Natasha Valerie On Why Creator Management’s Next Phase Demands Cultural Fluency And Infrastructure
The Viralist Group, founded in September 2022, now represents over 200 creators—more than 90% of whom identify as AAPI or BIPOC—and commands a combined audience of 500 million across platforms. The agency has partnered with over 1,300 global brands, positioning itself as a cultural translator for Asian‑focused campaigns such as K‑pop releases and heritage‑month activations. Natasha Valerie emphasizes a shift from simple inbox management to a full‑service team model, supported by proprietary tools like the Kreatify dashboard and a 800‑member Discord community. Looking ahead, the firm aims to become the largest U.S. AAPI‑focused agency by deepening cultural fluency and operational infrastructure.
Influencer Darla Bundus On Why She Decided To Slow Down, Sell Less, And Protect Audience Trust
Influencer Darla Bundus, who commands over nine million followers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, has shifted her strategy from rapid growth to deliberate restraint. She now accepts fewer brand deals, posts less frequently, and emphasizes transparency around personal health...
Investor Asks Six Flags CEO About ‘Enchanted Parks’ Rumor as Park Portfolio Review Continues
Six Flags CEO John Reilly was asked about the rumored "Enchanted Parks" trademark during the Feb. 19, 2026 earnings call and offered no comment, leaving the speculation unresolved. He reiterated that the company is actively evaluating its portfolio but did not signal...
NEW FOR 2026! PG Connects Summit Malmö Tickets Have Gone Live!
PG Connects Summit Malmö launches May 27‑28, 2026 as a two‑day, focused networking event in partnership with MeetToMatch and powered by Xsolla. The summit replaces the traditional conference model, offering private lounge tables, meeting zones, and a blend of matchmaking...
CTV Should Be Automated – But It Doesn’t Need To Be Programmatic
Upstream, formerly TheViewPoint, launched an automated platform that handles direct‑sold CTV campaigns at the ad‑server level, deliberately avoiding programmatic intermediaries. The solution integrates directly with publishers, bypassing SSPs and DSPs, and is already used by NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Paramount and...
On the Move: E.W. Scripps Recruits Gray
The E.W. Scripps Company appointed Oliver Gray as vice president of network sports and client partnerships, leveraging his experience leading Amazon’s NFL Thursday Night Football sales. The Bay Area Lyme Foundation named David Walsey executive director, bringing pharma communications expertise to...
Senate Democrats Threaten Paramount-Warner Probe
Senate Democrats are intensifying pressure on Paramount CEO David Ellison after he refused an in‑person antitrust hearing on the proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The senators, led by Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker, accused Ellison of a "pattern of...
UK Government Reveals Expanded Finance Package to Help Creative Businesses Scale
The UK government announced a £4 billion Industrial Strategy allocation targeting creative industries, with the British Business Bank taking a leading role. A £45 million cornerstone investment was made in Redrice Ventures, a seed‑stage investor for creative firms. The Bank is also...
Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Pixel Flow Team at $1B Valuation
Scopely announced a majority‑stake acquisition of Istanbul‑based Loom Games, the studio behind the mobile puzzle title Pixel Flow, at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Pixel Flow, launched in late 2025, has already attracted more than ten million players worldwide. The financial...
Altidore Joins NBA’s Westbrook in $1B OKC Soccer Team Project
Former U.S. soccer star Jozy Altidore has joined NBA All‑Star Russell Westbrook and Echo Capital in financing a United Soccer League franchise slated to relaunch in Oklahoma City in 2028. The venture is anchored by a $1 billion mixed‑use entertainment district...
Viaplay Q4 Loss Widens on Allente Consolidation
Viaplay Group reported a SEK 637 million operating loss for Q4 2025 after acquiring full ownership of Allente, its Nordic TV platform. Net sales rose to SEK 4,978 million in the quarter but fell to SEK 17,682 million for the full year, down from SEK 18,490 million. The company...
Scottish Games Industry Releases Manifesto Calling for Government Support Ahead of Parliament Election
Interactive Entertainment Scotland, backed by UKIE and studios nationwide, released a manifesto ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. It outlines three priority areas: a task‑and‑finish policy review, enhanced access to long‑term funding, and expanded talent development through education and...
