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:
Picsart Launches AI Playground to End Creator Subscription Fatigue
Picsart introduced AI Playground, a single‑prompt interface that bundles over 100 AI models from more than 24 providers. The tool replaces multiple subscriptions with a pay‑for‑use model, targeting the growing cost burden on independent creators.
Humans in the Loop
In this episode of People vs. Algorithms, hosts Brian Morrissey and Alex discuss the development of a "human‑in‑the‑loop" AI system for media production, detailing how they built a personal knowledge‑wiki, layered multiple language models for extraction, fact‑checking, and writing, and...
Paramount+ Film Leak Exposes Security Gaps, Sparks Cybersecurity Scrutiny
A hacker known as @ImStillDissin posted the entire "Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender" movie online, six months before its Paramount+ debut. The leak, traced to a compromised email chain and a 4chan distribution, has forced Paramount to launch an...
Meet Aimee Carrero, Who Stars in Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors
Apple TV+ dramedy "Your Friends & Neighbors" returned for a second season on April 3 and has already been renewed for a third. The series, created by Jon Hamm, follows a disgraced hedge‑fund manager who turns to theft to sustain his lifestyle....
Wowza Launches Video Intelligence Framework
Wowza announced the general availability of its Video Intelligence Framework, a solution that embeds AI directly into live‑streaming workflows. The framework extracts frames, runs inference, and outputs real‑time metadata, clips, alerts and event signals without separate pipelines. It works alongside...
When Jennifer Lopez Becomes the Face of Akshaya Tritiya
Jennifer Lopez is the new face of Zen Diamond’s Akshaya Tritiya campaign, marking the Turkish jeweller’s push into India’s most important gold‑buying festival. The brand, founded in Istanbul in 1998, is leveraging the global star’s instant recall to position itself as...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Presented by Geico Begin Saturday on ESPN
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs launch Saturday on ESPN, featuring a triple‑header followed by a double‑header and a ten‑day stretch of 16 first‑round games across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. ESPN’s coverage includes the studio pre‑game show *The Point*, the post‑game...
Reporting when the Internet Goes Dark
In January 2026 Iran enacted a near‑total internet shutdown as nationwide protests erupted, a blackout that lasted until late January and was followed by a second cut after U.S.–Israeli strikes in February. The protests, the largest since the 1979 revolution,...
Hispanic Radio Conference Sets Executive Super Session Lineup
The Hispanic Radio Conference 2026 will host an Executive Super Session featuring four leading executives—John Bustos, Eduardo Maytorena, Edgar Saucedo, and Albert Rodriguez—who will dissect the current state of Hispanic radio. Moderated by Radio Ink President Deborah Parenti, the panel...
Lost in Translation? Here’s What It Takes to Reach U.S. Hispanics
The U.S. Hispanic audience is one of the fastest‑growing consumer segments, wielding over $1.5 trillion in buying power. Yet many brands still rely on simple Spanish translation rather than culturally resonant messaging. Insights from the Medallas de Cortez Marketer of the...
Your Show or Digital: What Matters Most?
Talent today must balance radio duties with an expanding digital footprint, but the bulk of earnings still comes from the on‑air show. Radio revenue is flat while digital platforms are growing rapidly, making time management essential. Pre‑recording segments lets hosts...
Countdown to NAB Show 2026: April Carty-Sipp’s Guide for Radio
The NAB Show 2026 consolidates radio programming into the Central and North halls for the first time, following a $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendees can use the free Vegas Loop underground transit to cut walk times, while...
How David Mills Helped Bring ‘NYPD Blue’ to Its Artistic Apex
David Mills, the first Black writer on *NYPD Blue*, penned the landmark episode “The Backboard Jungle,” confronting police racism and elevating the series’ artistic depth. His hiring followed a public backlash against creator David Milch’s racist remarks, prompting a diversification...
