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:
X Launches Creator Connect, AI‑Powered Matchmaking Service for Brands and Creators
X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, introduced Creator Connect, an AI‑powered service that matches brands with content creators. Built on xAI technology, the managed service handles discovery, outreach, production and distribution, marking a shift from a simple directory to a full‑service agency model.
Roland-Garros 2026 on 9GEM
9GEM begins live coverage of Roland‑Garros 2026 on May 24, featuring former doubles champion Todd Woodbridge and former world No. 4 Jelena Dokic as lead analysts. The network highlights a strong Australian presence, with eight men’s singles players—including top‑10 Alex de Minaur—and several women’s...
2 Controversial Harry Potter Movies Are Leaving HBO Max
Two Harry Potter prequel films, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, will be removed from HBO Max on June 1, 2026. Both movies together grossed roughly $1.06 billion worldwide against combined production budgets of...
Euphoria Boss Brands Season 3 'the Best' And Urges Fans to Watch Final Eps "the Moment They Drop"
Sam Levinson says season 3 of HBO’s “Euphoria” will be the series’ best chapter, despite mixed early reviews. The two‑part finale, “Rain or Shine” and “In God We Trust,” airs on May 24 and May 31, with episode 8 running 93 minutes—the longest single HBO installment. Critics have...
Lena Waithe’s ‘The Chi’ Bows Out with Final Season on Paramount+
Showtime creator Lena Waithe and the cast launch the eighth and final season of ‘The Chi’ on Paramount+ Premium on May 22, wrapping eight years, 88 episodes and a cultural legacy. The exclusive streaming rollout underscores Paramount+’s push for premium‑only...
YouTube Network Theorist Launches $6/$12 Membership Platform to Monetize 45M Superfans
Theorist, the creator network behind Game Theory and Film Theory, unveiled TheoryVerse, a paid membership platform with $6 and $12 monthly tiers. The move targets its 45 million‑subscriber base and seeks to diversify revenue beyond YouTube advertising.
Spotify Rolls Out "Reserved" Ticket‑reservation Tool for Premium Users
Spotify announced the Reserved feature, letting Premium subscribers reserve up to two concert tickets for favorite artists before public sale. The service, launching in the U.S. this summer, uses listening data to prioritize genuine fans and promises a 24‑hour purchase...
Creators Leverage Media to Build Affordable Housing Communities
Some creators aren't just building channels. They're building communities. 🏘️ These people are using YouTube and podcasting to empower people to develop affordable housing. 🎯 That's what happens when mission meets media. 🔥 https://t.co/GusktYXXjQ
Google's Search Decline Boosts Gemini, Threatening Publishers
In my debut contribution for the @DylanByers brilliant In The Room newsletter, I wrote about Google all but officially killing Search, Gemini seeing a 570% increase in y/y traffic that may have gone to publishers, and some solutions media and...
Fanvue Rebounds to $200 M ARR After Near‑bankruptcy and Subscriber Loss
Fanvue secured a $22.1 million Series A in January 2026 and reported $200 million annual recurring revenue after surviving a cash crunch and losing 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. The turnaround highlights the importance of founder resilience, product‑market fit, and strategic bridge financing for...
Throwback ITV Period Drama with Damian Lewis Will Be Removed From Netflix Soon
Netflix will pull the early‑2000s ITV period drama *The Forsyte Saga* from its catalogue in a few weeks, roughly a year after adding the ten‑episode series in June 2024. The show, which starred Damian Lewis, Gina McKee and Rupert Graves, originally aired...
NYC Ferry Leverages TikTok to Boost Ridership and Cut Subsidies
NYC Ferry’s social‑media push on TikTok and Instagram, now boasting over 100,000 followers and nearly 2 million likes, has helped lift weekday ridership to a record high and push its subsidy per rider to the lowest level since the service began...
