Results Are In: NBC’s Olympic Creator Bet Won Gold — Inside the Playbook
NBCUniversal’s Olympic Creator Collective delivered more than 4 billion impressions during the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games, a 437 percent jump from Beijing 2022. The program, now in its second iteration after a successful Paris pilot, paired over 25 influencers with athletes, while Project Fortius helped ten Olympians gain over 2 million new followers. NBC’s chief marketing officer Jenny Storms says the social‑first approach re‑energized younger viewers, making the Games the most‑watched Winter Olympics in the U.S. since Sochi 2014. The network is already leveraging these insights for the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Scale Vs. Survival: What The Nexstar-TEGNA Mega-Merger Means For Local Media
Broadcast giant Nexstar has closed its $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA, creating the largest U.S. television station group with roughly an 80% national footprint. The deal faced immediate legal challenges from nine state attorneys general and DirecTV, but received regulatory clearance...
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘The Great Flood’ Wraps Up 91-Day Netflix Run: #5 In All-Time Top 10
Netflix’s South Korean sci‑fi disaster film *The Great Flood* completed its 91‑day premiere window as the platform’s fifth‑most‑watched non‑English movie ever, logging 86.6 million views and 157.3 million hours watched. The title topped daily Top 10 charts worldwide and lingered for months, breaking...
“If They Stop Doing Yearly Cycles and Start Thinking in Terms of Longevity, It Could Be Interesting”: Former Call of...
Former Call of Duty League creative director Greg Reisdorf says the franchise’s yearly release cycle erodes competitive longevity, keeping viewership low – the 2026 Stage 1 Major peaked at 353,000 viewers. The game’s active online population has slipped to roughly 35,000...
Analysis: Predicting 2026 MLB Viewership
Major League Baseball’s 2026 broadcast lineup shifts as NBC and Peacock take over Sunday Night Baseball, while ESPN retains a reduced 30‑game schedule and Netflix secures three high‑profile games. Analysts predict viewership gains on NBC, with Sunday Night Baseball reaching...
Korean Spy Thriller ‘Humint’ Lands Unexpected Netflix Release for March 2026
Netflix announced it will stream the South Korean espionage action film *Humint* globally on March 31, 2026, after acquiring the exclusive rights in a surprise last‑minute deal. The movie, written and directed by Ryoo Seung‑wan, concludes his unofficial “Overseas Location”...
DG Signs New Orchestra … in Asia
Deutsche Grammophon has signed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for its debut album, a condensed rendition of Wagner’s Ring titled The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure. Conducted by designated music director Tarmo Peltokoski and arranged by Dutch composer Henk de Vlieger, the project was recorded in June 2025 at the Hong...
Trump Administration Trying to Pressure Broadcasters Not to Schedule Football Game Broadcasts for Same Time as Army-Navy Game
The White House issued an executive order, “Preserving America’s Game,” directing the FCC and Commerce Department to create an exclusive broadcast window for the Army‑Navy football game. The order seeks to prevent any college football postseason game, including College Football...
TV’s New Love Affair with Flag Football
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will debut on FOX, positioning flag football as a prime television property. By pairing current and former NFL players with celebrity host Kevin Hart, the event blends sport and entertainment to attract both hardcore fans...
The Boiler Room Reckoning: Why Scapegoating Won’t Fix Live Music’s Funding Problem
Boiler Room’s 2025 sale to Superstruct and the departure of founder‑CEO Blaise Bellville sparked a fan backlash that highlighted a deeper funding dilemma in live music. The controversy coincided with growing awareness that four corporations—Live Nation, Superstruct, AEG and CTS...
France Télévisions Takes "Enquête Parallèle" Global
France TV Distribution announced the sale of the first three episodes of the Franco‑Belgian investigative series *Enquête Parallèle* to an international buyer, marking the program’s first step beyond French borders. The deal underscores France Télévisions’ strategy to monetize its premium...
