Programmatic Live Sports: How SMB Advertisers Can Tap Into The Cultural Moment
Live sports remain a high‑impact ad environment, delivering strong attention and recall. A 2025 LG Ad Solutions study shows 48% of U.S. streaming sports viewers notice ads and 54% find them entertaining. Programmatic technology now offers SMBs access to premium inventory through private marketplaces and programmatic guaranteed deals on platforms like ESPN+ and Fubo. By timing ads to key moments and local broadcasts, small brands can achieve national relevance without massive budgets.
Ultimate Game Development & 3D Artist Tool Humble Bundles
Humble has launched two new bundles aimed at game developers and 3D artists: the Ultimate Game Development Courses Bundle and the JRO 3D Artist Tools Bundle. The courses tier ranges from a $2 entry level covering Blender basics to a...
USA Today Co. Reports Drop in FY 2025 Revenue; Expects Flat to Down 2026
USA Today Co. posted a fourth‑quarter revenue of $585 million, a 5.8% year‑over‑year decline, and its full‑year 2025 revenue fell to $2.3 billion. Digital‑only subscriptions plunged 30% to 1.37 million, while average monthly unique visitors slipped 11% to 179 million. The company recorded a...
The Real Battle in Premium & Social Content: Reach Vs. Activation
The U.S. hosts over 202 million adult YouTube users, 177 million on Instagram and 105 million on TikTok, creating massive ad‑supported audiences for creators. While a few, like Markiplier’s promotion of *Iron Lung*, have turned social clout into box‑office hits, most creators struggle to...
Reading Rainbow: Sony Orders 24 More Episodes of Kids’ Show Reboot
Sony has ordered 24 additional episodes of the Reading Rainbow reboot, now hosted by Mychal Threets, following a successful four‑episode digital release in 2025. The original series, led by Levar Burton, ended two decades ago, and the new shortened episodes...
Does The Trade Desk Need to Get Acquisitive?
The Trade Desk (TTD) is feeling pressure as major agencies pull spend toward Amazon’s DSP and its own OpenPath and Kokai platforms stumble. Recent earnings missed revenue expectations, highlighting a slowdown despite the company’s $12 billion market cap and strong growth...
Influencer & Creator Networks: Partnering for Sustainable Audience Growth
Creator marketing is exploding, with U.S. ad spend projected at $37 billion in 2025 and the broader creator economy expected to hit $480 billion by 2027. Traditional publishers are scrambling to partner with influencers to stay relevant, as creator‑driven content outperforms editorial...
The Ultimate Royalties Checklist for Independent Musicians
Symphonic has released a free “Ultimate Royalties Checklist” for independent musicians, outlining the full spectrum of royalty streams—from performance and mechanical to neighboring rights and YouTube Content ID. The guide provides a step‑by‑step “before you release” roadmap, registration checklists, and...
Beyond the Gates: 2025-26 TV Ratings (Updated 2/26/2026)
CBS launched *Beyond the Gates* in February 2025, marking the first new network‑daytime soap in over 25 years. The series follows the affluent Dupree family in Maryland and features a large ensemble cast. While it has not become a breakout hit, the...
The Young and the Restless: 2025-26 TV Ratings (Updated 2/26/2026)
CBS renewed The Young and the Restless in February 2024 for four additional seasons, extending the series through the 2027‑28 broadcast year and its 55th anniversary. The show continues to dominate daytime television, posting a 0.26 rating in the key...
General Hospital: 2025-26 TV Season Ratings (Updated 2/26/2026)
General Hospital’s 2024‑25 season posted a 0.20 rating in the 18‑49 female demographic and averaged 1.87 million total viewers, the latest data point for the long‑running ABC soap. The show remains ABC’s sole daytime drama after years of cancellations, but the...
NBC’s “Sunday Night Basketball” Stronger in Olympic-Adjacent Return
NBC’s "Sunday Night Basketball" returned alongside the Winter Olympics and posted a multi‑year high audience. The Celtics‑Lakers matchup earned a 2.5 Nielsen rating, 4.52 million viewers on NBC and 5.6 million when Telemundo and streaming data are added. This marks the largest...