X Pushes Explicit Content to 13‑year‑olds, Report Finds
Explicit content consistently recommended to 13-year-olds on X, report finds A new report found X is recommending explicit content to users posing as 13-year-olds. 80% of sexual searches returned graphic results, often within the top results. Teen feeds shifted fast, with 30.5% of...
The Stigma Around AI in Journalism May Be Easing, but Trust Is Still Fragile
The stigma surrounding AI in journalism is loosening as top editors and independent reporters increasingly adopt large‑language models for drafting and editing, with some producing up to seven AI‑augmented stories a day. The rollout of Claude Cowork’s agentic AI tools...
How One Company Built £14m Business by Buying up Flagging B2B Titles
Datateam, a Kent‑based communications group, has built a $17.5 million business by acquiring more than 70 under‑performing specialist B2B magazines over two decades. In 2024, advertising contributed about $10.5 million (60% of turnover), while live events added $5.5 million and subscriptions $1.5 million. The...
Munch Studio Launches AI Video Editing Suite That Turns Long-Form Video Into Social Media Content in Minutes
Munch Studio unveiled an AI‑powered video editing suite that converts long‑form footage into platform‑ready short clips in minutes. The tool automatically clips, captions, scores relevance, adds music and formats videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook and LinkedIn. All...
ReelShort, Endemol Shine Brasil Launch Hit Microdrama ‘Married at First Sight’ in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE)
ReelShort and Endemol Shine Brasil are debuting a Brazilian adaptation of the global micro‑drama hit “Married at First Sight,” retitled “De Repente Casados,” on April 18 exclusively on ReelShort. The original series has amassed more than 227 million views worldwide, and the localized version stars...
Your Favourite Commenter Might Not Be Writing Their Own Comments
A five‑week investigation of the Slow AI Substack newsletter scraped 4,929 comments from 139 posts and profiled 595 commenters. By analyzing comment‑to‑post ratios, conducting live Turing tests, and deploying canary traps, the author identified five accounts that use virtual assistants—human...
The Stack: Advertising’s Next Phase
Advertising, streaming and regulation converged this week as platforms intensified monetisation while facing heightened scrutiny. The IAB unveiled a guide to mature AI‑driven commerce‑media networks, and Publicis reported 6.4% revenue growth with 86% of its services now AI‑powered. OpenAI rolled...
MAA Ad of the Week: Is It Beckham or Tennant?
Stella Artois rolled out a World Cup‑themed TV spot starring David Beckham, produced by Gut agency, to capture the tournament’s global buzz. In the UK, MoneySuperMarket replaced its long‑standing Dame Judi Dench voice with David Tennant for a new car‑insurance price‑comparison...
The Pitt’s Season 2 Finale Ended the Most Important TV Season in Years / Christopher Meloni Says Goodbye to Stabler...
The Pitt’s Season 2 finale wrapped up a landmark TV season by centering a nuanced mental‑health storyline that resonated with critics and viewers. Actor Christopher Meloni announced his departure from the iconic role of Stabler, ending a two‑decade run on Law & Order. Meanwhile,...
France: Scripted Drama ‘Magic Money’ Dries Up
France’s scripted drama output fell 14% in 2023 after a record 599 series in 2022, and total budgets slipped to €1.23 billion (about $1.33 billion). Consulting firm Dutoit Media warned that the “magic money” era, when streaming platforms funded productions to win...
TNT Sports Acquires Multi-Year U.S. Broadcast Rights to FIA World Endurance Championship Races
TNT Sports announced a multi‑year agreement to bring the FIA World Endurance Championship to U.S. viewers via truTV and HBO Max. The deal covers all eight 2026 WEC races, with three marquee events—24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, and...
Spain Study: Streamers Using Geo-Targeted Ads to Boost Revenue
A Spanish university study of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max reveals that all four services are integrating geo‑targeted, personalised advertising into ad‑supported tiers. Researchers examined 920 ads across 536 episodes, finding that Prime Video runs the most ads...
