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.
Hotspring Upgrades AI-Powered VFX Interface
Hotspring unveiled version 2.0 of its AI‑powered VFX platform, consolidating production tools into a single interface and adding project‑wide thumbnails with full metadata. The upgrade expands in‑house AI capabilities for roto, paint and tracking, enabling a hybrid workflow where AI generates a base layer that artists refine, cutting manual effort and service costs. Hotspring 2.0 has earned Tier 1 certification for Disney pipelines across Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar, signaling studio‑level acceptance. The company says the new infrastructure removes legacy friction and scales to larger, faster productions.
Tailor Content to Each Platform's Contract, Not Copy‑paste
Copy-pasting content across platforms isn't distribution. It's lazy broadcasting. Every platform has a different contract with its audience. Twitter rewards conviction. LinkedIn rewards credibility. Email rewards intimacy. Same message. Wrong contract. Dies every time. Took the same idea. Wrote it three different ways. Twitter version: punchy, contrarian, one sharp...
Es’hailSat and Media City Qatar Partner to Advance Satellite Capabilities
Es’hailSat has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Media City Qatar to broaden satellite broadcasting and digital media services for more than 500 licensed companies in the Qatari media hub. The partnership leverages Es’hailSat’s satellite capacity, playout solutions, and...
Digest: Price Drops for ChatGPT Ads; Google in Talks with Pentagon; Publishing Giants Plan Cuts
OpenAI announced a steep reduction in ChatGPT advertising rates, with CPMs falling from the original $60 to as low as $15, and lowered the minimum spend to $50,000. Google is in negotiations with the U.S. Pentagon to grant access to...
At The Quint, AI Is Helping Readers Navigate Long-Form Journalism
The Quint, an Indian digital‑first news platform, launched NewsEasy – an AI‑powered widget that embeds article‑in‑brief summaries, five key takeaways, and a Q&A‑style breakdown within long‑form stories. Developed through WAN‑IFRA’s 2025 Newsroom AI Catalyst program with OpenAI, the tool operates...
Most Writers Miss This Substack Feature. The Easiest Way to Grow Your Paid Subscribers.
The post highlights a hidden Substack tool that lets writers send a single, targeted message to free readers most likely to become paying subscribers. It argues that the real revenue bottleneck isn’t gaining the first thousand followers, but converting existing...
Kickstarter Tips for Authors: Rewards, Shipping, Marketing, and Lessons Learned
Kickstarter has become a major revenue channel for authors, with 69,000 publishing projects raising over $380 million and 3.2 million backers to date. The platform’s success rate is high—84% for campaigns that attract at least 25 supporters—while average pledges have jumped from...
Netflix Cult Doc Trust Me: The False Prophet Is Topping UK Charts – and Why Fans Feel Sick yet Can’t...
Netflix’s four‑part true‑crime docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet, released on 8 April 2026, quickly rose to number one on global charts and now sits in the UK Top 10. The series follows self‑styled prophet Samuel Bateman and his splinter Fundamentalist Church of...
Start Up No.2655: RAM Drought Could Last Years, Europe’s Jet Fuel Stocks Running Low, China Looks to Electric Trucks, and...
A wave of supply‑chain stress is unfolding: DRAM manufacturers project only 60% of demand will be met by 2027, while the IEA warns Europe has roughly six weeks of jet fuel left as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. A...
Focus on Partnerships, Not Paychecks: Why Agencies Must Reinvent Themselves
In a recent Adspeak episode, ADWEEK’s Alison Weissbrot convened a Brandweek panel with leaders from M&C Saatchi, Team Epiphany, and Known to discuss how agencies must reinvent partnership models as budgets tighten and AI reshapes workflows. The panel argued that traditional fee‑based...
Daily Mail’s ‘Aggressive’ Reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan ‘Irreparably Damaged’ Press Briefings
The Daily Mail’s Australian site broke a strict embargo by publishing Prince Harry and Meghan’s itinerary five days before they landed in Melbourne, forcing the couple’s team to scramble and alter travel plans. The breach prompted an immediate takedown of...
