Written by Emily Becker

Why bigger isn’t always better

The reaction to the first-ever FIFA World Cup final’s half-time show offers a valuable lesson for marketers: successfully exporting a format is not the same as exporting an experience.

For years, the NFL Super Bowl halftime show has become one of the world’s biggest entertainment events. FIFA understandably saw an opportunity to replicate that success at the world’s largest sporting event. Yet much of the post-match commentary wasn’t about the artists themselves – it was about whether the spectacle belonged in football at all. Critics described it as the “Americanisation” of the World Cup, while supporters’ groups argued that commercial ambitions were beginning to outweigh football traditions.

For communicators and marketers, this is a fascinating reminder that culture is often more powerful than creativity.

Industry reacts to Albanese AI address

Last week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a speech at the University of Sydney declaring that he plans to legislate AI regulation, with a new Office of AI within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The announcement addressed concerns from Australian creatives and publishers about technology companies using copyrighted material to train AI models without payment or permission.

Albanese said these laws will clearly spell out that all Australian creatives must retain full ownership and control over their work.

Industry bodies including ARIA and APRA AMCOS have backed the government’s approach, arguing that artists should retain control over their work and that technology companies must comply with Australian copyright laws when training AI models.

A clear running theme, and belief here, is that anything less than allowing creatives to retain full control over how their work is used by any person or company, is theft.

Nine Entertainment faces a new round of redundancies

In addition to 20 redundancies made in April this year, Nine Entertainment has announced a further 30 job cuts.

While these cuts are part of a restructure towards digital media, Nine CEO, Matt Stanton, has said they’re not directly related to increased AI usage.  

The company’s metro editorial division, which includes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WA Today, will be facing the brunt of job losses in this round.

The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance has called the announcement devastating for the workers who will be impacted, especially when quality journalism has never been more important. They also warned that newsrooms cannot keep absorbing job cuts without consequences to their workloads, diversity, quality and ability to hold power accountable.

Netflix reports slowdowns in viewer engagement

Netflix’s latest earnings have sparked debate on whether viewer engagement matters as much as it once did.

In the second quarter of 2026, the streaming giant reported strong financial results, with revenue rising 13% year-on-year, to $12.6 billion USD. This growth was largely driven by subscriber increases, changes in pricing, and continued momentum in advertising.  

However, despite the company’s financial success, Netflix is seeing more viewers abandoning series after watching only the first season. This has ultimately led to softer engagement metrics, including lower viewing hours per subscriber. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos remains unconcerned, stating that audience declines between seasons are normal, and that second seasons are still performing within the platform’s expected range.

Netflix has also pointed to its growing investment in live events, with sports and special broadcasts becoming a bigger focus.

Essentially, Netflix’s results are a reminder that success isn’t always measured by engagement alone. Broader business outcomes, such as audience growth and revenue, can be equally important indicators of performance.