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:
Legal Eagle’s YouTube Channel Hits 4 Million Subscribers, Redefining LegalTech Education
Devin Stone’s Legal Eagle YouTube channel now boasts almost 4 million subscribers and routinely draws over 500,000 viewers per episode. The former big‑law attorney turned professor produces three legal‑analysis videos a week, illustrating how digital platforms are reshaping public legal awareness and the broader LegalTech market.
RFK Jr. Says He Would Support a Potential Ban on Junk Food TV Ads
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would support a potential ban on junk‑food television advertisements, though he prefers a voluntary approach for food companies. The proposal follows similar arguments used to curb tobacco advertising and comes amid...
Cop Land Is Set to Become a TV Series / It’s up to Taylor Frankie Paul if She Returns to...
Oscar‑nominated director James Mangold is turning his 1997 crime drama Cop Land into a limited TV series, teaming with Paramount TV and producer Robert Levine. The adaptation will modernize the original’s gritty New Jersey setting for a streaming audience while...
YouTube Names SiriusXM Media Exclusive U.S. Audio Ad Representative, Unlocking 255 Million Listeners
YouTube has appointed SiriusXM Media as the exclusive sales representative for its U.S. audio advertising inventory. The deal, effective fall 2026, lets brands buy guaranteed audio impressions that reach up to 255 million monthly listeners, nearly 90% of Americans aged 13...
ARIAS 2026 Nominees Announced for Roundhouse Event
The Audio Academy unveiled the full slate of ARIAS 2026 nominees ahead of the Roundhouse ceremony on 21 May. The awards, now in their tenth year, feature 21 categories spanning breakfast shows, comedy, factual, technical innovation and commercial partnerships. Nominees include...
Google, iHeartMedia and PBS Win Top Honors at 2026 Webby Awards
Google, iHeartMedia and PBS dominated the 30th Annual Webby Awards, each taking the top honor in their category. The wins underscore the growing importance of brand storytelling, podcasting and public‑media outreach in digital marketing.
How to Influence LLM Responses?
Brandwatch released a quartet of spring blog posts that map out actionable tactics for marketers. The pieces cover a curated list of 20 May social‑media holidays, the analytical upside of merging social and search data, step‑by‑step guidance for boosting brand...
Autonomous Media Advertising Firm Selects a Leader
Basis, the AI‑driven autonomous advertising platform, has appointed Christian Hendricks as its new President. Hendricks, a board member since 2021, brings more than two decades of digital media leadership from McClatchy and the Local Media Consortium, as well as consulting...
Eutelsat Signs New Broadcast Deals in Mexico and Caribbean
Eutelsat announced three new broadcast agreements covering the Caribbean and Mexico. In the Caribbean, it will work with Co‑op Cable to deliver direct‑to‑home TV and satellite broadband via the E65WA satellite. In Mexico, the operator renewed its partnership with PCTV...
Advertisers Are Optimistic About Netflix’s Dynamic Ad Options
Netflix is expanding its ad-supported tier by offering dynamic ad insertion (DAI) for the 2027 Women’s World Cup broadcast. The streamer’s ad revenue is projected to reach $3 billion in 2026, reflecting steady growth since the ad tier launched in 2022....
NBC Sports President Jon Miller Reveals How NBC Convinced MLB to Sacrifice Revenue in New Deal
NBC Sports clinched a new Major League Baseball contract worth roughly $200 million per year, less than half of ESPN's previous $550 million deal. NBC argued that nationwide broadcast reach and promotional power outweighed the higher fees streaming services could offer. The...
Why Did Most Major Brands Stop Making Curved TVs?
Curved televisions launched in 2013 with promises of immersive, IMAX‑like viewing, but consumer adoption stalled, reaching only a 4% share of the global TV market in Q4 2016. By 2017 major manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Sony discontinued flat‑panel models,...
I'm a Celeb's Gemma Collins Posts Tribute to Adam Thomas: "We've Seen Each Other at Our Lowest"
Gemma Collins, recently eliminated from ITV’s I’m a Celebrity: South Africa, posted a heartfelt tribute to fellow camp‑mate Adam Thomas and urged viewers to vote for him in the upcoming finale. She praised Thomas as the “best jungle friend ever”...
