The Struts Sign With IAG For North American Touring Representation (Exclusive)
IAG has secured representation for The Struts' North American touring activities, assigning Peter Pappalardo, Dennis Arfa and Adam Kornfeld as booking agents. The British rock outfit has logged 127 headline reports on Pollstar since 2009, moving 132,377 tickets and generating $3.6 million in gross revenue. Their average show draws roughly 1,042 fans and earns about $28,859. The partnership follows a string of high‑profile support slots and recent festival appearances, including Rock Boat and Corona Capital.
Agent David Bradley Moves to CAA
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has hired London‑based agent David Bradley, formerly a partner and co‑head of WME’s pop division. Bradley arrives with a decade‑plus track record representing artists such as Dua Lipa, LCD Soundsystem, and Greta Van Fleet. His expertise...
YouTube Adds More Features to the Premium Lite Plan
YouTube announced that its Premium Lite tier now includes Background Play and video Downloads, features previously exclusive to the full Premium plan. The affordable $7.99‑per‑month subscription, launched in the U.S. in March 2025, continues to offer mostly ad‑free viewing but still...
Stingray Launches FAST Channels on Whale TV+
Stingray has launched a suite of free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channels on Whale TV+, the free streaming platform operated by Singapore‑based Whale TV. The new lineup includes eight video channels—covering nature, wellness, art and ambience—and four audio channels ranging from...
New Version of Original Final Fantasy VII for PC Now Available
Square Enix launched an updated PC version of the original Final Fantasy VII on Steam and GOG for $11.99. Existing Steam owners receive the upgrade at no extra cost, while the older 2013 Edition remains accessible but is no longer purchasable....
PlayStation Finally Confirms Marvel’s Wolverine Release Date – and It’s Coming Before GTA6
PlayStation and Insomniac Games have set a release date of September 15, 2026 for the highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine on PS5. The launch lands two months before Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6, which is slated for November 19, 2026. Wolverine represents...
Marvel’s Wolverine Launches September 15
Marvel’s Wolverine, an original action‑adventure starring Logan, is set to launch on September 15, 2026 exclusively for PlayStation 5. The title is developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind the acclaimed Marvel’s Spider‑Man series, and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in...
Bruin Hires Managing Director to Focus on Fan, Media Opportunities
Bruin Capital announced the hiring of Adam Hasiba as its first Managing Director, tasking him with expanding the firm’s sports, media and fan‑engagement platform. Hasiba leaves consumer‑focused private‑equity giant L Catterton after more than a decade, bringing deep experience scaling media‑centric...
Valve’s Deadlock Is Already as Popular as Overwatch – Before Launch
Valve’s upcoming hero‑shooter *Deadlock* has reached a peak of 171,490 concurrent players, matching the active user count of Blizzard’s *Overwatch 2* despite being in a closed, invite‑only test. The game, still in a placeholder state with grey‑box maps, is attracting massive attention...
DD Free Dish E-Auction Revenue Dips to Rs 642 Crore as Slot Sales Fall
Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish completed its 8th e‑auction, collecting Rs 642 crore for FY26‑27, down from Rs 780 crore the prior year. Only 55 MPEG‑2 slots were sold, compared with 61 previously, reflecting a slimmer inventory and a revamped auction framework. The new...
Antenna: New U.S. SVOD Subscribers Fell 33% in 2025
U.S. subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) growth stalled in 2025, with new subscriber additions dropping 33% to 18 million versus 27 million in 2024, according to Antenna data. Quarterly growth slowed to 7% in Q4, down from 12% a year earlier. Netflix remained the...
Charter Warns California Delay Could Jeopardize Cox Merger Timeline
Charter Communications has asked the California Public Utilities Commission to render a decision on its proposed acquisition of Cox Communications by July 16, 2026. The request stems from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Hart‑Scott‑Rodino antitrust clearance, which expires on September...
