We live in ironic times.

Ads are easier to avoid, yet the NFL is the dominant TV franchise with 1 full hour of ads per game.

Netflix is now a beast in entertainment, but its stock is getting pummeled.

TV Networks will profess the importance of independent measurement, then herald their new self reporting dashboards.

The explosion of streaming created more and better ways to watch, but old franchises like Friends, The Office and Seinfeld still rank among the most viewed.

Many are quick to declare the death of linear. But the slowing rate of attrition for paid cable TV has analysts predicting a floor of 50 million.

AI is ushering in incredible capabilities, and adoption rates are insane, all while things are getting sloppy and AI execs are warning of a robot-pocalypse.

People hate Meta, while taking to Insta to say so. They rage tweet against Musk from their self-driving Teslas.

It’s never been easier to stay in touch, yet we have a loneliness epidemic.

This week’s Hot List isn’t immune from these ironies. We take some swipes at the current system with inherent optimism for the future of TV.

I suppose in our industry, as with the rest of the world, we are getting used to the idea that seemingly opposite realities can be and are true.

“I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize” - Steven Wright

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