How Corporate Natalie Turned a $500 Brand Deal Into a Creator Empire—And Her Own Agency
Former Deloitte consultant Natalie Marshall turned a $500 sponsored post into the “Corporate Natalie” persona, amassing over 1.4 million Instagram followers and a multi‑platform creator empire. Leveraging her comedy‑driven office satire, she now runs a small agency, Expand Co‑Lab, that brings creators into brand briefings to streamline influencer campaigns. The move arrives as the global influencer marketing industry is forecast to hit $32.5 billion in 2025, with B2B spend accelerating. Marshall’s model challenges traditional agency intermediaries and promises higher efficiency for both brands and creators.
Nintendo Switch 2 eShop Charts – April 5, 2026 – Pokemon Pokopia with Another Strong Week
Nintendo’s Switch 2 eShop chart for the week of April 5, 2026 shows Pokémon Pokopia remaining the dominant title, holding the #1 position for a consecutive week. Nintendo’s own franchises dominate the upper tier, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder Upgrade Pack, Mario Kart World and another Mario title...
Before Webcomics: Selling Political Cartoons On BBSes In 1992
In 1992 Texas entrepreneur Don Lokke launched "telecomics," a series of political cartoons distributed via bulletin board systems (BBS) before the public web existed. His flagship strip, "Mack the Mouse," satirized rising taxes and the recession during the Clinton‑Bush‑Perot race,...
Zack Snyder & James Gunn’s Beloved Action Movie Is Leaving Netflix
The 2004 zombie remake Dawn of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder with a screenplay by James Gunn, will leave Netflix’s catalog on May 1, 2026. The film, which earned $102.2 million worldwide on a $26 million budget, holds a 77% approval...
Gerard Butler’s 2 Movies With $1.1 Billion+ at Box Office Are Leaving Netflix
DreamWorks’ animated hits How to Train Your Dragon and its sequel, featuring Gerard Butler’s voice as Stoick, are slated to leave Netflix on May 1. Together the two films have generated roughly $1.1 billion at the global box office, with the first...
Caleb Williams Didn’t Mean to Start an ‘Iceman’ Fight
Caleb Williams, the 2024 NFL first‑overall pick, filed a trademark for his nickname “Iceman” on March 16, aiming to control merchandise bearing his name. The filing sparked an IP clash with NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin, who filed a...
EXCLUSIVE: Sonu Nigam Remembers His Iconic Song ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ as ISAMRA Distributes WHOPPING Rs. 100 Cr in Royalties...
ISAMRA, the Indian Singers and Musicians Rights Association, has distributed roughly $12 million (Rs 100 crore) in royalties to 26,000 singers and musicians, marking a watershed moment for performer compensation in India. The payout follows an inaugural royalty of ₹51,000 (about $600) for...
The Chinese Box Office Isn't the Hollywood Kingmaker It Used to Be. Here's Why
The Chinese box office, once a lucrative gateway for Hollywood, has lost its king‑maker status after the 2012 U.S.–China Film Agreement expired in 2017 and stricter censorship took hold. Beijing now favors domestic productions and can toggle foreign film distribution...
IPL 2026 Ad Volumes Rise 10 per Cent Despite Fewer Brands
Google’s ad inventory for the first four IPL 2026 matches rose 9.94% year‑over‑year, reaching an index of 109.94. Yet the advertiser pool contracted sharply, with categories dropping from 47 to 40 and active brands falling from 58 to 43. Google...
Your NCAA Bracket Is Wrong—And That’s Exactly What Advertisers Are Betting On
Advertisers are capitalizing on the "bracket busted" narrative that dominates March Madness, turning fans' disappointment into brand engagement. Companies like Reese’s, Degree, and All Elite Wrestling have launched campaigns that reward busted brackets with sweepstakes, pop‑up bars, and social media...
‘Zootopia 2’ Returns Atop Overall Disc Sales Chart; ‘Return to Silent Hill’ Tops Blu-Ray Sellers; ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’...
Disney’s *Zootopia 2* reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Circana’s overall disc‑sales chart for the week ending March 28, after debuting strong in its first three weeks. Cineverse’s *Return to Silent Hill* led the Blu‑ray‑only chart, while the Criterion Collection’s 4K release of...
