EXIT Festival Relocates to Montenegro for 2026 Edition
EXIT Festival, one of Europe’s largest music events, announced it will move from Serbia to Montenegro for its 2026 edition and beyond. The relocation follows a 2025 departure driven by severe financial cuts and political pressure on the Serbian government. The new venue will be Long Beach in Ulcinj, though dates and lineup remain undisclosed. Montenegro’s prime minister hailed the move as a boost for the country’s international profile and beach tourism.
YouTube TV Keeps Weather Channel in New Deal with Allen Media Group
YouTube TV has signed a new multi‑year carriage agreement with Allen Media Group, preserving The Weather Channel and several AMG‑owned networks—including Local Now, JusticeCentral.TV, Comedy.TV and Recipe.TV—on its streaming lineup. The deal was announced with minimal public wrangling, a stark...
Think Small. (Agencies, that Is).
Craig Crawford, a former Leo Burnett creative, launched the boutique agency Black Noise in 2024 and this week placed paid open letters in trade publications and on LinkedIn aimed at CMOs in automotive, travel and quick‑service restaurant sectors. The letters...
Is the Pitching Process a Fair Reflection of the Client-Agency Working Relationship?
Campaign Middle East’s May 2026 forum surveyed regional experts on whether the current pitching process mirrors the client‑agency relationship that follows. The overwhelming consensus was “no”: procurement‑driven, price‑centric pitches often sideline strategic fit and create misaligned expectations. A few voices noted...
NCAA, Power Five to House Counsel: Don’t ‘End Run’ Pay-for-Play Ban
The NCAA and Power Five conferences filed a formal response to class counsel’s motion seeking to enforce the NIL settlement, arguing that multimedia‑rights (MMR) companies such as Learfield and Playfly should be treated as “associated entities” subject to the College...
Brianna Doe on the One Thing CMOs Should Change About Creator Marketing Right Now
Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, argues that CMOs must stop treating influencer marketing as a siloed paid‑media tactic and instead embed creators within broader brand programs. She highlights the creator economy’s rapid growth, the flood of AI‑generated content, and the...
Paramount Is Making Progress in Its Efforts to Close Its Deal to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery This Fall
Paramount Global is moving toward closing its $110 billion all‑cash acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, aiming for a late third‑quarter 2026 finish. The deal follows strong first‑quarter results, with revenue of $7.35 billion and adjusted EBITDA up 59% to $1.16 billion, bolstered by Paramount+ subscriber...
Inside WBD’s New Pitch to Advertisers Amid Paramount Shakeup
Warner Bros. Discovery is staging a May 13 upfront to reassure advertisers as it navigates a pending $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance. Ad‑sales chiefs Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio highlighted the breadth of WBD’s portfolio—from news and sports to streaming and...
Paramount+ Adds 700,000 Subscribers in Q1
Paramount+ added 700,000 new subscribers in Q1 2026, falling short of analysts’ 1 million‑plus forecast despite the recent UFC content rollout. Direct‑to‑consumer revenue rose 11% year‑over‑year to $2.4 billion, underscoring stronger monetization per user. The company announced that Pluto TV will be...
The Reno Siege: Rupert Murdoch and the Great Succession Schism
In September 2025 a $3.3 billion Nevada settlement ended the Murdoch family feud, giving Lachlan Murdoch sole voting control of the media empire. The settlement paid roughly $1.1 billion each to James, Elisabeth and Prudence, who exited the Murdoch Family Trust. The...
Nielsen: Co-Viewing Pilot Delivers +4% Average Increase in Total Viewers
Nielsen released data from a February co‑viewing pilot that recorded an average 4.19% increase in total viewers across major live events, including the Super Bowl and the State of the Union. The pilot used advanced wearable devices to more precisely...
Paramount Confirms Pluto TV Shift to Unified Streaming Stack
Paramount announced that its free ad‑supported service Pluto TV will migrate onto the same technology platform that powers Paramount+. The transition is targeted for mid‑2026 and will unify infrastructure, data, recommendation engines, and advertising tools across both services. By consolidating...
