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Welcome to The Brief by Kuro House, where we break down the stories shaping the marketing and media landscape—no fluff, just the facts and what they mean for you. Today, we’re diving into antitrust drama at Google, Fox News’ AI newsroom transformation, the real state of AI and immersive tech, the latest in cable news ratings, and what’s hot in streaming. Let’s get right into it.
Our first story is a historic one from Adweek: The U.S. Department of Justice has made its closing arguments in the landmark antitrust case against Google’s advertising business. The DOJ is calling for a breakup of Google’s ad empire, specifically pushing for the forced sale of Google’s ad exchange, AdX, and demanding that Google open-source its auction logic—the algorithms that decide where ads are served. If that’s not feasible, the DOJ wants Google’s ad server, Google Ad Manager (formerly DoubleClick for Publishers), to be phased out or divested. This is the government’s strongest move yet to address what it calls Google’s ad tech monopoly, and the implications are massive for marketers, publishers, and the broader ad ecosystem. If the judge sides with the DOJ, we could see a seismic shift in how digital ads are bought and sold, with more transparency and potentially more competition. The court’s decision is now pending, and every marketer should be watching closely.
Next, also from Adweek, Fox News Media is making big moves in the AI space by partnering with Palantir to create custom newsroom AI tools. This partnership, in the works for about a year, gives Palantir access to Fox News Media’s workflow to help drive their AI transformation, but Fox keeps its proprietary IP. Among the new tools: Topic Radar, which gives reporters rapid briefings on stories; Text Editor, which checks copy for style, broken links, and adherence to the Fox News style guide; and Article Insights, which analyzes digital article performance and suggests optimizations. There’s also news about Fox’s expansion into faith-based audio content, with a new licensing deal for The Life of Jesus Podcast, and recognition for top news podcasts like NBC’s Dateline NBC, which Apple Podcasts named the 5th most popular podcast of 2025. Finally, in a nod to journalistic legacy, ABC’s David Muir and CBS’s Jane Pauley both received lifetime achievement awards, with Muir urging the industry to support the next generation of journalists. Fox’s AI newsroom isn’t just about efficiency—it’s a signal that AI is now a core part of media operations, not just a side project.
Switching gears to TechMagic’s latest episode, as covered by Adweek: The show tackled the realities behind the current AI hype cycle, with Nike’s Andrew Schwartz joining Lee Kebler. They argue that while AI, VR, and AR are all the rage, much of the excitement is still outpacing practical results. For example, Coca-Cola’s recent Christmas ad, generated with a staggering 70,000 AI prompts, is cited as a cautionary tale: using AI just to be trendy leads to expensive stunts, not business impact. In contrast, Apple’s “outcome-first” approach—like using AI for subtle grammar and tone improvements—delivers real value. The episode also highlighted how music platforms are fighting back against “AI slop”—a flood of low-quality, AI-generated songs—by implementing human review and requiring content declarations, protecting real artists from algorithmic pollution. On the hardware front, Schwartz pointed out that VR adoption hinges on lightweight, practical devices, not flashy but cumbersome headsets. And looking ahead, the rise of digital product passports—NFC-embedded identities in physical products—could power personalized, privacy-respecting AR experiences as mandated by the EU. The big takeaway? Don’t chase the hype. Focus on real, measurable use cases.
On the subject of cable news, Adweek’s TVNewser reports that Fox News was the only network to post week-over-week gains in total viewers for both primetime and total day during the week of November 10, 2025. Fox averaged 2.223 million viewers in primetime, up 3% from the previous week, though it saw a 13% drop in the key 25-54 demo. MSNBC and CNN, meanwhile, experienced double-digit drops in both total viewers and the demo compared to the prior week, likely due to the end of off-year election coverage. Despite the dip, both networks are up year-over-year. Fox News dominated the most-watched cable news shows, capturing 14 of the top 15 spots, with The Five leading at 3.676 million viewers. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show was the only non-Fox entry in the top 15. The underlying story: Fox is holding strong with its core audience, but the coveted younger demo is slipping across the board—a trend marketers should note as they plan media buys.
Finally, in streaming, Adweek reports that Netflix’s The Diplomat claimed the top spot on Nielsen’s Top 10 Overall Streaming chart for the week of October 20, 2025, with 1.235 billion minutes viewed. The show’s audience skewed older, with adults 50+ making up 68% of its viewers. Another Netflix title, the true crime doc The Perfect Neighbor, jumped to second with just over a billion minutes, driven by the 18-34 demo. Other top performers included Nobody Wants This, NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, and the Netflix movie A House of Dynamite. Hulu’s Bob’s Burgers and Disney+’s Bluey also made the list. What’s clear is that while Netflix continues to dominate, shared titles and older-skewing content are pulling in big numbers. For marketers, understanding these audience breakdowns is crucial for targeting and content partnerships.
That’s our rundown for today. From government crackdowns to AI-powered newsrooms, the realities of tech hype, and the shifting sands of media consumption, the landscape is as dynamic as ever. Thanks for tuning in to The Brief by Kuro House—stay curious, stay sharp, and we’ll see you tomorrow.
