Indriya Signs Actor Krithi Shetty for Long-Term Brand Partnership
Indriya, the Aditya Birla Group’s jewellery label, has inked a long‑term partnership with Telugu film star Krithi Shetty, debuting the collaboration during its Akshaya Tritiya 2026 campaign. The campaign showcases temple‑inspired pieces—layered harams, jhumkas and bangles—through an intimate film that ties the actress’s personal heritage to the brand narrative. Distribution spans a 360‑degree media mix across India, aiming to embed the collection in the festive buying cycle. The move underscores Indriya’s ambition to accelerate its market presence as a newer consumer‑retail venture.
France: Scripted Drama ‘Magic Money’ Dries Up
France’s scripted drama output fell 14% in 2023 after a record 599 series in 2022, and total budgets slipped to €1.23 billion (about $1.33 billion). Consulting firm Dutoit Media warned that the “magic money” era, when streaming platforms funded productions to win...
Should Affiliates Buy Likes on Social Media? Here’s What the Articles Promoting It Won’t Tell You
The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, effective October 21, 2024, prohibits buying fake Instagram likes, followers or engagement when used to misrepresent commercial influence. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $53,088 per infraction. For affiliate marketers, the rule means that...
Spain Study: Streamers Using Geo-Targeted Ads to Boost Revenue
A Spanish university study of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max reveals that all four services are integrating geo‑targeted, personalised advertising into ad‑supported tiers. Researchers examined 920 ads across 536 episodes, finding that Prime Video runs the most ads...
MFE Doubles Profits in 2025
MFE‑MediaForEurope posted a 37% jump in 2025 revenue to €4.03 bn (≈$4.35 bn) and more than doubled net profit to €301 mn (≈$325 mn). Free cash flow rose 45% to €498 mn (≈$538 mn) and the dividend reached a 15‑year peak of €154 mn (≈$166 mn). Mediaset, its...
Study: Netflix Holds Top Spot Across All US Streaming Metrics
Conjointly’s Brand Tracker surveyed 1,427 U.S. consumers, including 856 active streaming subscribers, to map brand health across the funnel. Netflix dominates every metric, posting 92% aided awareness, 79% consideration, 74% current subscription and a 39% preferred‑brand share, while also leading...
Pinard-Legry Named CEO of Canal+ Europe
Christophe Pinard‑Legry has been appointed CEO of Canal+ Europe while retaining his position as CEO of Canal+ France’s Business division. The new role places him on the Canal+ Management Board, overseeing subsidiaries in ten European markets and eleven overseas territories...
Best Practices for Seamless Live Streaming Failover
Industry leaders agree that by 2026 seamless CDN failover is the baseline for live‑streaming, especially for high‑stakes sports events. The shift moves from a single standby CDN to multiple actively‑loaded CDNs that keep caches warm. Experts stress side‑by‑side traffic distribution...
RIP QVC: Why Shoppers Switched Off the Channel that Changed Retail
QVC, the pioneering home‑shopping network launched in 1986, announced a Chapter 11 filing after its holding group succumbed to $6.6 billion of debt and more than $2.4 billion in 2025 losses. Viewership plummeted 61% since 2020, and the company’s linear, host‑driven model failed...
Ads of the Week: 9 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From American Eagle to Nespresso
The weekly ad roundup spotlights star‑driven campaigns from Nespresso, American Eagle, Dove, Dr. Squatch, Liquid Death, Peloton, Kotex and OFFF Barcelona. Nespresso debuts a refreshed visual identity with Dua Lipa and a cameo by George Clooney to court Gen Z coffee drinkers, while American Eagle...
Campaign and Marketing Week to Co-Host Sessions as Campaign House Returns to Cannes Lions
Campaign and Marketing Week will co‑host a series of sessions at Cannes Lions 2026, aligning with Haymarket’s broader week‑long slate of activities at the premier advertising festival. The partnership positions the publications alongside industry leaders, offering live panels, workshops, and...
Dish TV Turns Small Switches Into Always-On Viewing
Dish TV launched an "Always‑On" advertising campaign centered on the tagline “Kuch chhota sa karne par, life hogi behtar,” highlighting how tiny choices can improve daily TV viewing. The brand emphasizes its uninterrupted service that stays active even when recharges...
