Deutsche Welle to Cut 160 Posts and Close Greek Service
Deutsche Welle will cut around 160 full‑time jobs and save €21 million after the German government reduced its 2026 subsidy by €10 million. The broadcaster is shutting down its Greek‑language service, which has operated for more than 60 years, and merging its German news and language‑learning units, halving that budget. Additional cuts affect Portuguese for Africa, Dari/Pashto, and Spanish TV editions, while several niche programmes are being cancelled. The savings plan relies on AI‑driven efficiencies and reduced infrastructure spending.
Scripps Hires Oliver Gray to VP, Network Sports & Client Partnerships
The E.W. Scripps Company announced the appointment of Oliver Gray, a former Overtime executive, as Vice President of Network Sports and Client Partnerships. Gray will oversee national advertiser relationships for Scripps Sports and collaborate with sales and programming teams to...
Omnicom Swings to $941M Q4 Loss After Closing IPG Deal
Omnicom reported a $941.1 million GAAP loss for Q4 2025, the first quarter after completing its $15 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group. Revenue surged 27.9% year‑over‑year to $5.5 billion, and adjusted EBITA reached $928.9 million with a 16.8% margin. The company doubled its cost‑synergy goal...
CDN Netskrt Discloses Network Capacity, Revenue, and How It Adds Capacity Profitably
Netskrt Systems disclosed its network capacity, revenue metrics, and profit‑driven scaling strategy. The company operates a software‑defined CDN with about 65 Tbps steady‑state capacity, aiming for 150 Tbps by 2026 while keeping invested capital near $30 million. Its capital‑to‑revenue ratio is projected to...
OpenAI Must Stop Using ‘Cameo’ Term in Sora App, Judge Rules
A U.S. district judge granted a preliminary win to video‑request platform Cameo, ordering OpenAI to stop using the "Cameo" label for its Sora AI video feature, citing likely consumer confusion and recent deep‑fake controversies. OpenAI had previously renamed the feature...
Fox News Digital Tops Competitors in January
Fox News Digital posted a record‑breaking January, attracting 187.7 million unique visitors and a 27 % month‑over‑month rise. The platform generated 1.894 billion multiplatform views and 3.74 billion minutes, extending its 21‑month streak leading in views and 59‑month lead in minutes. YouTube video views...
Runestone Expands Partnership With Roman Imperium Cup
Runestone announced an expanded partnership with Portugal’s Counter‑Strike 2 tournament, Roman Imperium Cup, becoming its official data partner for a multi‑event commitment through 2026. The deal gives the Cup access to Runestone’s secure live‑match data infrastructure, integrity monitoring, and fan‑focused analytics...
Outgoing Sucker Punch Boss Hopes Studio Can Make Games in 'Shorter Periods of Time'
Outgoing co‑founder Brian Fleming says Sucker Punch wants to shrink its development cycles from roughly five years to four. The studio’s recent hit, Ghost of Yotei, outperformed its predecessor and won a DICE award, proving the model can still deliver commercial...
Concord Opens New Los Angeles Office on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills
Concord has opened a new 32,000‑square‑foot Los Angeles office at 9171 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, occupying the sixth floor and penthouse of the Wilshire & Palm Building. The space, designed by Wolcott with interiors by Tangram, emphasizes flexible, collaborative work environments and...
AppsFlyer Talks Buyer Signals, Player Targeting and Staying Legally Compliant
At Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, AppsFlyer executives Edik Mitelman and Adam Smart unveiled a data‑collaboration platform that taps consumers' real‑world credit‑card spend to identify high‑value gaming audiences. By partnering with Mastercard and other financial institutions, the firm can segment...
MeTV Is Adding The Golden Girls
MeTV announced that The Golden Girls will return to broadcast television beginning March 16, 2026, marking the sitcom’s first over‑the‑air airing since 1997. The series will occupy a nightly 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. slot on weekdays and a Sunday prime‑time block from 8 p.m....
Google Adds Lyria 3 AI-Music Model to Its Gemini App
Google has integrated DeepMind’s Lyria 3 generative‑music model into its Gemini app, expanding the multimodal AI assistant’s capabilities to include music creation. The update reaches Gemini’s more than 750 million monthly active users, allowing them to generate 30‑second tracks from text, images...
