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.
305 Broadcast Partners with SCMS to Strengthen LatAm Operations
305 Broadcast announced a strategic alliance with U.S.-based SCMS to boost its service capabilities across Latin America. The partnership lets 305 Broadcast tap into SCMS’s extensive inventory, logistics network, and financial execution while preserving its independent commercial platform. Clients will benefit from a wider selection of global broadcast brands, more competitive pricing, and faster delivery times. The collaboration aims to combine regional expertise with scale‑driven resources to meet growing market demand.
Disney’s “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” Final Season Guest Stars Revealed
Disney has green‑lit a third and final season of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” capping the spin‑off with four new episodes. The storyline follows Billie as she seeks her lost father to rescue her mother, reuniting the Russo family against a...
How to Stream ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ World Premiere Red Carpet Online
The sequel to "The Devil Wears Prada" will debut at a star‑studded red carpet in New York on April 20, with a live broadcast on Disney+ and Hulu. Both platforms are offering free‑trial periods—Hulu + Live TV provides a three‑day trial, while the...
WrestleMania 42 to Stream Live on ESPN Unlimited, Highlighting OTT Push for Live Sports
WWE confirmed that WrestleMania 42 will be streamed live on ESPN Unlimited in the United States and on Netflix internationally, marking the second consecutive year the marquee show bypasses traditional pay‑per‑view. The deal also includes a one‑hour simulcast on ESPN2 and...
Pearl TV Launches NextGen TV Converter Box Program Targeting 15 Million OTA Households
Pearl TV announced the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, inviting consumer‑electronics makers to produce low‑cost ATSC 3.0 set‑top boxes for an estimated 15 million over‑the‑air U.S. households. The initiative, unveiled at the NAB Show, seeks to accelerate affordable adoption of the NextGen...
Consumer Media Usage Paused, Growth Expected Soon
Consumer Media Usage Stalled Last Year, But is Expected to Grow Again - Marketing Charts https://buff.ly/7RhbUKq
Laurie Metcalf & Stephanie Hsu To Appear On “ABC News Live Prime With Linsey Davis”
Disney announced the upcoming week’s lineup for ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis, a primetime streaming news program. The schedule features celebrity guests such as Laurie Metcalf, Stephanie Hsu, Elliot Page and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, alongside...
Charlize Theron & Taron Egerton To Appear On “The View”
Disney announced the guest lineup for ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” for the week of April 20‑24, featuring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton promoting the upcoming Disney film *Apex* alongside other stars. The View remains the top‑rated daytime program in the U.S.,...
New Study Shows Streamers Are Fed Up With Ads — and Still Paying To Avoid Them
A March 2026 All About Cookies survey of 1,000 U.S. adults shows streaming ads are ubiquitous but largely ignored. Only 24% of viewers actually watch ads, while 74% multitask or mute during breaks. Most major platforms now rely on ad‑supported...
Admitting Old Content Strategies Fail Is the Hardest Step
The HARDEST part of changing any part of how you create content is knowing that it has worked for years, and now admitting that it doesn't.
The Last of Us Season 3 Adds Sinners Star to HBO Show Cast
The Last of Us returns for a third season on HBO, adding Li Jun Li as Miriam, the Seraphite mother of Lev and Yara. Craig Mazin will serve as the sole showrunner after Neil Druckmann’s departure, consolidating creative control. The announced cast includes returning...
Media Bureau Creates Scripps-INYO Pleading Cycle
The FCC has opened a pleading cycle to solicit comments on whether E.W. Scripps Co. can reacquire 23 television stations it previously sold to INYO Broadcast Licenses. The original divestiture was done to satisfy local ownership caps that regulators are...
Analytics Reveal Audience Gaps, Guide Dual-Format Strategy
Here's how keeping an eye on your analytics, can help you shape your strategy 👇 I was reviewing one of my client's social media performance from their recent launch and we noticed... → Their carousel posts are primarily (we're talking like...
From Small-Town Story to Global Hit: Inside Sullivan’s Crossing’s Winning Formula
Canadian drama “Sullivan’s Crossing” returns for its fourth season on April 20, after gaining traction on CTV and The CW. The series’ global breakout came when Netflix released it, propelling it to the No. 1 spot in the United States and No. 3...
LL Cool J’s Surprise NCIS: New York Series Came Together Quickly / Larry King Live Joining CNN's Streaming Service /...
CBS announced a surprise NCIS spinoff titled "NCIS: New York," starring LL Cool J reprising his role as Sam Hanna. The series was assembled in a matter of weeks after years of the network trying to bring the character back to television....
YouTube Adds Playables, Gifts, and Full Audio Library
A few things our @youtube teams launched this week: 🕹️ @youtubecreators can now play select games (Playables) directly from their mobile vertical livestreams, easily connecting with their audiences at any time, any place. 🎁 We're rolling out Gifts to horizontal livestreams...
Secure Content Distribution: A Key Focus For New ATSC 3.0 Receivers
A new generation of ATSC 3.0 receivers is set to debut at the 2026 NAB Show, with the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) leading promotion for three flagship devices. These receivers embed next‑generation encryption and digital rights management to protect...