Brand-Trained Agents Can Give Marketers A Fuller View Of Their Customers
Envive, an AI commerce platform, has deployed brand‑trained chatbots for footwear retailer Clove, exposing about 95% of site visitors to a real‑time shopping assistant. By integrating CRM, campaign and third‑party data, the agent tailors responses and captures question histories, allowing...
“Over and Out”: Nine’s Space Invaders Pauses After Six Seasons
Nine’s lifestyle series Space Invaders is pausing after six seasons as production costs and dwindling brand sponsorship made the format financially unsustainable. The show, starring Peter Walsh, Cherie Barber and Angie Kent, delivered strong ratings but required labor‑intensive clutter clearing,...
Why A 1967 Privacy Law Is Powering A New Wave Of Ad Tech Lawsuits
The 1967 California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) is being repurposed to target modern ad‑tech practices, allowing plaintiffs to claim $5,000 per violation or triple actual damages. Lawyers argue that cookies, pixels, SDKs and real‑time‑bidding (RTB) requests constitute illegal wiretapping,...
What Happens When The Attribution Cartel Meets Advertising’s Halo Effect?
A new W3C draft called “Attribution” seeks to move ad‑effectiveness measurement into browsers, handing control of attribution data to Google, Apple and Meta. Marketed as a privacy win, the proposal introduces a restrictive privacy‑budget mechanism that could permanently block corrected...
What Happens When The Attribution Cartel Meets Advertising’s Halo Effect?
Browser vendors are collaborating on a new W3C standard called “Attribution,” which would shift ad‑effectiveness measurement into the hands of major platforms such as Google, Apple and Meta. While marketed as a privacy‑preserving solution, the proposal introduces a “privacy budget”...
5 Nights. 5 Secrets of Jeffrey Epstein.
The episode delves into five lesser‑known aspects of Jeffrey Epstein’s life and crimes, exploring the mechanisms that allowed his abuse network to flourish, the role of powerful allies, the financial structures that concealed his wealth, the failures of law‑enforcement oversight,...
Sex Work Gets the Respect It Deserves in Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Apple TV+ debut *Margo’s Got Money Troubles* stars Elle Fanning as a 17‑year‑old college student who turns to OnlyFans after an unexpected pregnancy and a sudden loss of income. The drama, based on Rufi Thorpe’s novel, blends personal hardship with a...
Viewpoint — AI Doomsday Projections: Will Social Media Save Us or Make the Panic Worse?
A surge of viral AI‑doom content is spreading across social platforms, aiming to heighten public concern and pressure policymakers. While most AI researchers dismiss the existential threat as unsupported, safety advocates argue rapid advances demand urgent action. The heated rhetoric...
The World Cup Is Set to Lift Demand for Digital Out-of-Home Spending
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is igniting a surge in digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) advertising as brands like Hyundai, Coca‑Cola and Unilever line up stadium, airport and fan‑zone placements. eMarketer projects U.S. out‑of‑home spend at $11.28 billion, with 42.3% allocated to digital...
AI, Brand Safety’s Frenemy | Behind the Numbers (Video)
The latest eMarketer podcast examines how AI-generated content—often dubbed "AI slop"—is surfacing on YouTube and creating new brand‑safety challenges. Hosts discuss both the promise of machine‑learning tools that can flag unsafe placements and the pitfalls when algorithms misclassify or amplify...
From Page Views to Propensity: How the Daily Mail Is Retooling for a Zero-Click World
Daily Mail is shifting from page‑view focus to engagement‑centric metrics as zero‑click search erodes referral traffic. Monthly visitors dropped 17% YoY to 218 million, with 60% now direct, prompting the rollout of an AI‑powered dynamic paywall and a push to grow...
As Upfront Negotiations Near, Buyers Chart Path Through Complex Sports Market
As the television upfront season approaches, advertisers confront an increasingly fragmented sports‑rights landscape. NBA, NFL and MLB games now span broadcast networks, cable channels and multiple streaming services such as Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. This dispersion forces brands to...
