Welcome to the next edition of On The Record, thoughtful analysis on culture, entertainment, tech, fashion, music, sport, and brands. Here’s a round-up of key conversations and campaigns that caught my attention this week.
🎬 Apple & Imax’s Premium Play Pays Off as ‘F1’ and ‘Demon Slayer’ Drive Record Quarter
📌 Imax’s record-breaking quarter underscores the power of its evolving partnership model - most notably with Apple Original Films. The Apple-backed “F1: The Movie,” filmed using Imax cameras and designed as a premium theatrical experience, helped push Imax’s strategy beyond Hollywood blockbusters into prestige, tech-integrated storytelling. By aligning with Apple’s high-production ethos and expanding into anime, music, and local-language content, Imax is positioning itself as both a cinema format and a creative brand partner across screens and devices - including Apple Vision Pro. The result: a global entertainment model where premium storytelling and premium technology converge.
“F1: The Movie” (Apple Original Films / Warner Bros.) grossed $97M worldwide on Imax screens – the brand’s top release of 2025.
Imax quarterly revenue rose 17% YoY to $106.6M; net income up 48% to $22.6M.
95 Imax systems installed year-to-date, expanding its global premium footprint.
💡 Tech and cinema are syncing up – Imax’s alliance with Apple shows how format can become a brand strategy in itself. 🎥
👟 Nike Bets on Motorised Footwear
📌 Nike’s long-promised innovation reboot is finally taking visible shape under returning CEO Elliott Hill. After a turbulent few years that saw $5bn wiped from revenue and profit margins hit by tariffs, the company is back in the lab - literally. Its new “Sport Offense” strategy puts research and product design at the centre of a renewed push to win back athletes and culture alike. Chief design officer Phil McCartney unveiled a slate of concept technologies including Aero-FIT (a fully recycled, ultra-breathable textile), a sensory “mindful sneaker” that simulates walking on grass, and the showstopper: Project Amplify – a motorised walking shoe that helps users move faster with less effort.
The showcase marks Nike’s first major innovation reveal since 2017’s self-lacing HyperAdapt. The company has combined the Nike, Jordan and Converse innovation teams into one “athlete-focused creation engine,” echoing co-founder Bill Bowerman’s tinkering ethos. Project Amplify, still in development with robotics firm Dephy, uses a calf-mounted battery and motor to assist each stride – described by VP Michael Donaghu as potentially doing “for walking what e-bikes did for cycling.”
Nike revenue fell 9.8% YoY in 2024, but the brand expects a rebound fuelled by its new innovation-led strategy.
Tariffs under U.S. trade policy cost Nike $1.5bn in profit last year.
Over 12,000 laps were logged at Nike’s LeBron James Innovation Center testing Project Amplify.
💡 Innovation, not nostalgia, is Nike’s comeback play – betting that future icons are built in the lab, not in the archive. ⚡
📱 UK Tightens Rules for Apple and Google
📌 The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially designated Apple and Google with “strategic market status” (SMS) - marking a significant escalation in Britain’s digital regulation regime. The move gives the CMA new powers to impose “targeted and proportionate” measures to boost competition in mobile ecosystems, covering operating systems, app distribution, browsers, and browser engines. The decision follows consultations with more than 150 stakeholders and years of mounting concern that both firms’ dominance limits consumer choice and developer access.
The designation itself is not a finding of wrongdoing but enables the CMA to mandate changes - such as forcing Apple and Google to allow rival app stores or alternative payment systems on devices sold in the UK. Apple warned that UK consumers could face delays in accessing new features, while Google called the decision “unwarranted.” The ruling comes as part of the UK’s broader digital markets regime, introduced in January 2025, aligning with similar antitrust actions in the U.S., EU and Japan.
The UK app economy contributes 1.5% of GDP and supports around 400,000 jobs.
Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems account for virtually 100% of UK smartphone users.
CMA investigations found users are “unlikely to switch” between platforms due to deep ecosystem lock-in.
💡 The UK joins a global regulatory wave seeking to rebalance digital power - from app stores to AI ecosystems. 🇬🇧
🏈 Lululemon Partners with NFL on 32-Team Apparel Drop
📌 Lululemon is teaming up with the NFL and Fanatics to launch an apparel and accessories collection featuring all 32 team logos - marking its first-ever officially licensed NFL collaboration. The range includes men’s and women’s pieces across core franchises like Steady State, Define, Scuba and Align, and will be sold via Fanatics, the NFL’s online store and select team retailers. The move underscores Lululemon’s accelerating push into performance and fanwear, building on its existing NHL partnership and ambassador deals with F1’s Lewis Hamilton, NFL player DK Metcalf and tennis star Frances Tiafoe.
