Creatorville Appoints Head of Content
Maryana Brown has been appointed head of content at Creatorville, bringing a multi‑award‑winning background in platform‑native productions across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and podcasts. Previously, she held senior roles at LADbible Group and Strong Watch Studios, where she launched high‑view formats. In her new position, Brown will work with leadership to expand Creatorville’s intellectual property, boost platform performance, and reinforce its reputation as a social‑first content specialist. The hire underscores Creatorville’s push to scale audience‑centric formats and deepen brand partnerships.
ABC Orders Tasma Walton’s WA Crime Drama Pilli Sisters PI to Series
ABC has ordered a six‑part crime drama titled Pilli Sisters PI, created and written by actress‑author Tasma Walton. The series follows Indigenous sisters running a private investigation firm in Fremantle, Western Australia, and will be filmed across the state. Production...
World of Warships: Legends Sets Final Steam Beta, Wargaming Publisher Sale Offers Discounts & Free Stuff
World of Warships: Legends will hold its final closed beta on Steam from March 12‑16, featuring full cross‑play and live‑server matchmaking. Players who participated in earlier tests receive automatic invitations, while new applicants can request access via the Steam page. Simultaneously,...
Cobalt Digital To Feature New End-to-End IPMX, ST 2110 Solutions At 2026 NAB Show
Cobalt Digital will unveil a suite of new end‑to‑end IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 solutions at the 2026 NAB Show, including the blueCORE 1RU processor family, upgraded PACIFIC ULL‑DEC decoder with dual SDI/ST 2110 output, a factory‑installed DVB‑S/S2 demodulator, and hybrid satellite‑internet...
Salt-N-Pepa File Notice of Appeal over UMG Lawsuit Dismissal, with ‘Blurred Lines’ Lawyer as Counsel
Grammy‑winning rap duo Salt‑N‑Pepa have filed a notice of appeal after a district judge dismissed their lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking to terminate UMG’s ownership of their master recordings. The lower‑court ruling held that the duo never owned the...
Com2uS’s New Destiny Child Idle RPG Is Expected to Release Globally This Year on Mobile with Rich Narrative and Visuals
Com2uS announced a partnership with SHIFTUP to revive the Destiny Child franchise as an idle RPG, targeting a global mobile launch in 2026. Development is handled by Com2uS’s TikiTaka Studio, known for high‑quality visuals in titles like Soul Strike and Arcana Tactics....
AI-Driven Kids Media Firm Animaj Strikes Global Deal with The Orchard’s Magic Star and Sony Music Publishing
Animaj, a digital‑first kids media company, has signed a global music partnership with Magic Star, The Orchard’s children’s division, and Sony Music Publishing. Magic Star will distribute Animaj’s recordings worldwide while Sony will administer publishing rights for its song catalog....
ProtonVPN Says It Shouldn’t Have to Cut Off Pirates - but Fails to Convince French Courts
A French court rejected ProtonVPN’s arguments against mandatory blocking of sports piracy sites, compelling the Swiss VPN provider to enforce the order in France. ProtonVPN claimed the block violated the EU’s Open Internet Regulation and would cause technical overreach, but...
Spotify Rolls Out AI-Powered Prompted Playlists to the UK and Other Markets
Spotify is extending its AI‑powered Prompted Playlists to Premium users in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Sweden after earlier tests in New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada. The feature lets listeners generate custom playlists by typing natural‑language prompts that describe...
Steve Goldstein: Apple Just Moved the Center of Gravity in Podcasting
Apple’s recent rollout of native video in Apple Podcasts marks a pivotal shift, turning video into a core podcast format and introducing Apple’s first large‑scale video ad revenue share. This move accelerates the “liquid content era,” where shows fluidly switch...
Atlantic Music Group Strikes Joint Venture with Indie Label Today Is Vintage
Atlantic Music Group announced a joint venture with indie label Today Is Vintage, founded by Swedish entrepreneur Rebin Shah. Today Is Vintage, operating from Stockholm, London and Los Angeles, has generated over 20 billion streams and more than 80 gold and platinum...
