Microsoft Appoints Global Media Agency
Microsoft has appointed a global media agency to manage its advertising across markets, consolidating its fragmented media buying under a single partner. The UK portion of the deal is valued at roughly £34 million, equivalent to about $43 million. The move is part of a broader strategy to harmonize brand messaging and leverage data‑driven insights across channels. The agency will oversee cross‑platform campaigns, from TV to digital, for the tech giant worldwide.
FKPE’s Oberhausen Venue ‘OBEX’ Hails Successful First Year
FKPE’s OBEX exhibition venue in Oberhausen celebrated its first anniversary, having welcomed over 250,000 visitors in just twelve months. The venue’s 4,500 sqm space and 14‑metre clearance accommodated blockbuster shows like *The Last Days of Pompei* and the upcoming *Formula 1* exhibition,...
Whatever Happened to College Basketball Video Games?
College basketball video games flourished in the 1990s and early 2000s but vanished due to weak sales rather than legal issues. EA’s 2024 success with *College Football 25* reignited interest, leading EA and 2K to submit competing licensing proposals to the...
Waltz of the Wizard Arrives on Android This April 15, 2026, with a Shift to Free-to-Try Experience on Mobile
Aldin Dynamics announced that its wizard‑simulation title Waltz of the Wizard will debut on Android on April 15, 2026, adopting a free‑to‑try model for both Android and iOS. Players can explore the magical sandbox at no cost and unlock the...
Exclusive: ATG Entertainment Launches ATG Live, A Concert, Comedy & Events Divsion Led By SVP Erik Newson
ATG Entertainment announced the launch of ATG Live, a new division dedicated to concerts, comedy and other single‑night events, led by senior vice president Erik Newson. The company already programs 72 venues and produces more than 500 live shows a...
Mobile-Focused Studio Coffee Stain Malmö Shuts Down
Piranha Games, the Canadian studio behind MechWarrior 5: Clans, announced a layoff affecting 38 employees across writing, art, design, and engineering. The cuts follow the game's under‑performance in attracting new players, falling short of sales targets set by parent company Enad Global 7...
Microsoft Reportedly Shifts Global Media Mandate to New Agency
Microsoft has transferred its $700 million global media spend from Dentsu’s Carat unit to Publicis Groupe after an internal review. The shift gives Publicis a major foothold in tech advertising, while Dentsu retains the Xbox media mandate despite losing the broader account....
The Australian Creator Who Said ‘Yes’ Before She Knew How: Kat Clark Shares Business Blueprint
Australian creator Kat Clark turned a turbulent teen‑mom start into a digital empire, amassing over 10 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. She leveraged viral recipe videos to launch a $10‑a‑month paid community, then pivoted to product entrepreneurship with...
Walt Disney World’s New 2pm Ticket Might Be the Easiest Way to Do the Parks This Summer
Walt Disney World is launching a limited‑time Summer Afternoon Ticket that grants park entry after 2 p.m., available from May 26 through July 29, 2026. Guests can choose 2‑day or 3‑day passes, each allowing admission to one park per day without the need...
Haivision Debuts Makito ONE Live Video Contribution Platform
Haivision unveiled Makito ONE, a single‑blade video transport platform that combines dual‑channel encoding and decoding with ultra‑low latency 4K/HD/HDR delivery. The system supports JPEG XS, HEVC and H.264 codecs over any network, including public internet, satellite and fibre, and offers both...
Craig Fox Acquires A CNY LPTV Property
Craig Fox, a veteran owner of Central New York radio stations, has agreed to purchase a low‑power television station serving the Syracuse market. The transaction was disclosed in FCC filings prepared by David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. While the...
Wired Pulls Plug on UK Print Edition as It Focuses on Global Subscriber Growth
Wired announced it will cease publishing a UK print edition in 2026, redirecting resources toward global digital subscriber growth. The London newsroom saw seven journalists depart in 2025 and is being rebuilt around audience‑development roles. Direct‑to‑publisher digital subscriptions rose 20%...