The WaPo Shiva Begins
Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner announced his support for an eleventh‑hour bid to acquire the UK broadsheet The Telegraph. He and a small group of conservative transatlantic investors are mobilizing financing for Dovid Efune, the publisher of the New York Sun, to...
Tony Dungy Reportedly ‘Out’ at NBC as Network Revamps ‘Football Night in America’
Tony Dungy is likely to exit NBC’s ‘Football Night in America’ after 17 years as the network prepares a major revamp of its NFL pre‑game show. The Athletic reports that NBC may drop Dungy’s regular analyst slot amid criticism of...
Ted, Don’t Do This…
Netflix chief Ted Sarandos is urged to abandon his $27.75‑per‑share cash offer for Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio assets and let Paramount Skydance’s $31‑per‑share bid win. The author argues that Netflix would face intense regulatory scrutiny, higher financing costs, and...
Org Chart From Hell: ‘Too Many Tentacles for One Octopus’
Paramount Pictures has raised its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 a share, reigniting a potential takeover of the studio’s film, TV and streaming assets, including HBO Max. The board has not dismissed the offer, leaving the door open...
Court Vacates BMI’s 138% Live Concert Licensing Rate Hike
The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a 2023 ruling that granted BMI a 138% increase in live‑concert licensing fees, deeming the 0.5% of gross revenue rate unreasonable. The court found BMI’s inclusion of secondary‑ticket sales, VIP packages, and...
“The Price Is Ridiculous”: CS2 Fans Slam PGL Singapore Major Ticket Prices
Tickets for the PGL Major Singapore 2026, scheduled Dec 10‑13 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, were released on Feb 25 and have drawn sharp criticism for steep pricing. Single‑day tickets start at $144 and rise to $369 for the final day,...
Melissa McCarthy Sitcom ‘Mike & Molly’ Netflix Release Delayed To March 2026
Netflix confirmed that the complete series of *Mike & Molly* will debut in the United States on March 26, 2026, pushing back the original February 20 launch. All six seasons, totaling 127 episodes, are arriving after a brief hiatus following their removal from...
Digital Revenue for Events Companies: Must-Have or Distraction?
Questex now derives roughly 30% of its earnings from digital media extensions such as product catalogs, RFID lead tools and post‑show webinars. Industry leaders are split: some, like Events Venture Group’s Marco Giberti, argue digital revenue must climb to 10‑25%...
🎧 Paramount Vs. Netflix: Your Big Questions Answered
Paramount has renewed its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery with a $31‑per‑share bid, reigniting a high‑stakes acquisition battle. Netflix, led by co‑CEO Ted Sarandos, is simultaneously courting investors and studios, arguing its own offer—already accepted in December—outperforms Paramount’s. The two...
Industry Renewed for a Fifth and Final Season: “Unlike some of Our Characters, We Know when to Leave a Party”
HBO and BBC have confirmed that the financial‑thriller series Industry will return for a fifth and final season, wrapping up the story that began in 2020. Season 4 concludes this Sunday, delivering the series’ penultimate arc before the planned ending. The...
"20/20: The Au Pair, The Affair and Murder" About a Twisted Love Triangle Delivers Best Adult 25-54 Performance in 10...
ABC News’ true‑crime special “20/20: The Au Pair, The Affair and Murder” delivered 3.383 million total viewers on Feb 20, 2026. The broadcast posted a 2 % rise in adults 25‑54 and a 6 % increase in adults 18‑49, marking its best performance in...
ABC News Is No. 1 Broadcast Network for Coverage of the State of the Union, Beating NBC by 1.4 Million...
ABC News topped all broadcast networks in live‑plus‑same‑day viewership for the 2026 State of the Union, drawing 4.912 million total viewers. The coverage outperformed NBC by 1.43 million viewers and CBS by 1.65 million, while also beating Fox and the combined cable audience...
The Art (And Science) Of Measurement with Extreme Reach’s Sherman Li
Extreme Reach (XR) operates as a full‑stack ad‑operations hub, handling everything from payroll and asset management to multi‑platform delivery. The company recently announced a digital integration with Nielsen One, allowing advertisers to attach audience measurement data directly to each ad....
