Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue eclipses pay‑TV
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, overtaking pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit in 2026 as operators shift focus from acquiring new users to monetising existing ones.
Facility Executive Welcomes New Editorial Director
Facility Executive, Continuity Insights, and Campus Resilience & Security announced Michael Gianakos as their new Editorial Director. Gianakos arrives with over 15 years of experience in fast‑paced media, most recently at sports‑focused digital outlet ClutchPoints. He will oversee content strategy across the three brands and launch his tenure at the Continuity Insights Management Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, April 27‑29. The appointment signals Group C Media’s commitment to bolstering editorial depth and multi‑platform engagement.
Stream These Movies and TV Shows Before They Leave Netflix in May
Netflix will remove several high‑profile titles from its U.S. catalog on May 1, including the Oscar‑winning drama “12 Years a Slave,” the action‑packed “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation,” and Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla.” The departures reflect the end of licensing agreements that typically...
Meta Rolls Out AI Business Assistant To All Advertisers, Agencies
Meta announced the global rollout of its AI Business Assistant, extending the beta to advertisers and agencies of all sizes across major markets and languages. The tool, first piloted with U.S. small businesses, delivers real‑time, data‑driven recommendations, account restoration, spend‑limit...
NFL To FCC: Ending Antitrust Exemption Would Mean “Higher Costs and Confusion”
The NFL warned the FCC that ending its league-wide antitrust exemption would fragment media rights, driving up consumer costs and creating confusion. The league highlighted that 87% of games still air on broadcast networks and that the 2025 season remained...
Post Sparingly, Share Insights, Engage Meaningfully on LinkedIn
I went to @LinkedIn's “what to post on LinkedIn” webinar today and here were the main takeaways, for the interested: 1. Share a recap of an event you attended with key takeaways for folks who couldn’t attend 2. Share a learning/original...
8 Best New Series Coming to Netflix in May 2026: From ‘Lord of the Flies’ to ‘The Boroughs’
Netflix is rolling out eight new series in May 2026, ranging from a four‑episode adaptation of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” to the Duffer Brothers‑produced sci‑fi horror “The Boroughs.” The lineup mixes prestige literary adaptations, true‑crime drama, an anime...
Should Broadcast Networks Scrap Entertainment Programming?
The episode examines the stark divergence between sports and entertainment programming on broadcast networks, highlighting that NFL viewership has risen 30% over 20 years while non‑sports primetime audiences have fallen more than 75%. It argues that because sports, especially the...
This Swiftie’s Best-Selling Book Offers an Insider’s Look at Taylor Swift’s Fanbase
Olivia Levin, a self‑identified superfan with a 630,000‑strong Instagram following, released *The Story of Us* on April 14 through Simon & Schuster. The memoir, chronicling the evolution of the Swiftie community from its early days to the Eras Tour ticket frenzy,...
The Sports Audience TV Can’t Match Is on the Radio, Study Shows
A Vision Insights Decoder study of U.S. sports fans (August‑October 2025) shows sports radio listeners are twice as likely to back brands that sponsor their favorite teams, and they rate radio sponsors as more memorable than TV sponsors among 18‑34...
Canadian Drama Heated Rivalry Wins Prestigious Peabody Award
Canadian series Heated Rivalry, a hockey romance on Crave, won a Peabody Award. The show, co‑produced by Bell Media and distributed in the U.S. by HBO Max, debuted in November 2025 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Jurors praised its...
There's a New Playbook for Partnering with Creators on Marketing Campaigns.
Google has rolled out YouTube Creator Partnerships within Google Ads and Display & Video 360, allowing advertisers to discover, activate, and manage creator‑driven ads directly in performance campaigns. The new tools aim to lower the entry barrier for creator marketing,...
Day 4: The Milestone Giveaway That Got Her to 30k Subscribers
Aleyda Solis leveraged a milestone‑driven giveaway to push her SEOFOMO newsletter past 30,000 subscribers, adding roughly 1,500 quality contacts in seven weeks. The campaign required existing readers to refer peers, using SEO‑focused tools as prizes and promoting the contest through...
Minto Pyramid: Secret Blueprint Behind Viral Content
i've never seen anyone talk about it but the minto pyramid is the most critical distribution skill in 2026 i use it religiously. it's how i average 10m+ impressions a month and pull about $5k mrr just from X revenue...
Real Results and an Attribution Void: Podscribe Benchmark Report
Podscribe released its Q1 Performance Benchmark Report, delivering the latest metrics on audio advertising across streaming, podcast, and video‑podcast formats. The data show streaming audio achieving higher conversion rates and lower costs than podcast‑only campaigns, while a larger U.S. YouTube...
NASCAR Heads to Talladega: Here’s How to Stream This Weekend’s Races Online for Free
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the Jack Link’s 500 on Sunday, April 26, with Zac Brown serving as grand marshal and Kip Moore performing the Saturday in‑field concert. The race starts at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX....
