The NFL has had a banner season in terms of ratings and engagement, thanks in large part to the return of fans to stadiums, a slew of suspenseful games and of course, some off-field drama.

Why it matters: The 2021 viewership spike has quieted concerns regarding 2020's COVID-related decline, while also justifying the $100+ billion in media deals the league signed with its partners in March.

Charli D’Amelio is bringing home more than some top CEOs, per The Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: TikTok — now more popular than Google — has propelled creators like D’Amelio, 17, into a new class of business empires driven by follower count.

“Baby Shark,” the viral children’s nursery rhyme that has inspired everything from Halloween costumes to a new movie, has become the first video to rack up over 10 billion views on YouTube.

Why it matters: “Baby Shark“ has become one of the few children’s songs to break through and become universally known in the modern era. Other popular nursery songs, like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Wheels on the Bus,” are many-decades old. The viral kids tune became the most-viewed video on YouTube in November 2020.

Telemundo on Thursday said it is launching "TPlus," a content hub on Peacock that caters to both Spanish and English speakers.

Why it matters: "We hope this will help Peacock become the premier home for Hispanic content in the U.S.," said Romina Rosado, executive vice president and general manager of Hispanic Streaming.

A group of D.C.-based journalists on Wednesday launched a new media company called "Grid" that focuses on hard news analysis and investigative reporting.

Why it matters: Grid debuts amid a flurry of new media companies looking to reach a similar audience of wealthy, elite professionals.

It’s a bull market for media companies targeting high-end readers, with Justin Smith and Ben Smith joining the likes of Puck, Air Mail, The Information, Axios, Punchbowl News, and others targeting influential, wealthy individuals with new digital publications.

Why it matters: "In this commercial environment, quality is being supported by paying audiences," said Rodney Benson, chair of NYU's Department of Media, Culture, and Communication. "Obviously, long-term, this is going to have tremendously negative civic effects."

A venture capital investor in The Athletic is criticizing the company for its $550-million sale to The New York Times, saying the media upstart was "gun shy and on defense post-COVID."

Why it matters: This is a reminder that there can be downsides to raising venture capital at high valuations.

Candle Media, a new media rollup company backed by Blackstone and led by former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, has acquired Faraway Road Productions, the content studio behind Fauda.

Why it matters: It's the latest production studio to be snapped up by the pair. They are looking to create a global media company via rollup brands that they can one day take public, per The Information.

A record number of advertising and marketing technology companies went public last year, according to a new report from LUMA Partners, a leading media and marketing investment firm. Deal volume among ad tech, marketing tech and digital media companies soared 82% year-over-year.

Why it matters: It wasn't long ago that investors were pulling back from the ad tech industry, fearing it would crumble as the sector moved away from tracking cookies and toward privacy-focused targeting solutions.

Several women were named to top business positions at news companies in the past week, adding to a broader trend of women assuming top editorial roles at news companies in the past year.

Why it matters: Business leaders tend to oversee departments that are critical to the mission of news companies, like revenue, marketing, communications and human resources.