Emerald Reports Higher Revenue but Growth Lags Peers
Emerald Holding posted 2025 revenue of $463.4 million, up modestly from the prior year, but organic growth slowed to 1.1% and the company recorded a $30.7 million net loss. Acquisitions added 4.8% to revenue, while dividends consumed a third of free cash flow. The firm completed three major purchases, sun‑setting 26 events, and signaled a continued M&A push for 2026. Onex, its majority owner, is reviewing strategic options, and shares slipped nearly 4% after earnings.
Mapping the Connection Between Anime and J-Pop in Global Listening
Japan’s music industry, the world’s second‑largest recorded market, is leveraging anime openings to catapult J‑Pop onto the global stage. Luminate Intelligence data shows that songs tied to anime boost streams dramatically, with YOASOBI’s "Idol" amassing 3.9 billion on‑demand plays and reaching...
Is YouTube Winning Or Is TV Losing, TVREV On Stage At Marketecture Live III
YouTube has been declared the world’s largest media company by MoffettNathanson, overtaking Netflix, Disney, Warner, Comcast and Paramount. A shift of roughly $4 billion in ad spend from legacy TV to YouTube underscores the platform’s growing dominance. The article argues this...
In Shift, NFL Will Reportedly Package Rights to Week 1 Melbourne Game
The NFL is moving away from selling the Week 1 Melbourne International Series game on a stand‑alone basis, opting instead to bundle it with four or five additional contests. This packaging aligns with a broader inventory of nine International Series...
Informa Boss Relaxed on Middle East Uncertainty as Q2 Events Rescheduled to Q4
Informa posted 2025 results showing revenue of £4 billion, up 13.7% year‑on‑year, and adjusted operating profit of £1.1 billion. CEO Stephen A. Carter said the Iran‑related war will have limited impact, having moved six Q2 events to Q4 and securing the LEAP...
New Generation of British Artists Propel UK Record Industry to £1.5 Billion High, Says BPI
UK recorded‑music wholesale revenue hit £1.57 billion in 2025, a 5% rise and the first time the market topped £1.5 bn. Growth was driven by a surge in new British talent, a rebound in physical sales—especially vinyl—and continued streaming dominance. However, subscription...
Family Guy Spinoff Stewie Set at Fox with a Two-Season Order
Fox has ordered a new animated series centered on Stewie Griffin, the infant mastermind from Family Guy. The spinoff, created by Seth MacFarlane and longtime Family Guy writers, received a two‑season commitment from the network. Production is slated to begin...
CBS Midseason Premiere Week Tops Broadcast and Streaming Rankings in Live + 7-Day Multiplatform Viewership
During the Feb 23‑Mar 1, 2026 mid‑season premiere week, CBS secured the top three spots among broadcast series and placed seven of the ten most‑watched titles in the broadcast‑only ranking, according to Nielsen’s live‑plus‑7‑day multiplatform data. The network’s flagship drama “Marshals” led with...
New Synty Sci-Fi Bundle + Survival Kit Redux
Humble Bundle launched two new game‑development asset collections on March 12, 2026: the Synty Sci‑Fi Bundle and the Ultimate Survival Kit Redux. The Synty offering is a $30 tier that includes polygon city, space, particle packs, base locomotion animation, a...
Key Trends in the Audiovisual Sector at the Series Mania Forum
The European Audiovisual Observatory will host three English‑language presentations at the Series Mania Forum, spotlighting the most recent trends shaping Europe’s streaming and television markets. The sessions will dissect subscription growth, the decline of traditional TV advertising, and the rising...
French Film Festivals Brace for Political Shifts and Funding Cuts
The French Ministry of Culture’s 2025 festival barometer shows 46% of French festivals posted a negative balance, with an average €78,000 deficit. Only 12% reported a surplus while 42% broke even, and 58% of festivals rely primarily on public subsidies....
Canal Plus Posts Near 7 Billion Euro Revenue and Eyes African Expansion
Canal Plus reported revenue nearing €7 billion for 2025, marking a strong financial performance for the French media conglomerate. Chairman Maxime Saada highlighted the achievement and announced the next phase of the group’s 2026 strategic plan. The plan centers on expanding...