Trump Posts AI‑Generated Dumpster Throw of Stephen Colbert After Late‑Show Exit
Donald Trump uploaded an AI‑generated video to Truth Social on Friday that depicts Stephen Colbert being lifted and thrown into a green dumpster while dancing to “YMCA.” The clip follows Colbert’s final Late Show episode and has reignited a long‑standing...
Disney+ and Hulu to Live‑Stream Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits
Disney+ and Hulu announced they will livestream Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits for the first time, giving subscribers worldwide real‑time access to the festivals. The move signals a broader push into live event streaming and deepens the Disney‑Hulu partnership...
You Can Listen to The Final Broadcast of CBS News Radio HERE as CBS Looks Back At Almost 100 Years...
CBS News Radio will sign off at 11 p.m. ET on May 22, 2026, ending a 99‑year run that began in the late 1920s. The final broadcast marks the closure of a service that once reached roughly 700 affiliate stations and shaped American...
Drake's Triple Album Drop Sets UK Chart Record, Dominates Top 10
On May 15, Drake unleashed three surprise albums—*Iceman*, *Habibti* and *Maid of Honour*—propelling him to a historic UK chart feat: the first artist ever to debut three studio albums inside the Top 10 simultaneously. The move sparked a streaming surge and reignited...
Courtney A. Kemp Inks Multiyear Apple TV+ Overall Deal to Expand Crime Drama Slate
Showrunner Courtney A. Kemp has signed a multiyear overall deal with Apple TV+ to develop exclusive series. The agreement gives Apple first‑look rights on any film projects she creates and positions her Power Universe franchise for a new home after...
Stephen Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show’ Sends Late‑Night Into a New Era
Stephen Colbert closed out his 11‑year tenure on CBS with a surprise‑filled finale on Thursday, delivering a heartfelt monologue and a Paul McCartney interview. The episode aired as CBS confirmed the show’s cancellation, a move critics tie to political pressure from...
One to Watch This Weekend: Channel 4 Drama with Keeley Hawes Branded "Spellbinding" Is Now Streaming
Channel 4 has added the six‑episode drama *Falling* to its streaming library after a brief broadcast run. The series stars Keeley Hawes as a nun and Paapa Essiedu as a priest who fall in love, a premise that blends romance with religious...
Meet J.R. Villarreal, Who Plays Azul in the Latest Yellowstone Spin-Off, Dutton Ranch
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe expands with *Dutton Ranch*, the franchise’s fifth series that debuted on May 15 on Paramount+. The spin‑off quickly rose to become the third‑most‑watched show on the platform, according to FlixPatrol data. It follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly)...
Dhurandhar Extended Cut Released on Netflix India
Netflix India has rolled out an extended‑cut version of the thriller Dhurandhar, branded “Raw and Undekha,” while retaining the original edition on the platform. Both cuts share a 3‑hour‑25‑minute runtime, suggesting only a handful of additional scenes. The sequel, Dhurandhar 2,...
CPJ Warns of Potential Hostilities From FIFA Host Countries Against Traveling Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a travel advisory warning that journalists covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico could face hostility from immigration officials and local authorities. The alert cites recent deportations...
FAQ: AI, Misinformation and Journalism
AI’s rapid expansion is flooding the information ecosystem with cheap, often unreliable content, creating three core challenges for journalism: harder reporting, weakened business models, and declining audience trust. While newsrooms possess verification workflows that many industries lack, the financial strain...
How to Get a Guest Post Accepted in 2026: The Editor’s Honest Guide (From 21 Years on Both Sides of...
The article offers a candid, editor‑centric guide to getting guest posts accepted on high‑authority sites in 2026. It reveals that 60 % of the author’s pitches succeed—far above the industry norm—by focusing on the right site, reader‑focused angles, verifiable expertise, and...
Video Podcast Production: A Complete 2026 Guide
Video podcasting has shifted from a nice‑to‑have add‑on to a core content system for B2B marketers. Spotify data shows video podcasts grew from 100,000 shows in 2023 to over 250,000 in 2024, with 170 million users watching them, prompting brands to...
