JAKKS Pacific announced a licensing partnership with VTuber Ironmouse to launch the first major U.S. line of officially branded merchandise. The collection will span figures, plush toys, collectibles, tech accessories, and cosplay gear, sold through direct‑to‑consumer sites, Ironmouse’s own storefront, and select retailers. While the partnership broadens Ironmouse’s product reach, specific pricing, launch dates, and a full catalog remain undisclosed. The deal marks a milestone in bringing VTuber‑focused merch into mainstream retail channels.

Sky Media has named eBay as the headline partner for the UK launch of Saturday Night Live, bringing the American comedy brand to British screens on March 21. The deal centers on eBay Live, the platform’s interactive shopping experience, with eBay‑branded...
X is piloting a new ad format that automatically attaches product‑mention links to user posts, as seen with a Starlink CTA under a tweet. The format blends ads with organic content without compensating users, aiming to avoid skewed incentives. X...

TVNZ’s latest six‑month results reveal 1News At Six as the clear leader across both its TVNZ+ streaming app and traditional broadcast, attracting 726,000 viewers and nearly 20 million streams. News programmes such as Seven Sharp and Breakfast also rank among the...
Vail Resorts reported a 4% year‑over‑year increase in resort net revenue, driven by strong Australian visitation and the new Epic Australia four‑day pass. Reported EBITDA remained flat as weather‑related gains and efficiency savings were offset by inflation, higher marketing spend,...

Foxtel Media announced that 39% of advertisers for the 2026 NRL season are brand‑new, joining returning partners such as Westpac, McDonald’s and Toyota. New sponsors include Red Bull, Bunnings, Club 4×4 Insurance and Youi, while programmatic inventory expansion lets small regional...
Acast has inked a multi‑year agreement to host The Aunty Donna Podcast and the newly created Grouse House Podcast Network on its platform. The deal consolidates Australia’s leading independent comedy collective under one roof just as Aunty Donna prepares to...
Barb has added pre‑campaign planning to Barb Ads Hub, turning it into a single platform for UK advertising buyers and sellers to forecast and evaluate campaigns across linear and VOD services. The new planner, previously called Advanced Campaign Hub, merges...

The FCC’s ongoing C‑band auctions have stripped B2B media distributors of roughly 60% of their satellite spectrum, and a second auction of Upper C‑band is slated for mid‑2027. Broadcasters now face a shrinking pool of transponder capacity and must redesign...
Bruno Mars’ ninth studio album, The Romantic, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with 186,000 equivalent album units, marking his first chart‑topper since 2013 and his first debut‑at‑No. 1. The week’s tally comprised 93,500 pure sales, 90,500 streaming‑equivalent units (93.95 million streams),...

Pixar’s new animated feature *Hoppers* opened to a $46 million domestic weekend, bringing its global debut to $88 million. The launch marks the studio’s strongest opening for an original title since *Coco* in 2017 and the best domestic start for a Pixar...

Asmongold, co‑founder of streamer talent agency Mythic Talent, has mutually part‑ed ways with the firm after making inflammatory comments about a U.S. school bombing linked to Iranian airstrikes. Mythic’s brief statement emphasized respect and responsibility while offering no details on...

Cable networks such as ESPN, CNN and AMC continue to rely on subscriber carriage fees rather than moving to free over‑the‑air (OTA) television. In 2024 they collected over $40 billion in carriage fees, while advertising revenue declined about 10 % year‑over‑year. Technical...

Sling TV, a DISH/EchoStar subsidiary, introduced low‑cost daily Passes in 2025, attracting budget‑conscious cord‑cutters. Despite strong subscriber numbers—over 1.5 million—the parent’s strained balance sheet and costly 5G rollout have made Sling a non‑core asset. Analysts predict DISH may put Sling TV...

YouTube TV has launched a personalized subscription system that lets users build their own channel packages from 12 genre‑based bundles. The web‑only tool analyzes viewing history and suggests mixes of sports, entertainment, news and family channels, allowing customers to drop...

Ada Mockute Jaime, Nordcurrent’s senior leader, explains how the company scales mobile games by aligning product, marketing and community functions while leveraging creator‑driven discovery. She highlights the success of global titles such as Airplane Chefs and Cooking Fever, noting that universal mechanics...

