Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue hits $176B
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 for the first time as pay‑TV revenue fell to $170 billion. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit rates in 2026, prompting operators to focus on monetising existing users.
What Social Media Success Looks Like in a Post-Follower World
Free People achieved triple‑digit social media growth by abandoning follower counts and prioritizing views, shares, and a holistic Total Social Impact (TSI) metric. The brand’s organic and paid teams now operate in a unified structure, sharing insights and balancing content across channels. TikTok’s For You page and a two‑fold rise in Instagram non‑follower views have expanded reach without relying on followers. These changes reflect a broader industry shift toward algorithm‑driven discovery and integrated performance measurement.
4 Film & Television Production Stocks to Watch Amid Dull Industry Trends
The Zacks Film & Television Production industry is seeing heightened digital demand but grappling with soaring content costs, pushing its Zacks Industry Rank to 149—bottom 40% of sectors. While the industry outperformed the broader Consumer Discretionary sector with a 24.4%...
TV News Goes Crazy for Creators: Will Digital Mavericks Add Life to Old Format or Wipe It Out?
U.S. broadcast news outlets are rapidly partnering with independent digital creators to rejuvenate primetime line‑ups. Alex Wagner’s unscripted clips on MS NOW have attracted over half new viewers, with two‑thirds of the 25‑54 demographic tuning in for the first time. Networks...
The Making of ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Unpacked in New Book From Creator Jacob Tierney, Including Annotated Scripts
Creator Jacob Tierney, alongside Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, announced a new book titled “I’ll Believe in Anything” that offers an official, fully annotated script collection and exclusive behind‑the‑scenes material from the first season of the hit series “Heated Rivalry.” The volume,...
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Deck Reveals StackAdapt’s Playbook for ChatGPT Ads
StackAdapt is launching a limited pilot that places ads inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT, offering CPM rates as low as $15 and reduced platform fees. The leaked pitch deck positions the program as early access to a new “discovery layer” where users...
Seasoned Twitter Users Still Fall Victim to Sophisticated Smear
I have been on Twitter since the earliest of days. In that time I have been subject to a plethora of different pile ons, gaslighting campaigns and silencing attempts. The most egregious and sophisticated of these (which I was pulled...
BBC Acquires Wartime Drama "Drenched in Adrenaline" That "Really Grips" – and There's a Twist
The BBC has secured the rights to *The Sentinels*, an eight‑part French wartime sci‑fi drama adapted from the graphic‑novel series *Les Sentinelles*. The series blends World War I settings with steampunk and robo‑cop elements, following a wounded soldier turned augmented super‑soldier....
‘Half Man,’ and 5 More Things to Watch on TV This Week
HBO is launching the new series "Half Man," starring Richard Gadd, which delves into the complexities of long‑standing male friendships. The six‑episode season will debut Thursday at 9 p.m. and will run weekly. Meanwhile, The CW revives "Sullivan’s Crossing" for a...
AI Transforming Journalism; Women Journos Can Turn Tech Shift Into Opportunities: Brijesh Singh
India’s Maharashtra Information Secretary Brijesh Singh said artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism, urging women reporters to view the shift as a chance to become more tech‑savvy. He highlighted AI’s ability to speed data collection, translation and multi‑platform delivery while freeing...
Investing in MTS: Real-Time Multi‑Angle News on X
Thrilled to announce our investment in MTS. Beginning today, MTS will be monitoring the situation across technology, business, politics, and culture, interviewing the main characters of the moment all day long on X. We’re seeding it alongside other angel investors such as...
Action Bronson Promotes Minute Maid Spiked For 'Good Time'
Coca‑Cola’s Red Tree Beverages has launched Minute Maid Spiked, a line of flavored wine‑cooler and ready‑to‑drink vodka cocktails, with its first campaign starring rapper‑chef Action Bronson. The creative work is handled by agency Gertrude, which emphasizes a multi‑dimensional, “no‑fuss” vibe across...
