Sinclair Given FCC OK To Buy Three SSA Partner Stations
Sinclair Broadcast Group has received Federal Communications Commission approval to acquire three stations it already operates under shared services agreements. The transactions include the Howard Stirk Holdings NBC affiliate in Flint, Michigan, a Cunningham Broadcasting station in Traverse City, Michigan, and Deerfield Media’s ABC affiliate in Rochester, New York. By converting these SSA partners into outright holdings, Sinclair will solidify its control over additional NBC and ABC outlets. The moves are viewed as a setback for DirecTV, which has been negotiating carriage terms with Sinclair.
‘Time To Move On’: Live Nation Ramps Up Settlement Effort
Live Nation is intensifying its push for a settlement after the Department of Justice dismissed the concert‑promotion portion of its antitrust case. Executive Vice President Dan Wall argues that the remaining claims—exclusive ticketing contracts, a deal with Oak View Group,...
NAB Urges FCC to Tamp Down Reallocation Plans for Upper C-Band
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has filed reply comments urging the FCC to limit the upcoming upper C‑band reallocation to the statutory minimum of 100 MHz, warning that any additional clearing threatens broadcast infrastructure. The FCC is considering auctioning up...
Gold Medal CTV
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan is drawing about 20 million U.S. viewers each day, with NBC’s Peacock platform delivering more streaming hours than the last two Games combined. Advertisers are abandoning traditional “Be Right Back” filler and deploying real‑time, native...
Are Gray Media Shares Undervalued Right Now?
Zacks Equity Research examined Gray Television (GTN) and found its shares have risen 20.8% year‑over‑year but remain well below the 2021 trading range. The research note highlights the company’s solid cash‑flow generation from local broadcast advertising and a dividend yield...
Study: Station Groups Spending Millions Lobbying to Abolish Ownership Caps
Nexstar Media Group spent $3.2 million lobbying the FCC in 2025, while Sinclair Broadcast Group increased its spend to $800,000, aiming to eliminate the television‑ownership caps that restrict reach to 39 % of U.S. TV homes. The lobbying surge coincides with massive...
Square Enix Video Says ‘NieR: Automata to Be Continued’
Square Enix released a promotional video that concludes with the phrase “NieR: Automata to be continued,” signaling a possible new project tied to the franchise. The video also celebrates the title reaching 10 million units sold across Switch, PS4, Xbox One,...
"It Needs to Cooperate Fairly, and It's Clearly Not." Why Valve Is Facing a £656m Day in the UK Courts
A UK class‑action lawsuit led by digital‑safety advocate Vicki Shotbolt accuses Valve of breaching competition law by imposing a 30% revenue‑share fee and a price‑parity rule on Steam. The claim seeks up to £656 million in damages for consumers, arguing that...
Producer Who Accused Karol G of Beat-Theft Dismisses His Lawsuit, Adding “We Were Wrong”
Producer Alfr3d Beats, real name Dick Alfredo Caballero Rodriguez, withdrew his lawsuit accusing Karol G of stealing his beat for the 2022 hit “Gatúbela.” During discovery, DJ Maff supplied session files proving the beat was created months before Alfr3d Beats posted his...
Virgin Music Group Completes Downtown Acquisition; Pieter Van Rijn Named COO as Downtown Founder Justin Kalifowitz Steps Away
Virgin Music Group (VMG) completed its acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings on February 20, 2026, after the European Commission cleared the deal pending the divestiture of Downtown’s Curve royalty‑accounting unit. The transaction brings Downtown’s 5,000 business clients, four million creators and...
Virgin Music Group Completes Downtown Music Holdings Acquisition
Virgin Music Group, the Universal Music Group subsidiary, closed its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings after securing European Commission approval. The deal elevates VMG’s footprint in the independent music services market, adding Downtown’s 5,000 business clients and four million...
Roku Remains Top CTV Open Ad Platform With 32% Share
Roku retained its position as the leading connected‑TV (CTV) platform for open programmatic ads in Q4 2025, commanding a 32% share of impressions. Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV followed with 16% and 15% respectively, while LG surged 79% quarter‑over‑quarter to reach 10%...
