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Every morning
Weekly
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Townsqaure Media reported Q4 2025 consolidated revenue of $1.1 billion, up 0.8% and surpassing guidance, with digital audio revenue climbing 14.1% to $387 million. Podcast revenue surged 24.5% to $174 million, driven by a local sales force that now contributes 47% of the segment. Adjusted EBITDA hit $220 million, meeting the midpoint of its $200‑$240 million range, while the company announced $100 million in in‑year cost savings for 2026 and a programmatic revenue target of $200 million. Management highlighted diversified ad sales and a strong political advertising outlook for the upcoming cycle.
Charter rolled out Spectrum fiber services in Jefferson, Gibson and Henderson counties, Tennessee, linking over 3,000 homes and businesses. GFiber, fresh from its merger with Astound Broadband, began offering symmetrical speeds up to 8 Gbps in Las Vegas from a new Summerlin...
Nielsen has entered a multiyear agreement with A+E Global Media, effective immediately. The partnership expands Nielsen’s measurement and analytics services to A+E’s linear and digital properties, including A&E, Lifetime, and History Channel. A+E will adopt new Nielsen products such as...
Dana Walden, newly appointed Disney President and chief content officer, announced her entertainment leadership team in a memo. Walden will oversee television, film, direct‑to‑consumer, games and other digital products while collaborating with Disney Entertainment Chairman Alan Bergman on the movie studios....
On March 15, 1955 Colonel Tom Parker formally signed Elvis Presley, marking the start of a partnership that would define rock‑n‑roll’s commercial rise. Parker, a Dutch immigrant with a colorful past that included a circus featuring dancing chickens, leveraged his promotional savvy...
California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s warning that broadcasters could lose licenses over their Iran‑war coverage, calling the move a “dictators’ playbook.” The clash unfolded during a lengthy SXSW interview where Newsom also warned that a fair...
Disney/Pixar’s animated sequel Hoppers held the weekend box‑office lead with a $28.5 million second‑weekend, pushing its global gross to nearly $165 million and ranking third among all 2026 releases. Universal’s romance Reminders of Him debuted with $18.2 million, while A24’s micro‑budget horror Undertone...
The Korea National Opera has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Korean Cultural Centre in Hong Kong to stream one live performance each month throughout 2026. Starting in April, twelve productions—including “La Traviata” and “La Bohème”—will be screened free...
Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil‑Luminati Tour became India’s highest‑grossing concert series, generating roughly Rs 943 crore in total economic impact. Direct ticket sales contributed Rs 276 crore, while ancillary spending added Rs 553 crore across travel, hospitality and logistics. The tour sold 320,000 tickets via Zomato Live and created...
Capcom Cup 12 concluded with G8S|Sahara claiming $1 million of a $1.28 million prize pool. For the first time, Capcom delivered the finals as a pay‑per‑view event, sparking immediate backlash from the fighting‑game community. To soften criticism, Capcom added a free Battle...
Paramount Global announced a plan to merge its Paramount+ streaming service with BET+ and HBO Max, creating a single super‑streaming platform. The move follows Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and aims to combine libraries, technology and subscriber...
The 2026 Oscars marked a historic shift: none of the ten Best Picture nominees were primarily shot on Hollywood soundstages. Productions now span New York, Louisiana, the U.K., Canada, Europe, and South America, reflecting a migration toward lower‑cost locations. Los Angeles...
David Ellison, Skydance Media chief and son of Oracle co‑founder Larry Ellison, is spearheading a merger that would combine Paramount and Warner Bros. into a single entertainment powerhouse. The deal, valued at roughly $30 billion, promises up to 30 theatrical releases...
Former Fox broadcaster Piers Morgan has turned his YouTube channel, Uncensored, into a growing media platform. The channel now boasts over 4.3 million subscribers and recently secured $30 million in funding to launch new shows and hire talent, including a former MSNBC...
The 2026 World Cup will feature mid‑half hydration breaks to protect players from extreme heat, and broadcasters like ITV are planning to sell ad space during these pauses. Rather than traditional commercial slots, the network is testing split‑screen and picture‑in‑picture...
ByteDance has halted the international launch of its AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, after facing cease‑and‑desist letters from Disney, Paramount and Skydance over alleged copyright infringement. The tool, released in China a month ago, sparked viral videos that mixed celebrity...