Six Great Reads: The OnlyFans Legacy, Stolen Cargo and Meta’s ‘Creepy’ Glasses
The Guardian’s roundup highlights six diverse stories: the death of OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky raises questions about the platform’s future revenue model; a harrowing interview reveals a cult leader’s abusive control over her family; the UK faces a surge in...
Live Nation Trial Week 4 Recap: Defense Witnesses Back Ticketmaster & Judge Weighs ‘Intimidation’
In week four of the Live Nation antitrust trial, the company presented defense witnesses who argued that Ticketmaster’s dominance stems from superior service, not illegal monopoly power. Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO Laurie Jacoby and Monumental Sports president Jim Van...
From WMG Swooping for Revelator to UMG’s €500 Million Share Buyback Program… It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up
Warner Music Group announced a definitive agreement to acquire Revelator, the independent‑focused B2B distribution and rights‑management platform, with closing expected next quarter. HYBE is injecting $100 million into its U.S. arm, HYBE America, to strengthen its North American operations. Sony Music...
Ateme Delivers Full End-to-End Streaming Platform to Moldtelecom
Ateme has equipped Moldtelecom with a complete end‑to‑end streaming platform, covering everything from encoding to delivery, operations, and analytics. The operator upgraded its compression head‑end, moving more than 200 channels to TITAN Edge for contribution and TITAN Live for distribution. It also...
Trump Admin To Court: Don't Strike Down Video Privacy Act
The Department of Justice is urging the First Circuit to uphold the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) as Hearst Television faces a lawsuit over sharing users' video‑viewing data with ad‑tech firms. A lower court dismissed the case, finding the...
Fox News Tops Competitors in Q1 YouTube Viewership
Fox News Media logged 1.5 billion YouTube video views in Q1 2026, outpacing all major news outlets. Its nearest rival, MS NOW, recorded 974 million views, while CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS lagged further behind. The network’s YouTube audience grew 21 percent year‑over‑year and 51 percent...
EXCLUSIVE: The Rolling Stones Rework Their Iconography With Paly
Iconic rock band The Rolling Stones have teamed with Los Angeles‑based label Paly and Universal’s Bravado to launch a limited‑edition 10‑piece apparel capsule that reimagines the band’s classic imagery. The collection, featuring T‑shirts, hoodies and accessories, draws from six decades...
HarperCollins Partners With AI Company For Animation
HarperCollins has signed a multi‑year partnership with AI‑powered animation studio Toonstar to turn a slate of its books into original YouTube series. The first title slated for development is the middle‑grade series Friendship List, which will also spawn a HarperAlley...
Local Advertising: The Long-Term Hard Sell?
The webinar highlighted a rapid decline in traditional local advertisers such as car dealerships, grocery chains, and big‑box retailers, leaving media outlets with shrinking revenue. Corey Elliott and Gordon Borrell explained that digital commerce and changing consumer habits are driving...
Lots More Nats For Locals, Thanks To WTTG and Gray Media
Washington’s flagship Fox station WTTG and its Gray Media affiliates have secured additional broadcast slots for Washington Nationals games, expanding coverage across the capital’s DMA and adjacent markets. The agreement increases the number of over‑the‑air telecasts, allowing fans to watch...
Crystal City, Rakia Media and Nate Hopper to Develop 'Tiny T. Rex' Animated Series
Crystal City Entertainment, Rakia Media and veteran animation producer Nate Hopper have signed an agreement to develop the New York Times bestseller “Tiny T. Rex” into an animated television series. The children’s‑book franchise, created by author Jonathan Stutzman and illustrator Jay Fleck,...
NAB Show: Barix To Showcase Audio Over IP Transport
Barix will demonstrate its latest Instreamer and Exstreamer solutions at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, focusing on the MultiCoder M400 and LX400 FLEXA codecs. The MultiCoder M400 now supports SRT and RIST transport protocols, becoming the first sub‑$500 encoder...
Warner Bros.’ Ex-Movie Chief Is Betting on TV Development In a Tough Market
Former Warner Bros. head Toby Emmerich has launched Fireside, a production banner that will now focus on television development backed by Len Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment. After a five‑year first‑look film deal with Warner Bros., Emmerich sees a gap as studios scale...
