Are CAPIs The Next Phase Of Performance TV?
Streaming giants are adding conversion APIs (CAPIs) to bring performance‑driven measurement to connected TV. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku and Comcast have introduced self‑serve APIs aimed at SMB advertisers. CAPIs promise to bridge the attribution gap that has long plagued CTV, leveraging first‑party data to offset privacy‑driven cookie loss. The move signals a broader shift toward measurable, performance‑focused TV advertising.
Are CAPIs The Next Phase Of Performance TV?
Streaming giants are bringing conversion APIs (CAPIs) to connected TV as advertisers demand measurable performance. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku, Comcast and LinkedIn already provide similar APIs for CTV measurement. CAPIs promise to close the...
Bluesfest Music Festival Collapses Amid Poor Ticket Sales
Byron Bay's Bluesfest, a 36‑year‑old music festival, has been cancelled just weeks before its scheduled April 2‑5 run. Organizers cite poor ticket sales as the primary reason, marking the first cancellation in the event’s history. The line‑up featured high‑profile acts such...
AEW PPVs Available via DAZN
DAZN is adding All Elite Wrestling pay‑per‑view events to its global sports lineup, excluding India. The first title‑fight, AEW Revolution, streams on March 15, followed by Dynasty, Double or Nothing, and All In later in the year. Viewers can buy each event...
Savvy Owns Big Stakes in Gaming's Giants, but Says It Isn't Pushing to Change Them
Savvy Games, a Saudi‑backed conglomerate, has consolidated about $12 billion in equity across Nintendo, Take Two, Square Enix and other top publishers, each representing roughly 5‑10 % of the companies. CEO Brian Ward told GDC that the stakes are an investment vehicle, not a...
Travis Kelce Named Six Flags Brand Ambassador for 2026
NFL star Travis Kelce has been appointed Six Flags' official brand ambassador for the 2026 season, leveraging his personal fan history and recent investment in the company. The deal includes digital promotion on Kelce's social channels and the use of...
Thursday VOZ Ratings | NRL Sneaks in Front of the AFL but Seven Takes the Night
Thursday’s VOZ ratings show the NRL’s Round 2 clash between Brisbane and Parramatta pulling 772,000 average viewers, edging out the AFL’s Round 1 Carlton‑Richmond game at 675,000. Seven Network captured the night with a 30.9% total‑TV share and a 31.3% consolidated share,...
AMCN New Prez
Kim Kelleher has been elevated to President while retaining her Chief Commercial Officer role at AMC Networks. The board has been enlarged from eleven to twelve members, reinstating CEO Kristin Dolan as a Class B director. Recent senior‑leadership moves also...
TikTok Radio Set To Premiere Live At SXSW
TikTok is launching TikTok Radio live from SXSW on March 13, leveraging its partnership with iHeartMedia. The service will stream on the iHeartRadio app and 28 iHeart broadcast stations, delivering TikTok‑driven music hits, creator storytelling, and weekly countdowns. Simultaneously, TikTok...
Court TV Finalizes Layoffs; Matt Johnson, Julie Grant Depart Network
Court TV is undergoing a major restructuring after its sale to Jellysmack’s Law&Crime Network, announcing sweeping layoffs and a reduced on‑air schedule. Anchor Julie Grant and crime correspondent Matt Johnson are among the high‑profile departures, while roughly two dozen behind‑the‑scenes...
CMO Spotlight: Netflix ANZ’s Tony Broderick on Creative Risks
Netflix ANZ’s director of marketing Tony Broderick champions "uncomfortably exciting" creative risks, exemplified by the large‑scale Wednesday Island event that turned Cockatoo Island into a fan festival. He emphasizes a title‑led strategy where bold cultural moments drive broader business metrics,...
Apple Revs Up Formula 1: Eddy Cue Says Response to First Race “Exceeding Both F1 and Apple Expectations” (Exclusive)
Apple’s senior VP of Services Eddy Cue announced that viewership for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix on Apple TV+ rose year‑over‑year, surpassing both Formula 1 and Apple’s expectations. While exact numbers were not disclosed, the increase follows Apple’s acquisition of U.S....
‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Orbiting $160M+ 5-Day Opening; Bound To Be Biggest YTD – Box Office Early Look
Illumination, Nintendo and Universal expect The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to open with more than $160 million in its first five domestic days, positioning it as the biggest box‑office performer of 2026 so far. The sequel surpasses the 2023 Mario Bros launch, which earned $204.6 million...
Teamsters Call on DOJ to Stop Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger: “We’ve Seen What Happens When Corporations Consolidate Power”
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has formally asked the Department of Justice to block the $111 billion Paramount‑Warner Bros. merger unless enforceable worker protections are included. Union leaders highlighted concerns that the deal could trigger layoffs and diminish domestic production for...
Ratings: Lincoln Lawyer Dominates Nielsen Streaming Top 10 With Season 4 Release; The Pitt Comes In At No. 2
Netflix’s legal drama “The Lincoln Lawyer” reclaimed the Nielsen streaming top spot for the week of Feb 9‑15, amassing 2.54 billion minutes across its 40 episodes, with 74 % of that consumption coming from the freshly released Season 4. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” secured...
Premeditated Productions Lands Five-Year Extension Of First-Look Deal At Amazon MGM Studios
Premeditated Productions has secured a five‑year extension of its first‑look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, extending the partnership through summer 2032. Launched in 2024 as the production arm of Entangled Publishing, Premeditated has already greenlit over a dozen adaptations of New York Times...
Why the NFL’s 2026 Schedule Could Look Very Different
The NFL’s 2026 schedule is shaping up to be markedly different, emphasizing more standalone broadcast windows and a possible Wednesday kickoff to accommodate the league’s first regular‑season game in Australia. The Thanksgiving lineup may expand with a Thanksgiving Eve matchup,...
Globo Bets on a Portfolio of Series and Formats at Series Mania
Globo will present a diverse slate of scripted and unscripted series at Series Mania, Europe’s leading TV‑series market event. The lineup includes the telenovela "The Life We Lead," the horror‑fantasy "Blood Red – Under the Moonlight," and reality formats like...
Netflix Unveils Visual Effects Studio In Hyderabad
Netflix announced the launch of Eyeline Studios, a 32,000‑sq‑ft visual effects and virtual production hub in Hyderabad. The facility will operate on a hybrid cloud architecture and join Eyeline's existing sites in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seoul and London. By leveraging...
The Problem with AI Companies ‘Starting Fresh’.
The article warns that AI music platforms have built their models on unlicensed recordings, especially from independent artists, and are now proposing “walled‑garden” licensing schemes with major labels. While Warner has struck a dual‑use deal, Suno and other firms reject...
LTN, Appear Team Up On Live IP-Native Video Contribution, Distribution
LTN and Appear have formed a partnership to deliver a scalable, IP‑native live video contribution and distribution solution for premium events. The offering combines Appear’s X Platform, which supports JPEG XS, JPEG 2000, AVC, HEVC and ST 2110 codecs, with LTN’s fully managed...
Physics-Based Game Melon Sandbox’s Creator Economy Crosses $1 Million
PlayDucky announced that its mobile sandbox game Melon Sandbox paid out more than $1 million to creators in 2025. The platform’s in‑game Workshop lets users upload mods and custom experiences, which other players purchase with the virtual currency Mels. Top‑earning creators...
TikTok to Resume Local Sponsorships After Deal to Stay in Canada
TikTok Canada reached a settlement with the federal government, allowing the platform to keep its local operations and resume sponsorships of major cultural events. The agreement includes commitments to support Canadian, Francophone and Indigenous creators, invest in cultural organizations, and...
Line of Duty Star's "Remarkable" Thriller with 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Being Removed From Netflix
Vicky McClure’s three‑part thriller *The Replacement* will disappear from Netflix on 19 March, ending a year‑long streaming window. The BBC drama, which debuted in 2017, has earned a perfect 100 % Rotten Tomatoes rating from eleven critics, drawing praise for its Hitchcock‑style tension and...
Hearst Media Production Group Names New President
Hearst Media Production Group announced that Bryan Curb will assume the role of president on July 1, succeeding retiring founder Frank Biancuzzo. Curb, currently executive vice president and general manager of educational and informational programming, brings over a decade of...