Billion-Dollar Success Came From Streaming Life Nonstop
Everyone thinks you need a 'brilliant idea' to start a business. But Justin Kan's $970M company started by strapping a camera to his head and live-streaming his entire life 24/7. Here's how a real-life Truman Show turned into a billion dollar...
Some Republicans Want to Reverse GOP Cuts to Rural and Tribal Radio Stations
Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to restore federal funding for rural and tribal public radio after a GOP‑led rescission eliminated $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The cuts threaten stations like Alaska’s KOTZ, which provides life‑saving weather alerts and...
Meta Redesigns Threads Website, Tests DMs & Shortcuts
Meta is overhauling the Threads website with a more detailed navigation pane, labeled icons and new shortcuts that mirror Instagram, while rolling out direct‑message functionality to web users in the coming weeks. The redesign signals a strategic push to deepen...
Business Group Backs South Carolina Social Media Restrictions
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is filing a friend‑of‑the‑court brief to support the state’s Social Media Regulation Act, which limits platforms’ ability to display content, target ads, and collect data from users under 18. The law, effective...
Vine FX Promotes Simon Carr to Creative Director
Vine FX has elevated longtime VFX supervisor Simon Carr to Creative Director, bolstering its creative leadership as the Cambridge‑based studio expands its high‑end film and television slate. Carr joined Vine FX in August 2024 after a 30‑year career that includes stints at...
Which Short Story Publications Impress Agents?
The author explains that literary agents prioritize writers’ short‑story publication credits when evaluating literary‑fiction queries, while editors focus more on the manuscript itself. A strong record in prestigious magazines can boost a query for a novel or a collection, especially...
Amazon's New Fire TV Sticks No Longer Support Sideloading
Amazon announced a new Fire TV Stick HD that runs on its proprietary Vega OS instead of Android. The device will block sideloading, allowing only apps from the Amazon Appstore, a restriction highlighted on some preorder pages with a security...
The 7 Best TVs for Next-Level Home Entertainment
The article reviews the seven best TVs for home entertainment, spotlighting the TCL QM8K as the top pick for most consumers thanks to its 5,000‑nit mini‑LED panel, strong gaming performance, and Dolby Atmos sound—all under $1,500. It compares the QM8K...
“I’m Georgie Gardner. Thank You for Being with Us.”
Georgie Gardner, a veteran Nine News anchor, announced her resignation after nearly 25 years, delivering an emotional on‑air farewell. She highlighted the responsibility of news presenters, praised the behind‑the‑scenes team, and thanked viewers for their trust. Nine has not yet...
No Safe Harbor: SCOTUS Scuttles the DMCA
The Supreme Court’s unanimous Cox v. Sony ruling stripped the DMCA’s safe‑harbor defense, replacing it with a narrow “inducement only” standard. The Court reversed a $1 billion contributory infringement judgment against Cox, holding that an online service provider is liable only...
Consistency Converts; Virality Only Attracts Strangers
Nobody buys from the person they just discovered. They buy from the person they've been quietly watching. Going viral gets you strangers. Showing up consistently gets you buyers. Tracked where every client came from over 12 months. Not one came from a post that went...
Telos Alliance Introduces Four New Products at the 2026 NAB Show
Telos Alliance used the 2026 NAB Show to unveil four new broadcast‑audio products: the Omnia XII flagship FM/HD/DAB processor, the compact Axia Pulsar AoIP console surface, the upgraded Infinity IP Intercom MK2, and the Infinity VIP SE studio‑essential unit. The company also announced major upgrades, including...
Why YouTube Is the Most Important Platform for Travel Brands
YouTube commands 2.7 billion active monthly users, dwarfing Netflix and other streaming services, and serves as the world’s second‑largest search engine. Travel brands that ignore the platform miss out on high‑intent audiences actively researching destinations. Long‑form videos of eight to fifteen...
AI‑spun Scraped Content Will Soon Hit Google Penalties
This digital marketing agency has been scraping original content and publishing their own versions, using AI to scale up the amount of information in the articles (while saying nothing new 😅) I was wondering how long it would take Google to...
Police Drama with Friends Icon Starring as a "Burnt-Out LAPD Detective" Is in the Works
CBS is developing a police drama tentatively titled "Flint" starring former *Friends* star Matt LeBlanc as a burnt‑out LAPD detective forced into a five‑year service extension. The project, overseen by veteran showrunner Evan Katz and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer’s television...
ChatGPT Ad Costs Halve, Minimum Spend Slashed to $50K
ChatGPT ads are getting cheaper -> Ad buyers say ad rates for ChatGPT are falling from $60 CPM to as low as $25 and the minimum spend to advertise is down to $50K from $250K at launch "One ad exec said...
GKIDS and Fathom Announce 2026 Studio Ghibli Fest Slate
GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment have announced the 2026 Studio Ghibli Fest, a seven‑film theatrical run beginning June 13. The slate features milestone screenings such as the 20th anniversary of *Tales from Earthsea*, the 35th anniversary of *Only Yesterday*, the 40th...