For the NFL, the collaboration expands its merchandise ecosystem into the premium athleisure category - targeting a growing audience of style-conscious sports fans. For Lululemon, the partnership is both a brand stretch and a sales catalyst, as the company navigates a slowdown driven by tariffs and changing consumer trends. Executives see “premium fandom” as a new growth lane, uniting activewear performance with lifestyle expression.
The NFL’s merchandise business is valued at over $3bn annually, powered by Fanatics’ licensing network.
Lululemon’s stock rose 3% on announcement day.
The UK and US sports apparel markets are forecast to grow 6–8% annually through 2028 (Statista).
💡 Lululemon’s move into fanwear shows how “premium performance” and “passionate fandom” are converging – the gym is now the new fan zone. 🧘♂️🏈
🧠 OpenAI Launches Atlas: The AI Browser Built Around ChatGPT
📌 OpenAI has entered the browser wars with Atlas, an AI-powered web browser that integrates ChatGPT directly into the user’s browsing experience. Visitors can now “Ask ChatGPT” while viewing any webpage - opening a live conversation window that interprets, summarises, or even challenges what’s on screen. It’s a bold shift in how users interact with information online: for the first time, a third-party AI can overlay and comment on a brand’s own content, FAQs, and messaging.
For brands, this marks a new era of digital scrutiny. Atlas can help users complete purchases - or just as easily suggest cheaper alternatives or competitors. While Atlas’ full impact depends on adoption and privacy comfort levels, its arrival, alongside Perplexity’s newly launched Comet browser, signals that AI-first browsing is no longer a niche experiment but the next interface of the web. Monitoring how LLMs interpret and represent brand content just became a strategic priority.
Atlas uses ChatGPT Search to interpret live web content and assist users contextually.
Browsers like Atlas and Comet now introduce AI intermediaries between brands and consumers.
Concerns persist around data tracking and user trust, given Atlas’ behavioural monitoring requirements.
💡 AI browsers are rewriting the rules of brand storytelling - control of the message now depends on how the algorithm reads it. 🌐
📲 Instagram Tests Skippable Ads in Reels
📌 Meta is testing a new skippable ad format in Instagram Reels, allowing users to tap a “skip” button to return to their Reel after viewing an ad. The test, reported by Adweek, introduces a short countdown timer before the ad plays and is designed to measure whether skippable formats can help users “discover businesses” without harming engagement. Unlike some ad models on other platforms, Meta confirmed creators won’t currently earn revenue from these ads.
The move follows YouTube Shorts and TikTok, both of which already use similar ad formats, as Meta continues to refine Reels as its fastest-growing content surface. Reels now account for over half of all time spent on Instagram, highlighting its role in Meta’s pivot toward short-form video. The company is reportedly exploring a standalone Reels app to further capitalise on this behaviour shift.
Reels account for 50%+ of total time spent on Instagram.
Meta introduced non-skippable ad breaks in Reels in 2024; this is its first skippable format test.
YouTube Shorts and TikTok already rely on skippable ad models to balance engagement and monetisation.
💡 Meta’s ad playbook for Reels is evolving toward user control - testing whether optionality drives better ad recall than interruption. 🎥
⚽ DFB Invests €100 Million to Transform Women’s Football in Germany
📌 The German Football Association (DFB) has announced a landmark €100 million investment to professionalise and promote the Women’s Bundesliga, marking one of the largest-ever commitments to women’s sport in Germany. The initiative, unveiled by DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, aims to elevate the league’s quality, visibility and financial sustainability - positioning it among Europe’s elite competitions. A new joint company between the DFB and clubs will oversee the transformation, ensuring transparency and shared responsibility for future commercial growth.
Funds will be directed toward club infrastructure, youth development, and marketing, with a major push to enhance broadcast quality and digital accessibility. The DFB hopes to leverage additional private and corporate investment to build long-term momentum. The move follows record fan engagement around the women’s national team and rising attendance figures, reflecting a growing appetite for women’s football across Germany.
The DFB’s €100m investment is among the largest ever for women’s sports in Europe.
Germany’s women’s football audience has grown over 40% in the past three years (DFB data).
The plan includes a new joint commercial structure between the DFB and Bundesliga clubs.
💡 Germany is putting real capital behind equality - turning ambition for women’s football into infrastructure, visibility, and power. 🇩🇪⚽
📺 Warner Bros. Discovery Weighs Sale After Rejecting Three Bids
📌 Amid a wave of media consolidation, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has confirmed it is exploring “strategic alternatives” after rejecting three takeover offers - including a $60 billion bid from Paramount Skydance. The company’s board has formally launched a review that could lead to a full or partial sale, a spin-off, or continuation of its planned split into two entities: one focused on streaming and studios (Warner Bros.) and one on global networks (Discovery Global).