“Tell Me Lies” Score Album Released On Digital Platforms
Hollywood Records has released the full score from the hit drama series “Tell Me Lies” on major digital platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube. The album compiles original compositions by Jay Wadley, who previously scored titles...
Study: Netflix Holds Top Spot Across All US Streaming Metrics
Conjointly’s Brand Tracker surveyed 1,427 U.S. consumers, including 856 active streaming subscribers, to map brand health across the funnel. Netflix dominates every metric, posting 92% aided awareness, 79% consideration, 74% current subscription and a 39% preferred‑brand share, while also leading...
You Chose a Niche. So Why Do You Still Sound Like Everyone Else?
The post argues that a true niche is a perceptual orientation—how you see the world—rather than a predefined market category. It stresses that authentic positioning emerges from sustained self‑observation, regular publishing, and using writing as a diagnostic tool to surface...
Bokeem Woodbine and Nona Parker Johnson Join Season Two of "Dexter: Resurrection" For Paramount+
Paramount+ announced that Bokeem Woodbine and Nona Parker Johnson will join the second season of "Dexter: Resurrection" as series‑regulars. Woodbine is cast as Capt. Mixon, a tough homicide captain and the father of Fiona Mixon, while Johnson will portray Fiona,...
Best Practices for Seamless Live Streaming Failover
Industry leaders agree that by 2026 seamless CDN failover is the baseline for live‑streaming, especially for high‑stakes sports events. The shift moves from a single standby CDN to multiple actively‑loaded CDNs that keep caches warm. Experts stress side‑by‑side traffic distribution...
Ads of the Week: 9 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From American Eagle to Nespresso
The weekly ad roundup spotlights star‑driven campaigns from Nespresso, American Eagle, Dove, Dr. Squatch, Liquid Death, Peloton, Kotex and OFFF Barcelona. Nespresso debuts a refreshed visual identity with Dua Lipa and a cameo by George Clooney to court Gen Z coffee drinkers, while American Eagle...
Campaign and Marketing Week to Co-Host Sessions as Campaign House Returns to Cannes Lions
Campaign and Marketing Week will co‑host a series of sessions at Cannes Lions 2026, aligning with Haymarket’s broader week‑long slate of activities at the premier advertising festival. The partnership positions the publications alongside industry leaders, offering live panels, workshops, and...
MAG International Picks Oliver Chislett as Group Head of Programmatic
Media Agency Group International (MAG International) has appointed Oliver Chislett as Group Head of Programmatic. Chislett arrives with two decades of media‑sales and trading experience from firms such as Spotify, News UK, CarGurus, Etisalat and JCDecaux. In his new role he will...
Turn Your Email Newsletters Into a Morning Audio Brief
I built something. A daily personalised audio newsletter briefing. The host tells me what came in, what the interesting ideas were & how I might be able to apply it. It gets delivered at 6am each morning and I just sit with...
Hainan Airlines to Launch 4K RAVE Ultra IFE on A321neo Fleet
Hainan Airlines announced that its A321neo fleet will be fitted with RAVE Aerospace’s 4K RAVE Ultra inflight entertainment system, extending the technology first deployed on its A330neo in late 2025. The rollout makes Hainan the first launch customer for the...
Dish TV Launches ‘Kuch Chhota Sa’ Campaign for TV Flexibilit
Dish TV rolled out a "Kuch chhota sa" campaign promoting its new "Always‑On" service, offering over 190 channels and a flexible Freedom Pack priced at Rs 99 (≈$1.20) to address recharge friction. The campaign uses slice‑of‑life storytelling across TV, digital and...
Dish TV Turns Small Switches Into Always-On Viewing
Dish TV launched an "Always‑On" advertising campaign centered on the tagline “Kuch chhota sa karne par, life hogi behtar,” highlighting how tiny choices can improve daily TV viewing. The brand emphasizes its uninterrupted service that stays active even when recharges...