Remote Working Down, Mid-Level Contraction, and Eastern Migration: The Signals We're Seeing in Games Job Data
Sorcery.gg’s hiring data shows a modest 4% global contraction in games‑industry jobs in 2025, driven largely by a 25% drop in U.S. openings. Meanwhile, China posted a 25% increase, overtaking the U.S. as the top source of new roles. Mid‑level...
Phasmophobia Development Preview 21 Outlines Upcoming Changes
Kinetic Games announced that the long‑awaited Player Character Update for Phasmophobia has been delayed to the first quarter of 2026. The patch will replace the game’s stiff early‑access avatars with lifelike models and introduce visual customization options. The studio also...
Dead by Daylight Horror Film Adaptation in the Works with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster
Blumhouse and Atomic Monster have revived the Dead by Daylight film adaptation, securing a writing team led by Alexandre Aja and David Leslie Johnston‑McGoldrick. James Wan joins Jason Blum as a producer, while the studios hunt for a director. The project aims...
Retiring Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob to Be Honored at CinemaCon
Ellis Jacob, who has steered Canada’s Cineplex for 23 years, will receive Cinema United’s Legend of Cinema Award at CinemaCon in April. Under his leadership, Cineplex grew into the fourth‑largest theater chain in North America. Jacob also chaired Cinema United’s...
AI Figures Heavily Into CMOs’ Strategic Considerations
Chief marketing officers are increasingly prioritizing emerging media such as entertainment IP and FAST platforms, with Black audiences driving a disproportionate share of streaming time. CMOs expect most of their revenue in five years to stem from products that do...
Pluto TV Strikes a Partnership With TikTok & Adds 4 New Channels
Pluto TV, Paramount’s free ad‑supported streaming service, has added four new FAST channels, including a TikTok partnership. The lineup now features ZenLIFE for wellness, Qello Concerts with full‑length music films, TikTok Radio streaming viral hits, and Stingray DJAZZ showcasing jazz...
Universal Music Strikes Deal with Superfan Platform EVEN to Power D2C Sales for Artists Worldwide
Universal Music Group has signed a multi‑year agreement with superfan platform EVEN, making the service the primary direct‑to‑fan (D2C) hub for its labels and artists. EVEN will provide turnkey tools for early‑access music, exclusive content, and merchandise sales, leveraging UMG’s...
“End-to-End AI” Films Are Here: Kuku’s AI Impact Summit Demo Hints at a Content Flood
At the AI Impact Summit 2026, Kuku FM CEO Lal Chand Bisu unveiled India’s first “AI‑first micro drama,” a short‑form film produced entirely by artificial intelligence across script, dialogue, post‑production, and marketing assets. Bisu announced that Kuku already releases hundreds...
Cheap Passes Won’t Buy a Fix for Six Flags
Six Flags is deepening its low‑price annual‑pass strategy, launching Gold passes as cheap as $90 that grant access to multiple regional parks but exclude free parking at Knott’s Berry Farm. The company also upgraded its Perks & Play program to include all...
The Wiggles Sign Global Deal with Universal Music Group
Australian children’s entertainment group The Wiggles has signed a strategic global deal with Universal Music Group, with Universal Music Australia leading worldwide distribution and promotion. The partnership will see new recordings released in the U.S. through Republic Records’ Kids &...
Red Engine’s Darts and Shuffleboard Venues Put New Life Into Cities
Red Engine, the operator behind Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, reported a 10 percent rise in quarterly sales to £27.7 million, with 22 of its 24 venues hitting record weekly figures in December. Total system sales, including franchise locations, surged 25 percent year‑on‑year...
Global Village Dubai Announces Its Ramadan Hours for 2026
Dubai’s Global Village has announced its Ramadan operating schedule for the 2026 season, extending evening hours to 1 am on weekdays and 2 am on weekends. The park introduced a family‑focused ticket package—four tickets for Dhs 30 with additional tickets at Dhs 7.5 and...
