Project Hail Mary Sets Japan Record Opening for Hollywood Sci‑Fi
In #Japan’s #BoxOffice, local SPRING BREAK holiday & positive WOM received #RyanGosling with open arms, as #ProjectHailMary scores STRONG est $1M on BIGGEST FRI Opening Day for Hollywood sci-fi or theatrically original Post-Covid (vs #DunePartTwo’s $405k, #Dune’s $491k, #Oppenheimer’s $800k). BIGGEST Opening Day of 2026 for Hollywood, on par with #WickedForGood’s $1M. Even so, it was #3 locally as families and kids flocked in #Hoppers & #Doraemon sessions oncee again. Japanese audiences are loving PHM, as moviegoers gave it a sci-fi record strong 4.3⭐️ audience score, equivalent to an A #CinemaScore and better than currents #TheMartian & #Dune’s 3.8⭐️, #DunePartTwo’s 4.1 ⭐️ & #Interstellar 4.2⭐️ scores. Eyeing a 2.7M-4M 3-day opening weekend.
AI Turns Influencer Ads Into Software, No Creators Needed
Influencer marketing is about to get weird, and @VibepeakAi is one of the reasons why. Not because creators are going away. But because the ad itself is becoming software. Unlimited influencer ads, without influencers. Here’s what’s changing (and why execs should care)… https://t.co/tEThfisNDJ
Free Guide: Master Sync Licensing for Music Producers
If you're a music producer or beat maker who wants to understand how sync licensing works (For Free) Go here ↴ https://skool.com/sync-made-simple
Nexstar Completes Tegna Acquisition After FCC, DOJ Approval
Nexstar says it's closed Tegna deal. "Nexstar has closed its acquisition of TEGNA Inc. following approval of the transaction from the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Department of Justice."
DOJ, FCC Clear Tegna‑Nexstar Deal, Forming Largest Local Broadcaster
Both the DOJ and the FCC have approved the merger of Tegna and Nexstar, a deal that would create the largest owner of local stations in the US. https://t.co/BcB7uDquKX
ABC Faces Tens‑Millions Loss Without Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette
ABC Will Lose Tens of Millions of Dollars if Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘The Bachelorette’ Doesn’t Air https://t.co/oj2XuZOd0L
Money Wins: Ellisons Unlikely to Dump WBD Deal
I wish I could agree with The Ankler position on the PSKY acquisition of WBD “one good push and the thing unravels.” But money changes everything. Pretty much always. Governments flex a lot… rarely pull a trigger. Do we really think...
Warner Bros Buyers Reg
Everyone Who Buys Warner Bros Regrets It, Why Does Paramount Believe it Can Succeed? $PSKY $WBD thanks for having me on @reckless @DecoderPod https://t.co/Tr5j2627y7
CBS News Layoffs Expected, 15% Staff Cut Forecast
Are reports of layoffs at CBS News new if the industry has been expecting them since mid-February? Our report then: *Cuts could total at least 15% of current staff *Discussions around reductions remain fluid *Could start as early as March and late as May. https://t.co/jKKuul6KI6
IMAX Audiences Span Ages, Boosting Theater Prospects
My audience at this IMAX screening of #ProjectHailMary is clear indication of broad-age-demographic appeal for this film This is fantastic news for movie theaters over the next several weeks
Pixar's Hopppers Leads China Pre‑Sales, Hollywood Poised for Return
In #China’s #BoxOffice, after local #SpringFestival releases holding the #1 since #ChineseNewYear, Hollywood is ready for a comeback with #Pixar animation #HOPPERS & sci-fi #ProjectHailMary fighting for the #1 On final pre-sales day #HOPPERS finished with strong $1.3M total (vs #Elio’s...
Celebs Will Adopt AI Companions as Fans Adore Them
Skylar won't be the last celebrity to do virtual beings or toys like this thanks to AI. Why? I hear from the people building them that the research with consumers shows that early users fall in love with them.
Beehiv Founder Shares Blueprint for Creator Publishing Success
Tomorrow on The Grill Room: Beehiv founder @denk_tweets This, imho, is a must-listen for creators and would-be creators thinking about building their own publishing businesses... Follow here: https://t.co/OUrgd2dr7a https://t.co/7uSZkENSc8
Melania Docs Pulls 747k Views, Ranks Fourth
MELANIA generated 747,157 views on Prime Video in its debut week, big for a documentary but only 4th place on the Luminate streaming movies chart.
Media Firms Lag Behind Creator‑centric Networks in Attention Economy
These media companies also have no understanding of how to work w creators well or navigate the online attention economy. Look at the creator roster at Studio71, Dear Media, or any creator-focused network…. then look at the roster for one...
