Lee Touts Digital Subscriptions Strategy as Subscribers Churn; Co. Gets Debt Reprieve
Lee Enterprises reported a 10% drop in total operating revenue to $130 million for Q4 2025, while digital subscription revenue grew 5% to $22.7 million. Despite the revenue boost, the company’s digital‑only subscriber base shrank from 728,000 in March to 609,000 by year‑end, marking a continuous decline. Adjusted EBITDA rose 35% to $12.3 million, and a $50 million equity infusion from investor David Hoffmann lowered the debt interest rate from 9% to 5%, saving $90 million over five years. Lee aims for digital revenue to represent 90% of total sales by 2030.
SoundExchange Just Quietly Expanded Global Royalty Coverage to 91%
SoundExchange announced that it has added 17 new international collective‑management agreements, expanding its reach to cover more than 91% of the global neighboring‑rights market. The new partnerships span Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, bringing territories such as Kenya,...
Roger Deakins Pulls Back the Curtain on How He Actually Thinks About Shots
Renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins released his new book, *Reflections: On Cinematography*, co‑authored with his wife James Ellis Deakins. The memoir pulls back the curtain on his creative process, from deciphering story emotions to choosing light and composition. Deakins also warns...
What Does 17K Really Look Like? Blackmagic Shares Raw URSA Cine 17K 65 Footage
Blackmagic Design released raw footage from the URSA Cine 17K 65, captured in the period short film “To Fly or Float.” The film, shot by cinematographer Ben Saffer with Cooke Panchro 65/i lenses, showcases the camera’s 65 mm RGBW sensor and 17,520 × 8,040...
More Reach, Less Power: Copyright in Digital Markets Today
Digital distribution has dramatically expanded creators' reach, but platform ecosystems now dominate visibility, pricing, audience data, and monetisation. This shift has eroded creators' bargaining power, even as publishers access larger audiences. Axel Springer’s new research frames copyright as an economic...
Tangle Growth Slows as News Fatigue, Economy Weigh on Conversions
Tangle, a nonpartisan political newsletter, posted flat annual recurring revenue after a period of rapid expansion, as converting free readers to paid subscribers slowed. The outlet now has about 460,000 daily newsletter subscribers, 71,000 of whom pay, and a Sunday...
News: YouTube TV, MLB.TV, NFL and More
YouTube TV announced a dedicated sports bundle priced at $65 a month, a 22% discount from its base plan, with a promotional $55 rate for new subscribers during the first year. MLB.TV subscriptions will now be sold through the ESPN...
From Sports To Short Form To AI: Comscore Expands The Measurement Map
Comscore is broadening its measurement portfolio to cover live sports, short‑form video, and AI‑driven consumer apps, addressing the growing fragmentation of media consumption. In a new video series, executives explain how the company now offers a single view of audiences...
How to Find a Screenwriting Partner
Screenwriters increasingly turn to collaborators to break creative blocks and broaden perspective. Industry experts stress that partnerships should stem from complementary strengths, not a desire to offload work, and require clear ground rules for feedback and revisions. Effective avenues for...
Paul Thomas Anderson Breaking Down a 'Battle of Algiers' Clip Is Basically a Full Film School Curriculum
Paul Thomas Anderson sat down with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz to dissect two cinematic touchstones—Gillo Pontecorvo’s *The Battle of Algiers* and John Ford’s *The Searchers*—and explain how they inform his latest film, *One Battle after Another*. He highlighted the guerrilla‑training reputation of *Algiers*...
A Couple Teenagers Launched a Media Company that Now Drives 240 Billion Annual Views
The episode explores how teenage founders, led by 25‑year‑old Kit Chilvers, built Pubity Group into a media powerhouse with 170 million followers and an estimated 240 billion annual views, all without external funding. Chilvers explains his early start on Instagram in 2014,...
Take a Look at the First Viltrox L-Mount Lens With This Ultra-Fast, Full-Frame Prime
Viltrox has released its first native L‑mount lens, the AF 16mm f/1.8 FE, marking the brand’s full entry into the Leica‑compatible ecosystem. The ultra‑wide, full‑frame prime features a fast STM autofocus motor, silent aperture ring, all‑metal weather‑sealed construction, and a built‑in...