Gaumont Bets on a Long Theatrical Run for Xavier Giannoli's WWII Epic
Gaumont is planning an unusually long theatrical run for Xavier Giannoli’s new World War II epic, Les Rayons et les ombres. The French studio hopes the extended window will maximize box‑office revenue and cultural impact, echoing the success of Giannoli’s previous...
Paramount+ and CBS Partner to Air UFC 327: Prochazka Vs. Ulberg Live on Paramount+ and CBS Television Network
Paramount+ and CBS have agreed to jointly broadcast UFC 327, featuring Jiří Procházka vs. Valter Ulberg, on April 11 from Miami’s Kaseya Center. Paramount+ will stream the entire fight card in the United States and Latin America, while CBS will simulcast the...
Why Indie Video Game Sync Is More Accessible Than Film and TV in 2026
The video‑game music sync market is valued at $1.91 billion in 2026 and growing 7.7% annually, projected to hit $3.73 billion by 2035. Indie developers typically allocate $500‑$2,000 per track, a budget far more approachable than film and TV sync fees. Because...
Informa TechTarget Promises Growth; EBITDA Higher Amid Goodwill Loss
Informa TechTarget, the 2024 merger of Informa and TechTarget, reported full‑year revenue of $486.8 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $87.3 million for 2025, surpassing its $85 million guidance. The company projected 2026 adjusted EBITDA between $95 million and $100 million, signaling a return to...
Sans-Curry, Are Warriors Suddenly a Ratings Drag?
The Golden State Warriors posted their lowest‑rated ABC broadcast since 2002, drawing a 1.1 rating and 1.90 million viewers in a Curry‑less matchup against the Thunder. Historically a marquee NBA draw, the team’s viewership fell sharply when Stephen Curry missed his...
One Bad Data Point Can Break The Entire AI Stack For Streaming Publishers
AI agents are being layered onto media analytics pipelines, promising automated insights for streaming publishers. However, a single erroneous data point—such as a telemetry delay—can poison the entire chain, turning a glitch into a strategic misstep. The risk is amplified...
Michael Brandvold and Dave Cool Break Down How to Treat Your Superfans
Michael Brandvold and Dave Cool discuss superfans on the Music Biz Weekly podcast, highlighting their outsized role in streaming, ticket sales, and merchandise revenue. They explore methods to identify superfans using data analytics and direct engagement, and debate the balance...
Germany and Adidas Have One Last Dance
Germany’s football federation announced a switch from long‑time kit partner Adidas to Nike, with the new deal valued at over €100 million annually—about twice Adidas’ previous contract. The move ends a partnership that supplied the iconic three‑stripe shirts for four World...
What Premium Actually Buys You on CTV
Premium CTV inventory, while more expensive, offers advertisers higher-quality audience engagement. Vevo, partnering with measurement firm Amplified, has produced rigorous attention data demonstrating that premium placements deliver longer view times and stronger brand recall. The partnership’s findings provide concrete evidence...
Ebook Distributor Bookwire and Eleven Labs Partner Up
Bookwire, a leading ebook distributor, has announced a partnership with AI voice pioneer Eleven Labs to launch AI‑narrated audiobooks. The new titles will be streamed through Eleven Labs' Eleven Reader app and will initially support more than a dozen languages....
An Update on ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 and ‘Stranger Things’ 5 Viewership Races
Netflix’s two flagship English‑language series are falling short of their own records. Stranger Things Season 5 has logged 132.7 million views after 77 days, 8 million fewer than Season 4’s 140.7 million, and cannot close the gap before the 91‑day window ends. Bridgerton Season 4 sits...
TRL: What Would You Like to See Covered in Future Posts?
The author of the TRL Substack invites readers to suggest topics for future posts, ranging from query etiquette to industry deep‑dives. The invitation follows a popular piece on residencies that impressed agents, signaling a desire for more community‑driven content. Additionally,...