Cinemark Q4 Revenue Slips 5% Year Over Year Despite ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar 3’ Box Office
Cinemark reported fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue of $776 million, a 5% year‑over‑year decline despite the strong box‑office draw of “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar Fire and Ash.” Attendance fell 13% to 44.3 million, and earnings per share slipped to 16 cents, missing analyst expectations. Concession sales dropped to $302.4 million,...
Openstage Rolls Out Its ‘Ticket Unlocks’ Tech to More Artists
Openstage is extending its Ticket Unlocks platform, which uses fan data to prioritize ticket access, to a broader roster of artists after successful pilots with superstars like Bad Bunny and Radiohead. The system validates fan profiles, blocks bots, and lets artists...
Computers Are Replacing News Staff at Local ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC TV Stations
Local affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC are adopting cloud‑based automation from Cuez, allowing a single anchor to operate cameras, graphics and audio. Gray Media, which owns over 180 stations, piloted the system at its KNOP News 2 station in...
Italian Production Company Goes Live with 5G
Italian broadcast production firm Videe completed live‑production trials using six Sony 5G kits, integrating the NXL‑ME80 media edge processor, CBK‑RPU7 remote unit and PDT‑FP1 transmitter. The technology was tested across diverse events, from the Nitto ATP Finals football matches to...
Netflix Opens Mexico City Headquarters; Expands Local Workforce
Netflix has opened a new 8,500‑square‑metre headquarters in Mexico City, cementing its commitment to the country’s booming audiovisual sector. The facility serves both as a corporate base and a creative workspace, featuring a 278‑square‑metre post‑production suite. Netflix’s investment of $1 billion...
Councilmember’s Push to Improve L.A. Filming Conditions Passes Latest Hurdle: “We Can’t Lose Any More Time”
Councilmember Adrin Nazarian secured committee approval for nine filming‑friendly proposals, including faster soundstage certification, a free permit for micro‑shoots, reduced parking fees, and an independent audit of permitting. Amendments trimmed police and fire regulations and removed special‑condition hurdles in neighborhoods like...
GOL Appoints Anuvu to Redefine IFE Experience
Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas has selected Anuvu as its new inflight entertainment (IFE) partner, with the collaboration kicking off in January 2026. The deal brings Anuvu’s extensive content library—including HBO Max and Formula 1—into GOL’s cabins, promising higher‑quality streams and a broader...
Germans Spend Almost 11 Hours Daily on Media in 2025
Germans averaged 10 hours and 53 minutes of media consumption per day in 2025, according to VAUNET’s Media Usage Analysis. Audio and audiovisual content together accounted for 9 hours and 38 minutes, with linear television and radio still commanding the...
Omnicom Group Inc (OMC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Omnicom Group announced a post‑IPG acquisition restructuring aimed at delivering $1.5 billion of run‑rate synergies, doubling its original target, with $900 million expected in 2026. The company retained a $23.1 billion revenue base, achieving roughly 4% organic growth while planning to divest $2.5 billion...
Cable News Podcast Moves
MS Now is teaming with Crooked Media to launch a weekly compilation show, "Crooked on MS Now," featuring highlights from Crooked’s podcasts such as "Pod Save America" and "Assembly Required" with Stacey Abrams. The program debuts on Feb. 28 and...
Nexstar-Tegna Movement
The FCC’s chair, Brendan Carr, signaled support for the pending Nexstar‑Tegna merger and indicated the agency will move forward, though details on the required waiver or audience‑cap exception remain unsettled. Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty are expected to join...
YouTube Reveals the Top Ad Campaigns for Super Bowl 60
YouTube’s AdBlitz showcase for Super Bowl 60 identified the most‑viewed and engaging ad campaigns across the event’s week-long window. e.l.f. Cosmetics topped the list with nearly 40 million views, while Budweiser, Michelob, Jeep, Google and Salesforce also earned top spots. The platform...
Reddit Reveals the Latest Trends Driving Brand Engagement
Reddit’s advertising team released a seven‑page guide outlining four emerging trends that are boosting brand engagement on the platform. The trends—nostalgia‑driven storytelling, user‑generated content social proof, niche‑inspired campaigns, and multi‑phase “unfolding” activations—are backed by community data and case studies. Brands...
