The Strategy Behind Comcast’s Refreshed Xfinity Mobile Plans
Comcast has streamlined Xfinity Mobile into two clear plans—Mobile Select at $30 per line and Mobile Plus at $45—phasing out its previous by‑the‑gig pricing. Both tiers include unlimited talk and text, while Select offers 50 GB premium data and a Global Travel Pass, and Plus adds unlimited premium data, 4K streaming, device upgrades and lifetime protection. Existing customers can switch at any time, and eligible Xfinity Internet users receive a free Select line for 12 months. The carrier touts up to 50% savings versus the big three carriers as it pushes for broader convergence with its broadband services.
FCC Scrutinizing TV Ratings System
The FCC has issued a notice seeking public comment on the transparency and accuracy of the industry‑run TV ratings system overseen by the TV Oversight Management Board (TVOMB). The agency is concerned that shows featuring transgender or non‑binary themes are...
GCI Buying Quintillion
GCI announced it will acquire Alaskan fiber infrastructure firm Quintillion in a deal valued at $310 million. The transaction merges Quintillion’s 1,800+ miles of subsea and terrestrial fiber, plus roughly 1,500 miles of planned expansion, with GCI’s statewide network. GCI will...
NFL Goes to the FCC
The NFL met with Federal Communications Commission staff to argue that its reliance on free, over‑the‑air broadcasts benefits fans, local stations, and all 32 clubs. The league highlighted the steep decline in pay‑TV subscriptions and cited Amazon’s record‑breaking Thursday Night...
Is Netflix Making a Big Real Estate Move In L.A.?
Netflix is in talks with Goldman Sachs to acquire the historic Radford Studio Center, signaling a possible shift from its current lease of the Sunset Studios complex. The streaming giant currently pays $27 million in annual rent to Hudson Pacific Properties...
Nine Secures NBL Rights in Two Year Deal
Nine has secured a two‑year free‑to‑air broadcast agreement with the National Basketball League, delivering two marquee games each week on the 9Network and 9Now. The deal also includes live coverage of the NBL Finals, a weekly analysis show, and a...
How AI-Powered Media Asset Management Is Reshaping Broadcast Workflows
Broadcast producers are grappling with unprecedented volumes of high‑resolution media, exposing the limits of legacy Media Asset Management (MAM) systems. AI‑driven tools now auto‑generate metadata, apply speech‑to‑text transcription, and recognize objects, shrinking asset search times from minutes to seconds. These...
Netflix Plans to Buy Historic Radford Studio Center
Netflix is in advanced talks to acquire the historic Radford Studio Center in Studio City for a price between $330 million and $400 million. The deal comes after the lot’s former operator, Hackman Capital Partners, defaulted on a $1.1 billion mortgage, prompting Goldman...
Snickers, Twix Use Laughs To Launch New Products
Mars is rolling out humor‑driven campaigns for Snickers and Twix as it expands its product lineup. The "Stuck" campaign promotes Snickers Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Ice Cream with a comedic hiker ad, while Twix launches bite‑size Twix Bits starring...
Snap CFO Steps Down
Snap announced CFO Derek Andersen will leave the company on May 8, ending an eight‑year tenure that saw the firm navigate the pandemic and a shift to a more robust ad platform. The departure follows a 16% workforce reduction and comes...
The Dealmaking 3: NBA Playoffs on NBC, NFL Draft AI & $7M for Athletes
The Dealmaking 3 highlights three major sports‑industry moves. NBC Sports has signed an 11‑year agreement to broadcast NBA playoff games, marking its return to the league’s postseason. Amazon’s NFL Draft AI, branded as NFL IQ, now provides live fan‑prediction updates every...
Firstpoint VC Announces €50 Million Fund to Support AI-Driven Gaming and Entertainment Startups
Firstpoint VC has launched a €50 million ($55 million) venture fund dedicated to AI‑driven gaming and entertainment startups. The fund targets emerging markets, including Türkiye, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. It is led by Burak Yılmaz and Mike Fischer, veterans...