SOOP Named Official Producer for 2026 Esports Championship East Asia
SOOP has been appointed the official broadcast producer and streaming partner for the 2026 Esports Championship East Asia, overseeing both domestic and global video delivery. The two‑day event, hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized...
Moments Lab Teams With AWS To Monetize Media Archives With AI Indexing
Moments Lab has teamed with Amazon Web Services to help media and entertainment firms migrate and index massive video libraries using the startup’s multimodal AI platform. The joint solution leverages AWS migration tools and validated partners to lower cost and...
I'm a Celebrity's Adam Thomas Issues Statement About "Tough" Time on the Show: "I Wanted to Quit"
Adam Thomas, known from Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, issued an Instagram statement describing his participation in ITV's "I'm a Celebrity… South Africa" as one of the toughest experiences of his life. He cited physical, mental and emotional strain, exacerbated by...
BBC Studios and SiriusXM’s “99% Invisible” Announce Landmark New Series Exploring America Through 100 Objects
BBC Studios and SiriusXM have launched "A History of the United States in 100 Objects," a new audio series hosted by Roman Mars of "99% Invisible." The show, debuting May 19, examines everyday American artifacts—from a 1857 gold coin to a tiny screw—to...
BBC's '70s-Set Spy Thriller with "Mesmerizing" Florence Pugh Is "Worth the Wait" On Netflix
BBC’s 2018 miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl,” starring Florence Pugh, is slated to join Netflix’s catalog after its current availability on iPlayer. The 1970s‑set spy thriller, directed by Park Chan‑wook and based on John le Carré’s novel, earned a 95% Rotten...
Live, Local Saturday Night Show Gains Traction in Hartford
"Nighttime Neighbors," a live, multi‑topic talk show on WTIC‑AM, debuted in January and airs Saturdays from 9 pm to midnight. Hosted solo by morning news anchor Morgan Cunningham, the program features no guests and relies on open‑line calls. Targeting truckers, shift...
Spotter’s Brand Partnerships Director on Why Fewer Creators and Deeper Deals Win
Christian Liquigan, Spotter’s Director of Brand Partnerships, says creator marketing is evolving from one‑off influencer spots to always‑on, network‑style collaborations. Brands that treat creators as media publishers and lock in deeper, performance‑based deals with a handful of creators can reduce...
How Future Today Plans to Move the Creator Economy From Phones to Living Rooms
Future Today, founded in 2006, has built two ad‑supported streaming services—Fawesome and HappyKids—that now reach over 75 million U.S. households and generate more than 2 billion monthly impressions. The company recently added more than 50 creator partnerships, highlighted by basketball YouTuber Jesser,...
ETF IQ Show Features First PRIV Interview and DRAM Mania
Big ETF IQ show coming up: Michael Baron of $RONB etc on stocks, SpaceX, Andrew Gosden of Apollo on $PRIV (first ever intv for them) and Jake Sullivan of BI on $DRAM and Memory Stock mania w/ @kgreifeld @scarletfu. Starts...
TV News Must Reinvent or Face Audience Extinction
A media consultancy that helped create the format that ultimately became “Good Morning America” is warning TV-news organizations that they need to blow up their old models as soon as possible, or risk saying “good night” to audiences and ratings.... https://t.co/sciFmWrOuM
Rivals: Season Two; Hulu Unveils Trailer for Comedy Series’ Return
Hulu has dropped a new trailer confirming that the comedy‑drama Rivals will return for a second season. The series, based on Jilly Cooper’s novel, revisits the cut‑throat world of 1980s independent television in the fictional Rutshire region. A star‑filled ensemble—including David Tennant,...
Creators Invade TV News: Revive or Replace?
TV News Goes Crazy for Creators: Will Digital Mavericks Add Life to Old Format or Wipe it Out? https://t.co/eJwkrRcMVN via @variety
ChatGPT Automates Topic Clustering for Thousands of Keywords
Are we really going to pretend that manually building topic clusters is still viable when ChatGPT can map semantic relationships across 10,000 keywords in one prompt?
