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.
IAB: Digital Audio Grew 10% In 2025 as Podcasts Near $3B
The IAB/PwC 2025 Internet Advertising Revenue Report shows digital audio reaching $8.4 billion, a 10.2% year‑over‑year increase. Podcast advertising grew 17.6% to $2.86 billion, maintaining double‑digit growth after a slowdown from earlier spikes. Despite the gains, audio’s share of total internet ad spend held steady at 2.8%, lagging behind faster‑growing video and social formats. The report also warns that AI‑driven discovery and the rise of video podcasts will reshape how audio brands are found and measured.
Holistic Media Mix Beats Legacy Tactics in Furniture Marketing
In Episode 3 of From Screen to Store, sponsored by @JamLoop , Alex Back, CEO and Co-founder of Couch, joins hosts Jeremy Bloom and AdTechGod to discuss what’s actually working in modern marketing and why legacy industries are falling behind. The...
Helping Books Travel: Norway, Bologna’s 2026 Guest of Honor, Guarantees Translation Grants
Norway’s guest‑of‑honor program at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair announced that NORLA will cover 50% of translators’ fees, up to $10,500 per title, and offer production subsidies of up to $2,100 for illustrated books. Since 2022 the agency has...
Viaccess-Orca Supports MasOrange TV Expansion and Ad Rollout
Viaccess‑Orca has been chosen by MasOrange to underpin a major expansion of its multi‑brand TV portfolio and to launch targeted advertising across both IPTV and OTT services. The operator will use VO’s client‑side and server‑side ad technology, Secure Video Player...
How AI Is Influencing TV News Coverage
D S Simon Media’s 2026 TV News Producers Report reveals that 68% of local TV news producers are more likely to air a story if it is optimized for AI search, while 37% already use AI to identify story ideas and 60%...
Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary
The IAB’s 2025 Internet Advertising Revenue Report shows digital ad spend hit $294.6 billion, up 13.9% year‑over‑year. Social media led with $117.7 billion (32.6% growth), followed by search, video and commerce media. Programmatic advertising rose 20.5% to $162.4 billion, while creator advertising reached...
Search Ad Growth Slows As Social & Video Gain Faster via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
The IAB’s 2025 report shows digital ad revenue hitting $294 billion, up 13 percent year‑over‑year. Search advertising, still the largest segment at $114 billion, slowed to 11 percent growth, while social media ads surged 32 percent to $117 billion and digital video rose 25 percent to $78 billion....
Roku’s Platform Crosses 100 Million Users, Fueling Ad Business
Roku Inc. announced its streaming platform now serves more than 100 million U.S. households, cementing its position as a leading TV‑connected ecosystem. The company says its devices are installed in over half of all broadband homes, and user growth continues in...
The Gambling Industry Is Spending $3.9B the Wrong Way
In 2025 U.S. sports betting and online gaming spent $3.9 billion on marketing, with 36% allocated to TV ads and only 2.3% to earned media and PR. The 5WPR Gaming Trust Index shows that the bulk of spend still targets awareness,...
Ohio’s Conservative Eagle Gets a Star Turn With New Format
Total Media Group has flipped Ironton, Ohio’s WIRO from the conservative talk station The Eagle to a music‑focused brand, Star 106.7. The new format delivers a curated mix of 1980s and 1990s hits alongside local news, weather updates, and sports...
Media Maneuvers: Nonprofit Group Buys Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, backed by a $50 M commitment and a new $30 M pledge, is buying the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette, keeping its newsroom in the city while consolidating tech and business functions. Meanwhile, the BBC announced a 10% workforce...
A New Magazine Is Born, and a Vintage Cookbook Will Rise
W Magazine announced a twice‑annual teen‑focused sister publication launching in September 2026, aiming to capture Gen Z’s growing nostalgia for analog experiences. The move aligns with a broader teen trend of buying cassettes, CDs and hunting vintage iPods—some fetching $225 on eBay....
