Jetpak Media Founder Kai Battaglene on Why Content Substance Matters More Than Delivery in the Creator Economy
Kai Battaglene, founder of Jetpak Media, argues that creator campaigns underperform because brands prioritize convenience over contextual relevance. Drawing on a decade in Australian media and senior roles at Spotify and ARN, he launched Jetpak in October 2025 to craft integrated, authentic partnerships across YouTube, podcasts, Instagram and TikTok. The firm’s three‑sided value equation balances creators, brands, and audiences, using discovery sessions to set a “North Star” success metric rather than generic reach or engagement KPIs. Jetpak currently focuses on Australian sports and fitness creators targeting males 18‑44, with plans to expand into interest‑based vertical hubs.
Twitch’s Mary Kish on Why Community (Not the Algorithm) Drives Creator Success on the Service
Mary Kish, Twitch’s Head of Community, argues that the platform’s competitive edge lies in deep, real‑time community interaction rather than algorithmic distribution. In 2025 Twitch welcomed 9 million new streamers, prompting the community team to embed engagement tools—badges, raids, and moderation...
LOST iN’s Subway Food TourSignals a New Model for Creator-Led Travel IP
LOST iN has launched *Subway Food Tour*, a creator‑led travel series that follows food influencer Jeremy Jacobowitz as he explores off‑beat eateries along a single subway line. The show is co‑produced with Andrew Zimmern’s Intuitive Content, giving the venture production...
WWE 2K26 vs MLB The Show 26: The Mid-March Sports Showdown
Two major sports titles are slated for a March showdown: WWE 2K26 arrives on March 14 (or as early as March 6 for premium editions) as the franchise’s first current‑gen‑only release, featuring a new physics engine and a roster exceeding 400 wrestlers. MLB...
From Dubai to Miami Beach, Creator Economy Conferences Fill April 2026 Calendar
April 2026 will host a packed lineup of creator‑economy conferences across Dubai, New York, London, Lisbon, Los Angeles and more. Events such as the Dubai Creator Summit, Social Media Week, NAB Show and Canva Create bring together nano‑to‑macro influencers, brands, marketers and...
Inside Mercedes-Benz’s Custom Amazon Prime Video Ads Push Around the NBA
Mercedes‑Benz USA teamed with Amazon Ads to launch a series of custom creative spots that aired during Prime Video’s NBA broadcasts in January and February, featuring Dirk Nowitzki showcasing GLS features. The campaign targets younger, diversified luxury buyers by leveraging live‑sports...
AiMCO Recognizes Top Creators, Brands, And Agencies At Inaugural Sydney Summit And Awards
Australia’s Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) held its first summit and the 2025 AiMCO Awards in Sydney, celebrating creators, brands, agencies and technology partners. The event highlighted the “Creator Era” theme and featured keynotes from major players such as MECCA, Tourism...
Guji Lorenzana Promoted to Director, A&R and Client Development, APAC, at Symphonic Distribution
Symphonic Distribution has promoted Guji Lorenzana to Director of A&R and Client Development for the Asia‑Pacific region, adding Arie Legowo as A&R Client Development Lead in Indonesia and Abegail Ungab as Senior Manager of Content, UGC & Rights Management. Lorenzana will now...
Shuffly Impresses with Shuffleboard-Centered Hospitality Concept at The Grand Shuffle
Shuffly has opened The Grand Shuffle in Utrecht, the Netherlands' first fully dedicated shuffleboard bar featuring eight bespoke digital tables. The venue, developed with Brothers Horeca Groep, uses proprietary hardware and software for automatic scoring and fast‑paced play, eliminating the...
Danganronpa 15th Anniversary Exhibition Starts
Spike Chunsoft and Kadokawa have opened the Danganronpa 15th Anniversary Exhibition in Tokyo’s Matsuzakaya department store, running March 6‑16, with a second phase slated for Osaka’s Daimaru Umeda from March 28‑April 20. Visitors can view series artwork, meet a greeting from headmaster Monokuma...