What’s up, Doc? WBD Takes Looney Tunes Off-Screen and Onto the Pitch
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Global Consumer Products unit has partnered with Sport Star Academy to embed the Looney Tunes franchise into Australian grassroots soccer and basketball holiday camps. The program, aimed at children aged four to twelve, will launch across five...
Jake Weiner Exiting Good Fear to Launch Production, Management Firm Harvest Hill Entertainment (Exclusive)
Longtime producer Jake Weiner has left Good Fear after a 25‑year partnership with Chris Bender to launch his own management and production company, Harvest Hill Entertainment. The new boutique firm starts with a roster that includes Oscar‑nominated writer Allison Schroeder,...
Players Era Seeks Unprecedented TV Money to Match Pricey Payouts
Players Era, the college basketball tournament that pays athletes NIL compensation, is demanding more than $50 million annually for broadcast rights to its expanded early‑season event. Networks have so far rejected the offer, citing the price as far above typical preseason...
Cumulus, Nielsen Get New Deadlines in Escalating Ratings Lawsuit
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has established a detailed briefing schedule for the next phase of the Cumulus Media versus Nielsen lawsuit. Nielsen’s counterclaims allege Cumulus illegally shared confidential ratings data with Eastlan Ratings, violating...
FCC Waivers Cover Moves of EAS Gear
The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued two waivers this month allowing broadcasters to temporarily take Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment offline while relocating it. Fort Myers Broadcasting received approval to move EAS gear for three Florida stations,...
WMSA: Focused On Securing Wireless Mic Spectrum
The Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance (WMSA), formed in 2025, is lobbying U.S. regulators to protect and expand spectrum for professional wireless microphones used in large live events. Recent data from the Super Bowl 2026 and Paris 2024 Olympics show massive...
Accelerated Access, Superior Choice: Noland Speaks
ATSC President Madeleine Noland told RBR+TVBR that ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) is now live in the United States, South Korea, parts of the Caribbean and Brazil, where a hybrid broadcast model is used. While adoption has been uneven—some markets lagging and...
Nippon TV Opens Vertical Video Division
Nippon TV has launched a new vertical‑video unit called Viral Pocket, dedicated to micro‑drama and Gen Z‑focused storytelling. The division will develop platform‑native IP, handle end‑to‑end vertical production, and provide KPI‑driven marketing support. It builds on the broadcaster’s micro‑drama hits, including...
Armatus Limited-Time Demo for PC Launches February 23
Counterplay Games and publisher Fictions announced a limited‑time demo for their roguelite third‑person shooter Armatus, debuting on PC via Steam on February 23 as part of Steam Next Fest 2026. The demo runs through March 2, giving players a taste of the...
E! Co-Founder Alan Mruvka Launches Filmology Labs Studios
Alan Mruvka, co‑founder of E! Entertainment, has unveiled Filmology Labs: Content Creation Studios in Paterson, New Jersey. The 250,000 sq ft campus represents a $250 million investment and houses 21 purpose‑built sound stages optimized for vertical micro‑drama storytelling, including his Verza TV platform, which aims...
Trump Justice Dept. Launches Bunk Investigation Of Netflix Merger As a Favor To Larry Ellison
The Department of Justice has launched a wide‑ranging investigation into Netflix’s planned $82.7 billion merger with Warner Bros., citing antitrust concerns over media consolidation. Critics argue the probe is a political maneuver to aid billionaire Larry Ellison’s competing bid for Warner’s...
Fremantle UK Teams with Eberechi Eze’s Flowstate
Fremantle UK has entered a strategic partnership with Flowstate, a new creative agency founded by Premier League star Eberechi Eze. The collaboration will produce premium entertainment, factual and brand‑funded scripted and unscripted series across sport, music, fashion and broader culture. Both...
SinclairLaunches New True Crime Daily Video Podcast
Sinclair Media announced the launch of "Criminally Obsessed," a daily true‑crime video podcast that will air Monday through Thursday on YouTube and major audio platforms. Hosted by veteran investigative journalist Anne Emerson, the series promises in‑depth coverage of high‑profile cases,...