African American-Focused Radio Pair Are Sold
An asset purchase agreement has been filed to transfer ownership of two AM radio stations and their associated FM translators, both serving African American audiences. The buyer has signaled that programming will remain unchanged, preserving the stations' current format. The...
Streaming’s Subscription Reset: Why Agentic AI Will Decide the Next Phase of Growth
Netflix’s recent push into live sports illustrates how event‑driven spikes can quickly attract new subscribers, but the real challenge lies in retaining them once the hype fades. Across the streaming sector, churn spikes after marquee events as engagement drops. While...
ATSC Offers ATSC 3.0 Guide to 2026 NAB Show
ATSC is showcasing its next‑generation broadcast standard, ATSC 3.0, at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas with a free guide highlighting exhibitors and sessions. The organization will host roughly 30 panels and feature more than 40 member companies, including major players...
NAB Show: CarbonBlack Technology Creates Multi-Camera Real Time Projection-Based Virtual Production Solution
CarbonBlack Technology showcased the first multi‑camera, real‑time projection‑based virtual production workflow at the NAB Show. The system combines CarbonBlack’s nanotech Hybrid RP screen, Christie Sapphire 4K40‑RGBH projectors, Vizrt Engine 5, Disguise, and WePlay Studios’ stack, plus RED, Zeiss, Evertz and...
Has The Anecdotal Lede Outlived Its Journalistic Utility?
The article argues that the once‑ubiquitous anecdotal lede—originating in the 1930s with Barney Kilgore—is losing relevance as readers skim stories and abandon them after a few paragraphs. Newsrooms are replacing narrative openings with AI‑generated bullet summaries that deliver the story’s...
‘Ransom Canyon’ Season 2 Episode Titles Tease What’s To Come In Upcoming Episodes
Netflix’s drama *Ransom Canyon* returns for a second season with a slimmer eight‑episode order, down from ten in its debut. The cast reshuffle drops the Collins siblings while adding Ben Robson and Heidi Engerman in recurring roles. Episode titles, revealed alphabetically, lean...
Hundreds of Fake Pro-Trump Avatars Emerge on Social Media
In the run‑up to the 2026 midterm elections, hundreds of AI‑generated pro‑Trump influencer avatars flooded TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The synthetic personas post identical, fervent captions praising God, America and Trump while commenting on hot‑button issues like the Iran...
Advertisers Are Testing ChatGPT Ads — but Uncertainty Remains High
OpenAI launched a paid advertising channel inside ChatGPT two months ago, prompting brands to run early‑stage campaigns. Advertisers report high CPMs and six‑figure minimum spends, but measurement is limited to impressions with no clear performance benchmarks. Sentiment is mixed: optimism...
Secure Content Distribution At Heart Of New ATSC 3.0 Receivers For Consumers And Broadcasters
The ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) is unveiling a new wave of secure NextGen TV receivers at NAB 2026, highlighting how over‑the‑air (OTA) broadcasts can be protected while delivering premium picture quality. More than 18.5 million U.S. households already own A3SA‑enabled...
A Prominent PR Firm Is Running a Fake News Site That’s Plagiarizing Original Journalism at Incredible Scale
A Futurism investigation uncovered that the PR firm TOP Agency operates the website National Today, which mass‑produces AI‑generated articles that plagiarize original journalism from outlets ranging from major newspapers to local newsrooms. The site republishes content without attribution, often inserting...
BREAKING: JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats Are Showing the Country How to Fight Back Against "Big Tech"
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and state Democrats have unveiled a legislative push aimed at curbing the influence of major social‑media platforms on children. The proposal would tighten algorithmic transparency, restrict data harvesting from minors, and require regular content‑moderation reports. Lawmakers...
EXCLUSIVE: UNIVERSAL TV PRESIDENT CONFIRMS JFK JR.’S SECRET DAYTIME SHOW PLAN BEFORE HIS DEATH
Universal Domestic Television president Steve Rosenberg confirmed that John F. Kennedy Jr. was actively developing a daytime talk‑show format before his 1999 fatal plane crash. The project, backed by Universal TV, aimed to leverage Kennedy’s blend of charm, intelligence, and cultural magnetism for...
From Rejection to $50M Daily: Netflix’s Rise
In 2000, Netflix wanted to sell itself to Blockbuster for $50 million. Blockbuster laughed at them. Today, Netflix generates $50 million in profit in less than a day.
Parents Blame Algorithms, Short Videos for Kids' Harm
Will all the parents claiming the very concept of recommendation algorithms and short form video as a format killed their children be protesting?
Social Media Harms Marginalized Youth, Contrary to Company Claims
Social media companies try to fend off age limits by claiming they are a "lifeline" for kids from marginalized groups. But as trans activist Lennon Torres shows, from her own experience and from Meta's own research, the opposite is closer...
Joe and Tracy Host Live Interview with Analyst #3
Just thinking about Joe and Tracy interviewing Citrini Analyst #3 on a live pod here.