‘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 platforms such as Kalshi and Robinhood, and joined an amicus brief opposing Kalshi’s New Jersey case. The National Indian Gaming Commission reported $43.9 billion in gross gaming revenue for FY 2024, underscoring the financial stakes. Siva warns that unchecked prediction contracts could become the largest existential crisis for tribal gaming.
New Programmatic 'Transparency' Initiative Excludes Advertisers
The IAB Tech Lab announced a new Programmatic Governance Council aimed at boosting transparency in the roughly $200 billion U.S. programmatic advertising market. The council brings together agencies, publishers and platforms such as Dentsu, Omnicom, Disney, Amazon Ads and The Trade...
Karol G Announces Global Stadium Tour
Karol G unveiled the Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour, a stadium‑scale world tour running from July 2026 through July 2027. The itinerary covers North America, Latin America and Europe, opening at Chicago’s Soldier Field and culminating with a European leg that makes...
How Coachella Became A Testing Ground For Cultural Brand Relevance
Coachella’s 2025 edition delivered $908 million in media impact value, turning the festival into a proving ground for cultural brand relevance. Activations such as Camp Poosh and Revolve’s wellness‑focused experiences generated buzz comparable to headline acts, while 818 Spirits’ fourth‑year "818...
YouTube Expands Its AI Likeness Detection Technology to Celebrities
YouTube announced that its AI‑driven likeness detection system, originally tested with a limited creator group, is now available to the entertainment sector. The tool works like Content ID, scanning uploaded videos for AI‑generated faces that match enrolled celebrities, talent agencies...
IAB Tech Lab Launches Programmatic Governance Council
IAB Tech Lab announced the creation of a Programmatic Governance Council, bringing together leading agencies, publishers, and ad‑tech platforms such as Dentsu, Disney, Amazon Ads, and The Trade Desk. The council targets the roughly $200 billion U.S. programmatic advertising market, which...
800 Pound Gorilla Goes Direct-to-Fan with a Comedy Streamer
800 Pound Gorilla Media is launching Gorilla Comedy+, a dedicated comedy streaming service featuring over 250 stand‑up specials from names like Patton Oswalt and Pete Holmes. The platform, built with Cineverse’s AI‑powered Matchpoint technology, will debut on May 5 with a...
"This Is Not a Sustainable Business Model" – Why Google Cloud's Jack Buser Thinks AI Can Save the Games Industry
Jack Buser, Google Cloud’s global director for games, warns that the industry’s business model is unsustainable, with operating profits dropping about 7% each year since 2021 despite revenue growth. Development costs have surged roughly 90% since 2017, forcing layoffs and...
Five Ways for Publishers to Attract and Retain High-Value Audiences
Q5’s latest report outlines five practical steps for publishers to attract and retain high‑value audiences. It stresses that journalism alone isn’t enough; commercial, product, and editorial teams must collaborate within organized structures. Senior leaders need a shared vision, transparent trade‑off...
OpenAI Turns on Cost-per-Click Ads Inside ChatGPT
OpenAI has activated cost‑per‑click (CPC) advertising inside ChatGPT, allowing marketers to bid $3‑$5 per click. The move follows a rapid decline in CPM rates, which fell from $60 to $25 per thousand impressions within ten weeks. By shifting to a...
Atresmedia Sales Takes Its Original Dramas to Content Europe
Atresmedia Sales showcased its original Spanish drama slate at Content Europe in Lisbon, unveiling titles such as The Maid’s Daughters, The Girl, Dreams of Freedom, Father There Is Only One, and Between Lands. The Maid’s Daughters is an eight‑episode period...
Roblox Workforce Grows 24% to over 3,000 Full-Time Staff
Roblox announced its full‑time workforce rose 24% in 2025, reaching 3,065 employees, driven largely by hires in product and engineering. The platform generated nearly $4.9 billion in revenue, a 36% jump, while daily active users grew by 60 million, hitting record concurrent...
Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media
Former NFL All‑Pro Brandon Marshall explains how he built I AM ATHLETE, an athlete‑owned media platform that emphasizes long‑form, athlete‑driven conversation. He credits early media ventures during his playing days for laying the groundwork and stresses ownership as essential in today’s fragmented...