Geekay Esports Returns to R6 Europe MENA League as a Partner Team
Saudi‑based Geekay Esports announced its return to the Rainbow Six Siege Europe MENA League as a BLAST affiliate for the 2026 season, after a dominant 2025 campaign in the Tier‑2 European circuit. The organization captured three Tier‑2 titles – Saudi eLeague...
Dplus KIA Extends Lucid’s Contract Days After LCK Playoffs Victory Against T1
Choi “Lucid” Yong‑hyeok has re‑signed with Dplus KIA, extending his contract through the 2027 season. The renewal follows Dplus KIA’s dramatic reverse sweep of T1 in the LCK Cup playoffs, where Lucid earned series MVP honors. Lucid, a main‑roster jungler...
Live Music Industry News Roundup
Volume announced it live‑streamed 2,000 concerts in 2025, adding the iconic Troubadour to its network of camera‑equipped venues and averaging 50 live productions weekly across partners such as Red Rocks and 3rd & Lindsley. In Tennessee, legislators are advancing SB2456/HB2135,...
Live Music Society’s Music In Action Summit Empowered the Small Venue Community
The Live Music Society convened more than 50 small‑venue owners in Boulder, Colorado for its Music In Action Summit, showcasing the organization’s $5 million grant program that supports both nonprofit and for‑profit spaces. Attendees highlighted escalating operating costs, competition from major...
Bettman Seeks Better Timeslot for Next Olympic Hockey Final
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman urged a later start time for the next Olympic men’s hockey final after the 2026 gold‑medal game aired at 8 AM ET, the earliest since Sochi 2014. The match drew 18.6 million viewers, far below the 28 million who...
Rare Michigan-Duke Clash Delivers Latest Big College Hoops Audience
The Michigan‑Duke men’s basketball game delivered an average 2.0 rating and 4.32 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 5.4 million. This made it the largest ESPN‑network audience for a men’s game since the 2019 Duke‑North Carolina showdown and the seventh‑most‑watched ever on...
Saturday TV Ratings: 48 Hours, WWE Legends, NBA Basketball, Milan Cortina Olympics 2026, NCAA Basketball
The Saturday, February 21 2025 ratings report shows CBS’s true‑crime series 48 Hours airing new episodes alongside a heavy lineup of live sports, including coverage of the upcoming Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, NCAA basketball, WWE Legends featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin, and...
The Sidemen Formula: Why TV Formats Belong on Creator Channels
The article argues that broadcasters should embed traditional TV formats within creator channels rather than merely licensing talent. By leveraging creators’ repeatable engagement formulas, formats like Family Fortunes can be re‑imagined for social‑first audiences, as demonstrated by the Sidemen partnership...
‘One Piece’ Season 2 Getting A Limited Theatrical Release In Select Countries
Netflix announced a limited theatrical release of the first two episodes of One Piece Season 2, titled “Into the Grand Line,” in the United States, Canada, and Japan on March 10, 2026. The screenings coincide with the series’ global streaming debut on Netflix...
ESPN Exec Announces End of Sue Bird-Diana Taurasi Altcast for Women’s Final Four
ESPN senior vice president Meg Aronowitz announced at the NCAA women’s Final Four preview that *The Bird & Taurasi Show* will end after six years on ESPN2. The alt‑cast, anchored by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, drew 1.4 million viewers for the...
The Dashboard Is The Next Media Battleground
Automotive infotainment is becoming a decisive factor, with 60% of buyers rating it as make‑or‑break and the market projected to exceed $42 billion by 2030. The industry clings to outdated myths—believing native systems are dead, that more apps equal better experiences,...
Ziff Davis Sees Big Hit to Affiliate Revenue in Q4
Ziff Davis reported Q4 2025 revenue of $406.7 million, a modest 1.5% decline, as affiliate commerce commissions fell $25 million, half of which occurred in the quarter. Tech and shopping segments saw revenues drop 18‑19% year‑over‑year, driving a 14% share plunge....
