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:
TelevisaUnivision Joins The Streaming Self-Service Bandwagon
TelevisaUnivision has partnered with ad‑tech firm fullthrottle.ai to make its streaming inventory available through a self‑serve platform. The integration adds a dedicated ad bidder, clean‑room data matching and ZIP‑code level targeting for U.S. Hispanic audiences. Fullthrottle reports a 90% match‑rate and provides attribution that ties streaming impressions to purchase outcomes. The move aims to simplify buying for mid‑market agencies and boost performance‑driven campaigns.
Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Goes Viral After Chasing Wild Boars in Warsaw
A Unitree G1 humanoid robot, nicknamed Edward Warchocki, was captured chasing a pack of wild boars through a Warsaw parking lot, sparking a viral sensation. The stunt showcases the robot’s speed, autonomy and the growing market for consumer‑grade humanoids, while...
Spotify Strikes Deal with National Independent Venue Association to Boost Indie Venues in the US
Spotify has teamed up with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) for a year‑long program that will spotlight independent music venues on its platform throughout 2026. The deal adds the Certified Live Independent seal to venue pages, promotes venues via...
Google Is Replacing Dynamic Search Ads With AI Max via @Sejournal, @Brookeosmundson
Google will retire Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) and migrate eligible campaigns to its AI Max platform starting in September 2026. The transition unfolds in two phases: a voluntary upgrade window now open, followed by an automatic migration of remaining DSA,...
How Zenni Optical Leveraged Mobile Gaming to Achieve 30-Percent Sales Growth in February | Exclusive
Zenni Optical partnered with Ghost Gaming and ad‑tech firm Digital Culture Group to run a mobile‑gaming ad campaign in February. The initiative leveraged AI‑driven inventory targeting and achieved a cost‑per‑unique‑user (CPUU) of just $0.02. As a result, Zenni recorded a...
Best OTA DVR for Cord Cutters in 2026
Cord‑cutters can replace costly cable with a simple antenna paired with an OTA DVR. Among the options, the Tablo 4th Gen stands out as the most affordable, priced around $100 (or $130 with an antenna) and requiring no monthly fees. It...
Adobe Embraces Conversational AI Editing, Marking a ‘Fundamental Shift’ in Creative Work
Adobe announced the Firefly AI Assistant, a conversational interface that lets creators edit images, video and other assets by typing natural‑language prompts. The tool integrates with Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator, Lightroom, Express and other Creative Cloud apps, handling multi‑step workflows and...
Amazon Is Launching a New Fire TV Stick HD But It Won’t Run on Android
Amazon unveiled its slimmest streaming device, the Fire TV Stick HD, priced at $34.99 and optimized for direct USB power. The stick runs on Amazon’s in‑house Vega OS, delivering about 30% faster performance and supporting Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, though it...
CBS Announces Its 2026-2027 Fall Primetime Schedule
CBS unveiled its 2026‑2027 fall primetime lineup, featuring 19 returning series, three new dramas, a new comedy and a slate of specials. The schedule leans heavily on the network’s strongest franchises, with NCIS expanding to New York and Sydney, and...
How Mondelēz Is Engaging with ‘Mini Super Bowl Moments’ During World Cup
Mondelēz International, which generated roughly $38.5 billion in revenue last year, is leveraging the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a "Summer of Soccer" campaign that treats high‑profile matches as "mini Super Bowl moments." The initiative pairs snack brands such as Chips...
Amazon's Most Interesting TV Ever Is Launching in the UK at Last, Along with a New Fire TV Stick
Amazon has finally introduced its Ember Artline TV to the UK and EU, rebranding the line as Ember TVs that ship with Fire TV OS pre‑installed. The 55‑inch model costs about $1,190 and the 65‑inch version about $1,500, each including...
Purple Acorn Network Partners with PodStar to Scale Founder Voices Across the Future of Work
Purple Acorn Network, a fast‑growing HR‑tech podcast platform, announced a strategic partnership with PodStar, a global podcast guesting community. The deal makes Purple Acorn a recommended network within PodStar, giving founders access to curated shows such as The HR Morning...
Undisclosed Promo Bots May Violate FTC and Copyright Law
As annoying as that probably was, this is quantifiably different. You know the Geffen rep works for geffen; you know the speaker has a strong financial interest in her success, you can use that information to analyze what they saying....
Interest In Local News Declines, Media Patterns Shift
Pew Research reports a sharp decline in local news interest, with only 21% of Americans following local news closely in 2025, down from 37% in 2016, and newspaper readership falling to 36% from 43% in 2018. Meanwhile, Axle AI unveiled...
Why Refusing to Change the Format Led Subway Takes to Viral Success
Subway Takes, an Instagram series filmed on the New York City subway, has amassed over 2 million followers and attracted A‑list guests while refusing to alter its core format. Host Kareem Rahma keeps the show’s DNA rooted in independent talent and a simple...
NBC Secures Rights to The Soccer Tournament
NBC Sports will broadcast The Soccer Tournament (TST) across its platforms, including four games on the NBC broadcast network for the first time. The event features three winner‑take‑all 7‑on‑7 tournaments—men’s, women’s and mixed—each offering a $1 million prize. Matches will air...