Arch Platform Technologies, Wacom Integrate Wacom Bridge For Virtual Workflows’
Arch Platform Technologies and Wacom have integrated Wacom Bridge into Arch’s cloud GPU workstation platform, enabling artists to use Wacom pen displays with full driver support and reduced latency. The joint solution, launched on Feb. 24, offers a "local‑like" feel...
Wowza Appoints Jon Corley Chief Technology Officer
Wowza announced Jon Corley as its new chief technology officer, tasked with steering the company’s AI‑driven streaming strategy. Corley will shape the technology vision, engineering roadmap, and product‑innovation agenda to embed artificial intelligence throughout Wowza’s platform. The move aligns with...
Dynamic Talent Partners With Madison House’s Adam Bauer, Bringing More than 100 Clients To Agency Led By Trevor Swenson
Dynamic Talent International has partnered with Madison House, bringing over 100 new clients and pushing its roster beyond 600 artists. Veteran booking agent Adam Bauer joins as a partner, while Jennaya Ramirez is promoted to partner role. The unified agency...
The Trade Desk Launches ‘Ventura Ecosystem’ to Further Optimize CTV Advertising
The Trade Desk unveiled the Ventura Ecosystem, a collaborative framework linking global TV operating systems and streaming platforms to streamline connected‑TV (CTV) advertising. The initiative offers participants access to The Trade Desk’s ad‑tech suite—including OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0/EUID, OpenAds, and upcoming...
Beta Film’s Patience to Air in Latam Through AMC Networks
Beta Film has expanded the distribution of the British hit series *Patience* to over 100 territories, adding AMC Networks as the Latin American broadcaster. The drama, produced by Eagle Eye Drama, saw record‑breaking viewership on Channel 4, with 4.2 million viewers in...
AI Won't Make Your Game, but It Can Lighten the Load
AI won’t build an entire game, but it can dramatically speed up asset creation for indie studios, according to Ludo.ai CTO Jorge Gomes. The technology excels at generating concept sketches, sprite animations, and 3D props, turning tasks that once took...
"The Market, Both in MENA and at a Global Scale, Is Becoming Increasingly Competitive"
Steer Studios, a Savvy Games Group subsidiary, is gearing up for a 2026 milestone with the launch of its second title, Tom & Jerry Blast, slated for a global release this year. CEO Yannick Theler was recently named among Saudi Arabia’s Top 100...
Radio Workflow Expands Its Platform
Radio Workflow has upgraded its cloud‑native broadcast platform, unifying sales, production, traffic and management for small‑to‑mid‑market stations. The expansion introduces Broadcast Buddy, an AI‑driven assistant that handles meeting prep, email summarization, contract drafting and system navigation. New sales tools let...
Overwatch Rush Announced for iOS, Android
Blizzard announced Overwatch Rush, a top‑down hero shooter crafted from the ground up for iOS and Android. The title is in early development and currently undergoing a limited geo test in select regions. Gameplay focuses on fast‑paced, bite‑sized sessions with...
Ashley Mady On Why Safe Social and Consumer Products Strategy Are Converging In The Kids Creator Economy
Zigazoo, a safe‑social platform for Gen Alpha, has grown to over 10 million users and more than 1,000 kid creators, positioning itself as both a moderated community and a brand activation hub. President Ashley Mady emphasizes a “trifecta” strategy that merges product,...
CYGMA Will Represent the 300-Plus Game Studios in Cyprus
The Cyprus Game Developers Association (CYGMA) has been launched to serve as a unified voice for more than 300 game studios operating on the island. Its founding members include industry heavyweights such as Wargaming, Gaijin Entertainment, Owlcat Games, My.Games, Helio...
Disney Cruise Line Reveals Summer 2027 Lineup
Disney Cruise Line opened bookings for its summer 2027 schedule, featuring the first European deployment of the Disney Wish and a renewed Alaska presence from Vancouver with the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. The lineup also adds extensive Caribbean and...
BBC Studios’ Ghosts Lands Czech Adaptation
BBC Studios announced a Czech version of its hit scripted comedy Ghosts, joining six other territories that have adapted the series. The format, praised for its ability to embed local heritage into a house‑mate sitcom, will be produced by TV...