Reports indicate potential buyers include Netflix and Comcast, each assessing whether to acquire specific business units. Analysts say WBD’s debt load - hovering around $35 billion - and regulatory risk make a single buyer less likely. Paramount Skydance’s proposal reportedly envisioned merging HBO Max with Paramount+, while keeping Warner Bros. largely intact. The outcome could reshape Hollywood’s competitive landscape and major sports broadcasting rights spanning MLB, NCAA March Madness, and Unrivaled.
Rejected Paramount Skydance bid valued WBD near $60 billion (≈ $24 per share).
WBD’s formal review could include a split-sale or spin-off of divisions.
Current debt estimated at $30–35 billion; sale outcome could shift timing of 2026 corporate separation.
💡Even legacy giants are re-evaluating their structure - signalling how debt, streaming economics, and IP consolidation are redrawing Hollywood’s power map. 🎬
⚽ Lidl Doubles Down on UEFA Women’s National Football
📌 Lidl has expanded its partnership with UEFA to become an official sponsor of women’s national team football through 2030 - reinforcing its commitment to women’s sport and European community engagement. The German retailer, which already sponsors UEFA men’s tournaments, will now extend visibility across national team competitions but will not renew sponsorship of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the next cycle.
The move underscores how brands are pivoting from club-level to national-level investment to capture broader reach and purpose-driven association with equality and inclusion. Lidl’s focus on grassroots and community activation continues to align with its “Big on Quality, Lidl on Price” positioning, now anchored in women’s sport’s fast-growing commercial ecosystem.
Partnership runs until 2030, spanning all UEFA women’s national team competitions.
Lidl’s European network covers 10,000+ stores across 31 countries - ideal for grassroots activation.
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is projected to attract 500,000+ attendees and record broadcast reach.
💡 Lidl’s pivot to women’s national football signals how inclusive, pan-European storytelling is becoming the most powerful play in sports marketing. ⚡
💸 Men Spend More Than Women on Women’s Sports, Ally Study Finds
📌 A new survey from Ally reveals that men outspend women in women’s sports - a surprising finding that highlights shifting fan economics and gender dynamics. Across 3,000 U.S. fans spanning Gen Z to Boomers, men reported spending an average of $600 annually on women’s sports, compared to $400 by women. In men’s sports, that gap widens further - men spend around $950 per year, while women spend $500. Still, the gap is closing fast, driven by younger fans who see women’s sports as a vehicle for social change.
Nearly one in five fans say their spending on women’s sports has increased over the past three years, led by Gen Z, 40% of whom view supporting women’s sports as a way to champion equality. Millennials remain the biggest overall spenders in sport, averaging $2,050 annually, while “fanatical” fans across demographics drop up to $2,200 a year. The data also shows men are more likely to spend on travel, tickets and VIP perks, while women are building community through shared viewing - with 52% gathering at friends’ homes to watch games.
Men spend 50% more than women on women’s sports.
40% of Gen Z fans say endorsing women’s sports supports equality and empowerment.
Millennials spend $2.05K annually, topping all generations.
31% of men travel long distances for games vs. 25% of women.
💡 The money may still skew male, but the momentum is female - Gen Z’s values-driven fandom is fast rewriting the economics of sport. ⚽
🦘 Australia’s WNBL Tips Off With 51% Surge in Attendance
📌 The Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) season opener in Australia drew record crowds, marking a 51% year-on-year attendance increase — a strong signal of women’s basketball’s growing pull across the region. The surge follows record-breaking viewership for the 2024–25 season finale and aligns with a global upswing in women’s sports engagement, from the WNBA to UEFA Women’s competitions.
Basketball Australia credits strategic scheduling, enhanced broadcast partnerships, and fan-focused community activations for driving momentum. The result cements the WNBL’s position as one of the fastest-growing professional women’s leagues worldwide — both in attendance and cultural relevance.
+51% YoY attendance growth at the WNBL season opener.
Record 2024–25 finale viewership and expanded broadcast reach on Nine and Kayo Sports.
Strong backing from sponsor Harvey Norman and Basketball Australia’s grassroots programmes.
💡The WNBL’s attendance boom reinforces a global truth — women’s sports aren’t niche anymore, they’re the main event. 🏀
⚽ U.S. Soccer Confirms Joint 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid with Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica
📌 U.S. Soccer has officially confirmed that its bid to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be a joint effort with Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica - marking the first time the tournament would be staged across North America and the Caribbean. The bid builds on the 2026 Men’s World Cup model, emphasising regional collaboration, shared infrastructure, and a commitment to growing the women’s game across the Americas.