WME Adds Will Marshall & Andre Belcourt to Music Team
WME has added two London‑based agents, Will Marshall and Andre Belcourt, to its contemporary music division. Marshall joins from Primary Talent, bringing indie acts such as beabadoobee, Baby Queen and Momma, and will report to partner Josh Javor. Belcourt arrives...
Creator Platform Beehiiv Launches Podcast Hosting and Distribution
Beehiiv, originally a newsletter platform, has launched a full‑stack podcast hosting and distribution service. The new tool lets creators upload MP3, M4A or WAV files, automatically generate transcripts, and push episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast and Castro. Beehiiv charges...
Path of Exile Could Be Cracking Down Harder on RMT, as Player Reports Warning Message
Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is tightening its grip on real‑money trading (RMT) in Path of Exile. A new automated warning now flags accounts detected selling in‑game items for cash, signaling a shift from ad‑hoc bans to systematic enforcement. The recent...
RSL’s AI-Use Compensation Plan for News: ‘We Think This Is a $100 Billion Opportunity for Publishers’
The RSL Collective, a non‑profit rights organization, unveiled a machine‑readable, open‑web standard that lets publishers specify AI usage rights and demand per‑use royalties. John Boyden highlighted that most publishers currently receive zero compensation from AI firms that scrape their content...
Brian Miller Appointed Chief Business Officer at TuneCore
TuneCore has promoted Brian Miller to Chief Business Officer, tasking him with overseeing the company’s global operations and partnership strategy. Miller, who previously served as Chief Revenue Officer, delivered double‑digit revenue growth over the past two years. His new role...
Sundial Media & Technology Group Names Amanda Butler As First CMO
Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) appointed marketing veteran Amanda Butler as its first chief marketing officer, a role she began in mid‑January. Butler will direct consumer marketing, communications, creative strategy, and insights across SMTG’s portfolio, which includes Essence, Refinery29,...
Sky Sports and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions Agree Broadcast Deal For Women’s Boxing
Sky Sports has signed a multi‑year exclusive deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) to broadcast its new women’s boxing platform, MVPW, in the UK and Ireland. The agreement guarantees two all‑female fight nights each year, starting with a...
LiveRamp and Unity Announce Expanded Partnership | Exclusive
LiveRamp and Unity have expanded their partnership, integrating LiveRamp’s RampID identifier into Unity Exchange, the company’s programmatic advertising marketplace. RampID is an interoperable, portable user ID that works across platforms, allowing advertisers to recognize and target the same users inside...
ITVX Hits 1bn Streams in 2026
ITV announced that its streaming service ITVX logged over 1 billion streams in 2026, reaching the milestone eight days earlier than the previous year. The growth was driven by strong performance of flagship events such as the Rugby Six Nations and...
Petit Planet Content Creator Program: How to Apply, Requirements, and More
HoYoverse has opened the Petit Planet Creator Club to creators worldwide, coinciding with the Stardrift test launch on April 21, 2026 for mobile and PC. The program welcomes influencers on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch and Facebook, requiring either 1,000+...
Complex Strikes Multiyear Sports-Betting, Prediction Market Partnership With Fanatics
Complex announced a multiyear partnership with Fanatics to launch Complex Bets, an editorial vertical that will embed Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Markets data into its content. The new offering will have a dedicated home on the Complex website, social channels, and...
How US Parenting Influencers Negotiate Authenticity and Why Brands Must Listen
Parenting influencers in the US have become a trust‑driven marketing vertical, where authenticity and daily consistency outweigh flashier creator tactics. 2026 data shows 78% of millennial and Gen Z parents heavily research reviews, and 64% purchase after a trusted influencer...
URC TV Cuts Streaming Costs with Eluvio Migration
United Rugby Championship migrated its direct‑to‑consumer service, URC TV, to Eluvio’s Content Fabric platform, slashing streaming operating costs by 62%. The move sparked a 64% jump in transaction volume and lifted revenue 35% despite lower pricing. Subscriber numbers more than doubled,...