How Are Creator Journalists Reaching Audiences Traditional Media Miss?
Liz Kelly Nelson, former Vox VP, launched Project C in 2024 and co‑founded the Independent Journalism Atlas in 2026 to map the surge of creator‑model journalists who publish on YouTube, Substack and TikTok. She argues that Gen Z and Gen Alpha now treat...
Vax Appoints UK Media Agency Following 7-Way Pitch
Vax, the long‑standing UK floor‑care brand, has appointed the7stars as its new media agency after a competitive seven‑way pitch that also featured incumbent McCann Birmingham. The agency will assume media planning and buying responsibilities for Vax’s vacuum, carpet‑washer and cleaning‑solution...
Canadian Picture Book Artist Jon Klassen Wins the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
Canadian author‑illustrator Jon Klassen was announced as the 2026 laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s best‑endowed children’s literature prize, receiving 5 million Swedish kronor (about $544,000). The award ceremony spanned Stockholm and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, recognizing...
All The Netflix Emmy Contenders Being Campaigned For In 2026 (And What Might Win)
Netflix’s freshly refreshed For Your Consideration portal reveals a laser‑focused Emmy push for 2026. The streamer spotlights The Diplomat (Season 3) and Stranger Things (Season 5) in Drama, while the comedy slate leans heavily on Nobody Wants This alongside Wednesday Season 2. In...
Other Legacy U.S. Newspapers Which Have Gone Nonprofit
The Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette averted closure after a nonprofit journalism group agreed to acquire it, underscoring a growing trend of legacy papers turning to the nonprofit sector. Earlier conversions include the Salt Lake Tribune, which became the first for‑profit newspaper to...
Media Insight Project Adds Partners Ahead of New Report Release
Today the Media Insight Project announced two new academic partners—Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. The expansion bolsters the initiative’s ability to conduct rigorous, independent research on how audiences engage...
India Added Nearly 4m Paid Music Streaming Subscriptions in 2025, Taking Its Total to 14.4m, According to New Report
India’s paid‑music streaming market added nearly 4 million new subscribers in 2025, lifting paid users to 14.4 million and generating ₹10.3 billion ($118 million) in subscription revenue. Overall online music listeners grew to 178 million, but only about 8% are paying. The broader music‑industry revenue...
Bisleri Rolls Out New Campaign with RCB and Jaideep Ahlawat
Bisleri International has launched a digital‑first campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and actor Jaideep Ahlawat, unveiling limited‑edition bottles that feature the franchise’s branding. The spot shows cricketers Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer and Tim David sharing a humorous water‑break behind...
Walmart Rolls Out A New Onn Google TV Pro Streaming Player for Just $60
Walmart has begun stocking its new Onn 4K Pro streaming box, priced at $60, in select stores ahead of a formal launch. The device runs Google TV, features a quad‑core Cortex‑A55 CPU, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, Wi‑Fi 6, and supports Dolby...
Amazon Prime Video Blames Hardware Failure for Game Outage
Here’s what Amazon Prime Video’s sports team had to say about last night’s technical difficulty: The “broadcast of the Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets experienced a temporary disruption due to a hardware failure in our production truck. Our teams restored the...
Amazon Revamps Fire TV UI, Launches Slimmer HD Stick
Amazon is refreshing its Fire TV interface for 2026 with new organisation and new streaming channels. Plus, it's bringing out a new, slimmer Fire TV HD Stick. https://t.co/HyZVm7w9gh
Offscript with Ferdy Adimefe
Ferdy Adimefe, founder of Magic Carpet Studios, is building Africa’s first large‑scale animation ecosystem to turn African mythology into globally scalable intellectual property. After abandoning a medical career for advertising and brand management, he launched Imaginarium and later Magic Carpet,...
Big Mood S2 Brings Bridgerton‑Level Female Friendship Energy
Big Mood season 2 arrives back on the small screen this week — and Nicola Coughlan agrees on have Bridgerton-style energy for this chaotic female friendship. https://t.co/LchY4ZKxLr
Snap's Cost Cuts First, Growth Now Powered by Subscriptions
⚡️ $SNAP Rightsizing Cost Structure is Important 1st Step, but What About Engagement and Specs? ⚡️ SNAP also disclosed Q1 revenue growth of 12%…However, the growth is coming from Snap+ subscriptions, with the core advertising business likely… https://t.co/1NDtoN6T2v
Coverage of the Fossil-Fuel Industry ‘Doesn’t Have to Be This Way’
Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University scholar, warns that legacy newsrooms are allowing fossil‑fuel money to shape energy coverage through undisclosed native advertising. She cites the New York Times’ paid partnership with Chevron that framed oil as essential and local propane ads that...