A Funding Rethink Can Help BBC Survive Crisis | Letters
Letter writers argue that the BBC’s traditional TV licence fee is increasingly untenable, citing a 12.5% non‑compliance rate and a 30% drop in funding during 2024‑25. They propose replacing the licence with a hypothecated council‑tax levy, similar to Switzerland’s universal...
Impairments Drive Saga to 2025 Net Loss as Digital Still Climbs
Saga Communications reported a Q4 2025 net loss of $6.9 million, driven by a $20.4 million non‑cash impairment that turned what would have been $8.2 million of profit into a loss. Full‑year results showed a $7.9 million loss versus a $3.5 million profit in 2024,...
Disney Sells Out 98th Oscars Ad Inventory, Pricing Up Double Digits
Disney Advertising announced that its entire ad inventory for the 98th Oscars has been sold out, driven by strong marketplace demand after last year’s broadcast. The company raised 30‑second spot prices to $1.7‑$2.3 million, a double‑digit increase over 2024, and secured...
Concord Acquires UK-Based Indie Label Ninja Tune Records
Concord announced the acquisition of London‑based independent label Ninja Tune, bringing both its recorded‑music catalog and publishing arm Just Isn’t Music under Concord’s umbrella. The deal adds a roster that includes The Prodigy, Bonobo, Flying Lotus and many other electronic...
New Research Shows over 90% of Gamers Find Playing with AI-Powered NPCs to Be "Enjoyable and Rewarding"
Newzoo’s 2026 report projects PC gaming revenue will overtake console revenue by 2028, driven by a 6.6% CAGR versus 4.4% for consoles. The combined PC‑console market is expected to reach $103.7 billion, with total revenue climbing from $88.3 billion in 2025 to...
Universal's New Plan Could Steal Every Major Director From Warner Bros. And Paramount
Universal Pictures announced it will lengthen its theatrical windows, guaranteeing at least five weekends for 2026 releases and seven weekends starting in 2027, except for Focus Features titles. The policy reverses the pandemic‑era shortcut to premium VOD and signals a...
Future Islands Sign Exclusive Global Deal with Universal Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group has signed Baltimore synth‑pop band Future Islands to an exclusive global publishing deal covering their back catalogue and future works. The agreement coincides with the band’s 20th anniversary and the UK Top 10 entry of their 2024...
The Week’s MPN Video Podcast: NFL Money Grab: Why the League Reopened Its $111B Deal Early
Five years into its record $111 billion TV and streaming agreement, the NFL has reopened negotiations to secure a larger share of broadcast revenue. The league’s move follows the NBA’s recent $75 billion rights deal, which set a new market benchmark. Analysts...
Kingshot’s First Year: $800m, 11 Months of Growth, but Backlash From Whales
Century Games’ mobile strategy game Kingshot marked its first anniversary with $811.9 million in gross player spending across Google Play and the App Store. The title posted explosive growth, rising from $5.9 million in March 2025 to a peak of $102.2 million in January 2026...
Elis and John Go Commercial with BBC Podcast
The Elis James and John Robins podcast will launch a commercial feed on 7 April 2026, introducing advertising while its free version remains on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. The move follows the BBC Audio Release Policy, which permits independent producers to...
Edison: Moving Ad Spend From TV to Podcast Improves Reach
Edison Research reports that moving just 5 percent of a TV‑heavy media budget into podcasts can dramatically boost audience reach. In a case study, a pharmaceutical brand shifted a small portion of its broadcast‑and‑cable spend to podcast ads, raising reach among...
Sky Sports’ New Rights Cycle for PGA TOUR Reshapes Production Operations
Sky Sports has entered a new PGA TOUR rights cycle, establishing a permanent production hub inside PGA TOUR Studios. The arrangement gives Sky two commentators and an on‑course reporter direct access to the world feed, while also providing permanent transmission...
What Nobody Clutching Their Oscar This Weekend Will Tell You
At this year’s Academy Awards, industry observers noted that AI, streaming, and media fragmentation are reshaping the economics of acting. While the ceremony retained its traditional glamour, the underlying market dynamics are shifting, with digital platforms demanding more flexible talent...