Black and Latino listeners are among the fastest‑growing podcast audiences, pushing the medium ahead of talk radio in spoken‑word share. Yet creators from these groups rarely own their shows, with distribution and monetization dominated by Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Latina...
Blade & Soul Heroes, NCSOFT’s collectible action MMORPG, will cease global operations on June 16, 2026, just six months after its September 2025 launch. A final March 17 patch will deliver the remaining Hero Ryun and unlock all pending in‑game...
Talent agency 22 has denied allegations by Australian singer Sophie Monk that it improperly withheld over $500,000 in earnings. Monk is suing for $544,683 in unpaid commissions, interest and fees, while the agency has filed a cross‑claim for $124,000, alleging...
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr used social media to warn broadcasters that stations spreading what he calls “fake news” about the U.S. bombing of Iran could face license renewal challenges. He emphasized the FCC’s public‑interest mandate and suggested that non‑compliant stations...
Hulu has cancelled its planned *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* reboot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar after the pilot failed to meet internal standards. The project, ordered a year ago and directed by Oscar‑winner Chloé Zhao, featured a script by the Zuckerman sisters and...
The Los Angeles Angels have bought Main Street Sports Group’s 50 percent stake in FanDuel Sports Network West, gaining full ownership of the regional sports network. The deal eliminates the bankruptcy‑related uncertainty surrounding Main Street and allows the Angels to launch an...
Forbes’ 2025 highest‑paid actors list placed Mark Wahlberg third with $44 million, sparking confusion because he appeared in only one theatrical release, *Flight Risk*. The bulk of his earnings came from two streaming projects—*Play Dirty* for Prime Video, reportedly paying $25 million,...
Paramount Skydance’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery creates a merged studio aiming to release up to 30 films in 2027, with 26 theatrical titles already slated. The slate leans heavily on established franchises such as Godzilla‑Kong, Superman, Sonic the...
Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights has amassed $220.2 million worldwide, placing it second among this year’s releases after China’s Pegasus 3. The film earned $80.3 million domestically and $139.9 million overseas, a 74 % premium for international markets. It has now overtaken the...
Mega Crit Games’ Slay the Spire 2 sold three million copies within its first week of early‑access launch, making it the biggest rogue‑lite debut on Steam by peak concurrent players. Community manager Demi reported over 25 million runs completed, a figure that likely...
The article argues that generative AI is reshaping fandom from passive consumption to active co‑creation. Gen Z and Gen Alpha now view fan engagement as creation, demanding immersive, 24/7 experiences. Partnerships such as Disney’s deal with OpenAI let fans generate...
Psyop has named Dotti Sinnott executive vice president of studio, adding a seasoned production and studio‑management leader to its senior team. Sinnott will direct studio operations, production pipelines, and creative development while overseeing Psyop’s global network of partner studios. Her...
John Rice, CEO of JAM Media, warned that the traditional broadcaster‑centric model for preschool animation is becoming obsolete as platforms cut budgets and demand more audience ownership. He highlighted the need for studios to build direct relationships with children and...
A Fourth Pillar report shows 86% of global fixed‑income investors intend to boost music‑royalty and IP holdings, with deal flow rising to more than one transaction per month per investor. The surge is driven by streaming‑enabled globalization, richer data, and...
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, Philo and Roku executives discussed how contextual data drives brand‑safe CTV advertising. Philo, a lean MVPD with just 11 ad‑operations staff, relies on programmatic workflows and granular tone signals—such as happy versus sad moments—to match...
Embark Studios announced that Arc Raiders has removed several AI‑generated voice lines and replaced them with recordings from professional actors. Studio head Patrick Söderlund described AI as a production aid for testing dialogue, not a substitute for talent. The company...
Fox Sports shattered World Baseball Classic pool‑play viewership records, delivering an average 3.17 million viewers – a 183% increase over 2023 – with the Italy‑USA upset becoming the most‑watched telecast on FS1. ESPN posted its strongest men’s college basketball season in...
Solid State Logic announced the Net I/O ST 2110 Bridge at the 2026 NAB Show, a 1RU hardware converter that links SMPTE ST 2110 and Dante audio networks. The device supports 256 or 512 channels, offers upgrade paths, built‑in NMOS discovery and connection management, and...