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Surpasses 160m Downloads Eight Years After Launch
Jam City’s Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery has topped 160 million lifetime downloads as it celebrates its eighth anniversary. Players have collectively logged more than 100.7 billion minutes, with over 14% advancing to the post‑graduation *Beyond Hogwarts* storyline. The anniversary brings new quests,...
LY Corp Acquires Majority Stake in Kakao Games with $198m Investment
LY Corporation, the former LINE Yahoo, is investing roughly ₩300 billion (about $198 million) to become the largest shareholder of Kakao Games. The deal, executed through the LAAA Investment vehicle, combines a stake purchase, new share issuance, and convertible bonds, and is slated...
Deutsche Telekom Expands FAST Line-Up on MagentaTV
Deutsche Telekom has expanded its FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming Television) offering on the MagentaTV platform by adding six new channels, including romance‑focused Fabella, classic‑film hub MovieDome, and genre‑specific feeds for RTL’s Alarm für Cobra 11, Balko, Bauer sucht Frau, as well...
MassiveMusic Adds to MENA Team with New Appointment
MassiveMusic has appointed Tara El Chami as Senior Account Manager for its MENA division, expanding its Dubai‑based team. El Chami brings experience across media, FMCG, telecom and entertainment, having led campaigns for Nestlé, Red Bull Mobile and Billboard Arabia. The hire supports MassiveMusic’s strategy...
Here Are the 2026 Q1 Evening News Ratings
ABC World News Tonight solidified its dominance in Q1 2026, pulling 8.73 million total viewers and a 1.09 million Adults 25‑54 audience, marking an 11% quarterly increase. NBC Nightly News posted the strongest growth, up 12% in total viewers and 23% in the key...
Social-Media Roundup: ‘Passive’ Use, Slop Letter, Video Forecasts
The UK regulator Ofcom reports that while 89% of British adults use at least one social‑media platform, only 49% actively post, share or comment—a drop from 61% in 2024. Meanwhile, a coalition led by Fairplay has accused YouTube and Google...
US Titles Dominate VOD Catalogues Despite Strong European Production
New research from the European Audiovisual Observatory shows that U.S. titles dominate video‑on‑demand (VOD) catalogues across Europe despite a sizable European output. European works account for 46% of individual titles but only 32% of catalogue "presences," while U.S. titles represent...
Globo Shifts Primary Distribution to SRT with Synamedia
Globo has completed a migration of its primary linear pay‑TV distribution to a fully IP‑based architecture using Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) over a managed backbone across Brazil. The transition leverages Synamedia’s Quortex PowerVu suite and virtualised Digital Content Manager, with...
How Disney Imagineers Are Using AI and Robotics to Reshape the Company’s Theme Parks
Disney announced the opening of World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris, now rebranded as Disney Adventure World, featuring a robotic Olaf and a high‑tech nighttime show that blends drones, fountains, fire and water walls. The park benefits from its close...
Chuck E. Cheese Introduces Sensory Sensitive Birthdays This World Autism Month
Chuck E. Cheese announced Sensory Sensitive Birthdays launching April 1 for World Autism Month. The program, created with Autism Speaks, lets families customize sensory elements of traditional Mega Fun or Ultimate Fun parties. Events include two‑hour gameplay, food, a dedicated host, and sensory‑friendly goody bags, building...
Five Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early April 2026
Microsoft announced that five titles will leave Xbox Game Pass on April 15, 2026, headlined by Grand Theft Auto V. The departing games—Ashen, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery, and Terra Invicta—cover console, PC and cloud platforms....
Cameo Bets on TikTok Creators to Revamp Its Platform
Cameo is partnering with TikTok to let U.S. creators sell personalized video shoutouts directly within the TikTok app, moving transactions and discovery onto the platform. The integration aims to revive Cameo’s waning cultural relevance by leveraging TikTok’s massive audience and...
Six Flags Was a Summer Destination. Can It Win Families Back?
Six Flags Great Adventure is grappling with a steep decline as iconic attractions like Kingda Ka and the Skyway have shut down. The park’s parent company, fresh from an $8 billion merger with Cedar Fair, reported a $1.6 billion loss in 2025 and...