YouTube’s AI Slop Problem And How Marketers Can Compete via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
YouTube’s platform is being flooded by low‑quality, mass‑produced AI videos, dubbed “AI slop,” which now appear in roughly one‑in‑five Shorts recommendations to new users. A Kapwing analysis identified 278 dedicated AI slop channels that together generated 63 billion views, 221 million subscribers...
Reinventing a Studio
Chris McGurk has transformed Cineverse from a modest digital cinema business into a publicly traded studio‑tech hybrid that blends content creation with proprietary streaming infrastructure. The company now delivers over 70,000 titles to 50 million monthly viewers across theatrical, TVOD, FAST,...
C15 Studio Renews Deal with Formula 1 for Free Streaming Channel
C15 Studio has renewed its multi‑year agreement with Formula 1 to continue operating the free, ad‑supported Formula 1 Channel in the United States. The updated deal adds live broadcast rights for the 2026 F1 Academy Series, the sport’s all‑female development championship. Launched...
Carr’s FCC Hands Historic Regulatory Victory to African-American TV Station Owner
The FCC granted a waiver allowing DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting to purchase Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV from Scripps for $83 million, exceeding the agency’s two‑stations‑per‑market rule. Media Bureau Chief Erin Boone ruled the exception would not harm competition and would protect local...
'Scream 7' Earns Franchise-Best Opening
Paramount Skydance’s horror sequel “Scream 7” opened with $64.1 million in U.S. box‑office revenue and $97.2 million worldwide, marking the strongest debut in the franchise’s history. The film achieved this with a modest $11.8 million national TV advertising budget, anchored by a $10 million Super...
Famitsu Software Sales (2/16/26 – 2/22/26) – Top 30
Nintendo’s new Switch 2 hardware dominated Japan’s weekly software chart for February 16‑22, 2026, with Mario Tennis Fever leading at 14,577 units. Legacy franchises such as Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Mario Kart World also posted strong numbers, while Switch 2‑specific editions of Animal...
Disneyland Abandoned Plans for Disney Villains Land, Report Says
Walt Disney Imagineering shelved a decade‑old Disney Villains land for Disney California Adventure, opting instead for a Pixar Pier makeover that debuted in 2018. The shift transformed California Screamin’ into the Incredicoaster and re‑themed several classic rides as part of a...
Canada Assessing Interest for New Niagara Theme Park
Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming has issued a request for information (RFI) to gauge developer, investor and operator interest in a large‑scale theme park for the Niagara region, with submissions due by March 9, 2026. The proposal is a centerpiece...
Caesars May Lose Rockets Bets If Fertitta’s Company Takes Over
Fertitta Entertainment, the Houston Rockets’ owner, is in talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment, a $5 billion market‑cap casino operator. If the deal closes, conflict‑of‑interest rules would force Caesars to drop all Rockets betting lines from its online and brick‑and‑mortar sportsbooks, echoing...
ARRI and HONOR Collaborate to Give Content Creators High-End Cinematic Standards
ARRI and HONOR have formed a strategic partnership to embed ARRI’s cinematic imaging principles into HONOR’s upcoming ROBOT smartphone. The collaboration will debut later in 2026, bringing professional colour science, highlight roll‑off, and depth cues to a consumer device. By...
An Open Letter to Suno’s Mikey Shulman.
Suno AI announced a $300 million annual revenue run‑rate backed by 2 million paying subscribers, averaging $150 per user and highlighting strong demand for its Premier tier that allows 2,000 songs per month. The platform’s rapid growth coincides with a surge in...
Bango: Consumers Feel Fatigue From Unused Subscriptions, Seek Lower-Priced Models
Bango’s new report, unveiled at Mobile World Congress, finds that 43% of U.S. consumers feel they are paying for unused subscriptions, driving demand for more flexible pricing. The survey shows strong interest in usage‑based billing, binge‑watch incentives, and cross‑platform credits....
Hot Five: Overwatch Rush Unveiled, Arknights: Endfield’s $46m Month, and "Bad News for Xbox"
Arknights: Endfield generated $46 million in its debut month, with iOS accounting for 61 % of revenue. Blizzard announced Overwatch Rush, a mobile‑first spinoff built by a team with deep mobile expertise. Turkey introduced a unified incentive framework to boost user‑acquisition funding for...