UMG and Believe Settle Lawsuit that Alleged ‘Industrial-Scale’ Copyright Infringement of Universal’s Music
Universal Music Group and digital distributor Believe, along with its TuneCore platform, have settled a copyright‑infringement lawsuit by filing a dismissal with prejudice in New York federal court. The case, filed in November 2024, alleged that Believe operated an "industrial‑scale"...
Public Television Stations Blast `Zero' Funding in Proposed Federal Budget
President Trump’s FY2027 budget proposal eliminates federal funding for public television, continuing a zero‑allocation stance that began last year. America’s Public Television Stations, led by CEO Kate Riley, warned that the cut has already forced two stations to close and...
Zero Gravity Management Signs The Fruity Friendz Company
Zero Gravity Management has signed The Fruity Friendz Company, a Dutch‑based animation studio, for representation. The partnership centers on expanding the studio’s flagship multi‑platform franchise *F.A.B.S. Friends Adventures* across television, film, games, music and interactive media. Co‑founders Monique Borkent and...
Boston Legacy FC Sets Regional TV Partnership With WBTS Boston & NBC Sports Boston
Boston Legacy FC announced a multi‑year regional media partnership with WBTS (NBC 10) and NBC Sports Boston, securing live coverage of 13 matches for its inaugural NWSL season starting April 3, 2026. The schedule features eight home games and five away contests...
Mars Gum, BBDO Target Young Demos, Chew On 'Overthink'
Mars’ OEFY gum portfolio—including Orbit, Extra, Freedent and Yida—has launched a youth‑focused campaign called “Total Overthink of The Heart.” The BBDO Chicago creative remixes Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and runs across memes, social, digital and OOH...
Cover Will Pull Back and End Some Holostars Male Vtubers Support
Cover Corp announced it will scale back support for its Holostars male Vtuber division in Japan, citing an executive decision to optimize overall business. While the company says it will continue to back individual activities on a case‑by‑case basis, projects...
An Integrated Visual Radio and Audio Processing Product Arrives
Orban Labs and Quu Inc. have integrated the Quu360 Visual Radio platform directly into the Orban OPTIMOD 5950 HD processor, creating a single‑chip solution for audio processing, metadata handling, and visual messaging. The embedded option eliminates the need for separate Windows‑based PCs...
Sponsored: Titan OS Heads to StreamTV Europe
Independent TV operating system Titan OS is positioning itself as a key player in Europe’s emerging streaming ecosystem. The company will sponsor and host a streaming summit at StreamTV Europe in Lisbon, April 13‑15, 2026, highlighting its OS‑level homepage and data insights....
Rome Court Rules Netflix Price Hikes Illegal, Opening Door to €500 Refunds
An Italian court ruled that Netflix’s subscription price increases from 2017 to 2024 were unlawful, opening the door for refunds of up to €500 (about $545) for premium plan holders and €250 (about $273) for standard users. The judgment also...
From Shoes to Headwear: Crocs’ Disney Collection Takes a Bold Turn
Crocs has broadened its long‑standing Disney partnership by launching a Disney‑themed headband, along with coordinating tote and belt bags, moving the collaboration from footwear to full‑outfit accessories. The headband is lightweight, hair‑safe and features six holes per ear, allowing up...
Report: Take-Two Lays Off the Head of AI and Multiple Team Members
Take‑Two Interactive announced the departure of its head of AI, Luke Dicken, along with several other AI team members. The layoffs were attributed to shifting upper‑management priorities despite the company’s recent public endorsement of generative‑AI tools. In the same period,...
Rodeo FX Consolidates Paris Operations, Moves Mikros Animation Into Unified Studio
Rodeo FX has merged its Paris VFX, advertising, experiential, and Mikros Animation divisions into a single 40,000‑square‑foot studio in the city’s 10th arrondissement. The consolidation follows the company’s acquisition of Mikros and aims to centralize production, improve pipeline efficiency, and...
‘The Era of Link in Bio Is Finally over’: Meta
Meta is piloting product tagging on Instagram Reels in five markets, allowing creators to embed up to 30 catalog items or affiliate links directly in videos. The feature targets creators with public accounts, at least 1,000 followers and age 18+,...