Brazil Games Set to Bring over 30 Game Studios to GDC 2026
Brazil Games, together with Abragames and ApexBrasil, will bring over 30 studios to GDC 2026, showcasing Brazil as a co‑development hub. The delegation spans development, publishing and production services across PC, console and mobile. A mini‑booth will feature titles such as...
Aviva Arena: Name For New 20,000-Cap UK Arena Unveiled
YTL Live announced that UK insurer Aviva has secured the naming‑rights for its new 20,000‑capacity arena in Bristol, now branded Aviva Arena. The venue, being transformed from the historic Brabazon Hangars, is slated to open in late 2028 and will...
UK Broadcasters Attract “Sizeable Audiences on YouTube” Says Barb
Barb’s 2025 report shows YouTube viewing on UK TV sets climbing sharply, with half of children aged 4‑15 and 20% of over‑55s tuning in weekly. YouTube now accounts for 54% of its UK viewership via television, surpassing any single channel’s...
Sony Music France Acquires Paris-Based Indie Label and Publishing Company Spookland
Sony Music Group France announced the acquisition of Spookland, a Paris‑based independent label and publishing company best known for representing French singer‑songwriter Jain. The deal, whose financial terms were undisclosed, transfers recorded‑music and publishing rights, as well as the full...
FixEd Podcast: The Guide to Running Newsletters in 2026, with Dan Oshinsky
In a FixEd podcast episode, newsletter veteran Dan Oshinsky outlines how AI, quality content, and strategic partnerships will shape newsletters in 2026. He warns that AI‑powered inbox tools could either elevate newsletters into curated feeds or diminish engagement if they...
TEGNA Extends Deal with Seattle Kraken
TEGNA has secured a multi‑year extension to broadcast Seattle Kraken NHL games on its twin Seattle‑Tacoma stations, KCPQ and KZJO. The deal reinforces TEGNA’s local sports portfolio as the company approaches the final stages of its merger with Nexstar Media...
Arc Raiders Sees 30% Player Count Drop as Marathon Looms
Arc Raiders, Embark Studios' retro‑futuristic extraction shooter, has seen its Steam concurrent player count tumble from roughly 410,000 in January to about 290,000—a near‑30% drop—while daily active users halved from 3.2 million to 1.6 million across platforms. The decline arrives just weeks...
How TAMS Is Revolutionising Media Workflows for Agility and Scale
Time Addressable Media Store (TAMS) is a cloud‑native, open‑source API that lets broadcasters retrieve short, time‑based media segments instead of whole files. Deployed in several pilot projects, it promises to cut storage costs, accelerate production and enable tool‑agnostic workflows across...
AWAL Strikes Global Distribution Deal with Italy’s Artist First
AWAL has entered a strategic partnership with Italy‑based Artist First, granting its roster localized marketing and promotional support to break into the Italian market while allowing Artist First to remain an independent entity. Artist First, founded in Milan in 2009,...
Starbreeze Revenue Rises 19% to $24.5m in 2025
Starbreeze Entertainment reported a 18.8% rise in 2025 revenue to SEK 221 million ($24.5 million), yet the company posted a larger net loss of SEK 402.7 million ($44.6 million). Quarterly sales slipped 10.7% in Q4, driven by a decline in third‑party publishing and mixed performance of...
Walmart’s Ad Business Grew 46% in 2025, Hitting Nearly $6.4B
Walmart’s advertising arm surged 46% in 2025, generating nearly $6.4 billion, while the broader company posted $713.2 billion in revenue. Walmart Connect alone grew 41% in Q4, and the Vizio acquisition added high‑minimum‑price inventory. AI chatbot Sparky, now tested with ads, drives...
Clear Angle Studios Introduces New Processing Service for VFX Teams
Clear Angle Studios announced TopoTrack, a new processing service that boosts mesh tracking and stabilisation for 3D FACS expression sets and 4D performance sequences. The platform promises high‑resolution animation from HMC footage, streamlining VFX pipelines while preserving nuanced actor performances....
