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.
The Terror: Devil In Silver Trailer Almost Gives Us Enough Dan Stevens
AMC released the first trailer for *The Terror: Devil in Silver*, confirming the series will adapt Victor LaValle’s novel about a nightmarish psychiatric hospital. Dan Stevens headlines as Pepper, supported by a strong ensemble that includes Stephen Root and CCH Pounder. Karyn Kusama directs the opening two episodes and serves as executive producer alongside Ridley Scott, Chris Cantwell and LaValle himself, who also writes and showruns. The horror anthology is slated to debut on May 7 on AMC+ and Shudder.
NAB Show 2026: Sony Announces New Cameras, Virtual Production Tools
Sony unveiled its new R Series system cameras at NAB Show 2026, expanding the HDC‑5000 and HDC‑3000 families with higher dynamic range, modular transmission options, and consistent color matching. The company also rolled out AI‑driven firmware updates for PTZ units...
How America's Media Became The Enemy's Most Powerful Weapon, PART TWO.
In part two of her series, Lindsey Kurtz examines how U.S. media transformed from a neutral observer into a strategic weapon during the Iranian conflict. She notes that early protests in Iran enjoyed widespread social‑media sympathy and even reports of...
Ad Companies Settle With F.T.C. Over Claims of Harm to Conservative Sites
Three of the world’s largest ad holding firms—WPP, Dentsu and Publicis—reached settlements with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations they coordinated policies that limited ads on conservative‑leaning sites. The FTC complaint said the collusion reduced revenue for publishers deemed to...
NBA’s Broadcast-Friendly TV Deal Leads to Highest Ratings in 7 Years
NBA’s first season under the new 11‑year, $76 billion media rights deal delivered its highest ratings in seven years, with average viewership climbing 16% to 1.78 million per game. NBC’s return to broadcast basketball drove a 109% increase, averaging 2.8 million viewers across...
CBC Unveils Spring/Summer 2026 Podcast Slate
CBC announced its spring/summer 2026 podcast slate, adding a mix of investigative series, light‑hearted debate and personal storytelling. Highlights include "The Big Five" with Donovan Woods and Tom Power, the AI‑focused Uncover season "The Expert Witness," and Understood’s "Artificial Intimacy"...
Does Anyone Care About a Game of Thrones Movie?
Warner Bros. announced a Game of Thrones feature film, “Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest,” at CinemaCon, targeting a 2027‑plus release. The movie will dramatize Aegon I Targaryen’s war to unite the Seven Kingdoms, a century before the events of House...
3 Practical Ways to Identify Keywords That Help Customers Find You
The article outlines three practical steps for identifying keywords that drive customer discovery: brainstorming industry‑specific and local terms, using keyword research tools, and studying competitor websites. It emphasizes that precise keyword selection underpins successful SEO, PPC, and social media campaigns....
A "Brand Genius" Honor for News Not Noise And Your Day's News
Jessica Yellin, founder of News Not Noise, was honored as an Adweek Brand Genius Creator during the Social Media Week 2026 fireside chat. The award recognizes her work in building trust and clarity in online journalism. Yellin announced the accolade...
Streaming Silos Increase Friction in Content Discovery
Look, organic content discovery was and remains a simpler process with the Pay TV bundle echo system (including Broadcast TV) which is its own viewing silo that features a simple channel based content discovery system. Adding streaming platforms that are...
Streaming Fraud Doesn’t Respect Silos. Neither Should We.
Merlin’s licensing deal with TikTok ended in October 2024, prompting the rights collective to double down on fighting streaming fraud. The company has shifted to a proactive, automated approach, building a cross‑platform database to flag illegitimate activity. Over the past...
Emma Grede’s 4 Rules for Making Your Brand Actually Matter on Social
Emma Grede, founding partner of Skims and author of *Start With Yourself*, outlined four brand‑building rules at ADWEEK’s Social Media Week. She argues that trust and authenticity now eclipse raw follower counts, and that product excellence must precede any marketing...
Discover Descript Layout Packs: Video Editing’s Canva Templates
You're sleeping on @descript_app layout packs. Layout packs are the Canva templates of video editing.
Shirofune Launches AI Summary
Shirofune, a digital advertising automation platform, unveiled AI Summary on April 15, 2026. The new tool leverages generative AI to scan performance‑metric shifts and produce a concise, actionable narrative within seconds. It sits on top of Shirofune’s existing Change Analysis...
YouTube Launches 24/7 Streaming “Stations” For Creators
YouTube is testing Stations, a way for creators to turn playlists into 24/7 streams with live chat, giving them their own version of a FAST channel. 📺 Over 40 artists have tested the feature. YouTube is also. using it as...
What Can Investors Expect From Scripps In Q1?
After fending off Sinclair Broadcast Group’s hostile takeover, the E.W. Scripps Company is focusing on expanding its Scripps Sports division and leveraging a new distribution deal with Allen Media Group’s Local Now platform. However, the company’s core broadcast‑TV stations remain...