The Hardy Men
Last year a conservative publisher released two box sets of the Hardy Boys mystery novels, touting them as restored to their original form and marketed as the ideal introduction for young readers. The "restored" editions retain the series' historic racial...
Hurley Brings Regional Playbook to iHeart Philadelphia
Jeff Hurley has been appointed senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia, taking charge of the market’s six‑station cluster that includes Power 99, WDAS, and Fox Sports The Gambler. He previously served as EVP of programming across Upstate New York,...
Prime Video Drops ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 4 Trailer
Prime Video released the official trailer for Season 4 of the adult‑animated series The Legend of Vox Machina, set to debut on June 3. The new season will roll out three episodes per week and will be available in more than 240...
There Will Be Ducks in The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 Trailer
Prime Video dropped the Season 4 trailer for the animated series *The Legend of Vox Machina*, confirming a June 3, 2026 debut with three new episodes released weekly. The teaser shows the ragtag heroes re‑uniting a year after the Chroma Conclave, facing a...
AI, Brand Safety’s Frenemy | Behind the Numbers
In this episode, Marcus talks with UK analyst Bill Fisher and US AI expert Jacob about the surge of AI‑generated "slop" on platforms like YouTube and its impact on brand safety. They highlight how AI content now makes up roughly...
Ad Spend on YouTube, Google Search, Amazon Sponsored Products Is Growing: Report
Tinuiti’s latest report, based on more than $4 billion in managed ad spend, shows double‑digit growth across most digital channels in Q1 2026. Meta’s Instagram Reels now generate a third of the platform’s ad impressions, lifting Instagram ad spend 28% year‑over‑year, while...
The Content Studio Helping a City Tell Its Story
A boutique content studio is partnering with a major U.S. city to reshape its tourism narrative through a data‑driven social‑media strategy. The studio’s mix of short‑form video, influencer trips and brand‑safe music licensing is generating viral reach, exemplified by a...
Tech Media Must Stop Uncritical CEO Quote Reporting
A recent New Yorker article put a spotlight on Sam Altman’s compulsive lying. It’s not a great look for tech media that echoed his statements. On Tech Won’t Save Us, I spoke with @kbode to discuss the problem of “CEO says...
AI Excels at Editing, Not Original Writing
I just spent 6 hours writing a newsletter and 30 seconds using an LLM to chop off 4k words. AI is a crappy writer, but a pretty decent editor.
5 Streaming Posts Fastest Q1 Growth Among PSB Platforms
Channel 5’s streaming platform posted the fastest Q1 2026 growth among UK public‑service broadcasters, with Barb reporting a 25% year‑on‑year rise in viewing hours. The surge outstripped BBC iPlayer (8% up), ITVX (1% down) and Channel 4 Streaming (17% up). Growth was...
Broadcast Networks Should Prioritize NFL Over Entertainment?
Should Broadcast Networks Scrap Entertainment Programming? Broadcast TV = Sports or More Specifically @NFL 🏈🏈🏈 https://t.co/QGAFvtVgGb
Questioning Bari Weiss's CBS Motives: Idealism or Whim?
Great piece… and picks up on same question I asked last night: is Bari Weiss’s CBS truly motivated by a nonpartisan ideal or her own personal whims?
Front Office Sports Studios To Launch Daily Syndicated ‘Front Office Sports Tonight’
Front Office Sports Studios will debut a daily, nationally syndicated television program called Front Office Sports Tonight on September 14. The 30‑minute show blends reporting, analysis and commentary on the business, culture and entertainment aspects of sports and will be...
ChatGPT Extends Ads to Logged-Out Users, Boosting Inventory
Now for logged out users. Interesting -> ChatGPT ads expand to logged-out users "ChatGPT is expanding ads to logged-out users, increasing inventory and making it easier for advertisers to scale spend." https://t.co/ljDF916Tsj via @TheMarketingAnu https://t.co/067EGOyLLI
Remember when Odd Lots Tickets Were Free?
I’m old enough to remember when Odd Lots event tickets were free for Terminal subscribers
Tiffany Faigus & Ariane Wu Join Amazon As Nonfiction Chief Jenn Levy Sets Team
Amazon has reorganized its nonfiction programming under Head of Nonfiction Series Jenn Levy, appointing two senior executives to lead unscripted and documentary content. Former Disney executive Tiffany Faigus joins as Senior Creative Executive for Unscripted Series, reporting to Levy starting...
Remember New Media Rockstars? The Forgotten Creator Hub
Remember when there was a whole website reporting on content creators and new media and it was unironically called New Media Rockstars
AI's Noisy Market Needs a Trusted Review Intern
i low-key need an intern whose only job is trying every random AI product launch and writing up what’s actually good. there is remarkable stuff shipping right now. it is just buried under an insane amount of noise. big opportunity to build...
PubMatic Brings Custom Creative Formats to AgenticOS
PubMatic has embedded its Creative Innovation Suite into the AgenticOS platform, giving marketers a single workflow to create, launch and measure custom ad formats across premium connected TV, mobile apps and more. The suite draws on partners Celtra, Brightline and...