Don’t Wait, Get These Major Firmware Updates Installed for These Aputure Lighting Fixtures
Aputure has rolled out a batch of firmware updates covering its entire STORM, NOVA II, and NOVA 9° lighting families. The updates introduce major features such as improved NFC performance, new manual fan control modes, HSIC+ coarse/fine adjustments, and enhanced...
Social-First Publisher LADbible Group Touts Growth in Direct US Sales as Web Traffic Dwindles
LADbible Group reported a 7% rise in total revenue to £92.2 million, driven by a 29% jump in U.S. direct sales, which now represent £18.6 million of its earnings. Direct revenue grew to 54% of the mix, up from 51% a year...
More Than Just a Party: Decoding the Symbolism of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show
Bad Bunny turned the Super Bowl LV halftime show into a cultural showcase, becoming the first solo Spanish‑language headliner in the event’s history. He infused the performance with Puerto Rican symbols—jíbaro hats, exploding power poles, and a miniature "casita"—to highlight...
Why Patriots-Seahawks Could Set New Super Bowl Record, Even if Fewer Tune In
The 2026 Patriots‑Seahawks Super Bowl is projected to post a 40.3 household rating, potentially eclipsing the 2015 game’s historic 47.5 rating when adjusted for today’s measurement methods. Nielsen’s shift to include out‑of‑home and big‑data viewing has inflated recent viewership totals,...
When Speed Becomes Risk: Why India’s AI Compulsory License Debate Needs Facts, Not Shortcuts
India’s DPIIT released a Working Paper proposing a hybrid compulsory licence to streamline AI‑training data use, aiming to give developers legal certainty and speed up innovation. The Artist Rights Institute (ARI) submitted a public comment urging a measured approach, emphasizing...
Bring Modern Autofocus Performance to Your Classic Manual Cinema Lenses With This New AF Adapter
Tilta has launched the Nucleus Autofocus Adapter, a device that adds modern phase‑detect autofocus to classic manual PL cinema lenses when used on Sony E‑mount cameras. The adapter translates the camera’s native AF data to external Nucleus‑M II or Nano II focus...
Practice Storytelling Every Day with This Simple Question
Filmmaker Philipp Humm recommends turning the routine question “How are you?” into a daily storytelling exercise. By sharing a brief personal anecdote instead of a generic answer, writers practice crafting a clear beginning, conflict, and hook in real time. The...
The Virtual Production & Volume Lexicon
The article presents a comprehensive glossary of virtual production and LED‑volume terminology, spanning pre‑production, hardware, on‑set tracking, optical challenges, and advanced techniques. It defines core concepts such as the Virtual Art Department (VAD), pixel pitch, camera tracking, and In‑Camera Visual...
What Made the Opening Scene of 'Reservoir Dogs' Iconic?
The opening scene of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs reshaped cinematic storytelling by relying solely on character‑driven dialogue and a distinctive circular camera movement. Instead of traditional exposition, the diner conversation establishes each criminal’s personality while an orbiting dolly shot immerses...
The Indie Exhibition Problem (And the People Fixing It)
The No Film School Podcast recorded at Sundance convened festival programmers, exhibitors, and platform founders to dissect the chronic challenges facing independent film exhibition. Participants highlighted how traditional art houses and festivals still serve as vital community anchors, yet many...
Data, Subscription, Events: The Media Model Driving M&A
Investors are targeting B2B media firms that combine proprietary data, subscription revenue, and live events, a hybrid model seen as AI‑proof and resilient. Recent deals include Bridgepoint’s minority stake in Exile Group, Montgomery’s acquisition of Halldale, and DVV Media’s split...
Inside the Stream: NFL-ESPN, Fubo-Hulu, YouTube Growth, Peacock’s Losses
The NFL finalized a partnership with ESPN, taking a 10% equity stake in the network while surrendering NFL Network, RedZone, and fantasy assets. The league is now poised to renegotiate its broader media contracts, signaling potential shifts in rights fees....
Netflix: Waning Optimism
The episode reviews the author's evolving stance on Netflix, noting a recent 200‑basis‑point trim to the stock after several reductions throughout 2024, signaling waning optimism. Despite the cut, Netflix still comprises about 8% of the portfolio, reflecting lingering confidence in...
The Consumer Frontier
The episode explores the "consumer frontier"—the point where technology becomes culture—as it shifts from software to hardware (atoms) and then to biology (cells). It explains how lowering technological difficulty and rising cultural readiness have turned software into pop culture, and...