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and PS5 Top January US Charts, Switch 2 Still Carries Hardware Spending
January 2026 was a quiet month for U.S. video‑game sales, but Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reclaimed the top spot on the software chart. The PlayStation 5 led hardware unit and dollar sales, while Nintendo’s Switch 2 generated the most hardware spending...
The New Performance Metric: Curiosity
A study by Audio Visual Nation examined Google search activity for all 67 Super Bowl advertisers and found that curiosity‑driven ads generated the highest return on attention. AI search startup Genspark led the pack with a 5,852% search spike, far...
Netmarble to Shut Down Seven Knights 2 in April
Netmarble announced that its mobile MMORPG Seven Knights 2 will cease operations on April 15, 2026. In‑app purchases were suspended on January 14, and all cash‑shop items have been removed. Servers will stay online until the shutdown date, with scheduled events proceeding as planned....
CRTC Clears A New Path For New First Nations FMs
First Peoples Radio’s CFPT‑FM (ELMNT FM) in Toronto signed off on September 1, 2024 after struggling with revenue and ratings. The Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) responded by announcing a new regulatory pathway to license additional First Nations‑focused FM stations. Toronto...
Night in the Woods Publisher Finji Accuses TikTok of Creating "Racist, Sexist" And Uneditable GenAI Ads for Its Games
Microsoft announced that longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer and president Sarah Bond are departing the division. Asha Sharma, previously Microsoft’s CoreAI product president, will take over as Xbox CEO, while Matt Booty moves into the chief content officer role. The...
Exel by Merak Appoints Faisal Sedrani as CEO to Lead Its Next Growth Phase
Exel by Merak, the Saudi gaming accelerator owned by Merak Capital, has named Faisal Sedrani as its new chief executive officer. Sedrani, who previously built Exel as a Merak subsidiary and serves as VP of Innovation Platform, will steer the...
Esports Nations Cup 2026 Adds VALORANT as One of 16 Titles
Riot's tactical shooter VALORANT will debut as the 16th title in the Esports Nations Cup 2026, slated for Riyadh from November 8‑15. The tournament features 32 national squads competing in a round‑robin group stage followed by a single‑elimination playoff, culminating in...
Connected TV and Latinos: An Intertwined Growth Story
LG Ad Solutions’ February‑May 2024 study of 1,435 Connected TV users shows that 94% of Hispanic Americans can access Connected TV, and most favor streaming over traditional broadcast. The primary drivers are greater control and broader content choices, with the...
Creator Monetization Platform Destream Enters GCC Market
Destream, a creator‑focused monetization platform, has launched services in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), giving regional influencers access to a global payment infrastructure. The rollout includes secure payment links, multi‑currency payouts and a Mastercard‑backed debit card, plus a built‑in eSIM...
WePlay Studios and Global Gaming League Will Host League Competitions in California | Exclusive
WePlay Studios announced a partnership with the Global Gaming League to stage league competitions in California, shifting some esports activity from Las Vegas to the West Coast. The collaboration combines WePlay’s high‑production content capabilities with GGL’s celebrity‑owned team model. Events...
Spain: Streaming Revenues Overtake Traditional Broadcasters
Spain’s audiovisual market has reached a tipping point as streaming platforms generated €3.58 billion in revenue in 2025, overtaking traditional television’s €3.35 billion for the first time. The surge is driven by ad‑supported tiers, which lifted OTT advertising income 25% to €357 million...
Shiren the Wanderer Series Sales Surpassed 3 Million Copies Worldwide
Spike Chunsoft announced the Shiren the Wanderer series has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, coinciding with its 30th‑anniversary celebrations. The sixth main‑line title, The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, reached 300,000 units globally within its first year, with more than...
Onza Distribution Unveils MIP LONDON Slate
Onza Distribution is showcasing three flagship series—Neuer, Vulnerables and I Give You My Life—at MIP London, emphasizing that each title has already delivered strong ratings in its home market. Neuer, a procedural thriller, was Slovakia’s most‑watched series and performed well on...