Video Growth Lead – Temporary
Lemonada Media is hiring a part‑time, temporary Video Growth Lead to boost its YouTube and short‑form video presence. The role, reporting to the SVP of Content & Production, will create, edit, and optimize video assets for shows like *Don’t Listen...
Dentsu Entertainment, Iconic Arts Partner to Create Brand-Oriented IP
Dentsu Entertainment announced a strategic partnership with Iconic Arts to develop original, brand‑centric intellectual property, emphasizing anime and serialized formats. The collaboration will initially serve Dentsu’s Japan‑US synergy initiatives, helping Japanese and global brands launch cross‑market franchises. Leveraging Iconic Arts’...
What UGC Content Moderation Means for Brands and Marketers
User‑generated content (UGC) is reshaping modern marketing by leveraging authentic consumer voices across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and review sites. Brands that showcase real experiences see higher engagement, expanded reach, and improved SEO, as search engines favor fresh, user‑authored material....
"Bad News for Xbox": Analysts React to the Leadership Shakeup at Microsoft's Games Division
Microsoft Gaming announced its most significant leadership overhaul in a decade, with longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring and Xbox president Sarah Bond exiting. Core AI product president Asha Sharma will now lead the division, while Matt Booty steps up...
Arknights: Endfield Makes $46m in First Month on Mobile
Arknights: Endfield earned $46 million in its first month on mobile, with iOS accounting for $28.3 million and Google Play $17.7 million. Japan and China drove 39% and 28% of global spend respectively, while the U.S. contributed about 10%. Player spending peaked on...
NRL Touts Record Revenues of AUS$845.6m in 2025
The National Rugby League reported a record AUS$845.6 million in revenue for 2025, a dramatic jump from AUS$100.7 million the year before. Media, merchandise and betting rights contributed AUS$520 million, while sponsorship, ticket sales and government funding grew 41% to AUS$286.7 million. Club distributions...
The 10 Fastest-Growing UK Instagram Accounts Of January 2026
Manchester United led the UK Instagram surge in January 2026, adding 497,000 followers to reach 66.1 million total. Harry Styles, Owen Cooper, Olivia Dean and other entertainers followed, each gaining between 191,000 and 419,000 new followers. The growth was driven by a...
How a Surge in Memory Prices Will Affect the Game Industry
A rapid AI‑driven memory boom has pushed DRAM prices up nearly 100% in 2025 and an additional 60% in early 2026, while NAND storage rose 70% in the same period. The surge squeezes console hardware margins, prompting platform holders to...
Greg Prata Promoted to Chief Financial Officer at Sony Music Publishing, as Tom Kelly Retires After 35-Year Career
Sony Music Publishing announced Greg Prata as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective March 31, succeeding Tom Kelly who is retiring after a 35‑year career. Prata, who joined Sony in 2012 after a stint at EMI and has a background in...
How Crave, the Canadian Streamer Behind ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Is Making a Name for Itself in America and Beyond
Canadian streamer Crave’s original series “Heated Rivalry” has become a breakout hit, pulling in roughly 11.5 million U.S. viewers on HBO Max and ranking as the platform’s top‑acquired series. The show’s success has driven a 26 percent subscriber surge for Crave, adding over...
Shaboozey Expands EMPIRE Relationship by Signing With Publishing Arm
EMPIRE announced a new publishing agreement with Grammy‑winning artist Shaboozey, extending the partnership that began with his 2021 label signing. The deal follows the massive success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which logged 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard...
Millennial Entertainment: Inside The Strategy Behind Long-Term Talent Growth In The Creator Economy
Millennial Entertainment, a Beverly Hills‑based 360° talent firm founded in 2017, positions itself as a long‑term career architect for creators, athletes and performers. Co‑founders Jack Reed and Max Litke emphasize a full‑service model that extends beyond brand deals into podcast...
A ‘Classic Radio Station’ Finds A New Owner
A 1 kW Class C AM station broadcasting vintage 1960s rock from Oregon’s capital is set to change hands, pending Federal Communications Commission approval. The outlet, operating with a single tower, has cultivated a dedicated niche audience that values analog authenticity. Ownership...