The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s 2025 report shows free‑to‑air (FTA) TV viewership rebounding to 52 % of adults, driven by younger audiences, while subscription streaming remains stable at 68 % usage. ABC iview continues to dominate FTA catch‑up but its share fell...

President Donald Trump’s media arm has introduced Truth+, a live‑TV streaming service that combines a free tier with a $9.99 premium Patriot Package. The free tier provides 21 live channels, over 1,000 on‑demand titles, DVR capabilities and multi‑device support, while...

Humble Bundle marks its 15th anniversary with a special “15 Time Capsule” bundle featuring ten Steam Deck‑compatible indie titles at deep discounts. The collection includes OddSparks: An Automation Adventure, Inkbound, Kill Knight, Mark of the Deep and other classics such...

Disney’s 20th Century Studios saw Predator: Badlands retain the No. 1 spot on the Circana VideoScan overall disc sales and Blu‑ray charts for the week ending Feb. 28, marking its second consecutive week at the top. The sci‑fi action title slipped to No. 2...
The Writers Guild of America released its Pattern of Demands ahead of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, a step approved by 97.4% of its members. The document outlines broad objectives on health and pension contributions,...

The *Scrubs* revival premiered to 11.36 million cross‑platform viewers, becoming ABC’s highest‑rated comedy debut in 17 years and the network’s top streaming launch in over a year. The show leads the network’s linear adults 18‑49 ratings after three episodes and holds 90%...

The music industry saw a wave of senior appointments in early March 2026, with beatBread adding a CFO, a head of financial operations, and an AI board advisor. Moises recruited pop star Charlie Puth as chief music officer, while Sony...

SAS Airlines has become the first carrier to launch a dedicated BBC Nordic on‑demand channel, thanks to a partnership brokered by Touch Inflight Solutions. The new offering provides passengers with a curated selection of British titles, ranging from murder mysteries...
The FCC has approved the transfer of Legend Communications’ 24 radio stations in northern Wyoming from Susan K. Patrick to her ex‑husband Larry Patrick. The move follows Susan Patrick’s felony conviction for under‑reporting roughly $9 million in income and a subsequent...
YouTooz confirmed it will release three chibi‑styled Metaphor: ReFantazio figures and a Heismay Noctule plush, with pre‑orders opening on March 10, 2026. The figures depict the game’s protagonist Will, Leon Strohl da Haliaetus, and Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg, each holding...

Marvel Snap returned after a year‑long TikTok ban, with Second Dinner Studios now self‑publishing the title. The studio released roughly 100 new cards in 2025 and unveiled a "Foundational Focus" roadmap that includes the Objective keyword and a forthcoming Draft...

Hanwha Life Insurance announced an exclusive official sponsorship of Korea's esports national team for the 2026 Aichi‑Nagoya Asian Games. The deal makes Hanwha the sole financial‑sector sponsor, supporting roughly 50 athletes competing in nine titles. The insurer will fund preparation,...

Connoisseur Media announced internal promotions to strengthen its Long Island radio cluster. Sales Director Darren DiPrima has been elevated to Station Manager, a role that unifies programming, sales, promotions, and operations. Simultaneously, Patrick Shea will serve as Director of Technical...

ESPN has officially taken over NFL Network, absorbing all existing on‑air talent contracts as of April 1. Employees will remain under their current deals until expiration, after which they must negotiate new agreements with Disney’s ESPN division. The transition has sparked...
Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo, its cheapest MacBook yet, aimed at students and first‑time buyers, positioning the company against Chromebooks and low‑end Windows laptops. Simultaneously, Apple secured exclusive U.S. streaming rights for Formula 1 on Apple TV, adding premium sports content to its...

The Media Ratings Council (MRC) has raised concerns about Nielsen’s National Big Data + Panel TV measurement after detecting a more than 10% decline in 25‑54‑year‑old audience impressions in the first half of 2025. MRC identified four priority areas –...

Grand Slam Track’s Chapter 11 plan proposes paying athletes a $6 million boost while offering unsecured vendors a combined $200,000 on the $13 million they are owed. A committee of three vendors filed a court motion accusing the league of incompetence, self‑dealing, and...

