Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, overtaking pay‑TV revenue
Omdia reports global online video subscriptions reached 2.24 billion at the end of 2025, a 17.6% year‑on‑year rise. Revenue grew 13.5% to $176 billion, surpassing pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit levels in 2026 as operators focus on monetising existing users.
Also developing:
Metricool’s Free Social Media School Bets That Strategy Beats Trial and Error
Metricool has relaunched its free Social Media School, a six‑module, self‑paced curriculum that has already attracted more than 10,000 learners. The redesign embeds all instructions within the course, eliminating disruptive external links, and culminates in a downloadable strategy template. Modules cover platform basics, content creation, community engagement, measurement, paid social, and a brief look at AI and influencer marketing. Early engagement data shows strong interest in the foundational, strategy‑focused content.
Netflix to Roll Out Vertical Video Feed, AI Recommendations in Mobile Redesign
Netflix announced a mobile redesign that will introduce a vertical video discovery feed by the end of April, expanding its catalog to include video podcasts. The overhaul also incorporates new generative AI models to sharpen content recommendations and enable advanced...
POSSIBLE 2026 Debuts Creator Economy Academy as Issa Rae, Kinigra Deon, and CreatorIQ Join Speaker Lineup
The POSSIBLE 2026 conference kicked off in Miami Beach, adding a Creator Economy Academy and a dedicated programming track. High‑profile creators Issa Rae, Kinigra Deon, and CreatorIQ’s Caden Cox will headline sessions on brand‑driven entertainment and the future of influence. Attendance is projected...
TikTok Tests Hotel Metasearch Cards That Redirect Users to Expedia, Booking.com
TikTok is beta‑testing hotel metasearch cards that appear in users' For You feeds and link directly to major online travel agencies such as Expedia, Booking.com and Trip.com. The cards display a property photo, name and real‑time rate options, with a...
YouTube Adds Side-by-Side Ads for Live Streams on Mobile, Muting Stream Audio During Breaks
YouTube is rolling out a new side‑by‑side ad format for mobile livestreams, placing ads next to the video feed instead of replacing it. During the ad break the video stays visible but the stream’s audio is muted in favor of...
Bauer Media Launches Two New Podcasts as Platform Tops 10M Monthly Listeners
Bauer Media announced at Radiocentre’s Tuning In North conference that it is adding two original podcasts to its roster. "re:working," hosted by Tim Campbell MBE, launches May 11 and focuses on careers, business and personal development. "The Prenup," hosted by...
The Monday Media Diet with Carson Griffith
Carson Griffith, a veteran journalist, launched the Substack newsletter "Rich People Shit" (RPS) in January, focusing on cultural capital and the money‑behavior nexus. The publication has quickly amassed a paid subscriber base and is gearing up for a exclusive event...
IAS LAUNCHES IAS TOTAL TV SOLUTIONS GIVING MARKETERS ‘LINEAR-LIKE’ TRANSPARENCY FOR CONNECTED TV
Integral Ad Science (IAS) unveiled IAS Total TV, a suite that brings linear‑TV‑style transparency to the fragmented Connected TV (CTV) ecosystem. The platform delivers real‑time, show‑level insights across major streaming services such as Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Prime Video, while...
Oprah Inks Amazon Deal for Her Podcast, Book Club and Original TV Show
Oprah Winfrey has signed an exclusive multiyear agreement with Amazon’s Wondery network to bring her podcast, Oprah’s Book Club, Favorite Things franchise, and the 25‑season back catalog of The Oprah Winfrey Show to Amazon platforms. The deal expands The Oprah...
Townsquare and Columbus’ NABCO Ignite Digital Ad Partnership
Townsquare Media’s Ignite division announced a digital‑advertising partnership with North American Broadcasting Company (NABCO) in Columbus, Ohio, marking its latest addition to the Ignite Media Partnerships program launched in 2024. The deal grants NABCO white‑label access to Townsquare’s proprietary programmatic...