Guardian Launches Fortnightly Newsletter on How the Climate Crisis Impacts Sport
The Guardian has launched "The Hotspot," a fortnightly newsletter that examines how the climate crisis reshapes sport. Edited by Tanya Aldred, the publication will blend news, features and opinion on topics such as extreme‑weather tolls on athletes, organizational responsibility, and...
Alexia Jayy Makes ‘The Voice’ History as First Black-Woman Winner
Alexia Jayy captured the Season 29 crown on NBC’s The Voice, becoming the first Black woman to win the competition in its 15‑year run. The 31‑year‑old performed on Team Adam, delivering standout renditions of classics from Aretha Franklin to Adele. Her victory...
Testing AI Media Buyer Before Full Autonomy at 99% Accuracy
We’re about to start testing an AI media buyer. Essentially how it’s going to work is the AI buyer will come up with optimization ideas based on correlation between in platform, our MTA and MMM. Each optimization will be manually approved by...
What Makes Content Scroll-Stopping in 2026
In 2026 the battle for attention hinges on a single element: the hook that stops the scroll. Meta reports users form an impression in just 1.7 seconds, while TikTok and YouTube Shorts show that front‑loading the core message within the...
CBS Is Already Thinking About What Could Replace Byron Allen
CBS will fill The Late Show’s slot with Byron Allen’s "Comics Unleashed" under a one‑year time‑buy deal that delivers immediate cash but is not viewed as a long‑term solution. Network chair George Cheeks says CBS still believes in late‑night TV,...
Adidas Reviews £377m Global Media Account
Adidas is conducting a review of its global media contract valued at £377 million (approximately $483 million). The current agency handling the spend is EssenceMediacom, part of WPP Media. The review could lead to a renegotiation of fees or a switch to...
The Daily Mastermind Debuts Global TV Channel on Your Home TV
Entrepreneurial podcast The Daily Mastermind, hosted by George Wright III, has launched a dedicated streaming channel on Your Home TV. The free, mobile‑first service will be available in more than 80 countries, extending the brand’s motivational content to a global...
Literary Hub Unveils 2026 O. Henry Prize Winners, Curated by Tommy Orange
Literary Hub announced the 2026 O. Henry Prize winners, with novelist and MacArthur Fellow Tommy Orange serving as editor of the new anthology. The selected stories span translation, epistolary form, social‑media narratives and genre‑bending experiments, underscoring the prize’s evolving definition...
The Mysteries of From Will Be Solved in a Fifth and Final Season
MGM+ has confirmed that the horror series “From” will conclude with a fifth season, which will also be its final installment. Creator John Griffin explained the decision stemmed from a desire to end the story on its own terms rather...
Kelly Marie Tran, Rob Benedict Lead iHeartPodcasts Scripted Drama ‘Saigon’ Set During Vietnam War
iHeartPodcasts is launching "Saigon," an eight‑episode scripted drama set against the Vietnam War, starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict. The series adapts Anthony Grey's bestselling novel and is produced by Thoroughbred Studios, a joint venture that includes former media...
A Response to Our Reader Survey
Data Engineering Weekly conducted a self‑audit of 233 articles from July 2025 to April 2026, finding that 44 pieces (18.9%) fell outside its core data‑engineering focus. The newsletter posted a Net Promoter Score of +17.3, with 79.6% of respondents rating their experience...
Sony to Strip Antenna and Set‑Top Box Features From Bravia TVs in May
Sony announced that, starting in late May 2026, its Bravia smart‑TV lineup will lose key over‑the‑air (OTA) guide functions for antenna and set‑top‑box users. The change affects 2023‑2025 models and removes channel logos, thumbnails, and a dedicated set‑top‑box menu, prompting...
Visionary NPR Leader Kevin Klose, Who Led Network to New Heights, Has Died
Former NPR President and CEO Kevin Klose died at 85. During his tenure, he secured a $200 million bequest from philanthropist Joan Kroc, which underwrote NPR’s financial stability and enabled expansion of international reporting. Klose also launched innovative programs such as Day...
Real-Time Voice Translation Comes to Captioning
ENCO has introduced enSpeak, a real‑time text‑to‑voice translation engine that converts translated captions into natural speech. The solution integrates with ENCO’s existing multilingual workflow, delivering low‑latency audio through secondary audio program (SAP) channels. Broadcasters can now offer viewers the option...
Media Winners Are Creators Who Master the Clip
The winners in media will be creators who can clip. In my latest newsletter, “The Clip Economy,” I explore why: bit.ly/ClipEconomy
Up to 2,000 Jobs to Be Cut at BBC in Cost-Saving Drive
The BBC announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs over the next two years, aiming to save £500 million from its £5 billion operating budget. The cuts, the largest in 15 years, respond to falling licence‑fee revenue—down 24% in real terms...
