Unwell Appoints Joanne Bradford as President, Expands Leadership
Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hires Joanne Bradford as President to Lead Expanded Executive Team https://t.co/q8c5v0irLf via @variety
NFL and YouTube Negotiate Five‑game Long‑form Deal
Glass Break: the NFL and YouTube have entered long form contract review for a 5 game package, @fos has learned https://t.co/dCPyJagt5v
Netflix's $72B Valuation Question Dominates Q1 2026 Earnings
The $72 Billion Netflix Question Plus Nine Others for Q1 2026 Earnings $NFLX @netflix https://t.co/3nKlgv6ioW
Instagram Adds In‑Reel Affiliate Tags, Boosting Creator Earnings
ICYMI: Instagram is rolling out the ability to use affiliate links to tag products in Reels. 🛍️ This removes friction that often comes with creators driving audiences to their link in bio or using comment automations to share affiliate links, likely...
Wisconsin Bill Guarantees Free Packers Access, Bans Blackouts
D.C. Memo: @SenatorBaldwin Bill Would Guarantee Free Access Throughout Wisconsin to Watch @NFL Packers; Wisconsin Democrat’s For the Fans bill would also ban league-owned streaming services from blacking out certain games on their platforms https://t.co/Y0AQyWATYG
IMG Appoints Barney Francis as CBO After Guinness Departs
Chris Guinness Leaving IMG After 30 Years, Barney Francis Named Chief Business Officer of Sports Marketing Agency https://t.co/9UyQoyGDXx via @variety
Spielberg Debuts New Disclosure Day Footage, Pushes Longer Theatrical Window
But one of the biggest moments of #CinemaCon on WED was #StevenSpielberg for the first time ever visiting the convention to promote #DisclosureDay, unveiling new footage described as jaw dropping, saying he personally talked to #Universal’s marketing team not to...
Amazon MGM Pledges 15+ Theatrical Releases, Hits #2 Box Office
In an electric #CinemaCon panel, #AmazonMGM made it clear: it’s not an experiment, they are fully committed to theatrical, officially renewing their commitment to exhibitors to deliver AT LEAST 15 theatrical Releases per year, & announcing that #ProjectHailMary just had...
LinkedIn Video Secured $100k Brand Deal—Post More
I video on LinkedIn landed me a $100k brand deal. I should really be posting more there.
Get Your New Release in Front of Global Media
Got a new single, EP, or album coming? I get your music in front of journalists, tastemakers, and media across the U.S. and worldwide — with full SEO built in, so people can actually find you. Eric@ThatEricAlper.com
Vox Media CEO Poised to Sell Multiple Assets
NEW: Vox Media C.E.O. Jim Bankoff is likely to agree to multiple deals to sell various assets of his company, including the Vox Media Podcast Network, New York magazine, and the portfolio of digital brands…. Full details @PuckNews: https://t.co/hfYxhq0oky
Xbox's Co‑Dev Cycle Recycles Tech Across Studios
Matt Booty shares examples of how Xbox co-dev has evolved over the past five years with all of its acquisitions. Prime anecdote is State of Decay 3 persistent world tech being used for Grounded 2, than improved, then sent back...
ESPN's WWE Push Marks Major Win for Ari Emanuel
WWE and its PR staff has always worked hard to get cross-over coverage in mainstream outlets. I say that as someone who benefitted from this working at SI and The Athletic. PR would always cater to what you needed. It's...
Studio‑Hardware Collaboration Faces Launch Lineup Test
Matt Booty briefly mentions the reveal of Project Helix last month and talks about studios working alongside the hardware teams as one of the strengths of Xbox. Given the launch lineup struggles over two generations, that will actually be the...
Twitch Sponsorships Still Underpay Creators versus Competitors
Twitch Sponsorships continue to underpay creators... so sad, after the very fair Minecraft campaign. Twitch: Max $78.72 (Creators usually hit 40-60% of payout.) Sponsorship Platform: $80 Guaranteed (+).