GTA 6 Team “Probably Rebuilt the Entire RAGE Engine,” Says Former Rockstar Audio Engineer
Former Rockstar audio engineer Rob Carr says Rockstar North likely rebuilt the entire RAGE engine for Grand Theft Auto 6, reflecting a development timeline that began in early 2019 rather than the publicly‑stated 2020. UK public records suggest the project’s budget...
Forget Netflix — YouTube Is Our Main Rival, Top French Broadcaster Says
TF1 chief Rodolphe Belmer told Politico that YouTube, not Netflix, is now the main rival to French television, with roughly 67% of French smart‑TV viewers watching the platform. He warned that YouTube’s hosting model lets it sell advertising at prices...
While Brands Chased Celebrities, Trusted Media Brands Bet on the People Next Door
Trusted Media Brands (TMB) is doubling down on community‑driven creators, a strategy validated by Edelman’s trust research. The company runs a four‑layer creator engine that blends licensed viral clips, external specialists, in‑house talent, and network sharers across brands like Reader’s...
2030 Forecast: Ad-Supported Video Soars 75% To $540B
Omdia projects that advertising‑supported video will surge 75 % to $540 billion by 2030, propelled by social‑media and connected‑TV platforms. Online video is set to capture 54 % of global video revenue, up from 40 % in 2025. In contrast, linear TV’s ad‑supported revenue...
Health, Government Entities Advertised On Sites That Promoted Misinformation
A Yale University study, conducted with NewsGuard, found that health and government agencies spent more than $35.7 million on advertising across 11 websites that promote health misinformation between 2021 and 2024, accounting for over 10 % of those sites' ad revenue. The...
GameStop Thought Buying Games Online Was A ‘Passing Phase,’ Says Former Business Developer
Former Stardock business developer Larry Kuperman revealed that GameStop viewed digital game distribution as a temporary trend, leading the retailer to acquire the Impulse platform in 2011 but treat it as a low priority. Impulse was shuttered by April 2014,...
NAB 2026: Encompass Digital Media and Techex Launch Cloud-Based Master Control Service for Live Events
Encompass Digital Media and Techex have unveiled Altitude Events, a cloud‑native master control service that combines Encompass’s Altitude Media Cloud platform with Techex’s tx darwin transformation engine and Densitron UI. The solution handles the full live‑event chain—from signal acquisition and dynamic...
Rec Room Runs Out of Road and Fire Emblem Shadows' Paltry Earnings | Week in Views
Social‑gaming platform Rec Room announced its shutdown after failing to turn its 150 million‑user base into profit, citing soaring costs and a shifting VR market. Meta’s recent $80 billion loss in Reality Labs and the layoff of 1,500 VR staff underscore the...
Fans Reckon PS Studios Website Adjustments Hint at Sony's Move Away From PC
PlayStation’s corporate PS Studios webpage has been subtly edited, removing references to PC development for partners like Valkyrie Entertainment and emphasizing exclusivity for XDEV. The changes arrive amid earlier reports that Sony may be scaling back its PC port strategy...
Alstone Joins Punjab Kings as Official Cladding Partner for IPL 2026
Alstone has signed on as the official cladding partner for Punjab Kings during the 2026 Indian Premier League season. The agreement will see Alstone’s branding displayed on stadium cladding and integrated into a suite of on‑ground and digital campaigns. Executives...
Podcast Consumption in Japan, Podcasts on Beehiiv, & More
Beehiiv, the newsletter platform, has launched an IAB‑compliant podcast hosting and monetization service, aiming to bridge newsletter and podcast audiences. Sounds Profitable’s research reveals that 27% of very conservative Americans have never listened to a podcast, highlighting a discovery‑architecture gap. A...
DAZN, TikTok to Livestream Serie A Match
DAZN is teaming with TikTok to livestream a Serie A match—Juventus versus Genoa—directly to users in the UK and Ireland. The free broadcast will appear on the @DAZNFootball TikTok channel on April 6, 2026, kicking off at 6 pm BST. Both companies frame...
Quantic Lab Exits Embracer Group to Operate as an Independent Company Under Founder Ownership
Quantic Lab has exited the Embracer Group and is now an independent studio owned by its founder and CEO, Stefan Seicarescu, effective April 1 2026. The spin‑out gives the outsourcing specialist greater operational flexibility and the ability to respond more quickly to...