Soccer Legend Ronaldinho Launches Tu Música Record Label in Partnership with Brazil’s Sua Música Group
Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho has launched a new record label, Tu Música, in partnership with distribution firm Sua Música Group, talent‑management company ASJ, and his brother Roberto de Assis. The label will debut with a FIFA World Cup‑inspired compilation and...
RAIN Notes: April 21
Bauer Media has partnered with Experian to bring data‑driven, hyper‑local targeting to its digital radio advertising. Experian’s MicromarketerG3 aligns listening areas with postal districts, feeding the audioXi platform so ads reach the right listeners in specific neighborhoods. The combined solution...
CMG Offers Spanish-Language Newscasts In ‘First Coast’
Cox Media Group’s Telemundo affiliate in Jacksonville will debut a Spanish‑language local newscast, "Noticias Jacksonville," on May 4, airing on WFOX‑30.4. The program marks the first en‑español local news offering in the First Coast market. Anchor Karen Taffanelli will also serve...
FCC OK’s NEPA ‘Triopoly’ For Sinclair With ‘CW 38’ Nod
The Federal Communications Commission approved Sinclair Broadcast Group's request to transfer control and waive conditions for the CW‑38 affiliate serving Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sinclair, which has run the station under a shared‑service agreement since September 2013, now gains outright ownership. The...
Modelo Beer Goes All-In On World Cup With Largest Ever Futbol Investment
Modelo Especial and Modelo Negra have launched the “Best Seat in the House” campaign for the 2026 World Cup, marking the brand’s largest futbol media spend. The effort includes TV ads during 104 Spanish‑language matches and sponsorship of every Telemundo...
L.A. to Cut Film Permit Fees, but Only for Small Projects
Los Angeles launched a six‑month pilot to slash film‑permit fees for very small productions, cutting application costs from $931 to $350 and waiving fire‑department spot‑check fees. The program targets shoots with fewer than 30 cast and crew members, lasting no...
What IMAX Got Right While the Rest of the Movie Industry Flatlined
Domestic box‑office revenue has stalled under $9 billion for three years, yet IMAX posted a record $449 million domestic haul and $1.28 billion globally, a 40% year‑over‑year rise. With only about 1% of North American screens, IMAX captured nearly 20% of opening‑weekend grosses...
Why Super Evil Megacorp Invested in TMNT: Splintered Fate Rather than Killing It Off | Exclusive
Super Evil Megacorp (SEMC) chose to keep its live‑service title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate alive instead of pulling the plug after a modest launch. The game debuted on Apple Arcade in 2023 and has since rolled out to...
ANA CEO Liodice Planning Goodbye From Advertiser Advocacy Group
Bob Liodice, who has led the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) for 23 years, announced he will step down as CEO at the end of 2026 and serve in an advisory role through Q1 2027. During his 31‑year tenure, ANA...
Why Doesn't Xbox Game Pass Include Every Call of Duty Game?
Microsoft announced that new Call of Duty titles will not appear on Xbox Game Pass until roughly a year after release, coinciding with a price reduction for the subscription. The move follows the 2022 $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which...
Deezer Says It’s Getting Spammed with AI Songs
Deezer reports that AI‑generated tracks now account for 44% of its daily uploads, even though they represent only 1‑3% of listener consumption. Roughly 75,000 AI songs are added each day, amounting to about two million per month, creating sizable moderation...
Gator Country: It’s K-LOVE and Air1 For This Radio Vet
Gator Harrison, a veteran of secular radio, will join K‑LOVE’s Ministry Leadership Team as Chief Media Officer on May 11. He will oversee the K‑LOVE and Air1 Worship brands, live events, and partnership initiatives. Harrison previously spent more than a decade...
Say Hello to Toei Games, a New Branch With No New Kamen Rider Games
Japanese media giant Toei has launched a new game development arm, Toei Games, as part of its "Toei New Wave 2033" initiative. The studio will create original gaming IPs rather than adapt existing franchises like Kamen Rider or Dragon Ball. A first...