Gracenote: Sports Content on SVoDs up 52% YoY
Gracenote’s latest data shows sports programming on the five leading U.S. SVOD services grew 52% year‑over‑year, with the overall catalogue expanding 20%. Paramount+ surged ahead of Prime Video and Netflix, delivering more than twice the sports content after securing UFC...
Barb Reveals What We Watched in 2025
Barb’s 2025 UK viewing report shows live television still accounts for 45 percent of total TV‑set consumption, while on‑demand streaming makes up 38 percent. The data highlights that major live events, such as the Women’s Euros final and popular reality shows, continue...
With the U1, LiberLive Aims to Address Music Instrument Dropout
LiberLive launched the U1, a stringless guitar that instantly generates chords with a magnetic pick, topping Tmall’s sales rankings on day one. In its first month the U1 and C2 series claimed three of the category’s top bestseller spots, while...
New Subs Technology Helps Spectator Reach 198-Year Sales High
The Spectator achieved its highest weekly sales in its 198‑year history, reaching 103,728 copies after both print and digital numbers rose in 2025. Digital subscriptions grew 4.3% to 47,576 while print sales increased 2.7% to 56,152. The surge follows Sir...
RAB Webinar Takes On ‘Unity, Focus and Radio’s Collective Strength’
The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) is hosting a live webinar titled “One Voice for Radio, Better Together” on March 14 at 1 pm Eastern. The session will feature RAB President Mike Hulvey alongside senior leaders from Townsquare Media, Cox Media Group, Lenawee...
Report: YouTube Overwhelmingly Dominates US Kids’ Viewing
Precisify’s new Kids US report confirms YouTube dominates media consumption for American Gen Alpha, with 67‑80% of children aged 2‑12 watching the platform. The study shows that more than half of kids view YouTube on a TV, and 55% of parents...
Keiran Beasley To Depart SBS After 13 Years
Keiran Beasley is leaving SBS Australia after a 13‑year stint as national manager of digital and TV sales. He joined in 2012 to lead the 2014 FIFA World Cup sales and later oversaw the 2018 tournament, the SBS Annual Upfronts...
TV Set Is Most Popular Way to Watch YouTube in UK, Study Finds
A Barb Audiences review shows that TV sets now capture more than half of all YouTube viewing on UK home Wi‑Fi networks, overtaking laptops, tablets and smartphones across every age cohort. The transition unfolded gradually, with over‑55s leading in October 2023,...
Analysis: Low-Friction Content Serves as SVoD Subscription Stabilisers
Digital i’s 2025 analysis finds that low‑friction content—well‑known franchises, family and animated titles, and major movie releases—serves as a key subscription stabiliser for light viewers across Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max. Light viewers, defined as the bottom third of...
TikTok Shop Reverses U.S. Shipping Policy Amid Merchant Concerns over Costs and Fulfillment Challenges
TikTok Shop has scrapped its planned deadline to force U.S. sellers onto TikTok‑managed shipping, keeping seller‑fulfilled logistics unchanged for now. The reversal follows merchant backlash over anticipated higher fulfillment costs, tighter margins, and inventory challenges tied to TikTok’s own warehouses....
‘Comment Sections Are Not Customers’: American Eagle Brings Back Sydney Sweeney Amid Celebrity Push
American Eagle has revived its partnership with actress Sydney Sweeney, featuring her in a NYSE bell‑ringing appearance after the controversial “good genes” denim campaign sparked backlash over perceived racial undertones. The retailer defended the ad, hired a crisis‑comms firm, and...
Roy Morgan Survey Reveals 2.5M Young Aussies Watch YouTube
Roy Morgan’s Young Australian Survey finds that 2.5 million children aged 6‑13 – roughly 89 percent of the cohort – regularly watch YouTube. Gaming and animation dominate the platform, with 1.33 million viewers for gaming and 930,000 for animation. Boys drive gaming and sports...