The proposal highlights how cross-nation hosting can expand access, investment, and audience reach. For Jamaica and Costa Rica, both with growing women’s football programmes, the bid offers a generational opportunity to elevate visibility and participation. If successful, the 2031 edition would be the most geographically diverse Women’s World Cup in history.
First-ever multi-nation Women’s World Cup across North America and the Caribbean.
Bid unites U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica under one joint proposal.
Expected to leverage 2026 Men’s World Cup infrastructure and legacy investment.
💡 Strategic Insight: A pan-regional bid positions women’s football as a unifying cultural force - and signals how collaboration, not competition, is driving the next era of global sport. 🌎
🎽 TCS New York City Marathon – New York City – 2 Nov
🎾 Rolex Paris Masters – Finals Day – Paris La Défense Arena – 2 Nov
⚽ UEFA Champions League – Matchday 4 – Europe (multiple venues) – 4–5 Nov
🎆 Bonfire Night – London (citywide) – 5 Nov
🦇 SciCafe: Bats and the Biodiversity Crisis – American Museum of Natural History, NYC – 5 Nov, 7pm
🖼️ Wright of Derby – From the Shadows – National Gallery, London – from 7 Nov
🎨 Radical Harmony – Neo-Impressionists – National Gallery, London – ongoing
🎧 Utterly in the Picture (Tintoretto) – National Gallery, London – 4 Nov
🌙 Tate Modern Lates – Tate Modern, London – 7 Nov (evening)
🖌️ Emily Kam Kngwarray (Final Day) – Tate Modern, London – 2 Nov
🌍 Dystopia Is Not the Future: Andreas Malm with Steven Donziger & Adrienne Buller – Barbican, London – 2 Nov, 3pm
🔥 Dystopia Is Not the Future: Maria Alyokhina (Pussy Riot) with James Ball – Barbican, London – 8 Nov, 3pm
🎶 London Symphony Orchestra: Symphonic Gospel – Celebration – Barbican Hall, London – 9 Nov, 7pm
“Give an e.l.f.” by e.l.f. Beauty
What it is: e.l.f. Beauty has launched “Give an e.l.f.” - a bold, global campaign asking one simple question: 👉 What do you give an e.l.f. about?
The beauty brand is inviting consumers and changemakers to champion the causes they care about most: from women’s empowerment and LGBTQ+ rights to racial justice, mental health and climate action.
🌟 Who’s involved
A powerful line-up of ambassadors brings real-world credibility:
🎾 Billie Jean King – tennis legend and equality advocate
🚀 Amanda Nguyen – astronaut and human rights activist
♿ Kgothatso Montjane – Paralympian and trailblazer for inclusion
The campaign rolled out across multiple touchpoints: a digital takeover of New York’s Moynihan Train Hall, full-page print in The New York Times, and a global social media push.
💰 The impact
Over US $2.5 million donated to partner causes (more than 2 % of prior-year profits)
Campaign aligns brand voice with genuine community investment
Expands reach beyond beauty consumers into mainstream culture
💡 Why it matters
“Give an e.l.f.” flips traditional beauty marketing. Instead of focusing on product, it centres purpose and self-expression:
💬 “What you give an e.l.f. about” becomes a rallying cry for personal and social values.
This positions e.l.f. as more than a cosmetics brand - it’s a culture-brand.
🔑 Key takeaways for brands
🎯 Purpose must go beyond words: combine action + funding + voice.
🧩 Use channel-agnostic storytelling to meet audiences where they are (physical + digital + editorial).
🙌 Turn consumers into participants, not spectators.
💅 Even affordable brands can lead in cultural relevance when authenticity is consistent.
✨ In short: e.l.f. Beauty proves that caring is cool - and that purpose-driven storytelling can be both emotionally powerful and commercially smart.
🎬 IMAX posted record Q3 revenue of $106.6m, up 17% year on year, with net income up 48% to $22.6m. (Variety)
🏎️ “F1: The Movie” generated $97m on IMAX screens globally, IMAX’s top release of 2025. (Variety)
📲 The UK’s CMA has formally designated Apple and Google with Strategic Market Status after input from more than 150 stakeholders. (CMA, UK Government)
🎥 Reels now account for over 50% of the time people spend on Instagram. (Meta Developers)
💸 Men spend $600 a year on women’s sports vs $400 for women, and $950 vs $500 on men’s sports. (Ally)
🏀 Australia’s WNBL Opening Round attendance rose 51% year on year, the biggest season opener in league history. (Basketball Australia / WNBL)