FOX Entertainment Studios Signs Development Commitment with Frankie Quinones for New Comedy Series
FOX Entertainment Studios has entered a development commitment with comedian Frankie Quiñones to create an untitled scripted comedy series, where he will co‑write and star. The deal underscores FOX’s push for bold, creator‑driven voices across its scripted and unscripted platforms....
Cinema, Meet the Creator Economy
Creator Camp, a digitally native media company, is reshaping film production by converting online creator followings into theatrical audiences. Its debut feature, *Two Sleepy People*, generated 2.5 times its production budget within a week, driven by an organic campaign that...
YouTube Deleted 4.7 Billion Views
In early 2026 YouTube executed a massive purge of low‑quality AI‑generated channels, deleting over 4.7 billion views, 35 million subscribers and roughly $10 million in annual revenue. CEO Neal Mohan framed the move as a top priority to curb AI‑spam and restore value...
The Next Phase of Creator-Owned Media
The creator economy is reshaping media as independent journalists, newsletter writers, podcasters and livestreamers build audiences that rival traditional outlets. Recognizing a structural gap, a group of creators launched the Journeyman Media Network (JMN), a creator‑owned collective that links independent...
UNC-Duke, MSU-Michigan, Deliver on Final Weekend of Men’s Regular Season
College basketball rivalry matchups delivered strong ratings in the final weekend of the regular season. The UNC‑Duke game on ESPN attracted 3.43 million viewers, a 14 % increase and the third‑largest audience for the series since 2019. Michigan’s win over Michigan State...
Sega: Cost and Limited Reach Dictate Why Standalone Retro Game Releases Are Unlikely
Sega says it will not release standalone versions of the retro games hidden inside the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series because modern distribution costs are high and the market for individual classic titles is limited. The company embeds titles like Daytona...
Murdoch’s Mexico War & An Ellison Merger Lesson
Fox is embroiled in a cross‑border trademark dispute in Mexico after a football broadcast blackout, leading to injunctions and mounting contempt fines. The Ninth Circuit is hearing an appeal that could restore the NFL’s $4.7 billion Sunday Ticket penalty. Disney is...
UFC Opens CBS Era with Stronger Audience
UFC made its CBS debut with UFC 326, drawing an average of 2.47 million viewers across a two‑hour window that included prelims and portions of the main card. The one‑hour segment featuring the main card (excluding the main event) averaged 2.81 million...
Hiding Places – Waiting / One Hand
Hiding Places, the Asheville‑born indie rock trio now based in Brooklyn, will release their new album *The Secret To Good Living* on 3 April via Keeled Scales. The record follows the spontaneous single “Holy Roller” and is previewed by two tracks,...
How Starter Story Grew From a Side Project Into a Multi-Million Dollar Media Business (and Why HubSpot Bought It)
Starter Story began in 2017 as a side‑project blog interviewing founders and quickly grew into a bootstrapped media company. By leveraging detailed case studies, the platform amassed over 800,000 YouTube subscribers and generated millions in revenue through premium courses and...
Grading the Tycoons’ Exits
The Ankler essay grades major studio owners' exits, using David Zaslav’s $30 billion payout as a focal point. The author proposes a ratio that balances personal profit against the health of the studio, employees, and audiences. By assigning letter grades to...
Private Investors Love Music. Why Doesn't Wall Street?
Private investors are increasingly targeting music rights, creating demand that outstrips supply. Publicly traded music companies like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Reservoir Media trade at significant discounts to the estimated value of their catalogs. The gap stems...
Royalties Administrator // Snapper Music (London)
Snapper Music in London is hiring a full‑time Royalties Administrator to manage royalty calculations, statements, and payments for rights holders. The role offers an immediate start with comprehensive training and a hybrid work model after probation—four days in‑office and one...
MusicInfra and The Royalty Network Partnership — a New Standard for Managing Rights
MusicInfra has partnered with independent publisher The Royalty Network to embed the latter’s 800,000‑track catalog into MusicInfra’s rights‑management platform. The integration taps YouTube’s Content Management System data to uncover unclaimed or under‑collected royalties caused by metadata gaps. By continuously analyzing...