ESPN & Disney+ Sign New Deal For Banana Ball 2026 Season
Disney and ESPN have sealed a 25‑game exclusive Banana Ball agreement for the 2026 season, more than doubling the 2022‑23 package. Every contest will stream live on the ESPN App and Disney+, with select matchups broadcast on ESPN networks and ABC,...
DreamWorks Sequel ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Sets Netflix US Release Date Following Peacock Stint
DreamWorks’ sequel *The Bad Guys 2* will debut on Netflix US on March 21, 2026 after a brief exclusive run on Peacock. The film will enjoy a ten‑month exclusive streaming window before reverting to Peacock in early 2027. This release is part of Universal’s...
Sony Pictures Boss Says He Has “No Regrets” Selling ‘KPop: Demon Hunters’ to Netflix
Sony Pictures Animation’s “KPop: Demon Hunters,” released on Netflix in June 2025, became the streaming platform’s most‑watched original title, pulling in hundreds of millions of views. Although critics called the sale a financial misstep because Sony gave up theatrical, franchise,...
The Post-Scale Media Model Is Taking Shape in Gaming Journalism
Gaming journalism is pivoting from large, ad‑driven operations to lean, subscription‑focused models. Mothership reached 2,000 paying subscribers within a week of launch, while worker‑owned sites like Jank and Aftermath are gaining traction with modest fees. The contraction of legacy outlets...
A Musician's Guide to Advertising on Facebook
The Hypebot guide walks musicians through Facebook advertising, outlining seven best‑practice tactics and a step‑by‑step setup for a first campaign. It emphasizes audience profiling, authentic short‑form video, minimal text overlays, and clear calls‑to‑action while leveraging Meta’s AI‑driven placement and budgeting...
Soundcheck Live Is a New Platform Modernizing the Backbone of Live Music
Soundcheck Live, an Austin‑based startup founded by Ben Ikwuagwu and Steven Tran, launches a dedicated operations hub for live‑performance teams. The platform consolidates gig documentation, real‑time scheduling, roster coordination, and show‑specific communication into a single dashboard. By replacing spreadsheets, email...
A Quiet Player Makes a Big Move: Qube Cinema Acquires Arts Alliance Media
Arts Alliance Media, the software backbone for over 42,000 cinema screens, entered administration in November 2025, prompting industry concern over service continuity. Qube Cinema, an Indian‑origin digital‑cinema technology group, acquired AAM’s theatre‑management system (Screenwriter), contracts and a small UK/US staff....
‘The Blair Witch Project’ Campaign That Convinced People the Movie Was Real
The Blair Witch Project’s 1999 launch hinged on a guerrilla marketing campaign that presented the fictional disappearance of three student filmmakers as a real event. Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez built a faux‑documentary narrative, complete with missing‑person posters, a...
Meta Keeps Finding New Ways to Not Pay Its Creators
Meta’s new Facebook creator monetization program has exploded to 12 million participants, yet the platform still distributes only about $2 billion to creators each year. By contrast, YouTube shares more than $30 billion, and Instagram Reels generate $50 billion in revenue with minimal payouts....
FBI: Season Eight Ratings + Viewer Votes
CBS has renewed the flagship FBI series for a ninth season while cancelling its two spin‑offs, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. Season 8 posted a 0.38 rating in the 18‑49 demographic and attracted 6.14 million live‑plus‑same‑day viewers, a solid performance by...
Open Letter: Say No to Suno
The Music Artist Coalition’s open letter denounces AI music startup Suno for mass‑producing unlicensed tracks that dilute artist royalties and enable streaming fraud. It highlights Suno’s output of roughly 7 million tracks per day and Deezer’s finding that 85 % of AI‑generated...
Mario Gabelli: Value Investing Ideas for 2026
Mario Gabelli highlighted at the Barron’s Roundtable 2026 that value investors should target mispriced experiential assets such as media, sports franchises, and entertainment companies. He cited Madison Square Garden Sports as trading at roughly half its calculated intrinsic value and...
Team Vitality Reaffirms Commitment to Sim Racing
Team Vitality announced it will exit the RENNSPORT R1 series and shift its sim‑racing focus to the upcoming ERL VCO championship while building a dedicated division. The French esports group retained R8G Esports as manager and added three drivers—Kaj de Bruin,...