Guggenheim Brothers Media Wants To Institutionalize The Creator Economy’s Middle Market
Guggenheim Brothers Media has launched a $75 million fund, anchored by Abu Dhabi’s Ethmar International, to fill the middle‑market funding gap in the creator economy. The Los Angeles‑based firm will invest $1‑5 million in 20‑25 early‑ to growth‑stage media and entertainment companies...
Telos Alliance Offers AERO Software Update To Correct Nielsen Watermark Issue
Telos Alliance announced a software update (v3.32.47) for its Linear Acoustic AERO series to incorporate the latest Nielsen watermark encoding library and fix a timestamp reset issue that would affect data reporting after Jan 1, 2027. The update covers current AERO models—including...
Suno Hires Former Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota as Chief Commercial Officer
Suno, a generative‑AI music startup, has hired Jeremy Sirota, former CEO of Merlin, as its chief commercial officer. In the role, Sirota will steer Suno’s commercial strategy, industry relationships, platform partnerships and enterprise solutions, reporting to co‑founder Mikey Shulman. At...
Rewarded UA Unlocked
Rewarded user acquisition (RUA) is a mobile marketing strategy that grants players in‑game rewards for completing post‑install tasks such as tutorials or level milestones. By tying incentives to meaningful actions, RUA drives higher engagement, retention, and ultimately better return on...
Audacy Expands WGR Programming to Rochester
Audacy is extending its flagship WGR Sports Radio brand into the Rochester market by simulcasting most of the Buffalo‑based programming on WROC‑AM and its FM translator W239BF. The station will keep its WROC call letters but adopt the WGR Rochester...
The Rise of Infrastructure as Code in Live Production: Are You Ready?
The broadcast industry is shifting toward Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to automate and scale live production. Tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and the emerging SMPTE ST 2138 “Catena” standard promise to unify control across dozens of vendor protocols, allowing entire workflows...
Podcast Advertising Fell In January From Holiday High
Podcast advertising spend plunged 21% in January, falling to $59.8 million for the top 15 advertisers from a December peak of $75.9 million. The decline follows a holiday‑driven surge and signals a market correction. Despite the overall drop, brands such as T‑Mobile...
Vita Student and NSE Team Up to Boost University Esports in the UK
Vita Student has become the headline sponsor of National Student Esports (NSE) and the British University Esports Championship, marking a strategic push into UK university gaming. The partnership will see Vita branding at major tournaments, live broadcasts, and finals, while...
AI Sample Generator Just 4 Noise Raises $1M From BADideas.fund, Sound Hub Denmark and More
Berlin‑based Just 4 Noise, an AI‑driven audio sample generator, closed a $1 million pre‑seed round backed by BADideas.fund, SoundInvest and Sound Hub Denmark. The platform lets producers type a text prompt and receive unique, royalty‑free sounds that can be dropped directly into a...
Puerto Rican Star Lenny Tavárez Signs Deal With Apple Music’s Platoon: ‘This Will Elevate My Career to New Heights’
Puerto Rican reggaetón‑R&B star Lenny Tavárez has signed with Apple Music’s artist services and distribution arm Platoon, a move aimed at accelerating his global profile. Tavárez brings a catalog of over 11 billion streams, 16 million social followers, and multiple Billboard chart...
ByteBrew Launches AI-Powered Cross-Promotion Network to Scale App Portfolios
ByteBrew has introduced ByteBrew Ads, an AI‑powered cross‑promotion ad network that lets developers move high‑value users between apps in their portfolio. The service relies on Ctrl, the company’s proprietary AI engine trained on massive app data, to target users based...
Roblox Launches Global Parent Council to Strengthen Family Engagement and Online Safety Oversight
Roblox announced a Global Parent Council of 80 parents and caregivers spanning 32 countries, alongside a new Parent Champions programme. The council, representing expertise in psychology, education, digital well‑being, law enforcement and gaming, will meet quarterly to advise on safety...
Saudi Esports Federation Partners with ROC Esports and Team Stallion to Strengthen the Kingdom’s Esports Ambitions
The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) has signed memoranda of understanding with ROC Esports and Team Stallion to develop Saudi esports talent. The agreements will deliver joint training, specialised programs through the Saudi Esports Academy, and create clearer career pathways for...