How Manscaped Used AI to Evolve Beyond Ball Memes
Manscaped, famed for its ball‑trimmer humor, partnered with Consiglieri’s AI tool Clamor to break out of its meme‑centric niche as it expanded into hair and beard care. The platform monitors every social channel, decodes sarcasm and emojis, and delivers real‑time...
The Next Economy Isn’t About Attention… It’s About Transformation… And Intimacy
The article argues that the traditional Attention Economy has morphed into an Intimacy Economy, where brands must deliver genuine transformation rather than merely capture eyeballs. Citing Joseph Pine’s progression from the Experience Economy to the Transformation Economy, it stresses that...
Scaling Paid Media Without Burning Cash: Smarter Testing Frameworks for Modern PPC
Scaling paid media often leads to rising CPAs when spend is increased without proper testing. Teams typically outpace their learning, causing efficiency drops as they move into broader audiences. The article advocates a disciplined testing framework that isolates variables, sets...
Meta's $3B Payout Fuels New Creator Earnings Guide
Facebook shared tips to help creators maximize their earnings via the Facebook Content Monetization Program. 💰 Notable recommendations include creating original content, experimenting with different formats, and leveraging audience feedback. This comes as Meta recently announced it paid out $3...
The Pitt Petts
Production designer Nina Ruscio confirmed that a cat named Viper, along with several other crew pets, now decorates the break‑room bulletin board on HBO’s medical drama *The Pitt*. The pet collage, dubbed “Pitt Petts,” originated from a practical need to...
Barnes & Noble Press Sets Minimum Paperback Price of $14.99, Among Other New Guidelines
Barnes & Noble Press announced a new pricing rule that sets a minimum paperback price of $14.99, reflecting mounting print‑production costs. The floor price applies across its self‑publishing platform, making it especially difficult for short‑form titles such as novellas, poetry...
Most Online Writers Miss the One Thing that Keeps Them Fired up and Creates Die-Hard Fans and Buyers
Alex Mathers contends that most online writers miss the single catalyst that sustains enthusiasm and creates loyal fans: a clearly defined “enemy” that fuels their inner dragon. By anchoring personal branding to a purpose‑driven fight against this antagonist, creators generate...
Cheryl Miller Back in TV as WNBA Analyst for NBC
Cheryl Miller returns to television as a WNBA studio analyst for NBC, marking her first on‑air role since departing Turner Sports in 2013. She will join host Maria Taylor and fellow analyst Sue Bird, while also sharing a network with...
Rogue‑style Fan Pages Can Drive 100M Organic Views
i interviewed the agency making “fan pages” for brands. secondary accounts that feel more like a rogue employee took over than a strategy. the “arby’s boys” page generated over 100m organic views in the first six months.
Netflix's Sports Strategy Expands with Women's World Cup
What’s the future of sports on @netflix ? Bela Bajaria, head of content, getting into it with @elleduncantv Women’s World Cup, Drive to Survive, Full Swing and more https://t.co/ujNZfxsOQV
NPR Veteran Kevin Klose, Secured $200M Gift, Dies At
Kevin Klose, a longtime correspondent for The Washington Post who later as president of NPR helped secure a $200 million gift from Joan Kroc, died Wednesday at 85. https://t.co/NK1xyl74e2
Musk Flips on TikTok, Gains 120K Followers
From ‘probing minds’ to verified account: how Musk’s stance on TikTok shifted The billionaire’s surprising return to TikTok reveals his evolving tech diplomacy, with his account quickly gaining 120,000 followers The National Emergency finally over? https://t.co/UkIcFIOrHs https://t.co/sDmkGikJLX
AMC A‑List Price Hike Still a Bargain for Frequent Viewers
AMC ups price of A-List to $29.99 per month Still worth every penny for those who see 2X movies per mo let alone 16X movies https://t.co/wO6TU0cZP0
Apple TV's New Comedy Surprises with Genuine Humor
Margo's Got Money Troubles is Apple TV's newest comedy, and it might surprise you how good it is. https://t.co/SqJPhYuc9a
Meta Events Manager Faces Random Purchase Outages, Performance Plummets
We are seeing purchase outages left and right on Meta events manager with some of the worst performance in the last 3 days. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason here.
Cable Crime Dramas Still Worth Watching, Even With Streaming
Don't dismiss these gripping crime dramas on cable TV just because we're in the streaming service era — especially when there's an easy way to combine the two. https://t.co/uFjowQtwfw
Remembering Kevin Klose: NPR’s Transformative Journalism Champion
NEWS: Former NPR CEO Kevin Klose, a buoyant champion of journalism and transformative leader of the public broadcasting giant, has died. My tribute for NPR: https://t.co/1T1Z1aA1p8
X Possibly Suppresses Accounts After OpenAI Acquisition
Echoing @jasonlk, @tbpn has completely disappeared from my feed. Is X now burying it due to its acquisition by OpenAI?