British Tabloids Face Extinction in Digital Era
The slow death of the massest of mass media. Can the traditional British tabloid survive the digital age? https://t.co/vHXP2KytRy
FCC Chairman Probes Broadcasters' Undisclosed Conflicts, Targeting Kimmel
D.C. Memo: FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC Looking at Undisclosed Conflicts by Broadcasters, a Review That Could Snare @JimmyKimmel https://t.co/bBBhcj60fP
Waiting for Shihab-Eldin
On March 3, independent journalist Ahmed Shihab‑Eldin was arrested in Kuwait City on vague charges of spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has labeled the accusations as overly broad and...
Baseball Writers Trade Scoops for Favors From Agents
There’s a group of baseball writers who make a good living from being fed scoops from top agents. This doesn’t come without quid pro quo.
TV Q&A Explains Pittsburgh Weather, NCIS Exit, Spanish Channels
TV Q&A: Why are weather stats for Pittsburgh taken at the airport? Why did a @ncisverse star exit? Why so many Spanish language channels on cable? Via @TribLIVE https://t.co/xm3njZHvJb https://t.co/wkZwhw0cQA
AI Slop Is Making the Internet Fake-Happy
A preprint study by Imperial College London, Stanford University and the Internet Archive reveals that roughly 35% of new websites launched between 2022 and 2025 are AI‑generated or AI‑assisted. The analysis, using Pangram Labs detection tools and Wayback Machine snapshots,...
Mr. Rogers Calmly Champions Public TV Funding in Congress
Mr. Rogers testified before Congress to protect public television funding, and did it with the same calm presence he showed children.
Scale Faster: Test 5‑10 Creatives Weekly, Not One
I've seen inside 50+ ad accounts. Here's the pattern: Accounts that tested 1-2 new creatives a week stagnated. Accounts that tested 5-10 new creatives a week scaled. Your assumption that you'll find a winner eventually is wrong. You find winners...
Taylor Swift Leads 2026 AMAs with Eight Nominations, Poised for Record
Taylor Swift has secured eight nominations for the 2026 American Music Awards, the most of any artist, positioning her for a potential record‑breaking night. The ceremony will be held May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and...
K‑pop Idols Propel Acubi ‘Quiet Cool’ to Global Runway
South Korean girl groups Blackpink, NewJeans and Aespa have turned the homegrown Acubi streetwear aesthetic into a global phenomenon. The style, dubbed “quiet cool,” blends oversized silhouettes with neutral tones and is now trending across TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, according...
3 Golden Insights From NBC Sports’ Social Strategy During the Milan Winter Olympics
NBC Sports leveraged its social platforms during the Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics to treat the event as both sport and culture, targeting anyone with a smartphone. The team re‑imagined the 8 p.m. ET recap as a feature‑film‑style experience, extending conversation 24/7. Their...
Penguin Random House Calls on Congress to Block Republican Book‑Banning Bill
Penguin Random House has sent a letter to U.S. lawmakers urging them to reject H.R. 7661, the Republican‑backed “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act.” The publisher warns the bill would force schools and libraries to self‑censor and marginalize vulnerable communities...
UK Directors of ‘Slow Horses,’ ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘The Crown’ Push for Streaming Royalties
Directors of acclaimed UK series—including Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” Netflix’s “Black Mirror,” and “The Crown”—have signed a joint letter demanding royalty agreements from streaming platforms. The collective action signals a growing push for residuals in the on‑demand era, with details...
AppLovin Shares Drop 37% in Three Months as Digital‑Ad Market Tightens
AppLovin Corp.'s stock has fallen 37% in the last three months as advertisers pull back and valuation worries mount. The decline comes despite the company's strong profitability and a push into e‑commerce advertising, underscoring tension between growth ambitions and a...
TMZ Turns to Politics, Blurring Gossip and News Lines
TMZ, the celebrity‑focused tabloid, has begun publishing political content, including paparazzi‑style photos of senators and representatives, marking a notable shift from its traditional gossip beat. The move has drawn both criticism and unexpected praise, raising questions about the outlet’s role...
Vax Selects The7stars Following Six-Agency Pitch
Vax has appointed the UK agency the7stars to run its 2025 media account, valued at $36.5 million (approximately £26 million). The decision came after a six‑agency pitch, highlighting the7stars’ ability to deliver integrated brand solutions. COMvergence projects the account to surpass $40 million...
It's Not Andrew Tate Substack Wants Here, But His Subscriber List. And That Should Worry Us Even More.
Substack recently added controversial influencer Andrew Tate, whose account boasts over 1.1 million subscribers. The author questions whether Substack actively courted Tate to tap his massive follower base, rather than focusing on platform safety. This move highlights tensions between revenue growth...
Poetry Month Feature: Tupelo Press
Tupelo Press is spotlighting two new titles for National Poetry Month: the Arabic/English anthology "Other Paths for Shahrazad," featuring contemporary Arab women poets, and Carrie Olivia Adams' "The Book of Marys and Glaciers," a collection that weaves desert, consumerism and...
How to Get More Views on TikTok (Proven Strategies That Work in 2026)
TikTok’s algorithm now rewards videos that keep users watching, making watch time and completion rate the top ranking signals. Creators who hook viewers in the first three seconds, keep videos short (8‑20 seconds), and encourage high‑value engagement such as comments,...