Netflix Defends Price Hikes With a Surprising Argument
Netflix defended its recent U.S. price hikes by highlighting that subscribers now pay the lowest cost per hour of viewing among all major streaming services. The company reported Q1 2026 revenue of $12.25 billion, topping estimates, and said retention and engagement...
‘Fun To Boring’ Ratio Shifting With Fewer Vibes: Media Sales Reps On Changing Relations With Agency Execs
Media sales leaders warn the industry’s once‑playful culture is fading as agency executives become leaner, more junior and pressured by clients, leaving little room for informal interaction. Remote‑first hiring and a generation that missed in‑person networking have eroded the traditional...
True5G + Accenture Song Thailand Explore ‘Unsaid Love’ in True Love True Connection Campaign
True5G has teamed up with Accenture Song Thailand to launch the “True Love True Connection” campaign, positioning its 5G network as a conduit for deeper human emotion rather than just speed. The centerpiece is a film that asks viewers when they...
Rooster Recap: Thanksgiving Breakup
HBO has officially renewed the comedy‑drama series Rooster for a second season, confirming the show’s continued place in the network’s lineup. The renewal comes as the first season wraps up during Thanksgiving break, with the protagonist Greg facing the end...
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island Recap: Wrong Side of the Tracks
Season 1, episode 4 of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island follows Liz as she wrestles with a mistaken bulk banana order while trying to repair the fallout from a party explosion. Ashley takes the group to a beach outing, exposing a...
TikTok Forces AI Remix, Requires Manual Disable per Video
TikTok just snuck this “feature” in, allowing their AI to remix your videos. It is on by default, and you can’t turn it off for all your videos at once. You need to go into each and every one of...
Digital Ad Spending Falls 1% in November, Marking First Industry‑Wide Decline
Digital ad spending slipped 1% in November, the first year‑over‑year drop since the mid‑1990s, according to Standard Media Index data. The decline was partially offset by a 7% rise in digital video, while linear TV ad spend plunged 12%, reshaping...
CNN Chief Mark Thompson Unveils Leadership Shake‑Up After Network‑Wide Bonus Cuts
CNN chairman Mark Thompson announced a sweeping leadership reshuffle and a company‑wide bonus reduction in a Friday memo. The memo introduced a five‑point plan to accelerate digital growth and named new digital chief Alex MacCallum, prompting both skepticism and cautious optimism...
Judge Halts Nexstar's $6.2 Billion Bid for Tegna Over Antitrust Concerns
A federal judge has blocked Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion attempt to acquire Tegna Inc., citing antitrust concerns that the deal could raise costs, limit viewer choice and damage local journalism. The ruling puts a major broadcast merger on hold and...
Fluency Hires RTB Veteran Eric Picard as SVP of Product After $40M Series A
Fluency announced on April 16, 2026 that Eric Picard, a real‑time bidding pioneer, will serve as senior vice president of product. The hire follows a $40 million Series A led by Integrity Growth Partners and underscores Fluency’s push to scale its...
YouTube Replaces Clips with Timestamp Sharing, Adds Shorts Tool
YouTube is shutting down the Clips feature and replacing it with "Share at Timestamp," as it is now available on mobile. Later this year, they'll launch a Video Clips to Shorts and Auto-Suggestions feature to help creators share their videos' best...
Microsoft Ads Adds Google Performance Max NCA Goals, Shifting B2B Paid‑Media Playbook
Microsoft Advertising announced that its platform can now import Google Ads Performance Max campaigns that use new‑customer acquisition (NCA) goals. The change removes a key barrier for B2B teams seeking to extend prospecting strategies beyond Google without rebuilding acquisition logic...
The Forsytes Recap: Panic at the Brokerage
The streaming series "The Forsytes" takes a bold turn, abandoning the original novel’s plot in favor of original, high‑drama storylines. The show’s creator, Frances, drives most of the narrative, introducing a bowler‑hat‑wearing butler‑spy and reshuffling romantic pairings. Fans note the...