Microsoft Adds Contextual Offer Highlights to Copilot Ads
Offer Highlights in Copilot -> Microsoft Merchant Center Now Supports 'Highlights for Copilot' From Microsoft Ads: "We’re introducing Offer Highlights, new ad experiences that enable brands to promote key product differentiators within the context of Copilot conversations. More than showing traditional...
The Upfront Has Mutated. And Most of the Market Missed It.
The traditional TV Upfront has fundamentally shifted from selling premium inventory to selling proven business outcomes. By 2026, media buyers demand closed‑loop measurement, with retail media becoming the yardstick for performance across linear, streaming, and digital channels. Programmatic platforms now...
TikTok Campaign Shows How Brands Turn Reach Into Real Traffic
A TikTok campaign for pet‑care franchise Camp Bow Wow, run with Scorpion, proved that native, lo‑fi creative paired with interest‑based targeting can drive measurable traffic at scale. The effort generated 23,000 landing‑page views at $2.01 each, over 50,000 clicks at...
AI Max Generates Custom Ad Copy Using Existing Text
Interesting, AI labels for AI-generated ads? I'm assuming this is tied to AI Max campaigns... but maybe someone on the ads side could provide more info. From the AI Max Google documentation: "Text customization: This uses text from your existing ads,...
Even PayPal Ads Has Its Own ID Now
PayPal announced the PayPal Ads ID, an omnichannel identifier built on its and Venmo’s credit‑card‑linked customer base. Unlike cookie‑based graphs, the ID is free for any data or ad‑tech vendor that maintains a commercial relationship with PayPal Ads and can...
NAB Show 2026: Hydrolix Powers AWS Agentic Intelligent Operations for Streaming Media
Hydrolix announced that its real‑time data platform powers AWS’s Agentic Intelligent Operations for Streaming Media, showcased at NAB Show 2026. The solution couples Hydrolix’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with Amazon Bedrock AgentCore and the AWS Strands SDK, letting AI...
Albertsons Media Collective Brings Retail Signals to YouTube with Google’s Commerce Media Suite.
Google’s Commerce Media Suite now integrates Albertsons Media Collective’s first‑party shopper data into YouTube and Display & Video 360. The partnership lets brands reach high‑intent Albertsons customers across YouTube and premium publisher inventory while receiving SKU‑level sales attribution. Early adopters such as Keurig Dr Pepper...
The One Person Who Is Not Looking Forward To New 'Little House'
Netflix announced an eight‑episode revival of "Little House on the Prairie," slated for a July 9, 2026 premiere. Former broadcast journalist Megyn Kelly quickly posted a hostile comment on X, threatening to "ruin" the project if it was “woke‑ified.” The remark...
Celsius Unites Sports, Music and Culture Ahead of Soccer-Centric Summer
Celsius launched a new ad campaign featuring soccer stars, DJ Diplo and creator Marlon Garcia, promoting its limited‑time Electric Vibe flavor with the tagline “Live. Fit. Goal.” The 30‑second spot, “The Surge,” will run across TV, digital and out‑of‑home channels...
ITV's Tense and "Gripping" British Spy Thriller with a Stacked Cast Is on TV Tonight
ITV launches the spy thriller *Secret Service* on ITV1 at 9 pm tonight, with all five episodes already streaming on ITVX. The series stars Gemma Arterton as senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson, who uncovers a Russian‑linked British politician, and features a cast...
Netflix’s Running Point Scores Several Integrated Brand Partnerships in Season 2
Netflix’s comedy series Running Point has secured multiple integrated brand partnerships for its Season 2 launch. The basketball‑focused show weaves sponsors such as State Farm, DoorDash, Lexus, Ally Bank, Sephora and Google Search into its storyline and visual design. Netflix VP...
Google Ads Demand Gen Image Approvals Facing Delays
Google @adsliaison confirms delays with Google Ads Demand Gen Image ads approvals https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-demand-gen-image-ads-approval-delays-41216.html via Matthew Skelton #googleads #ppc #google
Stagwell Builds TV Ad Platform with FreeWheel
Stagwell has teamed with Comcast-owned FreeWheel to create a unified TV advertising infrastructure that spans connected TV, linear broadcast and live sports. The deal integrates FreeWheel’s Curation Hub and Buyer Cloud into Stagwell’s media acquisition layer, powering the new Stagwell...
