MAM
Gracenote debuts CTV ad platform for true program-level precision targeting
INDIA: Nielsen’s Gracenote has launched Content Connect, a new platform that promises to drag connected-TV advertising into a more precise, program-level era. The tool gives agencies, brands, SSPs and DSPs direct access to Gracenote’s standardised metadata, enabling sharper targeting, tighter control and more transparent reporting across CTV campaigns.
The system lets media buyers build private-marketplace and programmatic-guaranteed deals themselves or activate them through partner platforms. At its core sits Gracenote’s proprietary content-ID graph: a structured taxonomy of programmes tied together with unique identifiers, giving both buyers and sellers a common language across a fragmented CTV landscape.
“With access to content-based signals that power smarter targeting and better performance, we’re giving advertisers transparency, control and scale across all CTV platforms,” said Gracenote VP of product Kanishk Prasad.
By exposing signals such as genre, mood and rating, the platform allows program-level bidding while protecting brand safety and user privacy, a balance that has long challenged CTV advertisers.
Gracenote, already embedded across major entertainment platforms through its TMS IDs, will showcase Content Connect at CES from 6–8 January 2026 on an appointment-only basis.
MAM
Bob Iger joins Thrive Capital as adviser after Disney exit
Former Disney CEO returns to VC firm, stays on as Disney adviser till 2026.
MUMBAI: From castles to capital, Bob Iger isn’t done building just changing the blueprint. Bob Iger has taken on an advisory role at Thrive Capital, marking a return to the New York-based venture firm he briefly joined in 2022. Founded in 2009 by Josh Kushner, Thrive Capital has been positioning itself at the intersection of technology and long-term value creation, an area where Iger’s experience in scaling global entertainment businesses is expected to add weight. Kushner, 40, welcomed Iger back, highlighting his ability to blend technology with human-centric storytelling, particularly in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Iger is no stranger to Thrive. He had earlier joined the firm as a venture partner in September 2022, after stepping down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company and concluding his tenure as executive chairman in 2021. That stint, however, was short-lived. In November 2022, Disney’s board brought him back to steady the ship, replacing Bob Chapek following a turbulent period for the company.
Now, with his latest exit from Disney’s top job last month, Iger appears to be revisiting the venture world, this time with a clearer runway. Still, the Disney chapter isn’t entirely closed. Under his agreement with the company, he will remain until the end of 2026 as a senior adviser to new CEO Josh D’Amaro and will continue to serve on the board for his current term.
The move comes as venture firms increasingly seek operators with deep industry experience to navigate what Kushner described as “the most consequential technology shift” of the era, driven by AI. For Iger, whose career has hinged on blending creativity with scale, the transition from Hollywood to high-growth investing seems less like a pivot and more like a plot twist.