U.S. Digital Video Ad Spend to Surpass $80B in 2026; Growing 20% Faster Than the Total Ad Market, According to...
The Interactive Advertising Bureau projects U.S. digital video ad spend to top $80 billion in 2026, an 11% year‑over‑year increase that outpaces the broader ad market by roughly 20%. Digital video—encompassing CTV, online and social video—will claim more than 60% of...
YouTube Allows Creators to Replace Music with Copyright Issues with genAI Songs
YouTube has added a "Create" button in Studio that lets U.S. creators generate AI‑produced instrumental tracks to replace copyrighted music flagged by Content ID. The tool produces four royalty‑free options, and selecting one clears the claim, allowing the video to...
Social Video Ad Spending Is Set to Outpace CTV in Growth Rate This Year
The IAB projects social video ad spend to grow 13% year‑over‑year in 2026, surpassing CTV’s 11% growth. Total U.S. digital video investment is expected to reach $80 billion, with platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Reddit capturing a larger share of...
Do You Really Need 100,000 Influencers, Or Just the Right Few?
The article argues that brands achieve higher ROI by partnering with a curated group of influencers rather than casting a wide net of 100,000 creators. It highlights the growing role of influencer talent agencies that negotiate deals, manage contracts, and...
Embed Announces Integration with Square POS
Embed, a global provider of point‑of‑sale and revenue‑management solutions, has launched an integration with Square POS. The new link lets family entertainment centres and attractions sell Embed cashless cards directly through the Square interface, eliminating the need for separate systems....
Chance Studios Raises $3.2M for Trading Card Collectibles Platform
Chance Studios, a trading‑card‑game startup, closed a $3.2 million round led by Makers Fund and Hashed, with participation from Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Gam3Girl Ventures, and Digital Elm. The capital will fund expansion of its super‑app that blends collecting, trading, and community...
Grand Theft Auto 6 Is Coming to Consoles Before PC to Serve “Core Audience” First, Says Take-Two CEO
Take‑Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 will debut on PlayStation and Xbox consoles on November 19, with a PC version arriving later. He emphasized the decision reflects Rockstar’s long‑standing focus on the “core audience” of console gamers,...
Disney World Adding First New Ferryboat to Magic Kingdom Since 1976
Walt Disney World is adding its first ferryboat since 1976, expanding the Magic Kingdom water‑transport fleet from three to four vessels. The new boat, built in sections at a Florida marina, will be shipped, assembled and painted over the next...
Watch It. Love It. Want It. How TikTok Is Blending Discovery, Connection and Commerce
TikTok unveiled its new global positioning, “Watch it. Love it. Want it.”, at the OMR Festival, emphasizing the seamless blend of discovery, connection, and commerce on the platform. Research from Ipsos shows TikTok is the most influential channel during the...
Stop Picking Sides: Let ‘Living Data’ Power Total TV
Matt Bryan of Samsung Ads argues that CTV success hinges on "living data"—a continuously refreshed blend of first‑party screen signals and third‑party intent data. Samsung smart‑TV analytics show Europe’s viewing split 55 % streaming, 45 % linear, underscoring audience fragmentation. Research indicates...
Paladin in Discussions to Acquire Entourage Talent Associates
Paladin Artists announced it is in advanced discussions to acquire Entourage Talent Associates, formalising a partnership that began in 2021. The acquisition would create a scaled, independent booking firm positioned for growth, adding Entourage’s client base to Paladin’s roster that...
Eurosport 4K to Air Roland-Garros in UHD on HD+ in Germany
Warner Bros. Discovery will broadcast the 2026 Roland‑Garros French Open in UHD HDR via Eurosport 4K on Germany’s HD+ platform from 24 May to 7 June. All main‑court matches—including semi‑finals and the final—will be shown without commercial breaks, with German commentary, to viewers...