Nielsen Deep Sixes Sigma Radio, Ad Monitor Terminates Soon
Nielsen announced the termination of its long‑standing SIGMA Radio service, effective March 31, 2026, with the final daily and weekly reports slated for April 1 and April 6. The service has been a cornerstone for broadcasters, advertisers, and agencies to verify radio ad...
Live Nation Slacks Reveal Employees Joking About ‘Stupid’ Fans
Internal Slack messages from Live Nation employees surfaced as exhibits in the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit, revealing jokes about "robbing" fans for parking and VIP upgrades. The exchanges, spanning 2021‑2023, describe fans as "stupid" for paying inflated fees and were...
Rickey Smiley Extends Urban One Run, Video Podcast Coming
Rickey Smiley has signed a five‑year extension for The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, keeping the program on Urban One’s roster of 89 affiliate stations. In parallel, Urban One is launching a new original video podcast, Rickey Smiley On The Spot,...
PBS Chief Calls for Arkansas Public TV Commission to ‘Take a Pause’ on Leaving National Network
PBS CEO Paula Kerger urged the Arkansas TV commission to pause its planned disaffiliation from the national PBS network, arguing the decision should involve public input. Arkansas TV, citing unsustainable dues after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting lost federal funding, voted...
Vue Creator Management: An Agency Treating Affiliate Strategy as a Full-Time Job
Vue Creator Management, a Toledo‑based agency founded in 2025 by Cailyn Medley, offers a hybrid service that combines affiliate strategy consulting with full‑time execution. The firm helps creators optimize revenue on platforms such as ShopMy, LTK and Amazon, handling link...
Xfinity To Stream THE PLAYERS Championship in RealTime4K; Debut Multiview and Fan View Features
Comcast’s Xfinity is teaming with NBC Sports and Golf Channel to broadcast THE PLAYERS Championship in RealTime4K, a low‑latency 4K format that arrived up to 49 seconds faster than conventional streams. The launch also introduces two interactive features: Fan View,...
Home Market, New Title: Erik Bradley Takes The Spot In Dallas
Erik Bradley has been appointed Brand Manager of Classic Hits‑formatted 98.7 The Spot in Dallas, joining his existing roles as Brand Manager at KS107.5 in Denver and Assistant Brand Manager at B96 in Chicago. Bradley, a radio veteran since 1988,...
Narcity Media Launches Self-Serve Instagram Story Distribution Tool for Brands
Narcity Media introduced Boost, a self‑serve tool on its Locals.tv platform that lets brands pay local creators to share Instagram Stories. The service taps a network of over 2,000 creators across Canadian cities, allowing campaigns to be launched in minutes...
BIScience Adds Linear TV to Its AdClarity Analysis Platform
BIScience has launched the TV Intelligence Suite, extending its AdClarity platform to include U.S. linear TV data. The upgrade lets customers monitor more than $174 billion in digital ad spend and $51 billion in linear TV spend from a single interface. Coverage...
Offscript Media Launches 3BlackDot Gaming Media Platform
Offscript Worldwide, the parent company behind the Revolt media property, announced the launch of 3BlackDot, a consumer‑facing gaming media platform. The debut featured its flagship show, 3BD Weekly, streamed live from SXSW. 3BlackDot is positioned as a centralized hub that...
Iran War, SaaS-Pocalypse Loom Over Already-Sluggish Sports Deals
M&A activity in the United States has slumped, with announced mergers dropping 23% to 1,795 by March 9, while sports and e‑sports deals fell to just five this year versus 57 in 2025. The downturn is driven by the February “SaaS‑pocalypse,”...
TikTok Radio Sets Relaunch on iHeartMedia App and 28 U.S. Stations After Leaving SiriusXM
TikTok Radio is relaunching on March 13 via the iHeartRadio app and on 28 iHeartMedia broadcast stations after ending its four‑year SiriusXM partnership. The new channel blends music, creator‑led conversation, and signature segments such as ‘Behind‑the‑Charts’ and ‘Hacks on the :20s.’...