SiriusXM to Rep YouTube Audio in US, New IAB Programmatic Council, & More
SiriusXM Media has secured an exclusive partnership with Google to act as the sole audio advertising representative for YouTube in the United States, enabling advertisers to purchase guaranteed audio impressions across YouTube’s premium audiences. A Radiocentre report finds that allocating...
IAB Event Will Focus on AI Reshaping Digital Advertising
On May 28, 2026, the IAB Tech Lab will host its annual summit in New York City, themed “Welcome to the Agentic Web.” The conference will explore how AI agents and conversational interfaces are transforming digital advertising, with three dedicated...
Here Are All the Songs in Netflix’s Animated ‘Stranger Things’ Series
Netflix is launching an animated spin‑off of Stranger Things titled “Tales from ’85,” set between Seasons 2 and 3. The streaming giant released the complete episode‑by‑episode song list, featuring 80s classics such as The Go‑Go’s “We Got the Beat,” Black...
ESPN Unleashes Wall-to-Wall 2026 NFL DRAFT Coverage
ESPN will deliver three days of uninterrupted NFL Draft coverage from Pittsburgh, beginning Friday April 24 and running through Sunday April 26. The network’s lineup features veteran host Mike Greenberg, analyst Mel Kiper, and former players Booger McFarland and Louis...
Victor LaValle, Christopher Cantwell & Karyn Kusama Break Down Devil in Silver’s Opening Scene
AMC+ and Shudder’s horror series *The Terror: Devil in Silver* will debut on May 7, 2026. Co‑showrunners Victor LaValle and Christopher Cantwell, together with director Karyn Kusama, dissect the show’s five‑minute cold open, which depicts staff at New Hyde mental institution struggling...
SEN Unveils Star Team for SOCCEROOS World Cup Calls
Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) announced that veteran commentators Simon Hill and former goalkeeper Mark Bosnich will front its live Socceroos coverage for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The duo, joined by a roster that includes Archie Thompson, Adam Peacock, Brenton...
BACK ROADS Uncovers Mission Beach’s Wild Secrets Tonight
ABC’s Back Roads heads to Mission Beach in Far North Queensland, where the Wet Tropics rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. Host Lisa Millar, accompanied by marine scientists Adele Pile and Stuart Alexander, explores the region’s unique wildlife, including the...
LinkedIn Wins News Bargaining Reprieve as Microsoft Boss Lands in Sydney
Microsoft‑owned LinkedIn is expected to be excluded from Australia’s new News Media Bargaining Incentive, a tax‑like scheme that forces large platforms to pay for the news content they surface. The carve‑out could save Microsoft roughly $111 million USD a year, based...
Barilla Selects SAMY As Global Influencer Marketing Partner
Barilla has appointed social‑first agency SAMY as its global influencer‑marketing partner, launching a unified creator strategy across Italy, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. The partnership follows a formal pitch process and will deliver strategic playbooks that preserve Barilla’s brand...
Even Fox News Isn’t Buying It: Trump’s Iran Claim Falls Apart On Air
President Donald Trump announced an extension of a cease‑fire with Iran, but Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported that Tehran never signed any agreement. Griffin cited recent attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy on commercial vessels in...
Annabel Crabb Lifts Lid on HISTORY OR HOARDING? Podcast
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has debuted a new eight‑episode podcast, “History Or Hoarding?”, hosted by Annabel Crabb and produced in partnership with the State Library of New South Wales. The series takes listeners into the library’s underground stacks, revealing that...
Netflix Is Building the Pipes Its Future Competitors Will Use
Netflix’s Q1 2026 shareholder letter highlights a “more dynamic” media landscape driven by rising video supply from both human creators and generative‑AI tools. The company projects ad‑supported streaming revenue to double year‑over‑year, reaching roughly $3 billion in 2026, while subscription revenue...