Borrell: Local Digital Ad Growth Slows as Share Wars Begin
Borrell Associates’ 24th annual Local Digital Advertising report shows that growth in local digital ad revenue has slipped to low single‑digit percentages, the slowest pace since the Great Recession. Digital now accounts for 72% of local ad spend, totaling about...
GTA 6 Expected To Sell As Many As 25 Million Copies In 24 Hours
Analysts expect Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 to sell up to 25 million copies within its first 24 hours, dwarfing the 10 million day‑one benchmark many consider a blockbuster. Development costs are projected to exceed $1 billion, making such sales essential to recoup the investment....
Silverpush Brings Broadcast-Quality YouTube Buying to EMEA Advertisers with SilverScreen™
Silverpush has launched SilverScreen, an AI‑driven classification layer that tags YouTube channels as broadcast‑quality for EMEA advertisers. The tool lets media planners treat YouTube inventory like linear TV, using production standards, cadence and co‑viewing signals to curate TV‑grade content. A...
Rockstar Should Raise GTA 6’s Price for Good of ‘the Entire Industry’, Says Bank of America
Bank of America analyst Omar Dessouky recommends Rockstar price Grand Theft Auto 6 at $80, arguing the current $70 ceiling could hinder other publishers from raising prices amid rising development costs. He cites inflation and the industry’s perception of financial strain...
Why GTA₩6't Launch on PC: 'Consoles Are Our Core Customers, We Must Deliver the Best Experience'
Take‑Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch on November 19, 2026 exclusively for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC release date announced. The decision follows Rockstar's long‑standing console‑first philosophy, emphasizing service to its core console audience....
GameStop Makes Unsolicited Bid to Acquire Online Auction Giant eBay for $56B
GameStop has lodged an unsolicited $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, a valuation roughly five times its own $11 billion market cap. The proposal would be financed half in cash—leveraging a $20 billion loan from TD Bank and $9 billion on hand—and half in...
Principal Trading Is “Muddying the Cost” Of Media
Independent UK agency the7stars announced it will no longer use principal media trading, a model that bundles media buying with undisclosed fees. Founder and CEO Jenny Biggam argues the move restores full transparency, giving clients clear insight into spend, placement and...
Remedy Reports "Stable" Q1 Performance Despite Decreases in Revenue and Operating Profit
Remedy Entertainment posted a profitable Q1, but both revenue and operating profit slipped, with revenue down 1.9% to €13.1 million (about $14.3 million) and operating profit falling 23% to €1 million (roughly $1.1 million). The dip was offset by higher game sales and royalty...
Pop Mart Announces Upgrade to Beijing Theme Park Pop Land
Pop Mart unveiled a new phase of Pop Land in Beijing, adding three themed zones and five large‑scale rides such as a rotating drop tower and a Labubu‑styled pirate ship. The 40,000‑square‑meter park, which opened in September 2023, turned profitable in its...
PS5's NTE Makes Back One-Third of Its Budget in Just One Day
Free‑to‑play gacha title NTE, launched as a PS5 exclusive last week, generated roughly $14.6 million on its first day, recouping about one‑third of its estimated $44 million development budget. The publisher Perfect World reports that 75% of the game’s global revenue is...
Koddi and Comcast’s Universal Ads Ink Deal to Target Streaming Ads With Commerce Data
Koddi, a commerce‑media adtech firm, has partnered with Comcast’s self‑service platform Universal Ads to let advertisers purchase streaming inventory using first‑party shopper audiences. The integration opens access to ad slots from more than 20 publishers, including DirecTV, Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount,...
The 2026 Creative 100: Media, TV & Streaming Innovators Know How to Win
The 2026 Creative 100 Media, TV & Streaming Innovators list spotlights leaders who turned bold ideas into measurable business results. Ali Brown’s teams secured four Super Bowl spots and earned Production Company of the Year, while Bloomberg Media Studios generated double‑digit...
Splitsville Expands Across Canada with New Centres
Splitsville, backed by UK‑based Hollywood Bowl Group, now runs 16 bowling‑and‑entertainment centres across Canada and is building a 17th in Barrie, with several more slated for 2027 and beyond. The operator’s growth hinges on co‑locating venues inside high‑traffic retail, cinema...