Comscore Renews Measurement Agreements with Local TV Broadcasters
Comscore announced the renewal of measurement agreements with more than a dozen local television broadcasters, including Sinclair, E.W. Scripps, Cox Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, Allen Media Group and Thomas Broadcasting. The contracts span renewals, extensions and new partnerships, reflecting broadcasters’...
Tim Cook Turned Apple Into a Hollywood Power Player. Does the New CEO Feel the Same Way?
Tim Cook transformed Apple from a hardware‑centric firm into a major player in Hollywood by launching Apple TV+ and an in‑house studio, driving services revenue from $46.3 billion in 2019 to $109 billion last year. The platform attracted marquee talent such as...
UK Publishers Urge CMA to Curb Google as Search Giant Claims AI Does Them No Harm
UK news publishers have asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to force Google to separate its AI fine‑tuning crawler from its search ranking system and to provide granular opt‑out controls for training, fine‑tuning and retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG). They dispute...
Readly Deluged with User Complaints Post Cafeyn Merger
Readly has completed its merger with French rival Cafeyn, creating a combined European digital‑magazine platform with roughly €100 million (about $107 million) in revenue and over 2.5 million users. The company reports that 99% of sessions are crash‑free and 97% of users successfully...
Xbox Finally Lowers Price For Game Pass, But Is It Enough?
Xbox announced a $7 price cut for Game Pass Ultimate, lowering the monthly fee from $29.99 to $22.99. At the same time, Microsoft said new Call of Duty releases will no longer appear on day one, instead joining the service...
Mr. Smith’s Goes To Oxnard, Joining Cumulus
Cumulus Media has hired Bill Smith as Vice President and General Manager of its Oxnard‑Ventura radio cluster. The portfolio includes KRUZ‑FM 103.3, KBBY‑FM 95.1, KHAY‑FM 100.7 and KVYB‑FM 106.3, covering a mix of classic rock, hot adult contemporary, country and...
Gray Media Accuses Dish of Violating Retransmission Consent Rules
Gray Media has filed a complaint with the FCC accusing Dish Network of violating retransmission‑consent rules by continuing to provide its CBS affiliate WVLT to a Knoxville hotel through Dish’s business‑to‑business SmartBox service after their distribution agreement expired in March....
30e Inks Deal With Maracanã To Book Major Concerts At Iconic Brazilian Stadium
Brazil’s leading promoter 30e secured exclusive concert‑booking rights to Rio’s iconic Maracanã stadium, effective Jan. 1 2027. The deal allows 30e to schedule major shows while preserving the venue’s primary soccer function, with two concerts already slated for 2027—a samba gathering featuring...
The Hideaway Entertainment Options Johnathan Walton’s True-Crime Podcast ‘The Handyman of West Texas’
Johnathan Walton Media has signed a deal with The Hideaway Entertainment to adapt the true‑crime podcast “The Handyman of West Texas” for screen. The six‑episode series, which debuted in January, follows a male sex worker posing as a handyman for...
Not So SMARTBOX? Gray Accuses Dish Of Carriage Violation
Gray Media has lodged a formal complaint with the FCC alleging that DISH Network violated retransmission‑consent rules. The dispute stems from a CBS affiliate in Knoxville being carried on a DISH‑owned distribution platform at a local hotel. Gray’s attorney from...
Visa and TikTok Unveil Debit Card for Social Commerce Payouts
Visa and TikTok have introduced a UK‑first “creator card,” a Visa‑issued debit card that lets TikTok Live creators instantly convert virtual gifts into cash. The card is paired with a dedicated business account, helping creators keep personal and business finances...
Telefilm Unveils Framework for Strategic Review of Funding Programs
Telefilm Canada released its Strategic Orientation Framework, a roadmap guiding the review of all funding programs under its 2024‑2027 plan. The review, slated to run through 2028, will introduce clear, measurable performance indicators and publish results regularly. By focusing on...
Deezer Says It's Being Bombarded by 'Nearly 75,000' AI-Generated Tunes Every Day, and that 97% of Survey Respondents Can't Tell...
Deezer reports that nearly 75,000 AI‑generated tracks are uploaded daily, representing about 44% of all new songs on the platform. Its detection system flags roughly 85% of those as fraudulent, demonetizing them, while only 1‑3% reach listeners. A survey shows...