Séries Mania: The Strategic Power of International Acquisitions
France Télévisions is accelerating its purchase of foreign television series to attract new viewers, a strategy detailed by Deputy Director of International Series Morad Koufane ahead of the Séries Mania festival. The network aims to diversify its lineup with proven international dramas...
Urbania Acquires Binge Audio to Bridge Podcasts and TV
Montreal‑based media company Urbania announced the acquisition of Binge Audio, the independent French‑language podcast network known for hits such as "Les Couilles sur la table" and "Programme B." The deal gives Urbania a portfolio of popular podcasts with an estimated...
Cannes Marché Du Film Launches First Creator Economy Summit
Cannes Marché du Film announced its inaugural Creator Economy Summit, a new conference that brings together film executives, digital creators, and technology innovators. The three‑day event, slated for early June 2024, will focus on how the creator economy reshapes storytelling,...
News: NBC Sports, NFL Network, Scripps and More
NBC Sports is testing the placement of analysts inside MLB dugouts for its Sunday Leadoff games, mirroring its NBA "On the Bench" format, while still finalizing play‑by‑play talent. The ESPN‑owned NFL Network will continue its own NFL Draft presentation, keeping...
Can AI Music Creation Be a Real Growth Market?
AI music creation is emerging as a niche yet rapidly scaling market, highlighted by Suno’s 2 million paid subscribers and roughly $300 million in annual recurring revenue. The sector is divided into five segments: professional musician tools, novelty personal tracks, production‑music licensing,...
If the WBD-Paramount Merger Does NOT Close...
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO warned that if the Paramount‑Skydance merger fails, the company will retain $7 billion but still grapple with a $33 billion debt load. The deal is designed to combine two massive content libraries with cloud infrastructure to exploit generative‑AI...
Ontario Plans to Ban For-Profit Ticket Touting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a plan to ban for‑profit ticket touting, proposing amendments to the 2017 Ticket Sales Act. The new law would make it illegal to resell tickets above the original all‑in price, including fees and taxes. The...
Tax Deductions Musicians Often Miss: Beyond the Basics
The article outlines a suite of often‑overlooked tax deductions that independent musicians can claim beyond the usual instrument and travel write‑offs. It details how home‑studio space, software subscriptions, education fees, conference travel, marketing costs, health‑related services, and insurance premiums qualify...
All James Bond Movies Leaving Netflix Already After Only Three Months
Netflix US will lose all 26 James Bond movies on April 21, 2026, after a three‑month licensing window that began in January 2026. The titles were added through a short‑term deal with MGM, which Amazon acquired for $8.5 billion, making Prime...
Your Morning Coffee Podcast: Do People Really Care About 'Pre-Save?'
The Your Morning Coffee podcast episode 294 (March 23, 2026) breaks down three hot music‑industry topics: the IFPI Global Music Report 2026, U.S. wholesale recorded‑music revenue hitting $11.5 billion in 2025, and the waning relevance of pre‑save campaigns. The IFPI data...
What Are All the Defunct US Distributors of the Last Twenty-Five Years?
Over the past 25 years, more than 45 U.S. theatrical distributors have folded, from Great Point Media’s 2024 liquidation to the 2019 Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The wave of closures reflects a confluence of dot‑com bust, the 2008...
CBS Renews "CIA" For Second Season
CBS announced a second‑season renewal for the spy drama “CIA” after its premiere drew 8.4 million multiplatform viewers within seven days. Broadcast ratings rose 39 percent across the first three episodes, allowing the show to win its Monday night slot against “The...
'Project Hail Mary' Box Office: Six Takeaways After An Astronomical $142 Million Launch
Project Hail Mary opened to $80.5 million domestically and $141.9 million worldwide, marking Amazon MGM Studios’ strongest opening ever. The sci‑fi thriller became the studio’s biggest North American debut, surpassing Creed III and ranking just behind legacy MGM titles like The Hobbit and...
How Can Disney+ Become Disney’s Digital Centrepiece? | What’s On Disney Plus Q&A
In a weekly Q&A, Disney+ hosts answer community questions about the platform’s future, including its ambition to become Disney’s digital centrepiece. They discuss potential deeper integration of ESPN content, the strategic shift of Disney’s gaming division toward broader entertainment, and...