Bob Kevoian Dies at 75
Bob Kevoian, co‑founder of the syndicated morning program The Bob & Tom Show, died on April 19, 2026 at age 75 after a three‑year battle with cancer. Kevoian, who retired from the show in 2015, had publicly disclosed his diagnosis...
AI Bots Turning Elections Into Whack‑a‑mole Reality Test
The rise of AI social media accounts trying to influence humans and elections feels like a losing game of whack-a-mole. What is real is going to a be a major challenge for everyone (and AI video is not even...
Podcasting Sharpens Industry Insight Through Deep Research
underrated part of doing @gamecraftpod: it forces us to really step back and analyze the industry. episodes sound conversational, but there’s *a lot* of research and outlining behind them. it's an amazing forcing function for sharpening my thinking.
Barack Obama Reveals Fate of His and Michelle’s Production Company After Netflix Deal Ends
Barack and Michelle Obama announced that their production company, Higher Ground, is ending its exclusive multi‑year deal with Netflix after eight years. The company, founded in 2018, delivered a slate of award‑winning films and series, including the Oscar‑nominated "Rustin" and...
Zaslav's Warner Bros Deal Boosts Him, Hurts Hollywood
David Zaslav spoke to me for a @nytopinion piece about how things turned out with buying Warner Bros - with Hollywood for the worse, him for the better. https://t.co/WAh0svnSZ0
Google Unveils Safety Reports for Maps, Ads, Plus ChatGPT Ads
It's New 4/20 - Google Maps & Google Ads safety reports, ChatGPT ads and... https://t.co/PYuiao4kFU with @gregfinn @TheMarketingAnu @MordyOberstein
Melrose Place and Days of Our Lives' Patrick Muldoon Dies / History Channel Brings Together All Living Former Presidents /...
Actor Patrick Muldoon, best known for his roles on "Melrose Place," "Days of Our Lives" and "Saved by the Bell," died at 57 from a heart attack. The History Channel staged a historic gathering of all living former U.S. presidents,...
FBI Director Sues Atlantic for $250 Million Defamation Claim
FBI Director Kash Patel has sued The Atlantic and staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick alleging defamation and seeking $250 million in damages. https://t.co/5Z9SVDbUu7 https://t.co/sYgZXFowIB
Omnicom Launches Frequency Probe, Finds 'Negative Reach'
Omnicom’s OM Intelligence unit released the first report in its “Why Frequency Matters” series, revealing that excessive ad repetitions can trigger a phenomenon called “negative reach,” where consumers develop adverse brand perceptions. The study shows that as few as two...
Entourage Adds a String of High-Profile Clients to Its Portfolio
Entourage, the integrated communications agency, announced four marquee wins that span global corporate, tourism, sport and digital government sectors. The firm will manage Aramco’s worldwide communications, lead Al Dhannah City’s full‑scale marketing in the UAE, produce the Roshn Saudi League closing...
We Just Did Something We Don't Usually Do...
Radar Online is launching a limited‑time promotion that lets new readers unlock its premium "The Vault" subscription for just $1. The offer, available for the next five days, provides full access to daily exclusives on Hollywood, the British royals, true‑crime...
NFL Draft TV Schedule
TV Talk: Where/when to watch #NFLDraft coverage on TV this week on national/local platforms + @cbs fall schedule changes, via @TribLIVE - https://t.co/0shRT3xEao https://t.co/d9Cq9GCnp6
Jellyfish Wants You to Use Large Language Models to Plan Your Ad Buys
Jellyfish is marketing its “Share of Model” service, which uses large language models to gauge how often AI assistants mention a brand versus competitors and turns those insights into targeting cues for Google Performance Max campaigns. The agency applied the...
Should You Buy Meta Platforms (META) Before Earnings?
Meta Platforms is leveraging AI through its Advantage+ ad platform and custom MTIA silicon to drive higher advertiser returns and lower compute costs. The company projects 2026 revenue of $53.5‑$56.5 billion, topping analyst forecasts, while advertising revenue hit $196 billion in 2025,...