Marc Allera, chair of CVC Capital Partners' Global Sport Group (GSG), said streaming platforms have made the sports media rights market healthier and that data‑driven revenue streams will drive future growth. GSG, which consolidates over €4.6 billion of CVC’s sports investments,...
This week’s Music Business Worldwide roundup highlighted five major developments. A Chicago court hearing revealed key details in Chance the Rapper’s $3.8 million commission dispute with former manager Patrick Corcoran. Concord expanded its European reach by acquiring London‑based indie label Ninja Tune,...
Embark Studios, a 360‑person Swedish developer, launched Arc Raiders in October 2025, selling over 14 million copies despite a development budget estimated at about $75 million—roughly a quarter of a typical AAA title. CEO Patrick Söderlund says the studio achieves AAA‑level quality...
Indie authors often overlook that a manuscript is a bundle of valuable intellectual‑property rights that can be licensed beyond the book itself. Copyright attaches automatically, but registration strengthens legal standing, while trademarks protect series titles, pen names, and distinctive characters....
Simulmedia announced two senior hires to boost its commercial and product capabilities. Justin Nesci, formerly iHeartMedia’s EVP of Advanced Audio and Data Revenue, joins as chief commercial officer to steer global sales, marketing and brand partnerships. Adam Gaynor, with a track record...
Razer unveiled an AI‑powered suite at GDC 2026 to streamline game development, highlighted by the QA Companion AI that automatically detects bugs from gameplay footage and creates detailed reports. The tool offers zero‑integration deployment, letting studios embed it without SDKs or...
Japanese game publisher Sega Sammy announced a broadening of its transmedia strategy, turning its flagship franchises into multi‑platform entertainment brands that span games, films, merchandise and live experiences. The plan places mobile and live‑service titles at the forefront, highlighted by...
Microsoft unveiled Project Helix at its GDC keynote, positioning it as a high‑end hybrid console that runs both PC games and legacy Xbox titles. The device will use an AMD‑based system‑on‑chip similar to current Xbox hardware but will be priced...
YouTube TV introduced a $65‑per‑month sports‑focused plan that delivers every men’s and women’s NCAA tournament game across CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN, and has expanded multiview functionality for simultaneous viewing. The service still lacks ESPN+ integration, requiring an extra subscription...
Brands are cutting influencer spend as costs rise and trust falls. The article proposes using CRM first‑party data to build an always‑on creator pool, turning loyal customers into authentic influencers. It outlines a Creator Potential framework—affinity, advocacy, reach—and behavior‑triggered recruitment....
At the NAB Show, Radio World will host a session on April 19 that frames radio‑station ownership as a boutique‑business opportunity for Gen‑X and Millennial professionals. Engineers Andy Gladding and Bud Williamson will discuss how owning a small‑market station can deliver community...
The New England Revolution has partnered with iHeartRadio’s Rumba 97.7 FM to broadcast all 17 home matches in Spanish for the 2026 MLS season, beginning with the March 15 clash against FC Cincinnati. The deal also names Rumba 97.7 as the official radio partner...
A new AppLovin report finds that 77% of U.S. mobile gamers spend $100 or more per month on online purchases, while 70% play daily, making the medium a high‑frequency touchpoint for brands. Nearly 40% of surveyed gamers bought a product...
Airwave has signed an exclusive distribution, monetization, and marketing agreement with The Clark Howard Podcast, one of the longest‑running personal‑finance shows. The partnership gives the podcast access to Airwave’s full‑service network, which supports over 180 podcasts and generates more than...
PGC London 2026 hosted a series of seven fireside chats that gathered top voices from the mobile‑games ecosystem, including Duolingo, 52 Entertainment, Finz Games, Studio Atelico, Zaibatsu Interactive and TapNation. The conversations explored how Duolingo applies game‑like core loops to language learning, how monetisation now...
Madison & Wall revised its 2026 U.S. advertising outlook, lifting total ad growth to 10.2% and ex‑political growth to 8.1%, up from its December 2025 benchmarks of 8.9% and 6.6% respectively. The upgrade incorporates Winterberry Group’s forecast, nudging MediaPost’s composite...