AI Paranoia Exposes Publishing’s Quantity‑Over‑Quality Culture
I wrote about how AI in book publishing is a labor issue. "AI paranoia is a symptom of a larger problem: a corporate culture that values quantity over quality, quick output over the very human labor of poring over a...
Wizz App & AppHarbr by GeoEdge Set a New Standard for Ad Safety
GeoEdge’s AppHarbr platform partnered with Gen Z social app Wizz App to launch a year‑long ad safety program. Over the past 12 months the system examined more than 4 billion ads, automatically blocking roughly 0.17% that violated the app’s community standards. The...
Globo Presents Catalog for First Content Europe
Globo is presenting its premium content catalog at the inaugural Content Europe conference in Lisbon on April 21. The showcase, hosted by Globo’s EMEA Business Hub, will feature flagship Brazilian telenovelas like Three Graces and Anything Goes, award‑winning series such...
Editing 60‑second Video for Two Hours? It's a Workflow Problem
A two-hour editing session for a 60-second video is a workflow problem, not a skill problem.
NAB Show 2026: LucidLink Brings the Most Complete File Streaming Platform for Media and Entertainment
LucidLink is unveiling an expanded file‑streaming platform at NAB Show 2026, bundling five products into a single solution for media and entertainment teams. New capabilities include a Developer Platform with APIs and a beta SDK, Connect for streaming external content,...
Instagram Adds In‑Reel Affiliate Tags, Boosting Creator Earnings
ICYMI: Instagram is rolling out the ability to use affiliate links to tag products in Reels. 🛍️ This removes friction that often comes with creators driving audiences to their link in bio or using comment automations to share affiliate links, likely...
Louisville’s Rose Hires New PD, Midday Host with Heart
Michelle Heart, a 2026 Gracie Award winner with 16 years at Boise’s Townsquare Media, has been appointed Program Director and midday host for Connoisseur Media’s adult contemporary station 102.3 The Rose (WXMA) in Louisville. She succeeds former PD Smokey Rivers...
Teens Prefer TikTok for Reviews and News Over Snapchat
Pew Study about how teens are using TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat - Check out the parts about product reviews and news below "In fact, roughly six-in-ten TikTok users say they go there for product reviews. Fewer on Instagram and even smaller...
How Broadcast Innovation in APAC Is Redefining the E-Sports Viewing Experience
Broadcasting in Asia‑Pacific esports is evolving from a single, linear feed to a multi‑layered, personalized experience. Viewers in markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Korea now expect real‑time data overlays, multi‑angle streams and interactive tools that let them...
Inside TIME’s Rollout of Its TIMEAI Interactive Agent
TIME has launched TIMEAI, an interactive AI agent built on its 103‑year archive and now visible on almost all site content. The tool, initially tested on Person of the Year features, offers translation, summarization, voice output and custom prompts in...
Best IPTV in USA – Complete Guide for 2026 (Featuring 360IPTV)
IPTV has become a mainstream alternative to cable in the United States, offering live TV, on‑demand movies, and sports over the internet. 360IPTV.com distinguishes itself with a vast HD channel lineup, anti‑buffering technology, and a free trial for new users....
The Hardy Men
In 2022 Jonathan Keeperman, a former UC‑Irvine lecturer and right‑wing provocateur, launched Passage Press to build a reactionary cultural apparatus that counters the left’s dominance in arts and media. The boutique publisher quickly gained notoriety, hosting a “Coronation Ball” attended...
Turn PAA Questions Into Subheadings for SEO Wins
Most bloggers ignore this goldmine: “People Also Ask” (PAA) Every question in the PAA box is a ranking opportunity. Take those questions, turn them into subheadings, and answer them directly. Now your post is optimized for: • Featured snippets • More SERP real estate • Higher authority...
Exploring “The Photographer’s Eye” And Essential Photo Concepts
A New Episode of Beyond the Lens is now LIVE ⚡️ 114. Books that Matter: John Szarcowski and ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ — The Thing Itself, The Detail, The Frame, Time, and Vantage Point Listen on Apple...