Reservoir Media (NASDAQ:RSVR) is at the center of a heated takeover battle, with activist investor Irenic Capital proposing a $10‑$11 per‑share offer and a joint proposal from Wesbild and Richmond Hill valuing the stock at $10.50 while controlling roughly 64%...
Frequency and Flightpath announced a strategic partnership that integrates Flightpath’s predictive analytics with Frequency’s Premium Publisher Network marketplace. The combined solution gives podcast publishers real‑time inventory insights, enabling coordinated cross‑network sales and reducing unsold ad slots. By embedding forecasting directly...
Indie studio Brimstone’s “Super Battle Golf” has taken the chaotic multiplayer niche by storm, selling over 400,000 copies in its debut week. The game blends whimsical golf mechanics with combat tools such as landmines, explosive balls, and orbital strikes, supporting...
Hyunjin, a vocalist and dancer from K‑pop group Stray Kids, has been appointed as GUESS’s global brand ambassador. The partnership was unveiled on March 6 with a teaser that hid his face, followed by a full‑length Instagram campaign showcasing modern‑heritage denim...

Universal Music Group reported 9% year‑over‑year growth, highlighting AI partnerships and the integration of its Downtown Music acquisition. Create Music Group closed a $450 million financing round, valuing the company at $2.2 billion. Warner Music Group’s CEO framed AI as a new...

A Warren County, New Jersey AM radio station is set to become wholly owned by Lawrence J. Tighe Jr. after an asset sale agreement was filed with the FCC. The transaction ends the long‑standing partnership with Norman Worth. Concurrently, the...
The Next TMT Talks panel examined how connected‑TV operating systems have become the primary gateway for streaming content, advertising, and data collection. Panelists from The Trade Desk’s Ventura TVOS, Whale TV, and ViewLift discussed their strategies to challenge incumbent platforms and capture...

Midco Sports, a 95‑year‑old Upper Midwest technology firm, has turned its regional sports network into a national‑minded streaming platform, Midco Sports Plus, now reaching viewers in nine U.S. states. A new partnership with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) brings...

UK‑based indie publisher Sync Music Global has entered a worldwide sub‑publishing and administration agreement with Kobalt. The deal gives Kobalt responsibility for global administration of Sync’s catalog and includes a joint venture to co‑sign writers and accelerate market expansion. Sync’s...

US hip‑hop duo $uicideboy$ faces a lawsuit in the UK after allegedly sampling composer Mica Levi’s BAFTA‑nominated score for the film Under the Skin without permission. The disputed track, “What the Fuck is Happening,” contains a 1‑minute‑23‑second excerpt of Levi’s...
Lucy Dickins is exiting WME after reshaping its contemporary music division in both the UK and US. During her tenure she revitalized the London office, led the Los Angeles team through the COVID‑19 disruption, and secured high‑profile signings such as...

Live sports broadcasters are moving core production to cloud workflows, replacing on‑site hardware with scalable, remote infrastructure. The shift reduces capital expense, improves agility, and supports the growing demand for multi‑language, regional, and platform‑specific feeds. Modern encoding, bandwidth, and latency...

A Class B AM station serving the Minneapolis‑St. Paul market, known for its progressive talk lineup featuring hosts like Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann, has been sold by owner Chad Larson. The station, operating at 1 kW daytime and 3 kW nighttime...

Salem Media announced its Salem News Channel is now available on Amazon Prime Video. The addition places the channel within Prime Video’s growing free ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST) portfolio. Salem’s VP Cary Pahigian highlighted the move as a way to...

Ratings Roundup shows a surge in live sports viewership across major leagues. ESPN’s MLB spring‑training broadcast between the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers attracted 468 K average viewers, a 54 % increase over last year and the most‑watched spring‑training game in a...
![[Industry News] Facepunch Studios, Developers of Rust, Sponsor DreamHack Birmingham](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/Facepunch-x-Dreamhack-2026.png)
Facepunch Studios, the creator of Rust and Garry’s Mod, announced it will sponsor DreamHack Birmingham from March 27‑29. The company will host a modest booth where attendees can try its new game‑creation platform s&box and preview Rust Mobile. COO Alistair...

Sony is reversing its recent experiment with PC ports, scrapping plans for upcoming first‑party titles like Ghost of Yotei. The move follows disappointing sales – only about 6% of God of War Ragnarök players were on PC – and a failure...