MS NOW Uses Community to Build Up Its Brand
MS NOW is shifting from a traditional linear news outlet to a community‑first brand, leveraging its recent independence after NBCUniversal’s spin‑off. The network plans to launch a summer‑time app focused on direct audience interaction rather than streaming. Executives highlighted the rise...
Studio71 Sold to Fixated, Giving Company Network of 1,000-Plus Digital Creators
Los Angeles‑based Fixated has purchased creator‑media company Studio71, merging their talent representation, production and distribution capabilities. The combined entity now serves over 1,000 digital creators across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Twitch, and inherits Studio71’s podcast network and long‑standing...
Sega and Rovio Expand Angry Birds Licensing with WildBrain
Sega and Rovio have tapped WildBrain CPLG to manage Angry Birds licensing across Europe, the Middle East and South Korea, expanding the franchise’s merchandise portfolio. The new agreement adds toys, apparel, publishing, FMCG, homeware and gifting to the existing Sonic‑related work WildBrain...
ESA’s Iicon Event Offers Full Agenda on the Business and Tech Intersections with Gaming
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced the agenda for its inaugural iicon (Interactive Innovation Conference) taking place in Las Vegas from April 27‑29. The three‑day event will explore the convergence of gaming with business strategy, emerging technologies, and monetization models....
Bang Si-Hyuk, Chair of BTS Company HYBE, Faces Arrest Warrant Bid From Seoul Police in IPO Probe (Report)
Seoul police have filed for an arrest warrant for HYBE chairman Bang Si‑hyuk over alleged fraudulent share trades tied to the company’s 2020 IPO. The investigation centers on improper transactions valued at roughly 200 billion won (about $136 million), including claims Bang...
Dragon Ball and One Piece Company Toei Announces Toei Games Expansion
Toei Company, famed for One Piece and Dragon Ball, announced the creation of Toei Games, an in‑house video‑game publishing division. The new unit will focus on developing original intellectual property rather than leveraging existing anime franchises. Toei Games plans a PC launch on...
PGC Summit Malmö Mid Term Prices End This Week
Pocket Gamer Connects (PGC) Summit Malmö × MeetToMatch, powered by Xsolla, will run May 27‑28 during Nordic Game week. Mid‑term ticket pricing of €68 (about $75) ends this Thursday, April 27. The two‑day program is designed to bring developers, publishers, investors and service providers...
Four Publishers, One Growth Playbook: What The Guardian, Denník N, Uusi Juttu and Kyiv Independent Told Perugia About Reader Revenue
Four diverse publishers—The Guardian, Denník N, Uusi Juttu and the Kyiv Independent—shared a unified reader‑revenue playbook at the Perugia International Journalism Festival. Each relies on membership‑first models, with the Guardian generating roughly $125 million in digital reader revenue and 1.3 million supporters, while the...
impact.com Expands Creator Management Capabilities with YouTube’s Creator Partnerships API
impact.com announced an expanded collaboration with YouTube as an early adopter of the Creator Partnerships API, letting brands discover creators, manage sponsorships, and pull performance insights. The integration offers end‑to‑end campaign management and access to verified audience and engagement data....
Explore How 2026 Growth Engines Impact Games at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona
Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona, scheduled for June 15‑16, will focus on the 2026 growth engines reshaping game development, monetisation, and player acquisition. Industry leaders will dissect how artificial intelligence and direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) strategies are moving from hype to practical implementation....
Podcast Data Firm Bumper Unveils Audience Verification Metric to Boost Advertiser Confidence
Bumper, a podcast data and growth firm, launched the Bumper Score, a new audience verification metric that rates podcasts on a 0‑200 scale with 100 as the industry average. The score aggregates first‑party hosting data, verified listener information from major...
Fashion Retailer Quince Tops Podcast Ad Spending, Sports and Comedy Dominate Genre Placements in March
Fashion retailer Quince led March 2026 podcast advertising with an estimated $6.57 million spend, primarily on comedy programs. BetterHelp, Amazon, Meta, and T‑Mobile rounded out the top five, each allocating roughly $5‑6 million, with a strong preference for sports podcasts. Magellan AI’s...