TALKERS Magazine Enthusiastically Supports the 2026 IBS Conference in New York as Its Presenting Sponsor
TALKERS magazine is the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference in New York, marking its second consecutive year of support. The three‑day event, held Feb. 19‑21 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel, brings roughly a thousand...
Rural Virginia FM Poised To Trade Hands After Failed Deal
A Class A FM station serving Virginia’s Appalachian border with Kentucky has been sold to the Somerset Educational Broadcasting Foundation, pending FCC approval. The deal replaces a 2024 transaction that fell through, marking the station’s first change of hands in...
PBS Kids Official Visits Arkansas as Campaign Aims to Keep Public Television Affiliation
PBS Kids senior vice president Sara DeWitt visited Little Rock to headline a public forum organized by the newly formed Friends of Arkansas PBS. The group, chaired by former first ladies Gay White and Barbara Pryor, is urging the Arkansas...
Media Deals Value Surges to $250 Billion Last Year, Driven by Netflix-Warner Bros., Premium Content
Media M&A value surged to nearly $250 billion in 2025, more than double the prior year, even as deal count fell 10.1 %. The jump was anchored by two mega‑transactions: Netflix’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and a $55 billion take‑private of Electronic Arts....
Nintendo Publishes Pokemon FireRed & Pokemon LeafGreen Switch FAQ
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen will debut on the Nintendo eShop on Pokémon Day, February 27, 2026. The titles are faithful ports of the original Game Boy Advance releases, with connectivity shifted to the Switch’s built‑in local wireless and GameChat...
Tools :: Plates
Music‑marketing startup Plates captured the top prize at Music Ally’s SI:X startup contest. The platform offers a unified dashboard that aggregates artist streams, followers, and growth metrics across a label’s entire roster. Built‑in AI features, including a chatbot, deliver instant...
PS5 Price Hike and PlayStation Plus Subscription Increase Announced by Sony
Sony announced upcoming price hikes for the PS5 console and PlayStation Plus subscriptions, citing rising memory‑chip costs driven by the AI boom. CFO Tao Lin said the company will prioritize monetizing its installed base to offset hardware margin pressure. Record‑high PS Plus...
UKCRN Urges Response to Ofcom Consultation and Government Radio Review
The UK Community Radio Network (UKCRN) is urging community stations, volunteers and listeners to complete a sector survey by 28 March, feeding into a joint response to Ofcom’s licensing consultation and the DCMS radio review. The data will shape Ofcom’s strategic...
US Theme Park Market to Reach $30bn by 2031, Driven by Premium Experiences and Season Pass Expansion
The U.S. amusement and theme‑park market is projected to grow from $25.5 billion in 2026 to $30.4 billion by 2031, a 3.58 % CAGR. Growth is fueled by rising consumer disposable income, expanding season‑pass programs, and flagship IP integrations that lift per‑guest spend....
ETV Rolls Out 5G Broadcast in Serbia with Rohde & Schwarz
Serbia’s public broadcaster ETV has chosen German firm Rohde & Schwarz to install the country’s first 5G Broadcast transmitter at its Avala site, complementing four new TH1 4.5 kW DVB‑T2 transmitters. The upgrade, part of a long‑standing partnership dating back to 2012, aims...
UOKiK Charges HBO Europe over Device Compatibility Changes During Subscriptions
Poland’s competition regulator UOKiK has opened proceedings against HBO Europe, accusing the streaming service of unilaterally altering its list of compatible devices and failing to adequately inform subscribers. The changes left many users unable to access HBO Max on previously...
Attractions.io Helps Operators Analyse & Act on Guest Feedback with AI Tool GX Pulse
Attractions.io’s AI‑driven GX Pulse platform captured second place in blooloop’s Guest Journey Innovation Awards. The tool consolidates scattered guest reviews into a journey map, applies language models to extract themes, sentiment and a proprietary GX Score. By turning thousands of...
Redge Technologies Launches Live-First OTT Platform for Monaco Telecom
Redge Technologies has deployed a live-first OTT service for Monaco Telecom, built on its Redge Media platform and operating from a private OpenStack/Kubernetes cloud. The platform, MonacoTelecomTV, targets a premium market where Apple TV dominates 90% of connected devices and...