Hot Take: YouTube Shouldn’t Rely On Creators To Convince Brands It’s TV
YouTube is positioning its platform as a television equivalent to capture premium ad budgets, emphasizing the growing share of viewing on living‑room screens. At its NewFronts event, the company let creators pitch the TV narrative, citing data such as 62%...
Riot Considered Acquiring Ashes of Creation Studio for Its MMO Title, Says Co-Founder
Riot Games co‑founder Marc Merrill confirmed the company once considered investing in or acquiring Intrepid Studios, the developer behind Ashes of Creation, with a potential valuation between $250 million and $500 million. Ultimately Riot decided not to proceed, citing misalignment of goals....
Bauer Media Group Slashes Publishing Headcount in Company-Wide Restructure
Bauer Media Group announced a company‑wide restructuring that could cut 20‑30% of its publishing workforce, primarily in Germany and the U.K. The move includes shutting down the digital unit Bauer Xcel Media Deutschland KG by September 30, 2026, and consolidating German titles...
The Rundown: Q1 Dealmaking Cools Across Ad Tech and Martech as AI Remains the Hottest Ticket
Deal activity in ad‑tech and martech cooled sharply in Q1 2026, with LUMA Partners reporting an 11% drop in total M&A volume to 103 transactions and a 30% decline in deals over $100 million. While ad‑tech deal counts held steady, high‑value...
The Money Goes Somewhere
The BBC announced a reduction of 2,000 jobs and a £500 million (≈$640 million) budget cut, while Disney eliminated its entire PR and marketing divisions and San Diego’s mayor proposed slashing city arts funding by 85 %. At the same time, NPR secured $110 million...
Conde Nast Shrinks: Publisher Is Closing 'Self' And Several 'Glamour' Editions
Condé Nast announced a portfolio overhaul, shutting down the *Self* magazine and ending the *Wired* Italy edition while winding down *Glamour* operations in Germany, Spain and Mexico. Health and wellness stories from *Self* will be folded into *Allure* and *Glamour*, and...
Inside the Creator-Led Media Economy: Coachella
Influencer marketing now commands 20‑30% of media budgets, with Australian creator spend hitting $830 M AUD (≈$550 M USD) in 2025 and projected to reach $1 B AUD by 2030. The Coachella festival has become a high‑velocity content factory, where brands like Revolve, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, and...
Weigel Broadcasting Taps OpenAP for Advanced Advertising Tools
Weigel Broadcasting announced a partnership with OpenAP to roll out advanced advertising tools ahead of the 2026 Upfront season. The collaboration lets advertisers access richer audience data and purchase inventory across Weigel’s nine niche TV networks, including MeTV and Heroes...
Pam Abdy and Sandra Bullock Talk Paramount-Warners Deal and ‘Practical Magic 2’
Paramount is nearing a mega‑merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, but the deal remains in regulatory limbo. Warner’s co‑chair Pam Abdy said the studio is already green‑lighting films slated for release through 2029 to keep talent and staff engaged. At a CNBC Changemakers...
Sony Pictures' CEO Urges Cinemas to Cut Ad Reels Before Films
At CinemaCon, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group CEO Tom Rothman called on theater operators to drastically reduce the roughly 30‑minute pre‑show ad and trailer blocks that precede movies. He warned that the length of these segments drives frequent moviegoers to...
Daily Mail All-In on Subscriptions as Dynamic Paywall Experiment Goes Live
Daily Mail Australia has launched a dynamic AI‑driven paywall that selectively locks 10‑15% of articles based on each reader’s likelihood to subscribe. The experiment supports a broader subscription push, with the outlet aiming for one million paying users by October...
Getting Ready for NAB Show 2026
The NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas adds an extra day and expects a record 18,000 attending companies, up from 12,000 last year, with 44% newcomers. The event spotlights the $6.2 billion Nexstar‑Tegna merger and the fight for exclusive live‑sports rights...
Netflix Reports First Earnings Post-WBD
Netflix reported its first quarter 2026 results after walking away from a planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio assets, incurring a $2.8 billion termination fee. Revenue rose 16.2% year‑over‑year to $12.25 billion, while operating income climbed 18% to $3.96 billion...