Savvy Games Group Signs MoU with AUBH to Strengthen Student Training in Games and Interactive Entertainment
Savvy Games Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the American University of Bahrain under its Savvy Academy talent‑development program. The MoU will enable Media and Design students to undertake internships, studio visits and hands‑on projects that mirror professional...
Why Vimto Has Partnered with Fatafeat for Ramadan
Vimto has introduced its new Vimto Rose flavour in the Middle East by partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Fatafeat channel during Ramadan. The collaboration embeds the drink within the channel’s Kitchen Tales programming, positioning it as a natural ingredient for recipes, mocktails...
Korean and Japanese Artists Dominate IFPI Album-Sales Chart
Taylor Swift’s *The Life of a Showgirl* topped the IFPI’s 2025 global album‑sales chart with 6.05 million units, despite ranking only eighth in streaming. The album’s strength came from 2.34 million vinyl copies, far outpacing the nearest competitor. Asian acts, especially K‑Pop, dominated...
"They've Ghosted Me": Saints Row Design Director Says He Believes the Series Is "Dead" After Pitching Prequel
Former Saints Row design director Chris Stockman says the franchise is effectively dead after Embracer Group failed to respond to his pre‑quel pitch. Stockman, now leading Bit Planet Games, proposed a 1970s‑set story that initially sparked online buzz, but Embracer,...
RTL+ and HBO Max Launch Joint Streaming Bundle in Austria
German broadcaster RTL Deutschland and Warner Bros. Discovery have merged RTL+ and HBO Max into a single, cancellable subscription for Austrian consumers. The bundle offers two tiers—a ad‑supported option at €11.99 and an ad‑free version at €17.99—both discounted from the standalone prices. An introductory...
PGAV Establishes Strategic Global Presence Led by John Kasman
PGAV, a leading destination‑design firm, is establishing a dedicated international hub in Abu Dhabi to serve the fast‑growing immersive tourism markets of the Middle East and China. The expansion, overseen by principal John Kasman, builds on longstanding client relationships and...
Deepdub Strikes Love TV Channels Deal to Localise Cineflix Factual for European FAST
Deepdub has teamed up with Love TV Channels to bring AI‑driven dubbing to free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) services across Europe. The partnership will localise Cineflix Rights factual titles into Castilian Spanish, Italian and French, targeting Love TV’s 25 million monthly viewers....
MED.TV Lands Rakuten TV Carriage Across 43 European Markets
Med Media Services has secured distribution for its Mediterranean‑themed FAST channel MED.TV on Rakuten TV, extending the service across 43 European markets. The partnership gives MED.TV access to a potential audience of more than 150 million households, complementing its existing footprint of...
Why Hybrid Remote Production Is Becoming the Default for Live Broadcast
Broadcasters are shifting from traditional on‑site OB trucks to hybrid remote production, where capture occurs at the venue and control functions run from centralized master control rooms. The model, accelerated by pandemic constraints, delivers the same broadcast quality while slashing...
A New Lineup Arrives For Wisconsin Talk Network
Civic Media is revamping its News/Talk format across Wisconsin under the Civic Media Network brand, launching new local programs on stations in Wausau, Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh‑Appleton. The refreshed schedule features a flagship morning show, Daybreak with Brian and Jamie,...
Tencent Reportedly Shutter Open World Game Studio Which Had Drafted in Former Assassin’s Creed Director
Tencent has reportedly closed its TiMi Montreal studio, which was founded in 2021 to develop a AAA open‑world, service‑focused game for PC and consoles. The studio never shipped a title in its five‑year run, despite hiring former Assassin’s Creed creative...
Warner Bros. Discovery Posts Record Streaming Growth for 2026 Winter Olympics
Warner Bros. Discovery reported its strongest Olympic streaming performance to date during the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Games, with total hours viewed on HBO Max and discovery+ jumping 103% versus Beijing 2022. European markets delivered triple‑digit growth, and combined platform audiences...
Warner Bros. Film Chiefs Break Down Their Dominant Year: 'Everything Was Original Once'
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co‑chairs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca celebrated a landmark year in which their 2025 slate generated over $4 billion at the box office and earned three Best Picture nominations – a feat not seen since...