Live Nation Sells Ten Times More Tickets than Nearest Rival
"In the multibillion-dollar concert business, where Live Nation/Ticketmaster has been a colossus with no equal. Last year, the company put on 55,000 events and sold 646 million tickets around the world—*10 times* as many tickets as its closest rival, AEG." https://t.co/yfOqtcUBJM
NHL Ratings Surge 47% Post‑Olympic Break
TNT says NHL viewership accelerated after February's Olympic break. For the rest of the season, games averaged 453,000 viewers, up 47% over the equivalent period from 2025
Clips Have Become the Primary Product Driving Reach
Clips are no longer the byproduct of the main product — they’re the main product. No matter the size of the show, they drive the ultimate reach 👇 More in my latest newsletter, "The Clip Economy": bit.ly/ClipEconomy
Breaking Live Nation's Monopoly Would Boost Music Access
Live Nation is clearly a monopoly. Bands and fans will be better off if they’re broken up to increase competition. Lets live make music accessible again
Declining NBA Viewership Sparks Fear of League Collapse
These viewership numbers for the NBA this season as well as the $76 billion media rights contract they signed has me thinking this league is going to fold next year. It's over for the NBA. https://t.co/HYZi0sIQ0c
Jury Finds Live Nation, Ticketmaster Operated Illegal Monopoly
Live Nation and Ticketmaster Held Illegal Monopoly in Ticketing Market, Jury Finds https://t.co/DtLnRj7IxJ via @variety
Saudi Funding Withdrawal Threatens LIV Golf, Paramount Deal
Well, this is good news. And really, the best chance to kill the Paramount purchase of WBD would be for the Saudis to pull their investment. So hope on another front. LIV Golf Facing Imminent Closure as Saudi Backers Weigh...
POW Relaunches: Join to Save Independent Music Journalism
In the last decade, the media landscape has become unrecognizable. Independent magazines are endangered. But POW has weathered the storm and built a space for analog futurists, digital crate-diggers, and people who love and care deeply about music. We have...
Searchlight Acquires SXSW Horror ‘Monitor’ for 2027 Release
News: Searchlight picks up SXSW horror movie MONITOR, will give it a theatrical release in 2027 https://t.co/DHpqQRSuLl
NBA's New TV Deal Sparks 7-Year Rating Surge
NBA’s Broadcast-Friendly TV Deal Leads to Highest Ratings in 7 Years https://t.co/sNM2Mq2FM6 via @sportico @crupicrupicrupi
Netflix's Sports Strategy Expands with Women's World Cup
What’s the future of sports on @netflix ? Bela Bajaria, head of content, getting into it with @elleduncantv Women’s World Cup, Drive to Survive, Full Swing and more https://t.co/ujNZfxsOQV
Streaming Silos Increase Friction in Content Discovery
Look, organic content discovery was and remains a simpler process with the Pay TV bundle echo system (including Broadcast TV) which is its own viewing silo that features a simple channel based content discovery system. Adding streaming platforms that are...
AMC A‑List Price Hike Still a Bargain for Frequent Viewers
AMC ups price of A-List to $29.99 per month Still worth every penny for those who see 2X movies per mo let alone 16X movies https://t.co/wO6TU0cZP0
YouTube Launches 24/7 Streaming “Stations” For Creators
YouTube is testing Stations, a way for creators to turn playlists into 24/7 streams with live chat, giving them their own version of a FAST channel. 📺 Over 40 artists have tested the feature. YouTube is also. using it as...
Media Winners Are Creators Who Master the Clip
The winners in media will be creators who can clip. In my latest newsletter, “The Clip Economy,” I explore why: bit.ly/ClipEconomy
Meta's $3B Payout Fuels New Creator Earnings Guide
Facebook shared tips to help creators maximize their earnings via the Facebook Content Monetization Program. 💰 Notable recommendations include creating original content, experimenting with different formats, and leveraging audience feedback. This comes as Meta recently announced it paid out $3...
Vegas Casinos Thrive on Big Fight Events, WrestleMania Bid Shows
Vegas casinos/hotels/etc love when there are big fights in town. The way the city bid to get WrestleMania to return also suggested it had a big impact. Inbox: https://t.co/c61qtUZJrD
Mark Ruffalo Testifies Against Paramount‑WBD Merger Today
Actor Mark Ruffalo -- who has strongly opposed the Paramount-WBD merger -- will testify via videoconference at the Senate hearing today, according to Booker's office https://t.co/QKABiKeZiH via @variety
Twitch Streamlines Prime Subscriptions to Two Clicks
Twitch is testing an easier way to Subscribe with Prime. On click, it will confirm you want to use your Prime. This effectively reduces the flow to two clicks.