Opinion: Enough Is Enough—Broadcasters Don’t Own the Airwaves
Michael Petricone argues that legacy broadcasters are receiving an outsized public subsidy by retaining exclusive rights to underused spectrum, even as fewer than 9% of Americans watch over‑the‑air TV. He cites the $95.8 billion annual economic value of unlicensed spectrum and...
JAR Expands Youtube-First Practice as Branded Podcasting Reaches a Video Reckoning
JAR Podcast Solutions announced the expansion of a dedicated YouTube‑first video podcast practice, creating a specialist team to produce video‑optimized branded podcasts. The agency emphasizes platform‑specific strategy, treating YouTube as a discovery engine rather than a simple upload destination. JAR’s...
Epidemic Sound Launches API To Embed AI-Powered Music Licensing Into Third-Party Platforms
Epidemic Sound has unveiled a developer API that lets third‑party platforms embed its extensive catalog of over 50,000 original tracks and 200,000 sound effects. The API is AI‑enhanced, offering text‑prompt, video‑prompt, SoundMatch, semantic search and an audio reference tool to...
Mogul Says It Has Tracked $1.5B in Music Royalties, Raised $5M in Funding
Mogul, founded by former SoundCloud executives, says it has helped artists recover $1.5 billion in lost royalties since its 2025 launch. The Boston‑based startup raised $5 million in a round led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund, bringing total capital to $6.3 million....
New York Bill Would 'Shackle' Media Firms, 'Washington Post' Editorial Board Argues
New York lawmakers are advancing a bill that would compel media companies to disclose any artificial‑intelligence tools used in their operations, a move the Washington Post editorial board warns could stifle innovation. At the same time, veteran CBS correspondent David...
MENA Music Market Embraces Multilingual Content As TikTok Accelerates Track Virality, Per Report
TikTok continues to dominate music discovery in the MENA region, with 84 % of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 first going viral on the platform. The time to reach 100,000 TikTok posts fell dramatically from roughly 340 days in...
David Begnaud Launches Media Company, But Will Continue At CBS News
CBS News contributor David Begnaud has founded an independent media company called Do Good Crew, which will produce a weekly newsletter, a podcast, and live events spotlighting everyday heroes. The venture’s inaugural podcast episode features an interview with Oprah Winfrey....
Kingdom Come: Deliverance Director Is Stepping Away From Game Development to Make Film Adaptation
Warhorse Studios announced that longtime director Daniel Vávra is leaving day‑to‑day game development to head a new transmedia role focused on a Kingdom Come: Deliverance film adaptation. The studio confirmed a completed script and ongoing talks with production companies, positioning...
A Strong Start To 2026 For ABC, Disney-Owned TV Platforms
In January 2026 television viewing hit a 12‑month peak, and Disney emerged as the biggest month‑over‑month gainer in Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge report. The gain reflects a notable rise in total TV consumption attributed to Disney’s owned‑and‑operated properties, especially ABC....
You Can Still Rent DVDs & Blu-Rays By Mail in 2026 Almost 3 Years After Netflix Shut Down Its DVD...
GameFly continues to rent DVDs, Blu‑rays and 4K discs by mail, positioning itself as the sole major survivor after Netflix ended its DVD‑by‑mail service in 2023. The company’s movie catalog includes roughly 292 DVD titles and a growing Blu‑ray selection,...
BidOn Expands Leadership and Establishes Board to Advance Open Source Ad Tech
BidOn, a non‑profit open‑source ad‑tech platform, has announced a new board of senior executives from leading mobile‑gaming companies and the creation of a dedicated engineering team. The board will guide strategy, product direction, and governance, while the engineering group will...
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Servers Are Shutting Down in April 2026
Activision announced that Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile servers will permanently close on April 17, 2026. The title‑shot mobile version launched globally in March 2024 but was pulled from iOS and Android stores in May 2025, halting new acquisitions. Linked...