CNBC Adds 5 AM “Morning Call” Before Squawk Box
Just in: CNBC is launching "Morning Call,' a 5 AM program that will precede 'Squawk Box.' Morgan Brennan will host....
International Developers Can Thrive Despite Regulatory Hurdles
"Despite the high barrier to entry thanks to regulatory concerns and a high level of native competition, Ahmad is confident that international developers can succeed in the region" https://t.co/YbTBgMCeDX
Tina Turner's Music Rights Switch to Pophouse
Tina Turner's music rights have switched hands for the second time in five years. 2021: Turner sold catalog + NIL rights to BMG for $50M 2026: Pophouse bought majority stake from BMG Pophouse launched the ABBA Voyage show in London. Let's see what...
Experiment‑Driven Strategies Grew a YouTube Channel to 14M
Diary of a CEO grew to 14 million subscribers in just a few years. Part of the engine was Grace Miller, Flightcast's Head of Experiments. In this podcast, we'll break down the experiments they ran and how to grow on YouTube in...
Unlock Endless Play: Free Guide to Evergreen Games
We've released a FREE whitepaper on evergreen games. These are games built around exceptional replayability with no fixed endpoint. The paper looks at why these games thrive and what developers and publishers need to know about them. https://t.co/LrqktDsvFD
DOJ Refuses Politically‑motivated Fast‑track on Paramount‑Warner Deal
DOJ Will ‘Absolutely Not’ Fast-Track Review of Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal for Political Reasons, Antitrust Chief Says https://t.co/sQogt9Eyeq via @variety
Nexstar Refuses Station Divestitures Amid Consolidation Concerns
Nexstar has not offered to make any station divestures to try to appease states concerned about media consolidation resulting from its deal to merge with Tegna, says California AG Rob Bonta.
NY AG Warns Pay‑TV Rates Will Jump Post‑merger
NY AG Letitia James says pay-TV prices will spike if Nexstar-Tegna deal goes through because they will demand higher carriage fees and those costs ultimately get passed on to consumers.
McDonald’s Doc Shows Marketers Storytelling Beyond Ads
McDonald’s ‘Meal Ticket’ Basketball Documentary Offers Path for Marketers With Stories Too Big for Commercials https://t.co/EJVbiQi4xA via @variety
California AG Leads Multi-State Lawsuit to Block $6.2B Nexstar‑Tegna
California Attorney General Rob Bonta Files Lawsuit Seeking to Block $6.2 Billion Nexstar/Tegna Broadcasting Merger. Other states part of suit include NY, VA, CO, IL, CT and OR. https://t.co/yZIDbjQZLK
BuzzFeed's Collapse Could Jeopardize HuffPost's Future
What will become of HuffPost, should BuzzFeed go under? @nataliekorach has the reporting in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/buzzfeed-bankruptcy-huffpost-future
Meta Extends Creator Payments to Facebook Posts
I wonder if this also applies to creators who are actively posting on Facebook? 🤔 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/18/meta-creator-pay-instagram-tiktok-youtube-facebook.html
Senator Probes $10 B TikTok Payment to Trump Administration
Senator Raises Questions About Reported $10 Billion Payment to Trump Administration for TikTok U.S. Deal, Including President’s Involvement https://t.co/zdUc6ouEVp via @variety
Low‑budget Romance ‘Reminders of Him’ Rockets to $22M
The ladies and #ColleenHoover also making the most of SPRING BREAK at US #BoxOffice, as #Universal new book adaptation #RemindersOfHim grossed strong 2.4M on TUE Discount Day, up +43.7% from MON (vs #RegrettingYou’s 1.8M, +23.6%, #TheLostCity’s 3.3M, +48.5%) The...
Disney's Data Monolith Split Tests New CEO's Resolve
Bob Iger leaves The Walt Disney Company $DIS with a giant database—or “monolith”, like the "Mad Men" episode from Season 7—at the center of its business. The newly announced reorg splits that database in two—one for streaming, one for theme parks. Nobody...
Toyota, Fox Team up to Boost Car Ads via Baywatch
Toyota and Fox hope to rev up car advertising on TV with a season-long sponsorship of Baywatch https://t.co/ZEm5Gvu2YN
New Disney CEO D'Amaro Declares Company Operating From Strength
Disney's Josh D'Amaro era begins following Bob Iger handoff. D'Amaro stresses to investors that, unlike some media co. rivals, Disney is "operating from a place of strength." w/ @smasunaga @latimes https://t.co/32Tp2humwh
Disney Remains Unique, Ready for Innovation and Growth
Alluding to Paramount's pending WBD deal, D’Amaro said “while others in our industry are consolidating just to compete, or struggling to be relevant in a fragmented and disrupted world, Disney is in a category of one," poised for "innovation and growth."...