Podscribe Launches Radio Measurement Capabilities and Smart Columns to Bring Digital-Level Clarity to Audio Advertising
Podscribe unveiled Radio Measurement Capabilities, a platform that blends aircheck verification with performance attribution to give advertisers digital‑grade transparency for radio spots. The solution supports terrestrial, satellite and multi‑market campaigns, using machine‑learning and Bayesian models to quantify lift in site...
Headliner Makes Video Tools Free
Headliner announced that its video podcasting suite is now free, eliminating subscription fees and credit‑card requirements. The offering includes unlimited, watermark‑free exports, a library of video templates, captioning, and an auto‑clipping tool that can generate up to ten short clips...
Uni Pod Festival Returns to Birmingham UK Spotlighting Video Podcasts Whilst Platforming Diversity in Podcasting.
Uni Pod Festival returns to Birmingham on May 8, 2026, centering its program on the surge of video podcasting and YouTube‑first growth tactics. The one‑day event gathers broadcasters, academics, and platform experts for talks, demos and networking, while reinforcing its commitment to...
Multi-Platinum, Emmy Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter Andy Grammer Launches New Podcast: “Showing Up with Andy Grammer
Multi‑platinum singer‑songwriter Andy Grammer is debuting a new weekly podcast, “Showing Up with Andy Grammer,” on April 15, 2026. The show pairs long‑form, unscripted conversations with a live songwriting segment that honors a listener‑nominated “hero.” Co‑produced with Companion Arts, the series will...
What the Northernlion Creator SuperCruise That Got Cancelled Can Warn Creators About Going Too Far
Creator Ryan "Northernlion" Letourneau abruptly cancelled his planned 2027 SuperCruise after announcing it, citing safety concerns for both creators and fans. The six‑day cruise, priced at several thousand dollars per cabin, promised meet‑and‑greets, live shows, and onboard content with fellow...
Dave Chappelle Says He May Bring Back Chappelle’s Show — With Eddie Murphy’s Help
Dave Chappelle told AP News he is now open to reviving his early‑2000s sketch series after a recent conversation with Eddie Murphy. The idea emerged during Chappelle’s AFI Life Achievement Award speech, where Murphy suggested a new Chappelle’s Show movie...
Hundreds Of Veteran Journalists And Groups Urge WHCA To “Speak Forcefully” About Trump’s Attacks On Media As He Attends Annual...
President Donald Trump will attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner for the first time as president, prompting veteran journalists and press groups to demand a forceful condemnation of his ongoing attacks on the media. A letter signed by figures...
Tor's Bramble Imprint Secures Stephanie Burgis' 'Queens of Villainy' Romantasy Trilogy
Tor Publishing has inked a three‑book deal with author Stephanie Burgis for the 'Queens of Villainy' romantasy trilogy, to be released under its newly launched Bramble imprint. The agreement highlights Tor's strategic focus on genre‑blending titles that combine romance and...
Spring Streaming Surge: ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Leads Wave of New Series
Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and other services rolled out a slate of new series this week, headlined by the animated Stranger Things spin‑off “Tales From ’85.” The releases span genres from thriller to comedy, reflecting platforms’ push to capture...
Microsoft Says AI Is Delivering Measurable Workflow Gains in Media Buying and Planning
Microsoft’s industry director for media and entertainment, Simon Crownshaw, told Technology Record that AI is now producing measurable outcomes in specific media workflows, from faster highlight creation to real‑time ad personalization. He argues the shift is from vague automation promises...
Magnite, AMC Global Media Partner On Programmatic
Magnite announced a partnership with AMC Global Media to make the broadcaster’s linear‑television inventory available through programmatic buying. The deal coincides with the launch of the 2026‑27 TV upfront season, signaling a push to unify linear and streaming ad transactions....
Former PepsiCo Executive Launches AdTech Startup Innotech, Targeting Fragmented Market
Oliver Chen, a former senior marketing executive at PepsiCo, has left his corporate role to co‑found Innotech, an ad‑technology platform. Chen cites the industry’s fragmentation and untapped monetization potential as the driver behind the venture. The move underscores a broader...