Wild Creations Appoints TMPR to Lead PR & Communications
Wild Creations, Wales’ leading designer and fabricator for the global attractions industry, has appointed Cardiff‑based B2B communications agency TMPR to head its public relations and strategic communications. The company, founded in 2010, now employs over 50 staff in a 40,000‑square‑foot...
Panzer Knights: Commander’s Edition Announced for PS5, Xbox Series
Panzer Knights: Commander’s Edition, an anime‑styled World War II tank simulation, was announced for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series with a slated 2026 launch. The definitive console version bundles the original game with three bonus content packs, adding iconic tanks such as the...
Meta’s Addiction Trial Could Spell Trouble for Sports Betting
A Los Angeles jury is hearing the KGM trial, which alleges Meta and other social platforms are engineered to addict minors through features like infinite scrolling, autoplay and dopamine‑triggering rewards. The case, while focused on social media, raises the prospect...
Why Is Six Flags Losing Visitors?
Six Flags reported 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $792 million and revenue of $3.1 billion, both edging analyst expectations. However, fourth‑quarter attendance dropped 9% to 9.3 million visitors, cutting admissions revenue by $327 million. The company, under new CEO John Reilly, highlighted recent investments in...
Blackpool's £1m Peter Rabbit Attraction Closes After Just Three Years
Blackpool’s £1 million Peter Rabbit Explore and Play attraction shut its doors in November 2025, ending a three‑year run that began in 2022. The family‑focused venue, operated by Merlin Entertainments, offered interactive Beatrix Potter‑themed play areas but failed to meet performance expectations. Blackpool Council...
Saudia Signs Five-Year Partnership with Six Flags Qiddiya City
Saudi Arabian airline Saudia has inked a five‑year strategic partnership with Six Flags and Aquarabia Qiddiya City, becoming the exclusive Official Premier Partner in the airline category. The deal will see Saudia create travel packages to the new theme park,...
A Major Satellite TV Service Is Shutting Down & Going Streaming Only
The American Forces Network (AFN) will cease its eight‑channel direct‑to‑home satellite service on March 22, 2026, moving all overseas viewers to the AFN Now streaming app. The shift affects hundreds of thousands of service members, families, retirees and civilians living off‑base in Europe...
Distinctive and Engaging – Zetland Hoping to Hit the Right Tone with Its Expansion Strategy
Zetland, Denmark’s audio‑first news publisher with over 40,000 paying members, is scaling its mission‑driven, ambassador‑campaign model across Europe. After a successful Finnish launch, Uusi Juttu, the company reached 20,000 members and is now rolling out Demo in Norway, hitting its...
YouTube ‘in Talks’ to Stream Four More Live NFL Games
YouTube is in advanced talks to add four live NFL games to its platform, a package previously carried by the NFL Network and now part of the league’s broader media‑rights reshuffle following the $3 billion sale of its media division to...
ITV and Disney Expand Partnership with Primetime Hulu Originals Window
ITV and Disney have deepened their UK partnership by adding an exclusive primetime linear window for two Hulu Original dramas on ITV1. The arrangement builds on the Disney+‑ITVX content‑sharing deal launched in July 2025 and introduces a branded slot called...
NEM Dubrovnik Gears Up for a New Edition
NEM Dubrovnik, the largest TV market in Central and Eastern Europe, will take place from June 8‑11 2026 in Dubrovnik. The four‑day event features panel room sessions with industry experts, case studies, special presentations, and exclusive screenings. Three market areas – Sunset,...
Sporticast 530: How ESPN Unlimited Impacts You, Existing Subscribers
ESPN launched ESPN Unlimited in 2025, bundling its traditional TV networks with ESPN+ and the newer ESPN Select service into a single direct‑to‑consumer offering. The tiered structure has confused many users, especially as some content that was previously free on...
Future Boosts Creator Content, Personal Buying Advice and Registrations
Future plc unveiled three new initiatives—Signal, Collab, and Future+—to revamp affiliate e‑commerce, creator content, and membership registration. Signal shifts buying advice to personal “collections” that drive up to three‑fold social and email traffic, while Collab lets vetted creators publish directly...