'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' Scores Boffo (For Bollywood) Box Office As 'Hoppers' Tops $100M
Pixar’s original animated feature Hoppers surpassed the $100 million domestic mark, reaching $107.8 million and is projected to close the weekend near $122 million, positioning it close to Illumination’s Migration. Bollywood’s Hindi spy thriller Dhurandhar: The Revenge earned $2.97 million on Friday, a 25%...
AEW Owner Tony Khan Put in Bid to Purchase WWE
In 2023 WWE was sold to Endeavor for $9.3 billion, creating the TKO holding company that now combines WWE with UFC. During the sale process several parties submitted cash bids, including AE & E owner Tony Khan’s Base 10 vehicle, which offered $76.83 per...
Box Office: 'Project Hail Mary' Nabs Top Opening Day Ever For "Just A Movie"
Project Hail Mary opened with $33.1 million on Friday, including $12 million from pre‑release previews, marking one of the biggest opening days ever for a live‑action film that isn’t tied to an existing franchise. The Ryan Gosling‑led sci‑fi epic earned $190 million worldwide, outperforming...
Decoding the Publishers Marketplace Deal Announcement (Part 1)
The article introduces Part 1 of a two‑part series that decodes the terminology used in Publishers Marketplace deal announcements. It explains how writers can interpret sales figures, co‑agented deals, international rights, pre‑empts, exclusives, and multi‑book agreements to gauge an agent’s performance....
Ten Tips for Building a Concert Audience
Rosie Millard outlines ten practical rules for orchestras to grow concert attendance, drawing on her experience at Paris’s Philharmonie. The tips emphasize strategic marketing, dynamic pricing, diverse programming, and an inviting venue atmosphere. Millard argues that a holistic approach—combining digital...
Zuckerberg Predicted a Billion Users. Horizon Worlds Never Topped a Few Hundred Thousand
Meta rebranded Facebook as a metaverse company in late 2021, with Mark Zuckerberg forecasting a billion users for its virtual world platform Horizon Worlds. After two years of heavy investment, the service never exceeded a few hundred thousand monthly active...
This Isn’t a 'Media Shakeup' — It’s a MAGA Takeover.
CBS News has laid off dozens of reporters after billionaire David Ellison took control, installing Bari Weiss as editor‑in‑chief. The post warns that the FCC chair and President Trump are threatening broadcast licenses and labeling critical war coverage “criminal,” while...
Ticket AG Unveils New Backstage Platform, Rebrands, and Expands to Austria
Ticket AG, a Liechtenstein‑based SaaS ticketing provider, launched its new Backstage organizer platform, rebranded the company under a single Ticket AG identity, and opened a Vienna office to serve Austria. Backstage separates event‑management tools from the consumer ticket shop, offering...
France Produced 290 Feature Films in 2025 - Industry / Market - France
French cinema produced 290 feature films in 2025, a modest 6.1% decline from the 2024 record. Total investment fell 4.8% to €1.37 billion, with broadcaster contributions dropping 11.8% while distribution mandates grew 15.4%. Canal+ reduced its pre‑purchase financing, but Disney+ increased...
IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund Announces Latest Round of Production Support - Production / Funding - Netherlands
The Hubert Bals Fund’s HBF+Europe scheme has allocated €60,000 to eight international co‑productions, split between Minority Co‑production Support and Post‑production Support. The programme, backed by Creative Europe‑MEDIA, encourages European producers to partner with filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the...
CBS Has Top 2 and 11 of Top 20 Series in Live + 7-Day Multiplatform Viewership Among All Broadcast and...
CBS led Nielsen’s Live + 7‑day multiplatform viewership for the week of March 2‑8, 2026, capturing the #1 position in drama, comedy, primetime news and unscripted categories. The network placed two of the top‑two series and eleven of the top‑20 series overall, mirroring its...