As Hispanic Ad Gap Persists, Radio Delivers the Audience
Hispanic consumers now make up roughly a quarter of U.S. adults under 30 and wield $2.6‑$2.7 trillion in buying power, driving over 70% of the nation’s population growth between 2022‑2023. Despite this scale, they receive only about four cents of every...
Netflix Creates UK Commissioning Team Focused On Live Programming & Brings In ‘Masked Singer UK’ Exec
Netflix UK has assembled a dedicated commissioning team for live unscripted programming, headed by longtime Netflix executive Daisy Lilley. The unit added Claire Horton, known for The Masked Singer UK, on a fixed‑term contract and will oversee upcoming live events...
Cities: Skylines Celebrates 11 Years with Lots of New Content on the Way
Paradox is marking the 11th anniversary of Cities: Skylines with a free Steam weekend, series‑wide discounts, and a new Race Day expansion launching March 10. The original game also receives a free patch adding roadside fences and an Employment Info View, while...
Polus Capital Management Invests in Arqiva
Polus Capital Management has purchased a 26.54 percent stake in Arqiva from Macquarie, becoming the company’s largest external shareholder. Polus, which manages roughly $14 billion in assets, highlighted Arqiva’s role in the UK’s national communications backbone and its stable, sustainable growth trajectory....
Greg Flanagan Joins UK Ticketing Firm Gigantic As Head Of Client Services
Greg Flanagan has been appointed Head of Client Services at UK ticketing agency Gigantic, a senior role created to reinforce the firm’s service offering as its client base expands. Flanagan arrives with more than two decades of ticketing experience, most...
‘Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver On Paramount Buying Warner Bros. Discovery: “Not Great News”
John Oliver mocked Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that outbid Netflix after the streaming giant raised its offer to $31 per share. The merger creates a media powerhouse combining Paramount’s film and TV assets with Warner’s extensive library...
Call for Entries: Partner with Australia (UK)
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have launched the Partner with Australia (UK) initiative, offering up to $10,000 travel grants to up to 20 Australian production companies and 10 writer‑creators. The three‑day program will take place in London from 16‑18 June 2026...
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin Says Union Leadership Is “Working Very Hard” On New AMPTP Deal At Actor Awards
At the 32nd Annual Actor Awards, SAG‑AFTRA President Sean Astin announced that union leaders have returned to negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) after a brief hiatus. The talks, which began on February 9, focus primarily...
Behind the Scenes: How Car Shipping Powers Large-Scale, Cross-Country Movie Logistics
Modern film productions increasingly span multiple states to chase tax incentives and unique locations, making vehicle logistics a core pre‑production function. Car shipping estimates are secured early, often before shooting schedules lock, to guarantee that hero vehicles arrive within narrow...
Xicoia Hires Prime Video’s Whelan
Xicoia, the AI talent studio founded by Particle6 CEO Eline van der Velden, has hired former Prime Video executive Mark Whelan as Head of Strategy and Operations. Whelan will partner with Van der Velden to accelerate the growth of AI...
SAG-AFTRA Chief Says Union Will Render Verdict on Warner Bros. Sale to Paramount ‘When the Time Is Right’ | Video
SAG-AFTRA executive director Duncan Crabtree‑Ireland told TheWrap the union is still evaluating Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and will issue a formal verdict when the timing is right. The union’s media and labor‑economics team has been crunching data on each offer...
Dave Inc (DAVE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Dave & Buster's reported Q4 2025 revenue of $448 million, while comparable store sales fell 4% year‑over‑year but showed sequential improvement toward the quarter’s end. Adjusted EBITDA held at $59 million, delivering a 13% margin despite the sales dip, and operating cash...
Pitcher Named WICT CEO
Tracy Pitcher has been appointed President and CEO of the Women’s Interactive Communications Network (WICT), succeeding Maria Brennan after a 16‑year tenure. Pitcher joins from senior roles at Comcast, Charter, AT&T and Time Warner, most recently as SVP of Comcast...