Meta Launches First Instagram Campaign in Thailand to Drive Reels Adoption
Meta has launched its first dedicated Instagram brand campaign in Thailand, a 10‑week digital effort built by BBH Singapore. The initiative features two hero films, six 20‑second Reels and 15 creator‑led pieces starring local influencers to spur Reels creation among...
Comcast to Start Selling Peacock Subscriptions Through Roku Channel
Comcast’s NBCUniversal has signed a deal with Roku to sell Peacock Premium Plus subscriptions directly through The Roku Channel. Starting in the coming months, Roku smart‑TV and streaming‑device users can purchase the ad‑free plan for $17 a month, which includes...
Turkey’s OGM Pictures Signs Co-Production Deal with Spain’s Grupo Ganga
Turkey’s OGM Pictures has signed a strategic co‑production agreement with Spain’s Grupo Ganga, one of Europe’s leading scripted‑content producers. The partnership will develop a slate of premium series for linear broadcasters and global streaming platforms, blending format adaptations with original...
Burger King Returns to ‘Star Wars’ Galaxy as Turnaround Push Endures
Burger King has teamed with Disney’s "The Mandalorian and Grogu" to launch a limited‑time menu and multichannel campaign tied to the May 22 theatrical release. The promotion features items such as a BBQ Bounty Whopper in a helmet‑shaped carton, Grogu’s Blue...
Amazon Music Reveals ‘Just Walk Out’ Merch Plans for BTS Concerts
Amazon Music has secured exclusive rights to sell merchandise for BTS’s North American comeback tour, covering the United States, Canada and Mexico. The partnership includes pre‑sale events, on‑site booths and a full line of apparel, physical music and signature light...
Calinos and Pixcom Sign Partnership with TF1
Calinos Entertainment and Canadian producer Pixcom have struck a strategic deal with France’s TF1 Group to bring the hit scripted series *Indefensible* and *Alert Squad* to French audiences via the TF1+ platform. *Indefensible* commands roughly 1.5 million daily viewers in Canada,...
Sanrio Launches In-House Publishing Label Sanrio Games with $62.9m Investment
Sanrio has created an in‑house publishing arm, Sanrio Games, committing roughly $62.9 million to develop and market ten new titles over the next three years. The first release, Sanrio Party Land, is slated for autumn 2026 on Nintendo Switch and the upcoming...
US Casino Operator Eyes £225m Takeover of William Hill Owner Evoke
US casino operator Bally’s Intralot is weighing a £225 million (~$288 million) all‑share takeover of Evoke, the owner of William Hill and the 888 online casino brand. The proposal, which must be announced by May 18, may include a partial cash component. Evoke,...
Tata Play Binge Adds Pocket Films to Micro Drama Platform Shots
Tata Play Binge has bolstered its micro‑drama hub Shots by adding Pocket Films, expanding the catalog to over 210 titles and 220 hours of short‑format content in Hindi and regional languages. The ad‑supported library is part of a broader aggregation...
The Advertising, Media, and PR Award Winners From the 30th Annual Webby Awards
The 30th annual Webby Awards announced winners in advertising, media and PR, highlighting the best digital campaigns across more than 100 categories. Jury‑selected honors went to brands such as Centivo, NikeSkims, LinkedIn, and Wieden+Kennedy, while a new AI category recognized...
Shambala Becomes UK’s First Employee-Owned Festival
Shambala Festival announced it will become the UK’s first employee‑owned festival, transferring ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The original co‑founders are stepping away after 26 years, handing control to the staff who built the event. The shift is...
EU Firms Eye Noise Prediction Standard to Aid Festival Planning Headaches
European audio firms L‑Acoustics, d&b audiotechnik and SoundPLAN are developing the SDE (Sound Data Exchange) standard, a neutral file format that lets concert‑sound designs be exported directly into environmental noise‑prediction software. The format preserves phase data, enabling accurate modelling of...
Including A 20,000-Cap Arena: Live Nation, OVG & Atlético Madrid To Build Entertainment, Sports & Educational Complex In Spanish Capital
Live Nation, Oak View Group and Atlético Madrid have formed Barsento to redevelop Madrid’s former Olympic Aquatic Center into a 20,000‑seat arena, sports complex and education campus. The joint venture secured a 66,843 m² land concession and plans to invest roughly €400 million...