Cord Cutting Today: Big Changes Could Hit Free OTA TV as Roku Expands and Netflix Eyes More NFL Games
Cord‑cutters face a shifting landscape as major broadcasters consider moving local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations from free over‑the‑air (OTA) channels to 6G wireless spectrum, while Roku expands its ecosystem with a new interactive video game for TVs and...
Stephan Franck Launches Kickstarter for Final ‘Palomino’ Volume
Stephan Franck, the award‑nominated cartoonist behind shows like Spider‑Man and The Iron Giant, has opened a Kickstarter for “Palomino” Volume 6, the concluding chapter of his Ringo Award‑nominated neo‑noir graphic‑novel series. The campaign bundles all six volumes and a line of...
How Native CTV Is Solving the Channel’s Attention Problem
The NewFronts highlighted a shift in connected‑TV advertising toward performance, with native CTV emerging as a key format. By embedding ads into the smart‑TV home screen, brands reach viewers during the 10.5‑minute browsing window before content selection, turning attention into...
HALLOW BLADE Gets New Publisher Top Hat Studios
Top Hat Studios announced it will publish Xekvera’s dark‑fantasy action‑adventure *HALLOW BLADE* on Windows PC via Steam. The game puts players in the shoes of a lone knight wielding a cursed blade, blending strategic first‑person swordplay with exploration of a...
Peachtree Adds Industry Vets Aaron Siuda SVP Marketing, Andrew Hingley VP Artist Relations & Development
Peachtree Entertainment announced the addition of two seasoned executives: Aaron Siuda as senior vice president of marketing and Andrew Hingley as vice president of artist relations and development. Siuda arrives with more than 25 years in live‑event marketing, most recently serving as SVP...
2D Horror Game METAMORPHOSIS Gets Publisher Top Hat Studios
Top Hat Studios announced it will publish luxan’s 2D pixel‑art horror title METAMORPHOSIS on Windows PC via Steam. The game follows Aria, a condemned nun, as she explores a desolate world seeking redemption. A demo released alongside the announcement lets...
IPL 2026 Ad Race Sees Digital-First Categories Dominate CTV
The IPL 2026 advertising landscape shows a stark split between Connected TV (CTV) and Linear TV. Digital‑first categories such as e‑commerce media, entertainment and social platforms captured 35% of CTV ad volume, while traditional mouth fresheners led Linear TV with...
JOLYN Tabbed as Swimsuit Partner for Upcoming ‘Baywatch’ Reboot
Celebrated performance swimwear brand JOLYN has been named the official category partner for the first season of FOX and Fremantle’s Baywatch reboot. The company will co‑design and produce three iconic red one‑piece swimsuits using its Foreverever® high‑performance fabric, plus men’s...
Danny Wimmer Presents Launches DWP Concerts Division, Adds Talent Buyer Billy Hardison
Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has unveiled DWP Concerts, a new division that offers venue development, talent buying, marketing and production services. The unit will spearhead a 10,000‑capacity outdoor amphitheater in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and already advises venues such as Iroquois...
PBS in Minneapolis Is Taking Over Control of a Smaller PBS Station, Likely a Sign of Things to Come
Twin Cities PBS (TPT) has taken operational control of Austin‑based KSMQ Public Television through a no‑cost asset transfer that took effect on April 14. The agreement lets TPT manage daily operations while preserving KSMQ’s local identity and service to the Rochester‑Austin...
Barclays Arena: ‘We as an Arena Should Help Develop Artists’
Barclays Arena in Hamburg posted a record year in 2025, drawing over 1.2 million fans across 156 events. Leveraging its 15,000‑seat capacity, the venue is now actively nurturing German talent by scaling down to 6‑8k seats for emerging acts. The strategy...
‘This Is Purely Gaming’: Inside the Tribal Fight Against Prediction Markets
California tribal leader James Siva, chair of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, is spearheading a nationwide tribal effort to block sports prediction markets, which he says threaten tribal gaming sovereignty. Tribes have filed lawsuits in California and Wisconsin targeting...