Matthew Henick On Why OEMs Need Better Ad Infrastructure, Not More Middlemen
Matthew Henick, SVP of Consumer Products at The Trade Desk, unveiled the Ventura Ecosystem – an OS‑level ad infrastructure designed to streamline the CTV supply chain. He argued that too many intermediaries erode OEM revenue and obscure transparency for advertisers....
The CNC Grants an Advance on Receipts to Léa Fehner’s Isabelle - Production / Funding - France
The CNC’s 2026 advance‑on‑receipts program awarded pre‑sale financing to seven projects, spanning first‑ and second‑feature committees. Léa Fehner’s third feature *Isabelle* secured funding alongside animated titles like *Limbo* and co‑productions such as *La vie en rose*. The grants aim to...
Europa Distribution to Explore the Releases of Recent Documentaries in Europe at CPH:DOX - CPH:DOX 2026
Europa Distribution and CPH:DOX are co‑hosting a closed workshop for European documentary distributors from March 15‑18 in Copenhagen. The event will feature case studies of recent releases such as Riefenstahl, Whispers in the Woods, and Gaucho Gaucho, focusing on audience...
California Takes a Step Toward Ending Speculative Ticketing
Speculative ticketing—selling tickets before the seller actually possesses them—has long plagued resale platforms, inflating prices and creating false scarcity. The practice was highlighted in a recent Capitol Hill hearing featuring Kid Rock, underscoring consumer frustration. California’s Assembly Bill 1349 proposes...
Muscles From Munich? How German Courts Might Stop US Companies From Violating Copyright Through AI Training
The Munich Regional Court heard GEMA’s claim that Suno, a US‑based generative‑music AI, infringed German copyrights by using protected songs for training. The dispute revives the court’s earlier OpenAI ruling but shifts focus to musical arrangements and the cross‑border location...
Spain's Free Streaming Map
Spain has emerged as Europe’s FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) leader, with 35% of adults using free streaming services each month. Omdia forecasts FAST revenues at $32 million in 2025, nearly doubling to $65 million by 2030. Local broadcasters such as RTVE...
America’s Got Talent: Season 21 Renewal; NBC Confirms Summer 2026 Return
NBC confirmed that “America’s Got Talent” has been renewed for a 21st season, slated to air in the summer of 2026. The show’s 20th season, which concluded in September, delivered a $1 million prize to the winner and featured returning host...
David Ellison’s Troubling H.R. File
David Ellison has become Hollywood’s most aggressive acquirer, deploying billions to buy stakes in Skydance, the fledgling ParaBros venture and a potential partnership with WarnerMount. In just seven months he could control roughly one‑third of theatrical releases, and a proposed...
Gary Bettman’s Heated Rivalry Fantasies
The NHL reported a roughly 30% jump in viewership this season, signaling a resurgence in hockey’s cultural relevance. Commissioner Gary Bettman praised the surge, emphasizing that sports content remains the most valuable media asset. He warned that the league faces...
Magnite’s Ryan Kenney On Why FAST Feels More Like “TV” Again.
Magnite senior VP Ryan Kenney says FAST is stabilizing but still faces performance gaps, especially around fill rates and transparency. Advertisers are shifting to contextual signals and first‑party data for inventory insight, moving away from traditional show‑level reporting. VOD inventory...
NIVA Slams Live Nation Settlement as 'Failure of the Justice System'
The U.S. Department of Justice and Live Nation announced a settlement that keeps Ticketmaster under Live Nation ownership, with a reported payout of $280 million—roughly four days of the company’s 2025 revenue. The deal includes structural changes but no explicit safeguards...
ESPN Latest to Pick up Ex-Washington Post Reporters
ESPN announced Monday that it has hired six former Washington Post sports reporters—Kent Babb, Kareem Copeland, Chuck Culpepper, Robert Klemko, Tom Schad and Ben Strauss—to bolster its Investigative, Enterprise and Digital Journalism Unit. The hires come shortly after The Athletic...