David Harbour Targets Emmy Supporting Nod for ‘DTF St. Louis’
David Harbour Sets Emmy Bid for ‘DTF St. Louis’ in Supporting Actor With Multiple Noms in Play (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/45jiBMHgZ2 via @variety
CNBC Ignores Iran's Crisis, Sticks to Formulaic Programming
It is amazing that @cnbc has not mentioned a word of what just occurred in Iran. Formulaic programming. Not real time.
TriCoast Media Expands Its Unified SSP/DSP Platform
TriCoast Media has expanded its unified supply‑side and demand‑side platform to compress the connected TV (CTV) supply chain. By turning its content library into a flywheel, the company offers publishers higher revenue shares in exchange for preferred backfill access, now...
Advertiser ID: Personalized Ads vs Privacy Risks
The more you use your computer, the more personalized the ads become. Helpful, or big privacy problem? Here are the pros and cons of keeping "Advertiser ID" enabled for Windows and MacOS users: https://t.co/2Jztl0wWKP #privacy #mac #windows #advertising https://t.co/X64BKNNIsW
Meta Launches Instants, a Locket‑style Photo App
new app from Meta called: Instants it appears to be a Locket(?) inspired clone? // @alex193a https://t.co/dD6fRKthPm
Scarlett Johansson Producing ‘The Nanny Diaries’ Series In Works At Netflix From Amy Chozick, Jenny Bicks & Berlanti Productions
Netflix is developing a series adaptation of the bestseller *The Nanny Diaries*, with Scarlett Johansson returning as an executive producer. The project is a collaboration between Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television and other partners, and will be written and show‑run by Amy Chozick...
Instantly Optimize Ad Spend with Top Budgets Widget
Stop guessing where your ad spend goes. The new Top Budgets widget in @Optmyzr ranks performance and flags instant optimization opportunities. Shift budgets to your best campaigns without context switching. Keep the boss happy and your ROI high. 🚀 #PPC #GoogleAds #Marketing...
Elle Fanning's Apple TV Series Gets Sydney Sweeney's Euphoria Season 3 Storyline Right
Apple TV+’s new series *Margo’s Got Money Troubles* portrays a college student’s OnlyFans venture as an empowering, financially savvy response to hardship, with Elle Fanning delivering a nuanced performance. In stark contrast, HBO Max’s *Euphoria* Season 3 depicts Cassie Howard’s adult‑content work as a...
Want Free E-Books? Stuff Your Kindle Day Has 150+ Titles Discounted - Today Only
Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 23, offering more than 150 cozy‑mystery e‑books at a temporary $0 price. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, the promotion spans the Kindle Store as well as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and...
The Gotham Television Awards Will Honor The Duffer Brothers And “Stranger Things” With The Visionary Tribute
The Gotham Film & Media Institute will present the Visionary Tribute to Matt and Ross Duffer at the third annual Gotham Television Awards on June 1 in New York. The honor recognizes the Duffer brothers’ creation of Netflix’s global hit...
Method Man & Norman Nixon Jr. Join ‘Different World’; Karen Malina White & Ajai Sanders To Reprise Roles From OG...
Netflix has wrapped production on the 10‑episode single‑cam sequel to the 1990s sitcom *A Different World*, filmed in Atlanta. The series adds hip‑hop legend Method Man as Coach Coles and actor Norman Nixon Jr. as Professor Baptiste, while original stars Karen Malina White and Ajai Sanders return...
‘Clueless’ Sequel Series With Alicia Silverstone Not Moving Forward At Peacock
A planned "Clueless" sequel series starring Alicia Silverstone will not move forward at Peacock, according to Deadline. The revival, announced in April 2025, had Silverstone attached as star and executive producer, with original film director Amy Heckerling and writers Josh...
Spanish Sports Streamers Face Potential €750,000 Fines for Regulatory Non-Compliance
A new AVC Audiovisual Compliance study of 65 over‑the‑top sports streaming platforms in Spain finds most are breaching the General Audiovisual Communication Law. Non‑compliance areas include missing legal disclosures, inadequate age‑verification for minors, and weak content‑security that enables piracy. Regulators...
Early Journalists Should Relocate to DC for Opportunities
Any early career journalist who asks me for advice, I tell them: Move to DC. There's tons of news, many jobs, and more media entrepreneurship and startups than anywhere else, trying to do serious stuff: https://t.co/OGzzcxhNnV
The TV OS Wars Continue
Omdia’s latest forecast shows Europe’s smart‑TV operating system market remaining fragmented through 2030, with four vendors each holding over 10% share and two more at roughly 5%. Google’s Android TV/Google TV platform, the current leader, peaked at one‑third of shipments...
Here Are RW’s “Best of Show” Recipients at NAB Show
Radio World announced the 2026 "Best of Show" winners at the NAB Show, highlighting 23 innovative broadcast products ranging from AI‑driven audio tracking to software‑defined transmitters. The awards, judged by a panel of engineers and editors, recognize companies that paid...