ESPN’s WrestleMania Plan Marks a Linear TV First
ESPN is launching a hybrid distribution model for WrestleMania 42, simulcasting the opening hour of each night on ESPN2 and ESPN while the remainder streams on the ESPN Unlimited app. The arrangement follows a five‑year, $1.6 billion agreement that made ESPN...
Coachella 2026 Wasn’t Just a Music Festival; It Was a Brand Universe
Coachella 2026 transcended a music event, becoming a sprawling brand universe where beauty, spirits, AI and hospitality brands built immersive experiences. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode launch, Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila outpost, and Red Bull’s 20,000‑sq‑ft Mirage turned product drops into cultural...
Dance Music Magazine Mixmag Appoints Culture-First Agency Noisy to Drive ANZ Growth
Mixmag ANZ, the world’s largest dance‑music magazine, has signed a partnership with culture‑first agency noisy to accelerate its growth across Australia and New Zealand. The deal covers content creation, brand campaigns and real‑world activations, linking Mixmag’s local audience to noisy’s nightlife...
SCA–Seven Deal ‘Snuck in’ Before ACCC Overhaul
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) completed a $385 million AUD (≈$254 million USD) acquisition of Seven West Media in early January 2026. The deal was finalized just days before Australia’s mandatory, public merger regime took effect on 1 January 2026, allowing it to avoid...
Xperi Launches DTS Autostage Portal Premium Tier
Xperi has introduced a premium tier for its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal, offering stations near‑real‑time, daypart‑level rankings and exportable music charts. The service taps data from roughly 16 million vehicles, generating about 34 million listening hours per month across 302 U.S. markets....
Fourteen Australians Appointed to Judge Cannes Lions 2026, Including Film Craft Chair
Australia’s representation on the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity jury expands to 14 senior leaders for the 2026 awards, up from nine in 2025. The jurors cover categories from audio and design to sustainability and health, with Pip Smart chairing...
How Taylor Swift’s Catalog Fueled Scott Borchetta’s Push Into Sports
Scott Borchetta, the billionaire founder of Big Machine Label Group, is extending his entertainment empire into sports by partnering his eponymous entertainment firm with KMM Sports, a boutique NFL agency. The deal brings KMM the brand‑building, media, and business‑management resources...
Phasmophobia Is Getting an Alan Wake 2 Crossover Event Next Month, Which Would Be Cool if It Wasn't One Time...
Kinetic Games announced a limited‑time Alan Wake 2 crossover for its co‑op horror title Phasmophobia. The event launches on May 12 and ends on June 2, 2024, and will not return after that window. Players will explore Alan Wake‑themed locations, hear voice‑over from Matthew Porretta, and...
Globo Anuncia Cinco Patrocinadores De Projeto Com Criadores De Conteúdo Para Copa 2026
Globo, in partnership with agency Play9, launched the "2026 Convocados" multiplatform project to amplify its World Cup 2026 coverage through a network of digital creators. The initiative secured five sponsors—Amazon, Localiza, Medley, Suvinil and BYD—and will feature 26 headline influencers...
Netflix Reports Strong Q1 Earnings, Touting Importance of Live Sports
Netflix posted Q1 2026 revenue of $12.25 bn, up 16% YoY, and net income of $5.3 bn, an 83% jump, driven by live‑sports events and a $2.8 bn termination fee after walking away from an $82.7 bn Warner Bros. Discovery deal. The company launched...
Ted Sarandos Says Failed Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Hardened Netflix’s M&A Muscles
Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos said the company’s $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery taught Netflix to prioritize investment discipline over ego. After Paramount Skydance secured the assets for roughly $111 billion, Netflix walked away and collected a $2.8 billion termination fee. Sarandos highlighted that the...
Facebook Wants to Scan Users’ Camera Rolls for Content
Meta has begun testing an opt‑in camera‑roll suggestion feature for Facebook users in the United Kingdom. The tool scans a device’s photo library, identifies standout moments and proposes ready‑made collages, videos or story drafts that can be posted to Feed,...