Atlanta’s V-103 Adds Amiker and Ski in Programming Spree
Audacy Atlanta’s V‑103 announced a weekday programming overhaul, adding four‑time Emmy winner Francesca Amiker to The Big Tigger Morning Show, bringing over 16 years of broadcast experience from E! News and WXIA‑TV. Veteran host Frank Ski returns as a weekend contributor...
Benztown + McVay Turn Bestselling Novel Into Narrative Podcast
Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks has turned Pedro Hoffmeister’s bestselling Pacific Northwest disaster novel *American Afterlife* into a six‑episode narrative podcast. The series, starring Scarlett Estevez as Cielo, launched on Apple Podcasts and Spotify in partnership with William Stuart and...
NFL Draft Will Be Three-Day Ad Inventory Festival With Shoulder Pads
The NFL Draft returns April 23‑25, 2026 as a three‑day live event that has morphed into a massive advertising festival. CivicScience data shows 39% of respondents plan to watch, indicating a sizable audience despite overall TV fragmentation. Brands will be able...
Seedance 2.0 Delivers Ultra‑Realistic AI UGC Ads
How I Make (insanely) Realistic AI UGC ads with Seedance 2.0 WATCH HERE 👉 https://t.co/WXdgLmQEox In this video, I show you how I use Seedance 2 to create insanely realistic AI UGC ads for dropshipping. The biggest game changer is the...
Google Prioritizes Non‑Commodity Content Over Commodity
Very informative slide via Google's Danny Sullivan explaining the difference between "Commodity" vs "Non-Commodity" content Google prefers the later IMO, lots of evidence this is spot-on, not where Google is going in the future, but where it already is now via @ChouinardJC https://t.co/PcVtb2N7MV
![The Boys Turns Homelander Into a [Spoiler]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.comingsoon.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/MixCollage-22-Apr-2026-06-49-PM-9447.jpg?resize=1200,630)
The Boys Turns Homelander Into a [Spoiler]
The Boys' Season 5, Episode 4 reveals Homelander’s self‑appointment as a god, cementing his vision of a new world order. Leveraging a fabricated angelic vision and a media‑savvy preacher, he launches a “Divine Rebranding” that positions Supes as America’s ultimate patriots. The...
A24 to Adapt Nick Brucker’s White Smoke with Cumberbatch
EXCLU: Even though the book doesn’t drop till 2027, A24 has optioned rights for Nick Brucker’s next novel WHITE SMOKE with plans to adapt into a TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch attached to star and produce https://t.co/3e8OOt4Dx4
Spurs‑Blazers Opener Draws 5.7 Million Viewers
Strong 5.7 million viewers for Game 1 of Spurs-Trail Blazers first round series on NBC on Sunday night (1 million of those on Peacock's stream). Hopefully Wembanyama comes back soon from that concussion.
IndyCar Ratings Surge For Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach On FOX
IndyCar’s broadcast on FOX saw a dramatic ratings surge during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, 2026. The race attracted 1.269 million viewers, a 130% increase over the 2025 telecast, and peaked at 1.527 million. Overall, FOX’s IndyCar...
Leaving Email Sacrifices Audience Control, Substack Mirrors Facebook
The stuff here about email metrics IS true (bad news for ad-dependent email biz) but the idea that the solution for small publishers is to move to another platform where they DONT control the audience is gaslighting. Today’s substack App...
OpenAI's Images2 Pulls Me Back, Creates Magazine Instantly
1/ have not used openAI/chatgpt in ~3 months 0% use. 100% claude BUT with release of Images2 (especially for text) openAI recaptured ~20% of my use i designed a new 21-page magazine in 3mins that i fantasized existed: a mashup of...
ExtraEmily Announces Break From Streaming Amid Twitch Viewbot Allegations
Twitch personality ExtraEmily announced an immediate hiatus after a clip appeared to show a browser tab labeled “ViewBot.ai,” igniting accusations that she used a view‑botting service to inflate her audience. The controversy intensified when a Reddit moderator who tried to...