Bulgaria Court Confirms United Group’s Bulsatcom Infrastructure Deal Not Subject to Merger Notification
Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court has upheld the competition authority’s view that United Group’s purchase of Bulsatcom’s telecom infrastructure does not constitute a notifiable concentration under Bulgarian law. The decision dismisses appeals from A1 Bulgaria, Yettel Bulgaria and CETIN Bulgaria, confirming...
NieR: Automata Shipments and Digital Sales Top 10 Million; “NieR: Automata to Be Continued…”
Square Enix announced that worldwide shipments and digital sales of *NieR: Automata* have topped 10 million units, a milestone reached after the game’s 2017 launch across PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and later Switch. The figure surpasses the nine‑million reported in December 2024, reflecting...
Why the Media Race to LA28 Is Already Underway
As Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympics, media firms are racing to build AI‑driven content infrastructures that can index, tag and retrieve footage in real time. The article argues that proactive, searchable workflows will replace the traditional reactive scramble...
HD Plus Unifies Marketing and Sales Leadership Under Raoul Ibler
German TV platform HD Plus has appointed Raoul Ibler to lead both its marketing division and his existing commercial role, merging sales and marketing under a single leader. Ibler will immediately take charge of the marketing team while continuing to...
Nioh 3 Is, Unsurprisingly, the Fastest-Selling Game in the Series with over a Million Units Sold
HoYoverse announced the Genshin Impact Luna 5 update, arriving on February 25. The centerpiece is Varka, a long‑awaited 5‑star Anemo Claymore character with a unique dual‑element combat system. Luna 5 also brings the “Echoes of Memory” event, revisiting Mondstadt’s early story locations, plus...
Dyn Splits Streaming and Technology Operations Into Two Companies
German streaming firm Dyn Media announced a corporate split, creating two sister companies: Dyn Sport, which will run its consumer‑facing sports streaming service, and Dyn Media, which will focus on platform operations, live production and technology solutions. The restructuring aims...
PTZOptics Aims to Make Video More ‘Actionable’ with Visual Reasoning Initiative
PTZOptics announced a Visual Reasoning initiative that fuses its robotic PTZ camera systems with Moondream’s open‑source vision‑language models. The partnership enables real‑time video interpretation, powering features such as auto‑tracking, smarter search, automated indexing, and event‑driven triggers. By offering an open...
Former Firaxis Games Creative Director Announces Closure of Midsummer Studios
Microsoft announced that longtime Xbox leader Phil Spencer will step down, remaining in an advisory role through the summer, while President Sarah Bond also departs. Asha Sharma, previously president of Microsoft CoreAI, will assume the role of Xbox CEO, and...
SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA to Rebrand as NEWS24
Sky News Australia will rebrand as News24 later in 2026, coinciding with its 30th anniversary and a shift toward a digital‑first, globally‑focused news operation. The new name drops the geographic tag to broaden appeal and mirrors News Corp’s worldwide branding....
WTF Is a Creator Capital Market?
Creator capital markets (CCMs) are emerging as a way for influencers to monetize future earnings through equity, revenue‑sharing tokens, or meme‑coins. Early platforms like GigaStar have raised millions by offering fans a stake in YouTube ad revenue, while crypto launchpads...
Artist View Entertainment’s New MIP LONDON Offerings
Artist View Entertainment unveiled four new titles at MIP London, marking its 35th anniversary and signaling a robust 2026 pipeline. The slate includes the AI‑crafted sci‑fi thriller The Great Reset, the Kashmir‑set drama Line of Control, the survival story Hazel’s Heart,...
GIGIL Turns Manila’s Party District Into Hawkins for Netflix’s Stranger Things 5
GIGIL Philippines transformed Manila’s Poblacion nightlife into a full‑scale Hawkins, recreating five iconic bars to mirror each season of Netflix’s Stranger Things 5. Fans toured the immersive bar crawl, sampling themed drinks and encountering the series’ villain Vecna. The activation drove over...