Disney+ Ad Tier Launches Down Under This Week
Disney+ is rolling out an ad‑supported subscription tier in Australia and New Zealand this week. The new plan costs AU$9.99 per month (about US$6.60) and offers full‑HD streaming, two simultaneous streams and live ESPN sports, but no offline downloads. It sits...
TRP Wins Butter Brand Lard Ass, Launches New Campaign
Australian premium butter maker Lard Ass has appointed independent agency TRP as its creative agency of record, launching the brand’s first major advertising campaign. The campaign, rolling out across out‑of‑home and social channels, spotlights the brand’s hand‑crafted, cultured butter and its...
Foreign Correspondent: April 21
ABC’s Foreign Correspondent aired part two of its investigation into the Pacific drug crisis, exposing how cartels are deploying low‑profile “narco subs” to move massive drug shipments across the ocean. The report links Australia’s strict deportation policies to the transfer...
Introducing “Fighting Fascism,” A New Podcast Devoted to Resisting Authoritarianism
“Fighting Fascism” is The Nation’s new weekly podcast that explores the history and tactics of antifascist movements. Hosted by political organizers Aaron Regunberg and Jonathan Smucker with co‑host Matt DaSilva, each episode features historians, strategists and activists discussing how past...
Marshals Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: “Blowback”
Season 1, episode 8 of *Marshals* titled “Blowback” thrusts the U.S. Marshal team into a web of past grievances and a deadly ambush. Cal wrestles with a mysterious health issue, a rejected kiss, and his daughter’s new romance, while former SEAL Garrett...
Podcast Guest Booking Agency: What It Is And When To Hire
Podcast guest booking agencies manage the end‑to‑end process of securing executive appearances on relevant shows, handling research, outreach, scheduling, and pre‑interview preparation. They enable brands to tap into highly engaged B2B audiences without diverting senior leaders from core responsibilities. Pricing...
Success Demands Speed: Embrace Change or Fade
Reed Hastings (2011): "My greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn’t make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something, like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores, do not become...
Prime Video Adds Glen Powell's Action Thriller "The Running Man" To Its Library
Amazon's Prime Video has added the 2025 Edgar Wright action thriller "The Running Man," starring Glen Powell, to its streaming catalog as of April 17. The move underscores Prime Video's push to broaden its action‑movie lineup despite the film's mixed...
Streamer Awards 2026 Set Just Before TwitchCon
The Streamer Awards 2026 will be on November 12, 2026. That's one day before Twitchcon San Diego 2026.
Anti‑Addiction Rhetoric Fuels Push Toward Digital ID
Every single person pushing BS “social media addiction” moral panic slop and claiming that forcing Meta/other tech companies to collect even MORE data is somehow “holding them accountable” is paving the way for digital ID
Yassir Launches North Africa’s First Retail Media Network, Tapping 10 Million Users
Algeria’s Yassir has announced the rollout of North Africa’s first retail media network, leveraging data from 10 million users across rides, delivery, payments and physical stores. The platform, built after acquiring Paris‑based ad‑tech firm Kawarizmi and hypermarket chain UNO, aims at...
Fans Want WWE‑SEC Netflix Docu‑Series Featuring Stars
Between Oba Femi, @BiancaBelairWWE and @_trickwilliams (and likely others), why not a docu-series on Netflix from @WWE and the @SEC ?
Featured on ABC News Discussing Strait of Hormuz
My appearance on Australia's @abcnews on the Strait of Hormuz. @campbelledu making it down under. https://t.co/fJ834eq62U
NAB Notebook
At the NAB Show’s Streaming Summit, industry leaders warned that excessive personalization can alienate viewers, especially when ads interrupt paid‑for content. ESL FaceIt Group’s Steven Jalicy highlighted the differing ad tolerance between subscription and ad‑supported audiences, stressing timing and framing...