Bling People in India Call Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce to Perform at Weddings, Says Tejasswi Prakash
Netflix’s new reality series Desi Bling takes viewers inside the opulent world of Dubai‑based Indian billionaires, spotlighting Satish and Tabinda Sanpal’s staggering wealth—including 40 kg of gold (about $2.4 million) and a Rolls‑Royce for a toddler. The show also reveals that Indian wedding parties regularly...
Yen Press Announces Nine New Manga and Novel Licenses at Anime North
Yen Press unveiled nine new licenses at Anime North in Toronto, adding two novels and seven manga slated for release in December 2026 and winter 2027. The slate spans supernatural, queer romance, psychological horror, action, fantasy and school drama, featuring titles such...
Stations Drop the Mic: Can India Save Its FM Radio Groove?
India’s private FM radio sector is in crisis as major players like HT Media, BIG FM and Red FM surrender licences or declare insolvency. The industry points to stalled reforms, including a 4% AGR model, a GST cut from 18% to...
Samba TV: ‘Roast of Kevin Hart’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through May 17
Netflix's "The Roast of Kevin Hart" claimed the No. 1 spot on Samba TV’s weekly streaming rankings for May 11‑17, outpacing HBO’s season 3 of "Euphoria." The comedy special, filmed at the Kia Forum, featured a star‑studded lineup of roasters. Netflix’s drama "Remarkably...
Byron Allen Salutes ‘the Great’ Stephen Colbert as ‘Comics Unleashed’ Takes Over ‘Late Show’ Slot
Byron Allen officially took over CBS's 11:35 p.m. ET slot with his syndicated series "Comics Unleashed," paying tribute to Stephen Colbert and other late‑night pioneers. The transition follows the network’s decision to end "The Late Show" on May 21, a move driven...
Free Press and Nation Depend on Each Other
"A free press depends on a free nation, and a free nation depends on a free press." - AG Sulzberger, making...
Stephen King Releases Free Horror Short ‘Dinah’s Hat’ on The Atlantic
Stephen King has made his latest horror short story, “Dinah’s Hat,” available for free on The Atlantic’s website. The move sidesteps the usual publishing route, highlighting a growing trend of high‑profile authors delivering work directly to readers. Industry observers note...
Tving’s Youth‑Focused Hits Drive 226% Growth, Challenging Big‑Budget Rivals
Tving, the South Korean streaming platform, reported a 226% increase in paid‑subscriber contribution for Season 3 of “Yumi’s Cells” and the highest opening‑week subscriber contribution for “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.” The results highlight the platform’s success in capturing 20‑30‑year‑old viewers...
CBS News Radio Ends After Nearly Century of Broadcasting
Good night and good luck and goodbye — CBS News Radio signs off after nearly 100 years https://t.co/NA79tgL3bx @latimes
Yellowstone's Dutton Ranch Spin-Off Feels Like It's Setting Up A Landman Crossover
The third episode of Yellowstone spin‑off *Dutton Ranch* moves Beth Dutton to Dallas for a high‑stakes cattle‑supply deal, echoing plot beats from Taylor Sheridan’s oil drama *Landman*. Both series share Sheridan’s signature blend of melodrama and naturalistic grit, and *Landman*...
Paramount Skydance Beats Q1 Forecast as Streaming Gains Offset TV Decline
Paramount Skydance reported $7.35 billion in first‑quarter revenue, topping analyst expectations thanks to an 11% rise in streaming revenue and a booming theatrical slate, while linear TV sales fell.
Publishers Harness Festivals, Fandoms and BookTok to Boost Sales
Publishers are increasingly turning to cultural festivals, fandom events and TikTok's BookTok sub‑community to drive book sales. The shift reflects a broader move toward experiential and algorithm‑driven marketing as traditional retail faces fierce competition for young readers' attention.
ABC Forecasts $772 Million Boost From Digital Content Overhaul
Australia's public broadcaster ABC announced that its revamped content strategy will generate $772 million in economic value and sustain more than 7,700 full‑time jobs. The shift toward fewer, larger productions and a stronger digital focus aims to keep Australian storytelling competitive...