Some Micro Influencers Find Promising Security in Brand Ownership over Sponsorships
Micro influencers are turning to brand ownership and equity stakes as a hedge against platform volatility. Creator Colin Rocker recently invested seed capital in Favikon, hoping for a future IPO or acquisition, while the broader creator economy sees $13.7 billion in...
These Music Festivals Are Thriving – Here’s What They’re Doing Right
Classical music festivals in Australia are thriving despite broader industry challenges, thanks to focused strategies such as rare, high‑quality programming, strategic location choices, and community‑centric models. The Australian Festival of Chamber Music moved to Cairns, creating an immersive tourism‑linked experience...
Havas Thailand Scores Marketing and Media Mandate for Budweiser 0.0 FIFA World Cup 2026™
Havas Thailand has been named the lead marketing and media partner for AB InBev’s Budweiser 0.0 FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in Thailand. The agency will combine data intelligence, media strategy and cultural insight to deliver a locally resonant yet globally consistent brand...
Disney World Has A Lot More Going On After Closing Time Than You Realize
Disney’s theme parks operate around the clock, with up to 1,500 cast members working each night at Disneyland to perform safety checks, maintenance, cleaning, landscaping and show rehearsals. Most attractions are powered down after guests leave, and work lights illuminate...
Another Cable TV Network Is Shutting Down Its App on Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, & Apple TV This Month
Fox Corporation will retire its standalone Fox Sports app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Apple TV around May 7, after notifying users on April 7. The move is part of a strategic shift to funnel viewers into the unified...
NZ’s The Edge Unveils New Brand Platform to Combat Gen Z/Millenial ‘Decision Fatigue’
New Zealand’s The Edge, Mediaworks’ flagship youth radio station, has launched a brand platform called “Take the edge off” aimed at 18‑34‑year‑olds. The campaign frames radio as the “original algorithm,” a curated antidote to the decision fatigue caused by endless...
Charter’s California Settlement Details
Charter reached a settlement with California regulators that obligates the company to provide three fixed‑price residential broadband plans – $70 for 1,000/35 Mbps, $50 for 500/20 Mbps, and $30 for 100/20 Mbps – for three years. The deal also includes low‑income offerings, a...
PSKY’s Streaming Growth
Paramount Skydance (PSKY) reported strong streaming momentum in Q1 2026, adding 700,000 subscribers to Paramount+ and bringing the total close to 80 million. The company highlighted the UFC partnership, which attracted over 10 million households and more than 100 million viewing hours, with audiences...
Comcast, Scripps Make a Deal
Comcast and Scripps reached a retransmission agreement that restores Scripps’ local TV stations to Xfinity after a month‑long blackout. The dispute had erupted over Scripps’ request for additional carriage of stations that broadcast NHL games, which Comcast said would force...
Entravision Communications Corp (EVC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Entravision Communications posted a 114% revenue surge to $197 million in Q1 2026, propelled by a 204% jump in its Advertising Technology and Services (ATS) segment. The ATS segment generated $34.3 million in operating profit, a 427% increase year‑over‑year, while the Media segment...
Accel Entertainment Inc (ACEL) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Accel Entertainment reported a record Q1 2026 with revenue of $352 million, up 9% year‑over‑year, and adjusted EBITDA of $54 million, also a 9% increase. The company expanded its footprint, adding locations and terminals in Nevada after the Dynasty Games acquisition and...
Peace Out, Pascarelli
John Pascarelli, Mediacom’s executive vice president of operations, announced his retirement after nearly three decades with the cable operator, staying on through early June. He joined the company shortly after its 1995 founding and witnessed subscriber growth from 150,000 in...
Gomez Speaks Out on Paramount-WBD Foreign Investment
FCC Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called for a rigorous review of foreign investment in the proposed Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Paramount and Skydance have asked the FCC to approve indirect foreign ownership of about 49.5% at closing, and up to...