TAG Video Systems and OCI Partner on Cloud Monitoring Integration
TAG Video Systems announced a partnership with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to host its entire product suite on OCI. The deal includes a free egress tier and bandwidth pricing that the company says is significantly lower than typical hyperscaler rates. A...
Ye’s ‘BULLY’ Projected to Debut at No. 2
Ye’s twelfth studio album, *BULLY*, dropped via his YZY imprint and Gamma multimedia, and early tracking predicts roughly 117,000 equivalent units in its first week. The numbers would land the record at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, trailing BTS’s *ARIRANG*....
Publicis Acquires 160over90, Makes Sports Its ‘Next Big Bet’
Publicis Groupe has acquired 160over90, a leading sports and culture agency with more than 670 employees, to bolster its Publicis Sports division. The undisclosed‑price deal, pending regulatory clearance, brings expertise across events such as the Super Bowl, Olympics and World...
Australia Introduces New “Orphan Works” Copyright Legislation
Australia’s government has passed the Copyright Amendment Bill, extending the 1986 Copyright Act to address “orphan works” – creative material whose owners cannot be identified or located. The reform permits public use of such works, especially in education, for a...
Caterpillar Captions Drives Audience Growth on Kenya’s Akili TV
Caterpillar Captions introduced the Read‑Along Hour on Kenya’s Akili TV, pairing popular cartoons with literacy‑grade captions and reading‑nutrition labels. The block lifted child viewership by 14.9% (about 194,900 extra kids) and adult co‑viewing by 39.1% (roughly 361,300 additional parents) within...
Albanese’s Address to Australia Was a TV Ratings Smash
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s four‑minute national address aired simultaneously on all five free‑to‑air networks at 7 p.m., drawing 3.722 million live viewers. Adding YouTube streams from broadcasters and the PM’s own channel pushed the total audience to at least 4.183 million. The viewership...
RTVE to Launch ARTE España
Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE announced ARTE España, a new cultural channel co‑produced with European network ARTE. The channel, led by journalist Ana Peláez, will launch digitally in late June 2025 and later roll out on free‑to‑air DTT with UHD quality. Backed...
Meta’s Bid to Woo Creators to Facebook Just Might Work, Despite Its Recent Legal Woes
Meta unveiled the Facebook Creator Fast Track, promising $1,000 a month for creators with at least 100,000 followers and $3,000 for those exceeding one million, with payouts lasting three months and a perpetual reach boost. The initiative aims to tap...
TelevisaUnivision, Nielsen Extend Media Intelligence Deal
TelevisaUnivision has extended its multi‑year agreement with Nielsen, securing comprehensive measurement across its broadcast, cable, streaming, radio and out‑of‑home assets. The deal incorporates Nielsen’s Advanced Audiences, ad‑supported streaming ratings, ONE Ads for connected TV and national OOH expansion. By leveraging...
This Week’s MPN Video Podcast: Dean Devlin on Free Streaming, AI in Hollywood and Adapting TikTok Into TV
Dean Devlin, co‑founder of the free ad‑supported streaming service ElectricNow, discussed the platform’s rapid growth and its first original scripted series, “The Poly Couple,” which adapts a viral TikTok show into a 30‑minute format. He outlined how ElectricNow leverages FAST (Free‑Ad‑Supported‑Streaming‑TV)...
Sydney Zoo Appoints Sandbox Media to Its Media Account
Sydney Zoo has appointed Sandbox Media to manage its digital and above‑the‑line media planning and buying after a competitive pitch. The partnership leverages Sandbox Media’s decades of experience in attractions and ticketing, aiming to boost visitation through data‑driven, locally relevant...
Creators Need To Be In The New Media Plan
TikTok’s new whitepaper projects Australia’s creator‑driven commercial contribution to reach US$100 billion (≈AUD $144 billion) by 2030, a 1.3‑fold increase from 2025. The growth is spreading beyond beauty and fashion into gaming, financial services, apps and consumer electronics, as brands seek authentic creator...