Meta Pays Creators Up to $3K Monthly to Join Facebook
NEW: Meta is offering creators who have large followings on other platforms (but who don't regularly post on Facebook) up to $3k a month in bonuses if they start posting on Facebook, it's the company's latest plan to bring higher...
New Disney CEO Pledges Creative Excellence as Guiding North Star
Josh D’Amaro, on His First Day as Disney CEO, Tells Employees ‘Creative Excellence Will Remain Our North Star’ https://t.co/BqHmrp80dk via @variety
Analyst Urges Disney to Ditch Linear TV Distraction
"We view linear TV as a distraction for D'Amaro and not where we, nor investors, want to see Disney allocating capital and resources," Greenfield wrote. Media analyst Rich Greenfield of Lightshed Partners, who for years implored Disney to get out of...
Search Decline Hits Small Publishers Hardest
New data suggests small publishers (10k daily pageviews or less) are hit hardest by search traffic declines —Chatbots only drive 1% of all traffic referrals, so they can't make up the gap —News sites get most page views from AI platforms, but...
WME Cuts 3% Workforce, Cites Industry Upheaval
WME Laying Off 30 Staffers, 3% of Headcount, After Going Private Last Year: ‘Our Industry Is Undergoing Profound Change’ https://t.co/gUlwX6zxPb via @variety
MSNOW Reshuffles: Velshi Takes 11 A.m., Morning Joe Moves
MS NOW Shake-Up: Ali Velshi Seizes ’11th Hour,’ ‘Morning Joe’ Cedes 9 A.M., Ana Cabrera Slides in Daytime Overhaul https://t.co/e2DZ9wmvcn via @variety
Patreon Empowers Community Action Beyond Public Platforms
I love my Patreons so much. I get to know a lot of them individually in that space. They're generous, kind, inquisitive, funny humans and their Patreonage allows me to do the work that I do. But...
P1Harmony's 'UNIQUE' Projected to Debut Billboard No.2
📈 Initial industry projections predict P1Harmony's 'UNIQUE' on track to earn 77,000 units in its first full week available in the U.S. (75,000 from album sales) This should guarantee a Top 5 debut — potentially as high as No. 2 —...
Oscars Lose Nearly 2 Million Viewers, Predictions Miss
Oscars down almost 2m viewers from last year. Lots of What I’m Hearing readers wildly overshot in their guesses and will not be getting a stylish Puck hat… https://t.co/erwld2eQNM
Three Bold Moves Needed to Revive Disney Stock
Will Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro Do What Iger and Chapek Would Not? $DIS We believe there are three bold moves that D’Amaro must make to reinvigorate Disney’s lackluster stock price performance over the past decade… https://t.co/caZGmSaw6j
SoundCloud Made One-Hit Viral Success Possible, Bypassing Development
I'd argue the SoundCloud era was the first in which en masse, one song could lead to overnight success and $$$. There was little to no artist development or oversight after that one song
CBS Evening News Falls Below 4M Viewers, Sparks Alarm
Suddenly, “CBS Evening News” is back where executives at the news division behind the show hoped never to return --- the show captured under 4M viewers last week, a level that spurred alarm when the program was under John Dickerson...
Oklahoma Shells Out on Inexperienced Search Ad Firm
Oklahoma Spent Big on Newbie Firm for Search Landing AD Denny https://t.co/ZKa8mA74ct via @sportico @DanielLibit
Food Critic Tom Sietsema Joins Beehiiv, Offers Exclusive Content
🍔 NEW: The legendary food critic @tomsietsema is joining Beehiiv and is cooking up something special for subscribers https://t.co/m6ACgUY6lj #axiosmediatrends
Build A Rocket Boy Splits From IOI Partners
Build A Rocket Boy is on its own with MindsEye as it separates from IOI Partners. https://t.co/eHIWuWWJh8
NBC News Signs Joanna Stern to Retain Creator Talent
Journalists have been ankling TV-news operations for their own indie ventures. NBC News' new pact with tech reporter Joanna Stern shows a mainstream news outlet trying to keep 'creators' under its umbrella https://t.co/yAMZBwVYTh via @variety
DIRECTV Slashes MySports Pack to $45/Month
DIRECTV's MySports Genre Pack is $45/month for 2 months. Everything you need for March Madness. Notice in the graphic the $64.99/month regular price is crossed out -- that used to be $69.99 for the same plan. First time I saw...