Emily Horgan on Netflix’s Kids & Family Viewership, CoComelon Fatigue, and the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Phenomenon
Emily Horgan’s H2 2025 Netflix Kids Content Performance Report shows PAW Patrol leading with 344 million hours viewed, while Gabby’s Dollhouse remains the preschool powerhouse with over 600 million hours. YouTube‑originated series such as Ms. Rachel cracked the top‑four, highlighting creator‑driven growth, and CoComelon’s multi‑year decline...
Inside the Stream – Ads Accepted, Sports Lead. Creators Match Premium TV
New Hub Entertainment research shows ad‑supported streaming is becoming more acceptable, especially among younger adults, with nearly two‑thirds of them indifferent to ads. Nielsen data confirms sports content leads this shift, giving leagues like the NFL leverage in licensing negotiations...
The World Baseball Classic Gold Rush
The 2026 World Baseball Classic championship between the United States and Venezuela attracted an audience comparable to many World Series games, confirming the tournament’s status as a ratings juggernaut. Viewership peaked at roughly ten million U.S. households, drawing casual fans...
World Baseball Classic Delivers More than 10 Million in Title Game
The 2026 World Baseball Classic final between Venezuela and the United States averaged 10.78 million viewers on FOX and Fox Deportes, setting a new record for the tournament. Peak audience reached 12.15 million during the late‑night quarter‑hour, more than double the 2023...
Huge M&A Deals: Netflix’s Acquisition of AI Film-Tech Company InterPositive
In early March 2026 Netflix announced a landmark acquisition of InterPositive, an AI‑driven filmmaking startup founded by Ben Affleck, for up to $600 million, largely cash with earn‑out provisions. The deal gives Netflix immediate access to tools that can correct lighting,...
NBA’s Sunday Gains Help Offset “Saturday Primetime” Slide
NBA viewership on ABC’s Saturday Primetime fell 21% to 2.22 million, the lowest since the series began in 2016. In contrast, the league’s Sunday Showcase rose 20% to 2.56 million, marking the first season since 2022‑23 that Sunday outdrew Saturday. NBC’s new...
Football’s Most Valuable Ball Is Up for Grabs
UEFA has launched a formal tender for the official match‑ball rights of its men’s club competitions starting in the 2027/28 season, ending Adidas’ two‑decade hold on the Champions League ball. The bid process, run by Relevent Football Partners and UEFA’s...
🎧 27 Cable Channels. How Many Survivors?
The proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger will generate roughly 85% of its earnings from linear television, despite the industry’s streaming shift. The combined entity inherits more than two dozen aging cable networks, prompting executives to evaluate spin‑offs, digital rebrands,...
Social Media Takes Center Stage in Thematic TV Network Communication
Communications Director Benjamin Boiron of France’s M6 Group announced that its thematic channels Téva and Paris Première logged a combined 1.4 billion video views last year, marking a historic digital milestone. The surge was driven by aggressive distribution on Facebook, YouTube...
Hollywood Money Gushed From the Gulf. Then Came War
Hollywood’s recent influx of Gulf sovereign wealth has underpinned mega‑deals such as Saudi‑backed EA’s $55 billion acquisition and Paramount‑Skydance’s $111 billion bid. The ongoing Israel‑Iran conflict has forced production shutdowns across the Gulf, prompting studios to relocate projects and reassess risk. With...
TF1 Pub Transforms Connected TV Advertising with New Performance Tools
TF1 Pub, the advertising arm of France’s leading broadcaster, unveiled a suite of performance‑focused tools for Connected TV (CTV) campaigns. The new platform combines first‑party audience data, AI‑driven bidding and real‑time attribution to turn CTV into a measurable acquisition channel....
3 Million "Outlander" Fans Drive the Epic Season Eight Premiere to a Four-Year Series High
STARZ reported that the premiere of Outlander’s final season attracted nearly three million multiplatform viewers in its first week. The episode “Soul of a Rebel” secured the #1 spot among scripted cable programs, marking a four‑year series high. Season eight,...