How the Library of Congress Is Using Both AI and Volunteers to Unlock Public Broadcasting History
The Library of Congress and Boston’s GBH have teamed up on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to make historic radio and TV programs searchable using AI‑generated transcripts. To ensure accuracy, they launched FixIt+, an open‑source volunteer platform where the...
From Binge-Watching to Breached — New Study Exposes the Underground Market for Stolen Netflix & Streaming Accounts
NordVPN’s research lab scanned roughly 75,000 dark‑web listings and found stolen streaming credentials being sold like everyday commodities. Netflix accounts appeared in five listings with an average price of $15.60 and a median of $4.55, while the broader streaming category...
What Most Brands Get Wrong Measuring Influencer Marketing ROI
Influencer marketing ROI should be measured through engagement, user‑generated content, consumer intent signals, and retail impact rather than simple impressions. Brands that focus only on reach miss the bulk of value, including cost savings from repurposing influencer‑created assets. A strong...
James Murdoch to Acquire New York Magazine and Vox Media for Over $300 Million
James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems is set to acquire New York magazine, the Vox editorial brand and the Vox Media Podcast Network for a price reported above $300 million. The deal, expected to close within weeks, expands Murdoch’s portfolio beyond his family’s...
Spotify, UMG To Let Fans Make Their Own Music With AI
Spotify and Universal Music Group have struck a licensing agreement that will let Spotify develop generative‑AI music models. The partnership will enable premium users to create AI‑generated covers and remixes of songs from UMG’s catalog, subject to artist opt‑in. Spotify...
FOX Sports’ Indy 500 Director Mitch Riggin on the Tech and Storytelling for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing
FOX Sports entered its second year covering the Indianapolis 500, expanding the production to more than 70 camera feeds, including 30 in‑car angles across 17 cars. Lead Director Mitch Riggin highlighted new assets such as the Top Gun and Buckeye...
As CBS Radio Shutters, Its Union Signs Off With Fiery Anti-Ellison Memo
After nearly a century of operation, CBS News Radio will cease broadcasting, marking the end of an iconic American news outlet. The decision, announced by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski, cites shifting programming strategies and economic pressures. The...
Teaming Up For Programmatic, Moment-Based Streaming Ads
StreamLayer and Curated.Media announced a partnership that unlocks programmatic, real‑time, moment‑based ad inventory for streaming video using server‑guided ad insertion. The technology lets advertisers place ads at high‑attention points—such as key plays in live sports—without interrupting the viewing experience. It...
I Bypassed Adobe and Microsoft to Build a Git-Tracked Book Production Pipeline
A self‑published novelist and software developer replaced the traditional Word‑InDesign‑Kindle Create workflow with an open‑source, Git‑tracked pipeline. He uses LibreOffice ODT as the single source of truth, then runs custom Python scripts to generate both XHTML‑based EPUBs (validated by the...
OpenAI Is Opening Up Advertising. Marketers Have Been Ready for Months
OpenAI has introduced a self‑serve advertising platform, giving marketers direct access to its billion‑user base. A Branch survey shows AI‑sourced traffic now accounts for 35% of visits, with marketers projecting 50% this year and earmarking up to $128 billion of ad...
Netflix Drops Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 Trailer, Fans Buzz over Earth Kingdom Debut
Netflix unveiled the first trailer for season 2 of its live‑action Avatar: The Last Airbender on May 21, 2026. The promo showcases the Earth Kingdom, introduces blind bandit Toph and confirms a June 25 release, while the series is already green‑lit for a...
UK SVoD Reach Tops 70% as Disney+ and Netflix Ad Tiers Surge
Barb’s Establishment Survey reports that 20.8 million UK households – 70.3% of the market – had subscription‑video‑on‑demand access in Q1 2026, up from 20.6 million in Q4 2025. Disney+ and Netflix’s ad‑supported tiers drove much of the momentum, adding 2.8 million and 7.2 million homes respectively,...