Search Is Behavior—Be Everywhere Your Audience Looks
"Search is a behavior, not a channel.” — Lacey Reichwald Your audience is “searching” on TikTok, YouTube, AI tools… not just Google. Are you showing up everywhere they look? Full interview 👉 https://t.co/gVeYqeVDov @ahamediagroup #marketingstrategy #hcmktg https://t.co/qBsry4BqoG
Bloomberg's Polymarket Critique Relies on Trivial Barefoot Anecdote
Bloomberg wrote a Polymarket hit-piece with so little substance... that they had to use as evidence Shayne attending a meeting barefoot one time. I remember the Google hit-pieces about Sergey Brin wearing barefoot shoes, too. https://t.co/yRSrJtAyoU
Burnley v Man City Live Streaming, TV Channel – Where to Watch Football on Tv
Burnley host Manchester City on 22 April 2026 at 20:00 BST, broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK. The match pits a relegation‑threatened Burnley against a title‑chasing City that recently narrowed the gap with leaders Arsenal. City...
Broadcasters Are Ready to Own the America 250 Moment
Broadcasters are mobilizing for the United States' 250th anniversary, unveiling tailored content strategies at the NAB Show. Salem Media introduced its USA framework—User‑generated, Specific, Authentic—to drive local storytelling, while Sinclair rolled out a USAA‑sponsored live podcast and NBCUniversal launched a...
Every Click, Stream, and Device Builds a Digital Footprint & Data Brokers Are Cashing In
ClearNym warns that cord‑cutters’ expanding use of streaming apps, smart TVs and voice assistants creates a sprawling digital footprint that data brokers harvest, especially during the spring data‑refresh season. Recent breaches—including Conduent’s 8.5 TB health‑data leak affecting over 25 million people and...
FIPP’s Latest Global Digital Subscription Snapshot Gauges the Growing Influence of AI Search
FIPP’s 2026 Global Digital Subscription Snapshot shows AI‑driven search reshaping publisher strategies, pushing them toward deeper direct audience ties and bundled product ecosystems. The New York Times now exceeds 12 million digital‑only subscribers by leveraging multi‑product bundles and licensing its brand to international...
Structure Your Blog First, Rankings Follow
Google doesn't hate your blog posts. You're publishing without structure. That's why nothing ranks. Site-wide: - Topical map - Pillar pages - Hubs or clusters Page-level: - Competitive research - Consensus analysis - Keyword data Structure first. Writing second.
MATC Elevates Production Training With Vinten Versine 360 Heads
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) upgraded its broadcast training labs by installing Vinten Versine 360 pan‑and‑tilt heads on existing Osprey pedestals. The new heads accommodate Sony HDC3100 cameras and additional accessories that the legacy heads could not support. Instructors report that...
This A-List Actor Is Predicted to Win His First Emmy
Veteran star Harrison Ford is projected to win his first Emmy at the 2026 Primetime Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, thanks to his role as Dr. Paul Rhoades on Apple TV+'s Shrinking. Early odds from prediction...
Bournemouth v Leeds Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch Football on Tv Today
Bournemouth host Leeds United in a Premier League showdown on Wednesday night, broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League at 20:00 UK time. Andoni Iraola’s side arrives on a 13‑match unbeaten streak, highlighted by 2‑1 victories at Arsenal and Newcastle....
EXCLUSIVE: DISNEY PUSHES “PRADA 2” WITH INFLUENCERS BEFORE AWFUL REVIEWS COME OUT
Disney staged a high‑profile, tent‑covered premiere of *The Devil Wears Prada 2* at Lincoln Center, livestreaming arrivals on Disney+. The studio deliberately kept critics out, substituting them with a cadre of fashion and lifestyle influencers who flooded social feeds with glowing...
Live Chats on Threads: Because Big Moments Are Better Together
Meta is rolling out Live Chats on Threads, a public group‑chat feature designed for real‑time conversation around major cultural moments. The first deployment targets the NBAThreads community during the Playoffs, with media personalities like Malika Andrews and Rachel Nichols hosting....
NIQ Partners with Stirista
NIQ, a consumer intelligence firm, has partnered with Stirista, an identity‑driven marketing platform, to build new audience solutions and media‑planning tools for advertisers. The collaboration will combine NIQ's omnichannel shopper insights with Stirista's privacy‑safe data on mobile usage, professional status,...