3,000 Images, Zero Dialogue: How This Studio Made AI Films Without Sacrificing the Creative Soul
Purga Films and Gut produced three AI‑generated short films—mafia, Western, and samurai—using roughly 3,000 AI‑created images each and no spoken dialogue, substituting Lorem Ipsum placeholder text. Completed in three months, the project showcases how AI can deliver cinematic visuals while...
143 Likes on My Next Post. Here's the Simple Four-Step Framework I Used
The author of a Substack newsletter reveals a four‑step framework called The Pattern Reader that systematically analyzes past posts to uncover the hidden drivers of engagement. By applying the framework, a recent article earned 143 likes, 15 restacks, and a...
One Year Ago, Unilever CEO Swore to Hire ‘20x More Influencers.’ Did It Deliver on That Promise?
A year after CEO Fernando Fernandez pledged to hire 20 times more influencers, Unilever has expanded its creator network from roughly 10,000 to 300,000, exceeding the target by a factor of 30. The company now works with 17,000 influencers in India...
Trump's Takeover of CNN Is Now Complete
Michael Popok argues that Donald Trump and his billionaire allies have seized control of mainstream outlets like CNN, turning news coverage into propaganda. He positions his own platform, Legal AF, as a counter‑voice that refuses to echo partisan talking points. Popok...
Fully Automated AI UGC Ads Delivered in Eight Minutes
Everyone preaching “AI UGC ads” is straight-up lying. They call it automated… But they’re still: • Writing the scripts • Hunting for clips • Fixing the voiceovers • Manually stitching the final video That’s not automation. That’s just faster manual work. I built the real thing: One custom system powered...
NFL Goes Hollywood: Inside Its Plan to Conquer Streaming and Movies
The NFL is teaming with Skydance Sports to create a dedicated content studio that will produce its first scripted streaming series, "The Land," and a slate of feature films, including a John Madden biopic and a Christmas‑day story about the New...
Customers Want Personalized Marketing. Why Can’t Most Brands Deliver? By Adobe
Adobe’s 2025‑2026 AI and Digital Trends reports reveal a gap: while 71% of consumers expect personalized, seamless experiences, fewer than half of brands consistently deliver. The root cause is fragmented customer data that hinders real‑time insight sharing across channels. Adobe...
Jack Daniel’s Appoints 22feet as Its Creative Agency of Record for India
Jack Daniel’s has appointed 22feet, an Omnicom India agency, as its creative agency of record for the Indian market. The integrated mandate spans brand strategy, digital, social, packaging, experiential and retail communications for the entire Jack Daniel’s portfolio, including its...
Cult Beauty Pulls Adverts From GB News Following Social Media Pressure
Cult Beauty, the THG‑owned online beauty retailer, has removed its advertising from the UK news channel GB News after a social‑media backlash driven by activist group Stop Funding Hate. The campaign urged the retailer to stop funding a channel described as...
TikTok Unveils UK's First #BookTok Bestseller List, Female Authors Sweep Top 20
TikTok has launched the United Kingdom's first official #BookTok Bestseller List, a monthly chart that blends retail sales with in‑app engagement. The inaugural top 20 is composed entirely of female authors, underscoring the platform's role in a £86 million ($109 million) publishing...
Spring Surge: 12 New Movies and Series Launch on Netflix, Apple TV+ and Prime Video (Apr 27‑May 3)
Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video and other services are rolling out 12 new movies and series between April 27 and May 3. Highlights include the Indian crime saga “Lawrence of Punjab,” Netflix’s second season of “Beef,” and Apple TV+’s folk‑horror comedy “Widow’s...