Hot Take: YouTube Shouldn’t Rely On Creators To Convince Brands It’s TV
YouTube is positioning its platform as a television equivalent to capture premium ad budgets, emphasizing the growing share of viewing on living‑room screens. At its NewFronts event, the company let creators pitch the TV narrative, citing data such as 62%...
TikTok Upgrades Ads to Bridge Content and Commerce
TikTok is rolling out upgraded high‑impact ad formats—including Logo Takeover, TopView and Prime Time—to turn the platform into a seamless "content + transaction" experience. These formats give brands immediate, full‑screen exposure when users launch the app and allow multiple impressions within short...
Inside the Stream – Roku Leads Competitive Market with 100M Households
Roku announced it now serves 100 million active households, marking a significant user base but still falling short of a majority share in the U.S. market. New Hub data shows modest growth for subscription‑video‑on‑demand (SVOD) aggregators, while consumer interest in AI‑enhanced...
From Our Youngest to Longest-Serving Journos, This Is What the Herald Means Today
The Sydney Morning Herald, founded in 1831, has witnessed Sydney’s growth from a 16,000‑person settlement to a 5.3 million‑person metropolis. Its reporting has chronicled the city’s demographic, infrastructural, and cultural milestones while shaping national conversations. Today, the paper blends veteran journalists’...
Takaya Hoshi on Japan’s Creative Scene, Risk-Taking, and Work That Connects
Takaya Hoshi argues that Japan’s creative sector thrives on a blend of disciplined rigor and playful experimentation, producing ideas that feel uniquely Japanese yet resonate globally. He warns that brands are becoming increasingly risk‑averse as social‑first media can amplify missteps...
AI Self‑checks Iterate Outputs for Higher Quality Thumbnails and Titles
When I build skills now I always ask AI to spin up a separate eval agent to do yes/no checks to grade the first agent's output. And if the output isn't "yes" across the board it asks the first agent to...
Disney Launches Infinity Theaters to Sidestep IMAX
Disney isn’t sour graping with their new “Infinity” theater standard. They are trying to get clear of IMAX, understanding that the audience wants it for many of their films and can’t get it. So they are making their own without...
6 Ways to Address Digital Misinformation
The article outlines six strategic actions to combat digital misinformation, ranging from AI‑driven authentication tools to crisis‑response protocols within organizations. It emphasizes evidence‑based decision making, cross‑border cooperation, and stronger regulatory frameworks. The piece also highlights the role of digital literacy,...
Bauer Media Group Slashes Publishing Headcount in Company-Wide Restructure
Bauer Media Group announced a company‑wide restructuring that could cut 20‑30% of its publishing workforce, primarily in Germany and the U.K. The move includes shutting down the digital unit Bauer Xcel Media Deutschland KG by September 30, 2026, and consolidating German titles...
Media Quality and Measurement: The Gap Between Seeing, and Knowing | Behind the Numbers (Video)
In a recent eMarketer podcast, host Marcus Johnson and guests Arielle Feger and David Simon dissect the shortcomings of current media measurement, especially the over‑reliance on simple reach numbers. They argue that traditional metrics fail to capture the true quality...
The Rundown: Q1 Dealmaking Cools Across Ad Tech and Martech as AI Remains the Hottest Ticket
Deal activity in ad‑tech and martech cooled sharply in Q1 2026, with LUMA Partners reporting an 11% drop in total M&A volume to 103 transactions and a 30% decline in deals over $100 million. While ad‑tech deal counts held steady, high‑value...
A Lot of People Were Gagged Over the Euphoria Premiere
HBO reported that the three‑day premiere of *Euphoria* season three drew 8.5 million U.S. viewers, a 44 % jump over the season‑two debut. The episode teased major plot points, including Cassie and Nate’s upcoming wedding and Maddy’s new role as an OnlyFans...
Returning: Bergerac
ABC has revived the classic detective series "Bergerac" for a second season, starring Damien Molony as Jim Bergerac. The six‑episode run premieres in the UK today and airs in Australia on Sunday, April 26 at 8:45 pm. Guest stars include Zoe Wanamaker,...