EchoStar Corp (SATS) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Comcast reported Q4 2025 revenue growth of 1% as its six growth businesses delivered mid‑single‑digit gains, while adjusted EBITDA fell 10% and earnings per share dropped 12% amid heavy investment and new NBA content rights. Free cash flow reached $4.4 billion,...
EchoStar Loses 168K Pay TV Subs
EchoStar reported a loss of 168,000 pay‑TV subscribers in Q4 2026, an improvement over the 253,000 decline a year earlier, while its combined video base now contracts at a 10% organic rate. Video ARPU slipped 0.3% year‑over‑year, prompting analysts to argue...
Instagram Opens up Content Scheduling to All Users
Instagram is rolling out its creator‑focused tools to all public accounts, removing the previous requirement to switch to Professional Mode. The update adds the insights dashboard, content scheduling, and trending audio features for every user. More advanced options, such as...
NITV Unites Sport Slate with WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPORT NIGHT
National Indigenous Television (NITV) is launching a new weekly banner called Wednesday Night Sport Night, consolidating its flagship sports shows into a single midweek block. The lineup begins March 4 with PBR 2026 at 8:30 pm, followed by the 10th season...
From Fear to Skepticism to Hope, Top Producers React to Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger at the PGA Awards
Hollywood’s top producers weighed in on the $110 billion Paramount‑Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery during the PGA Awards. Jerry Bruckheimer highlighted potential job losses but praised David Ellison’s commitment to a high‑volume theatrical slate. Jason Blum called the deal an...
AI-Generated Film Pulled From AMC Cinemas
AMC announced it will no longer screen the AI‑generated short “Thanksgiving Day” after a wave of online criticism. The film, which won the inaugural Frame Forward AI Animated Film Festival, was slated for a two‑week national run in AMC’s pre‑show...
People Are Drinking Less Than Ever. What’s Country Music to Do?
Alcohol consumption in the United States has slipped to just 54 percent of adults, a four‑point drop from 2024, prompting distilleries like Jim Beam and George Dickel to halt or scale back production. The decline is hitting Nashville’s long‑standing synergy between country...
Xperi’s DTS AutoStage Portal Grows Again With 52 New Markets
Xperi has expanded its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal by adding 52 U.S. markets, marking the second growth phase since November. The platform now reaches roughly 14 million vehicles and incorporates data from over 3,000 additional stations, representing 162,000 new in‑vehicle listeners....
New God Of War Franchise In Development At Sony Santa Monica
A former senior writer at Sony Santa Monica disclosed via LinkedIn that the studio is developing a new franchise within the God of War universe. The hint suggests the upcoming title may introduce fresh characters and possibly a new mythological...
GTA 6 Pre-Orders Could Be Going Live Soon
The PlayStation Store backend now lists title IDs for Grand Theft Auto 6, indicating that pre‑orders could go live soon. Rockstar continues to target a November 2026 launch while planning a major summer marketing push. The update follows months of silence,...
XGN Global, X1 Mobile Release Commercial 5G Broadcast Rugged Smartphone
XGN Global and X1 Mobile have unveiled the world’s first commercial rugged smartphone capable of receiving 5G Broadcast television signals, targeting first‑responder use cases. The device delivers free, subscription‑free live video, audio and emergency alerts in under half a second,...
Shuttered Low-Fantasy MMORPG Gloria Victis Is, In Fact, Making A Comeback Under Gamigo
Gloria Victis, the low‑fantasy PvP MMORPG, is returning after a two‑year hiatus under new publisher Gamigo. The revived title will adopt a free‑to‑play model while pledging to avoid pay‑to‑win mechanics, emphasizing large‑scale, skill‑based combat and distinctive siege warfare. Originally launched...
Why Did Netflix Back Down From Its Deal to Acquire Warner Bros.?
Netflix withdrew its bid to raise the offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the path for Paramount Skydance to acquire the studio. The move followed a 30% drop in Netflix’s share price after the initial announcement and a 14% rally...
Lionsgate (LION) Soars 9% Ahead of Business Updates
Lionsgate (LION) jumped 9.09% to $9, extending a five‑day winning streak as investors positioned ahead of a scheduled business update. CFO Jimmy Barge will speak at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on March 4, where market participants expect guidance...