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The idea of a “subscription economy” has grown beyond news and entertainment – and as subscription-based relationships become more valuable, it creates a new way for businesses to work together.

Case in point: Walmart talked to Comcast, Paramount and Disney execs about a potential partnership between their respective subscription streaming services and Walmart+, which is Walmart’s $13-per-month membership program, The New York Times reports. 

This isn’t a new idea. Mobile carriers are subscription-based, for example, and T-Mobile has included “Netflix on Us” with its priciest package since 2017. But Walmart is another example of how subscription bundles might come together.

Lex Josephs, VP and GM of the Sam’s Club retail media business, recently noted that its membership-based model – all shoppers at the store must enroll in a subscription program – could create opportunities to collaborate with other subscription operators. Amazon does something similar within its Prime program, and The New York Times and Spotify offer a joint subscription promo. 

Sam’s Club is also a Walmart subsidiary, but who’s counting.

A Flash In The Panel

The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) – the organization that first called for Nielsen to lose its local TV measurement accreditation – wants to build a similar version of Nielsen’s 40,000-household panel, Ad Age reports.

The idea is to construct a Nielsen-sized cross-platform measurement panel, but one designed to help competing measurement providers like Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp.

One-to-one targeting is disappearing outside of walled gardens, so there’s been a resurgence of interest in panels and data modeling. But even the biggest users and owners of TV panel data can’t agree on the role panel measurement will play in the future of data-driven video. 

The VAB’s proposed panel could cost a whopping $60 million to establish, according to one measurement exec. But there will likely be strong demand for an open panel-based data set.

“The bigger the better, frankly,” says VAB CEO Sean Cunningham. “To understand audiences and deal with identity gets you into a level of variability where you intuitively know that you need as big and robust a panel as is practical to build.”

Congress hasn’t reached its August recess, but Big Tech lobbyists are already confident enough to spike the football over the failure to pass a federal tech antitrust law. 

“If the bill had the support its supporters contended, it wouldn’t be a bill, it would be a law,” Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a lobbying group that counts Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta as members, tells The Wall Street Journal . 

This year was likely the best shot advocates have had for some time to pass an antitrust law – or one with teeth, at least.

The bill has more bipartisan support than is usual nowadays (so … more than zero), and the sponsors say the bill does have a majority, just not enough to override a veto or to compel Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring it up. Schumer has been dragging his feet .

There are two main sticking points. 

First, California Democrats don’t like that the bill explicitly targets companies headquartered in the state (*cough* Google, Apple and Meta *cough*). 

The other issue is that Republicans may win a majority in the House this year, and potentially the Senate, too. That would most probably put the kibosh on any antitrust bill.

But Wait, There’s More!

What brands should know as the FTC prepares to update its Green Marketing Guidelines. [ WSJ ]

Technology licensor Xperi says it has its first smart TV customer for its embedded TVOS. [ Next TV ]

Pea Bee Substack: The case of fake IMDb credits. [ blog ]

NOYB, the privacy advocacy group created by Max Schrems, files 226 complaints over allegedly deceptive cookie banners. [ release ]

Why do today what you can put off until 2024: Google’s third-party cookie delay is a flip to procrastinators. [ Digiday ]

How the audio industry can stay accessible. [ Adweek ]

CTV attribution company tvScientific hires Matthew Koontz as its first head of product. [ release ]

Horizon Media names Roberto Alcazar EVP, executive creative director of 305 Worldwide. [ release ]

Healthcare marketing DSP DeepIntent announces Amit Chaturvedi as COO. [ release ]

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