OpenAI Can’t Get Past the Gates

Plus, Coors is keeping weddings chill with a cool new tux

July 11, 2025

Welcome to The TV Room. Your weekly digest of television, streaming, and digital media insights that matter.

This week we're covering:

  • ☁️ Microsoft Clouds OpenAI Ad Push

  • 🚀 Netflix Secures Interstellar Streaming

  • 🎥 Creative Spotlight: Garage Beer: “BEER BED”

  • 🥶 Coors Wants You to Choose Chill

OpenAI Wants Ad Agencies, But Microsoft Might Be In the Way

Microsoft's exclusive deal with OpenAI is creating an unexpected roadblock for the AI startup's revenue expansion plans. As OpenAI courts ad agencies with enterprise deals, many agencies find little incentive to pay for direct access when they already have it through their Microsoft relationships.

One holding company executive revealed that OpenAI recently requested a $1 million upfront commitment for joint projects and expanded tool licenses. The agency declined, noting that their existing Microsoft agreement already provides access to the same models with fewer complications.

The Microsoft advantage

Through Microsoft's partnership (running until 2030), agencies access OpenAI's tools for image and video generation or build agents using the API, all within Microsoft's ecosystem. This existing infrastructure makes direct OpenAI partnerships less compelling.

Price further tips the scales. Gartner estimates ChatGPT Enterprise costs between $40-$60 per user monthly, compared to Microsoft 365 Copilot at around $30, often bundled with other Microsoft products.

"The pricing structures, security assurances, and integrations provided by Microsoft align with enterprise operational requirements," notes Gartner VP analyst Nicole Greene.

Not all agencies resist direct deals

Some independents see clear value in direct relationships. Dallas-based LERMA is currently finalizing a ChatGPT Enterprise deal with OpenAI for client-facing work and internal tooling.

OpenAI’s broader enterprise push started in 2023. It now claims 3 million business users and $10 billion in annual recurring revenue. But it still lost nearly $5 billion last year. Most of its income comes from subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) and API usage. Ads may be coming soon.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is seeing clear returns. Morgan Stanley just raised its Azure forecast, citing OpenAI as a key growth driver. Microsoft gets 20% of OpenAI’s revenue and benefits from fine-tuning and post-training services.

The partnership runs through 2030. Until then, OpenAI’s biggest competitor in the agency space might be the company helping it scale.

Read More:

TV Industry Updates

  • Netflix takes giant leap: Netflix partnered with NASA to livestream launches, mission coverage, and views of Earth from the International Space Station.

  • Trump settlement: Paramount Global paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

  • Station swap: Gray Media and Scripps agreed to swap television stations across five markets, creating new duopolies for each group.

  • Adtech payday: Unity Software's Matthew Bromberg topped the list of adtech CEO earnings in 2024 with $52.1 million in total compensation.

  • Smoove's next act: "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star JB Smoove launched his own comedy-focused creative agency called "The First Darrin".

  • Asda revival: Lucky Generals brought back Asda's iconic "That's Asda Price" slogan in their first campaign since winning the account in April.

Creative Spotlight: Garage Beer: “BEER BED”

Garage Beer, co-owned by Jason and Travis Kelce, launched a giveaway for a custom "BeerBed" with a built-in kegerator that evoked the playful nostalgia of 1990s beer commercials.

The Details:

  • Inspired by classic waterbeds, the one-of-a-kind bed was built by director and producer Jordan Phoenix, who also starred in and led the creative for the campaign.

  • The campaign’s goal, according to marketing VP Corey Smale, was to make beer advertising silly, fun, and entertaining again, drawing on the spirit of classic beer ads.

  • Fans could enter to win the BeerBed and a Casper mattress by commenting on the brand’s Instagram post or reposting on X before July 15.

What We Loved: The campaign brought the brand’s personality to life with a physical, tap-ready prize that sparked genuine excitement and social buzz.

Marketing Mix

  • Hashtag hangover: Brand use of Pride-related hashtags on Facebook and Instagram fell nearly 50% this year, continuing a decline that started in 2023.

  • Prime Day pressure: Amazon asked some advertisers to spend a full month’s budget over the four-day Prime Day event.

  • Retail media remix: Pentaleap and Skai teamed up to integrate media buying, connecting Skai’s 8,000+ advertisers with Pentaleap-powered networks.

  • Wedding heat hack: Coors Light launched a cooling tuxedo and necktie combo, The Cold Tux and BrrrTie, to help summer wedding guests “choose chill.”

  • Forecast flip: Madison and Wall revised its 2025 ad sales outlook upward, signaling resilience despite recession fears.

  • Prime Day party: Adobe expects online retail to surge 28.4% during Prime Day, hitting $23.8 billion in total sales.