The White Lotus Heads to the French Riviera as Season Four Begins Filming
HBO’s acclaimed series *The White Lotus* begins filming its fourth season on the French Riviera, with locations spanning Cannes, St Tropez, Monaco and Paris. The narrative will unfold against the backdrop of the Cannes Film Festival, following a new cohort of...
Avoid Offerwall: It Will Frustrate Your Users
Offerwall, or as I call it, "Navboost Killer" is now generally available to all publishers. I highly recommend NOT implementing Offerwall. You will anger and frustrate your users to no end. I have covered this before. Beware.
Wisconsin Bill Guarantees Free Packers Access, Bans Blackouts
D.C. Memo: @SenatorBaldwin Bill Would Guarantee Free Access Throughout Wisconsin to Watch @NFL Packers; Wisconsin Democrat’s For the Fans bill would also ban league-owned streaming services from blacking out certain games on their platforms https://t.co/Y0AQyWATYG
"Brilliant" Period Drama with Comparisons to Downton Abbey Gets Exciting New-Season Update
British period drama "The Hardacres" unveiled first‑look images for its second season, confirming a return after a well‑received debut. Original leads Claire Cooper and Liam McMahon reprise Mary and Sam Hardacre, while newcomers such as Michele Dotrice join the ensemble. The...
Meta Completely Ignores TV, and Other Ad Wisdom. Its the Biggest Ad Player Anyhow
Meta’s advertising business is now outpacing traditional TV despite the company’s near‑zero presence on television, lack of original programming, and no sports‑rights deals. eMarketer data shows Meta’s ad revenue surpassing most broadcast networks, driven by rapid growth in Reels, Threads...
Odds and Ends
Prediction‑market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are now featured on major cable news networks, including CNN, CNBC and Fox, as they seek to tap the rapidly expanding older‑adult gambling market. The partnerships bring real‑time odds on elections, sports and other events...
The Identity Crisis Coming for News SEO
Google is experimenting with AI‑generated headlines and summaries that rewrite or replace news publishers' original titles, as seen in a recent test on The Verge. The move extends to Google Discover, which now auto‑summarizes headlines, sometimes producing inaccurate or misleading...
The World’s Largest Ad Holding Company Just Bet Its AI Future on One Vendor
Publicis Groupe has deepened its partnership with Microsoft, creating a full‑stack agentic marketing platform that combines Azure cloud, Copilot tools, and Publicis’ Epsilon data and Sapient consultancy. The deal makes Azure the preferred cloud for Publicis and rolls out Microsoft...
Emma Grede Defends ‘Three‑Hour Mum’ Comment Amid Backlash
Skims co‑founder Emma Grede defended her “max three‑hour mum” comment on the Today show after it went viral, arguing that working mothers face impossible expectations. She used the platform to stress that taking personal time is legitimate and to push...
Bluesky Down in US and UK? Thousands of Users Report Outages - Check Current Status
Bluesky, the decentralized social‑media platform, experienced a widespread outage on Thursday affecting users in the United States and the United Kingdom. Down Detector logged 1,221 reports from the U.S. and 576 from the U.K., while Bluesky’s own status page also...
DPG Media Offers Free News Access to 83,000 Students — But What Comes Next?
DPG Media has granted free digital access to its full suite of news titles to roughly 83,000 students in the Netherlands and Belgium, verified through SheerID. The program saw an immediate surge, with 50,000 registrations in the first two days,...
AI‑Generated Books Flood Market, Sparking Legal and Ethical Debate
A wave of AI‑written, edited and ‘polished’ books has entered major retail platforms, with thousands of titles now available for purchase. The Conversation warns that the surge raises urgent questions about authorship, copyright enforcement and the overall quality of literature....