Warner Bros Leverages Influencers, Friendly Critics for Digger Launch
Of course #Digger won’t debut at fall festival Warner Bros will stack the deck with influencers & positives-accentuating “critics” trading glowing pull quotes for ACCESS to early screenings, scoring interviews with Tom Cruise Why risk it with those who won’t take that...
Chatbot Ads Need a New Model Beyond Search
Search is the wrong mental model for chatbot advertising "I think it’s a mistake to view the Search advertising model as the default for chatbots; both from a user expectation and a revenue standpoint. And in fact, I think that Search...
Paramount+ and Pluto Invest Heavily to Grow Ads, Subscribers
Paramount+ and Pluto are spending more on content and merging technology in an effort to increase ad dollars and subscribers. https://t.co/psnzz9Mc0e via @WSJ
Paramount CEO Misses Senate Hearing Over Family Death
Paramount CEO David Ellison Can’t Attend Senate Hearing on Warner Bros. Merger Because of Death in the Family, Company Says https://t.co/QKABiKeZiH via @variety
Straw Buyers Skewed Historical Music Sales Charts
This is really interesting first hand account of the old music business practice of using straw buyers to manipulate sounds an numbers from which sales charts were derived.
Snap's Cost Cuts First, Growth Now Powered by Subscriptions
⚡️ $SNAP Rightsizing Cost Structure is Important 1st Step, but What About Engagement and Specs? ⚡️ SNAP also disclosed Q1 revenue growth of 12%…However, the growth is coming from Snap+ subscriptions, with the core advertising business likely… https://t.co/1NDtoN6T2v
FCC Deadline Could Force Millions to Upgrade TV
If the @FCC adopts a hard date to shut down current ATSC 1.0 digital TV signals in favor of @WatchNEXTGENTV, millions of U.S. TV households will need at least one of these. https://t.co/NIxa4ysxQ7 https://t.co/MjpI0bCe4p
Free TV Use Jumps 51%, One in Five Go Antenna‑Only
Chart of the Day: American households relying on free TV exclusively has surged by 51% in the past two years. Nearly one in five TV households now antenna-only. Source: Pearl TV in April 13 FCC filing. https://t.co/NIxa4ysxQ7 https://t.co/B5C7VsShZK
British Tabloids Face Extinction in Digital Era
The slow death of the massest of mass media. Can the traditional British tabloid survive the digital age? https://t.co/vHXP2KytRy
FCC Chairman Probes Broadcasters' Undisclosed Conflicts, Targeting Kimmel
D.C. Memo: FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC Looking at Undisclosed Conflicts by Broadcasters, a Review That Could Snare @JimmyKimmel https://t.co/bBBhcj60fP
Snap Cuts 1,000 Jobs, Credits AI for Efficiency
Snap Axing 1,000 Staffers, 16% of Headcount; CEO Evan Spiegel Cites AI as Helping Boost Efficiency for Smaller Teams https://t.co/8UZdWps46q via @variety
ByteDance Releases Seedance 2.0 Globally, Bans US and Realistic Faces
ByteDance Launches Seedance 2.0 AI Video Model Globally, Excluding the U.S. The rollout follows copyright clashes with Disney, Netflix, and other major Hollywood studios. New restrictions block prompts using realistic human faces to avoid legal risks. The model is now available to enterprise...
Warner Bros.
#DavidEllison promised at least 30 movies in theatres per year from WB & Paramount combined once the merger goes through. WB is doing their part to reach the mark announcing at #CinemaCon 18 releases for 2027, their biggest slate Post-Covid, with...
Thunder's Local TV Rights Far Below $16.6M Benchmark
Hard to see how the Thunder come close to that (pretty low) local rights figure from FDSN via local broadcast TV….
YouTube Shorts May Be Killing Your Channel Growth
Hit a new milestone, which is great, but I’ve drawn a few conclusions that are a bit unsettling. 1) YouTube shorts are NOT helping channel growth; it might be killing it. You can click to go back and see milestone...
Warner Bros Unveils Luxury Mortal Kombat 2 Popcorn Bucket
WB going all in at #CinemaCon this year as one of the luxurious collectible popcorn buckets for #MortalKombat2 which will be sold in theatres has been unveiled during the convention. #MortalKombatII debuts in less than a month, on MAY 08! https://t.co/ZbbC3M1wpy