The Power of Creator and Brand Collaboration Put to the Test
At SMW 2026, Inmar Media’s Heather Riccobono demonstrated that creator‑led branded content can double sales lift, challenging the brand‑vs‑creator dichotomy. In a live 25‑minute UGC experiment, creator Hannah Lorsch shot and edited a dog‑tug‑toy photo with input from the audience...
‘Fastvertising’ Puts Real-Time Cultural Moments in Every Marketer’s Hands
Fastvertising leverages AI to let brands produce ads in minutes, matching the pace of viral cultural moments. The concept was highlighted by Fraser Woollard of MNTN, who cited a Nutella‑in‑zero‑gravity spot during the Artemis II mission as a real‑time win. AI...
Bringing Brands and Creators Together in the Participation Economy
The creator economy is evolving from passive followers to a participation economy where brands co‑create with creators and communities. At Social Media Week, Publicis Creative’s Charlotte Tansill and Sam’s Club’s MacKenzie McCarver highlighted the need for brands to listen, align...
Mother Dairy Rides IPL Viewership with Targeted JioHotstar CTV Push
Mother Dairy has launched a high‑impact Connected TV (CTV) partnership with JioHotstar for IPL 2026, orchestrated by WPP Media. The campaign embeds the brand in live match feeds, pre‑show segments, and milestone moments such as half‑centuries and centuries. By leveraging...
JioHotstar Brings Purchase Intent-Led Ads to Streaming Platform
JioHotstar has rolled out a purchase‑intent advertising capability that ties streaming content to immediate product discovery. The solution uses aggregated, privacy‑safe data to form audience cohorts based on behavioural signals, moving beyond traditional demographic targeting. Instamart is the inaugural partner,...
Live Nation Settles Deceptive Ticketing Claims in DC for $9.9m
Live Nation agreed to pay $9.9 million to settle a District of Columbia investigation alleging deceptive ticket pricing by its Ticketmaster unit. The deal includes an $8.9 million refund to consumers for purchases made between 2015 and 2025, and mandates that future...
Maatrubhumi’s Biggest Challenge Is the Fog of Repositioning that Could Alter Its Box Office Variables
Bollywood’s upcoming Salman Khan vehicle *Maatrubhumi* began as *Battle Of Galwan*, a title that rode the immediacy of the 2020 border clash and promised a clear patriotic hook. Mid‑production the film was retitled, 40% of its footage reshot, romance added and any...
What Live Nation’s Antitrust Loss Could Mean for One Canadian Competitor
The U.S. Department of Justice ruled on April 15 that Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster unit operate an illegal monopoly, controlling roughly 80% of major venue ticketing in North America. The decision could bring hefty fines, structural reforms, or...
Neverness to Everness Adds Persona 5 Music in New Collaboration
Hotta Studio announced that its upcoming open‑world gacha title Neverness to Everness will launch with a curated collection of Persona 5 music. Players can stream the tracks via the game’s in‑car radio or Walkman feature, with titles like "Colors Flying High"...
NAB 2026: Riedel Introduces IP-Based Production Updates Including Multiviewer, Commentary Control and Audio Connectivity Solutions
Riedel Communications unveiled three IP‑centric production tools at NAB 2026: the MediorNet HorizoN ST 2110 MultiViewer App, a Commentary Control App for 1200 Series Desktop SmartPanels, and the StageLink NSA‑008A Network Streaming Adapter. The MultiViewer runs on a 1RU HorizoN...
Inside Paramount’s 2026 Upfront Dinners
Paramount’s 2026 upfront dinners are the first client events since the $8 billion Skydance‑Paramount merger closed last year. The intimate gatherings, held in Chicago and Los Angeles, mark a return to the dinner format after the company dropped traditional upfront week in...
NEM Dubrovnik Set for Record Buyer Turnout in 2026
NEM Dubrovnik’s 13th edition, scheduled for June 8‑11, 2026, expects over 200 buyers – the largest turnout in its history. The roster features senior content and acquisition leaders from Disney, Warner Bros., CME, AMC Networks and major public broadcasters. Organisers highlight a...