and Discord among them—on an invite-only basis. Events include a Google-organized overview about how brands are courting Gen-Z (featuring Riverdale star Lili Reinhart as one of the panelists) and a L’Oreal and Women in Film-hosted panel about how female filmmakers can leverage new distribution platforms. Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.

filmmaker set. The company’s Sundance hub features a look at its latest software, along with panels about AI and other emerging technologies hosted by Variety and Indiewire. The Audible Listening Lodge Dates: Jan. 24-26 Location: 675 Main Street The go-to destination for audiobooks is opening up its vast library of spoken word content and pairing it with snacks, including limited availability s’mores. Look for a variety of sponsored panels as well, including a Gold House conversation about how original stories are told across different mediums and a Variety-hosted cocktail hour with Ronan Farrow and Juliette Lewis in attendance. Canon Creative Studio Dates: Jan. 24-27 Location: 528 Main Street This one goes out to all the cinematographers navigating the snowy Park City streets. The camera company’s space spotlights the magic of cinematic photography with hands-on gear stations, panels, and opportunities to learn more about the craft. Earth Lounge Date: Jan. 24 Location: 2175 Sidewinder Dr. If you’re invested in the environment, the Hollywood Climate Summit’s Earth Lounge is a good place to set down roots. The day-long event at The Impact Lounge will honor those communities impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires and feature panels devoted to discussing climate challenges and finding solutions and stories. The Elvis Suite presented by Darling&Co. Dates: Jan. 23-27 Location: 306 Main Street Celebrated film critic and host Elvis Mitchell opens his rolodex for a series of invite-only conversations with such performers and filmmakers as Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Erivo, and Ryan Coogler. In between chats, visitors can mix and mingle with drinks in hand. Food Tank and Nespresso’s All Things Food & Environment Date: Jan. 25 Location: The Nespresso House/Blue Sky Ski Lounge in The Auberge Resort Lodge Nosh on dishes prepared by celebrity chefs and hear about the many and varied ways those in the food space are seeking to adapt to the changing times and a changing environment. Christine Ha, Pierre Thiam, Eric Gephart, and Dave White are among the chefs in attendance. Shutterstock Chalet and Portrait Studio Dates: Jan. 24-26 (lounge) Location: 558 Main Street Celebrated Hollywood photographer Jay L. Clendenin is setting up a shot shop for official