Samba TV Hires Kelly Barrett From Comscore to Lead Product Management
Samba TV appointed Kelly Barrett as Senior Vice President of Product Management to steer global product strategy for its analytics and audience solutions, emphasizing AI‑driven measurement. Barrett will report to CEO Ashwin Navin and lead the expansion of product, design,...
The NFL Wants to Double The Cost of Its NFL Games & Could Drive Up The Cost of Your TV...
The NFL is demanding roughly double the current media‑rights fees as renewal talks begin, while broadcasters counter with a modest 25% increase. Existing contracts generate more than $10 billion annually; a 50‑60% hike could add about $1 billion per year, pushing CBS’s...
Spectrum Launches Free App for Google TV, Android TV Devices
Charter Communications has released a free Spectrum TV app for Google TV and Android TV platforms, extending its streaming service to smart TVs running these operating systems. The launch follows a similar rollout on Amazon Fire TV and adds to...
Rom-Coms Make Money. Why Is Hollywood So Afraid to Put Them in Theaters?
Romantic comedies have shown strong box‑office potential—Crazy Rich Asians earned $238 million and Anyone But You $200 million—yet studios still shy away from theatrical releases, preferring superhero franchises. With modest budgets, typically $50‑$70 million, rom‑coms like Ticket to Paradise ($60 million budget) generated $168 million, delivering high returns. Executives cite perceived...
Netflix Sees Modest Bump in Revenue During Q1; Reed Hasting to Leave Board
Netflix reported Q1 revenue of $12.25 billion, a 16% year‑over‑year increase, and operating income of $4 billion, lifting its operating margin to 32.3%. Net income more than doubled to $5.28 billion, helped by a $2.8 billion termination fee from the aborted Warner Bros. Discovery deal....
Meta Raises the Price of Its Quest VR Headsets
Meta announced price hikes for its Quest VR headsets, raising the Quest 3 from $500 to $599 and the Quest 3S 128 GB model to $349, with the 256 GB version now $449.99. The company attributes the increases to soaring memory‑chip costs and broader...
Law & Order: SVU Renewed For Season 28 At NBC
NBC has officially renewed "Law & Order: SVU" for a 28th season, confirming the long‑running procedural will continue on broadcast television. The announcement arrives the same day the network cancelled its spin‑off "Law & Order: Organized Crime" after five seasons...
Netflix Quarterly Profit Tops $5 Billion Thanks to Warner Bros. Breakup Fee
Netflix reported a first‑quarter 2026 net income of $5.283 billion, far exceeding analysts’ forecasts, largely thanks to a $2.8 billion termination fee from Paramount after the Warner Bros. deal fell through. Revenue climbed 16% to $12.25 billion, driven by strong subscriber growth in Japan...
Netflix Shares Tank on Weak Forecast; Hastings Steps Down
Netflix shares plunged the most in six months after the company posted a second‑quarter outlook that fell short of Wall Street forecasts. The miss came just weeks after Netflix lost a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, underscoring mounting competitive pressure. In the...
Pocket FM Claims EBITDA Profitability, Crosses $400 Mn ARR
Pocket FM announced that its annualised revenue rate (ARR) hit $430 million in March 2026 and is projected to reach $450 million by April, doubling year‑over‑year from $198 million in March 2025. The company also reported near‑5% EBITDA margin and free‑cash‑flow positivity, attributing...
‘Buy the Verdict’: Josh Brown Shares Why He’s All in on Live Nation, and Two Other Stocks He Likes
Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, reaffirmed his bullish stance on Live Nation Entertainment after a Manhattan federal jury found the company held an anticompetitive monopoly. He argues investors should “buy the verdict,” noting the stock has risen 28%...
Paramount Boss Promises 45-Day Theatrical, 90-Day TVOD Before Streaming Windows
Paramount CEO David Ellison announced a new release strategy that guarantees a 45‑day theatrical window followed by a 90‑day transactional video‑on‑demand (TVOD) period before films move to Paramount+. The pledge comes as the studio pushes for industry backing of its...
AMC Monthly Movies Price Hike: Here's How Your Plan Is Changing
AMC Theaters announced price increases for several Stubs A‑List subscription tiers effective July 15, 2026. The nationwide A‑List will rise from $28 to $30 per month, while the out‑of‑state version climbs $2 to $28. The 24‑state plan that allows four...