Sirius XM's iHeart Bid Hampered by Massive Debt
Sirius XM eyeing iHeartMedia? 🤔 Strategic audio play but iHeart’s $5.5B+ debt is a massive red flag. SIRI shareholders might want to hope this one fizzles. 📉 AudioMerger
Oprah Signs Amazon Deal for Podcast, Book Club, TV
Oprah Inks Amazon Deal for Her Podcast, Book Club and Her Original TV Show https://t.co/g6Z3s0TY4o via @variety
VaynerX Launches Tamara Group, Betting Production-Led Is the New Agency Model
Gary Vaynerchuk’s VaynerX unveiled Tamara Group at the POSSIBLE conference in Miami on April 27, debuting a production‑led agency model. The new firm launches with roughly 100 employees and early clients Ulta Beauty, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, and Method. Tamara...
Spotify Crowns “Drivers License” Greatest Streaming‑era Pop Hit
Spotify Names Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” the Greatest Pop Song of the Streaming Era https://t.co/FpB3ewfxRd
Western Media Double‑standard: Iran Praised, Russia Condemned
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin got portrayed in Western media as running circles around the West. Same now for Iran. Western journalists spend tons of time criticizing the US blockade and talking up Iran. Not true for Russia. Not...
Trump Evacuated After Security Breach at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, No Injuries Reported
A man armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives forced his way past security checkpoints at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, leading Secret Service agents to evacuate President Donald Trump and other dignitaries. The suspect was subdued without any injuries,...
TMZ DC Disrupts Hill Media Without Credentials
No credentials. Good. No credentials, no problem as TMZ DC shakes up Hill media bubble https://t.co/x0ziIUv6En
Even Skeptics Can Lose Faith in Skepticism
Journalism is built on proper skepticism. But here's the #BrokenPost being skeptical about skepticism. I used to be a skeptic. This changed my mind. https://t.co/axPZxAFRbq
Celebs Go Dating's New Series – with MAFS and CBB Favourites – Confirms Return Date
Celebs Go Dating announced that its fifteenth season will debut on E4 on Monday, 4 May 2024. Long‑time hosts Anna Williamson and Paul C Brunson return to run the celebrity matchmaking agency, joined by familiar agents Tom Read Wilson and Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn....
Watch The Boys' Final Season Starting This Week
The Boys' final season enters its back half this week — find out when you can watch it with our help. https://t.co/vWdiPJrKJa
My Op-Ed Was Flagged as AI. It Wasn’t.
A senior PR director’s op‑ed was rejected after an AI‑detection tool flagged it as machine‑generated, even though the piece was crafted collaboratively in real time. The incident highlights a growing tension between editors’ demand for authentic, human‑written content and the...
Brands Can Now Deploy Their Own Agents Inside Publisher Chatbots
Dappier unveiled Sponsored Conversations, a new ad format that inserts brand‑specific AI agents into publisher chatbots. The agents engage users in real time, pulling from the site’s own content and, for brands like Miku, driving qualified leads with roughly 50 %...
AI and the Vertical Drama Industry
Thom Woodley of Hudson Vertical told Chris Pfaff at Streaming Media Connect 2026 that AI is already being leveraged for testing and piloting microdramas, but its impact on storytelling remains uncertain. He emphasized that the vertical drama business is driven...
OOH Offers Big Return on Investment for Luxury Brands
Out‑of‑home (OOH) advertising delivers a striking 12.8× return on investment for luxury brands—roughly $16 in revenue for every $1 spent—according to Independent Marketing Sciences. Across 24 media channels, luxury’s overall average ROI is 4.7×, making OOH the top‑performing channel. The...
Report: YouTube Leads Cross-Generational Attention in US
Precisify’s new 13‑44 audience panel reveals YouTube dominates attention across both Gen Z and Millennial cohorts in the United States, reaching 83% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials. While TikTok and Disney+ are stronger among Gen Z, and Netflix and Facebook hold...
NAB 2026: NVIDIA?s Not-So-Secret AI Agents
At NAB 2026 NVIDIA showcased its AI Agent Control Plane, a framework that lets multiple autonomous agents collaborate on media‑creation tasks while staying within enterprise‑grade guardrails. The demo highlighted NemoClaw, an open‑source privacy layer for OpenClaw agents that enforces policy‑based data...