"American Idol" Rocks to a 5-Week High
American Idol surged to a five‑week ratings high on Monday, April 13, drawing 5.08 million total viewers and a 0.45 rating among adults 18‑49. The episode posted a 4% increase in total audience and a 7% rise in the key demo...
Amazon MGM Leverages E‑Commerce Power to Market ‘Project Hail Mary’ at CinemaCon
Amazon MGM Studios showcased an integrated marketing playbook at CinemaCon, pairing its e‑commerce clout with theatrical distribution to amplify the $525 million worldwide run of ‘Project Hail Mary.’ Executives promised 15 new releases per year and an international distribution unit, underscoring...
The AI Enthusiasm Gap: Listeners Vs. Watchers
Sounds Profitable released a new study that splits podcast listeners into Audio Primes—those who consume at least 75% of podcasts as audio—and Video Primes—those who watch at least 75% of podcasts. When asked about AI‑generated voices, 48% of Audio Primes...
Artists Accuse Top AI Firms of Using Their Work Without Permission
Artists and documentary makers allege that AI powerhouses such as OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Meta and Google have mined copyrighted artwork to train generative models without permission or payment. The dispute, highlighted by Oscar‑winning director Daniel Roher, underscores a growing legal...
Channel 4 Programming Chief Ian Katz to Leave After Nearly Nine Years
Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz, who has managed a £650 million (≈$830 million) annual programming budget, will depart in October after nearly nine years, making him the longest‑serving head of programming in the broadcaster’s history. Katz, a former Guardian senior executive...
Presidio Expands Resonate with Modular AI Solutions for Sports, Broadcasting, and News Media
Presidio announced an expansion of its Resonate platform, adding modular AI‑powered accelerators for sports, broadcasting, and news media. The new suite includes an AWS Media Lake accelerator, intelligent sports and news media accelerators, and 24×7 managed services. Built on AWS,...
Tinuiti Appoints Abbey Klaassen as CEO, Adds Bryan Wiener as Board Chair to Boost Growth for CMOs
Tinuiti announced Abbey Klaassen as its new chief executive, succeeding Zach Morrison after 21 years, and named Bryan Wiener chairman of the board. The leadership overhaul is designed to accelerate AI‑driven, data‑centric services for chief marketing officers seeking faster, independent...
"Captivating" Mystery Series that "Deserves More Hype" Lands New UK Streaming Home
Emmy‑winning fantasy series "Fallen" will debut on UK streaming platform ITVX on May 3, 2024. The show adapts Lauren Kate’s bestselling novels, following Lucinda Price (Jessica Alexander) and her centuries‑old love with Daniel Grigori (Gijs Blom) amid a celestial war. It adds notable...
Peacock Renews ‘The ’Burbs’ for Season 2 After 1.7 Billion Minutes Streamed
Peacock has ordered a second season of the comedy‑thriller series “The ’Burbs,” citing more than 1.7 billion minutes viewed since its February 8 launch. The renewal underscores NBCUniversal’s data‑driven push to grow scripted originals that attract and retain subscribers.
FTC and Eight States Settle Antitrust Case with WPP, Publicis and Dentsu Over Brand‑Safety Collusion
The Federal Trade Commission and eight Republican‑led states secured a consent decree with advertising giants WPP, Publicis and Dentsu, prohibiting coordinated brand‑safety rules that allegedly suppressed conservative media. The agencies denied wrongdoing but agreed to a court‑ordered monitor and five‑year...
WPP Media Wins Strategic Media Mandate for KFC and Pizza Hut Singapore
WPP Media has been selected as the integrated media agency for KFC Singapore and Pizza Hut Singapore after a competitive pitch. The agency will handle media strategy, planning and buying, using its AI‑driven WPP Open platform to turn consumer insights...
We’re Ruining LinkedIn. Here’s How to Fix It.
The piece warns that LinkedIn’s feed is being flooded with AI‑generated posts, with Originality.AI estimating that more than half of longer articles are likely assisted by large language models. While AI can streamline writing, the author argues it is eroding...