JioHotstar, OpenAI Launch ChatGPT Content Search
JioHotstar announced a partnership with OpenAI to embed ChatGPT‑powered voice discovery into its streaming app. The new multilingual cognitive search lets users speak natural language queries to receive context‑aware recommendations for both on‑demand and live sports content. The assistant also...
Live F1 in US IMAX Cinemas
IMAX and Apple TV have announced a partnership to broadcast the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship live in IMAX theaters across the United States. Five Grands Prix—Miami, Monaco, Silverstone, Monza and Austin—will be shown at a minimum of fifty IMAX locations, leveraging Apple TV’s...
LYV Breakup Could Be Off the Table Following Summary Judgment Ruling
The episode examines Live Nation’s (LYV) recent legal landscape, focusing on a summary judgment that could keep the company’s proposed breakup off the table. It breaks down the court’s reasoning, the potential financial and operational impacts for Live Nation, and...
Live Nation Entertainment Inc (LYV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Live Nation Entertainment reported an 11% revenue increase and a 24% rise in operating income for Q4 2025, propelled by a 60% surge in stadium activity and strong international fan growth. Adjusted operating income (AOI) climbed 14%, helped by $40 million...
Six Flags Entertainment Corp (FUN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Six Flags reported Q4 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $165 million on $650 million revenue and 9.3 million guests, with operating days down to 779 after dropping winter holiday events. Per‑capita spending rose to $61.90, helping the company achieve a 27% margin despite attendance...
Ratings
NBCUniversal’s Winter Olympics coverage averaged 20.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBCU digital platforms and USA Network, marking the 13th straight day the event surpassed the 20‑million mark. The men’s hockey quarter‑final overtime win over Sweden drew 6.9 million viewers, the most‑watched...
Comcast’s 4K Sports Boost
Comcast launched RealTime4K, a low‑latency 4K format for Xfinity, during the Super Bowl. Internal testing showed the Xfinity feed arrived 9‑49 seconds faster than rival vMVPDs such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and DirecTV. The speed advantage comes...
#ThisWeek on MarkLives MEDIA: Conscious Uncoupling — Media Inhousing • #NextWeek: How Saffers Eat
Brands are increasingly pulling media strategy and buying in‑house, a trend dubbed “conscious uncoupling.” Executives cite greater accountability, faster decision‑making, and tighter budget control as primary drivers. Agencies are no longer full‑service partners but are retained for niche expertise, audits,...
The Ingest Digest
Apple TV has struck new ingestion agreements with DirecTV and Comcast, bringing its live sports lineup directly into the distributors’ guide interfaces. Starting this year, DirecTV customers will see Apple TV’s Formula 1, MLS and MLB events on the vMVPD homepage,...
Who Is Department M, the Company in Talks to Acquire a Stake in Neon?
Neon is in negotiations to sell a significant, undisclosed stake to Department M, a production company founded in 2024 by former AGBO president Mike Larocca and ex‑New Regency chief Michael Schaefer. Backed by a private‑investor consortium, Department M brings a slate that includes Steven...
What People Watched in 2025
Barb released its 2025 viewing habits report, detailing how UK audiences consumed TV across live, on‑demand and streaming platforms. Live viewing still represented 45% of TV‑set activity in December, while on‑demand accounted for 38% of total viewing. Freeview, Sky and...
FCC Moves Ahead With NCE Translators
The FCC voted unanimously to launch the first-ever application window for non‑commercial educational (NCE) FM translators, expected to open in late 2026. The window will allow non‑commercial, low‑power FM and AM stations to apply for new translators in the reserved...
Top 5 Creator Affiliate Marketing Agencies in 2026
The Influencer Marketing Hub has identified the five leading creator affiliate marketing agencies for 2026, highlighting Hamster Garage, Acceleration Partners, PartnerCentric, Peekabo and Sociablestack. The report underscores a 171% rise in creator acquisition budgets and notes that affiliate marketing now...
California Noncom Loses Its License
Peace and Justice Network’s noncommercial FM station KVSJ‑FM in Tracy, California, has had its broadcast license cancelled by the FCC Media Bureau. The commission determined the station was silent for more than twelve consecutive months and/or operated from an unauthorized...