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.
Carrie Bickmore First Target in GLENN & MICK’S Celebrity Intervention Series
Seven Network launches a new primetime comedy, Glenn & Mick’s Celebrity Intervention, on Monday, April 20, 2026. The series opens with radio and TV personality Carrie Bickmore as the first guest, where comedians Glenn Robbins and Mick Molloy confront her with candid anecdotes and surprise appearances. Each episode will feature a celebrity’s friends and colleagues revisiting career highs and lows, with additional guests slated such as Sam Pang, Dr Chris Brown, Dave Hughes and Guy Sebastian. Produced by Molloy Boy Productions, the show will air on both broadcast and the 7plus streaming platform.
Nine Special Examines Prince Andrew in THE DOWNFALL OF A PRINCE
Nine Network aired the hour‑long documentary “Andrew: The Downfall of a Prince” on April 15, 2026, revisiting Prince Andrew’s rise from a Falklands‑war pilot to a controversial royal figure. The program combines interviews with former naval colleagues, diplomats, journalists and...
WSB, Morgan Murphy Among NABLF Service to America Honorees
The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation announced the 2026 Celebration of Service to America award winners, honoring radio and television stations for outstanding community impact. Morgan Murphy Media earned the broadcast ownership group honor for its Honor Our Fallen...
David Robinson Joins 7 NEWS QUEENSLAND in Dual Newsroom Role
David Robinson has rejoined Seven’s 7 News Queensland in a dual newsroom role, serving as Assistant Supervising Producer and on‑air presenter for early‑afternoon and late‑night updates from the Maroochydore studio. The seasoned producer and former Network 10 and ABC presenter returns after...
The Madison Has Been Renewed for Season 3
Paramount+ has renewed Taylor Sheridan’s drama The Madison for a third season. The series, originally pitched as a Yellowstone spinoff with Matthew McConaughey, was re‑imagined as a standalone starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. Its March debut pulled 8 million viewers in the...
Taylor Sheridan’s ‘The Madison’ Renewed For Season 3 By Paramount+ Ahead Of Season 2 Debut
Paramount+ has officially renewed Taylor Sheridan’s drama *The Madison* for a third season, even before the second season has aired. The series, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, launched with eight million global views in its first ten days, marking Sheridan’s most‑watched...
Countdown Begins as Seven Eyes Big GLASGOW 2026 Games Coverage
Seven Network announced it will broadcast the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games live, free and exclusively on its main channel and the 7plus Sport streaming platform from July 24 to August 3. The ten‑day event will showcase 10 sports, including a...
Justin Bieber Sees Huge Streaming Surge After Headlining Coachella
Justin Bieber’s Coachella headline sparked a massive streaming surge, with U.S. plays reaching 24.6 million on April 12—a 54 percent jump from the previous day and the highest daily total of the year. Spotify reported a 250 percent global increase in Bieber streams after...
YouTube Will Now Pause Livestream Ads when Chat Engagement Peaks
YouTube introduced real‑time ad suppression that pauses automatic ads when chat activity spikes, and it adds personal ad‑free windows for viewers who send Super Chats or gifts. The update arrives alongside dual‑format streaming—vertical and horizontal—plus virtual gifting now available in...
Orban Updates the Optimod 5950 HD
Orban announced a free firmware update for its Optimod 5950 HD processor, rolling out in early May for existing users and pre‑installed on new units. The upgrade adds remote NTP/date‑time management, expanded monitoring, customizable access control, and enhanced security tools....
Cinema United Chief: Meeting with Ted Sarandos Was ‘Constructive,’ but Don’t Expect Netflix in Theaters Just Yet
Cinema United President Michael O’Leary confirmed a constructive meeting with Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos at CinemaCon, but emphasized no immediate plans for Netflix to present on a CinemaCon stage. The dialogue explored potential collaboration models, yet both sides admit they...
‘His & Hers’ Knocks Out ‘The Night Agent’ From Netflix’s All-Time Top 10
Netflix’s limited‑series *His & Hers* closed its 91‑day premiere window with 98.2 million views, enough to claim the #10 spot on the platform’s all‑time English‑language TV ranking. The series edged out the three‑year‑old thriller *The Night Agent*, which fell to #11...
HBO Max Doesn’t Offer a Free Trial—But We Found a Hack That Lets You Watch at No Cost
HBO Max does not provide its own free trial, leaving potential subscribers without a low‑risk entry point. However, DirecTV’s five‑day free trial includes HBO Max, available through its MyEntertainment and Premier packages. The MyEntertainment pack normally costs $34.99 per month, while the...
Spotify Earns Revenue From Every Free User
Day 4 of 30: How $SPOT Spotify actually makes money 476 million people use it completely free Spotify still makes money from every single one of them Here's how 🧵
Netflix’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Enters 12 Emmy Categories, Positioning Young Cast for Potential Nominations (EXCLUSIVE)
Netflix and the BBC have entered their limited‑series adaptation of Lord of the Flies in 12 Emmy categories, ranging from Outstanding Limited Series to direction, writing, and casting. The campaign positions newcomer Winston Sawyer as the sole Lead Actor nominee,...
Wave Central, EVS Announce SMPTE ST 2110 Interop Collaboration
Wave Central and EVS have launched a joint interoperability program to certify the Sapphire RXD5 wireless receiver for SMPTE ST 2110 IP workflows. The effort includes testing the receiver with EVS’s Cerebrum Broadcast Control and Neuron processing platform, focusing on timing, routing, and...
Caleb Wins AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR 2026, Malaysia Locked as Next Location
Caleb Beeby, a Victorian truck driver, was crowned Sole Survivor of Australian Survivor: Redemption, claiming the $500,000 AUD prize (approximately $330,000 USD). After 45 days in Samoa, he won a grueling four‑hour final Immunity Challenge and voted out his closest...
Why SAG's 'Tilly Tax' Falls Short of Bollywood's AI Future
The Writers Guild of America clinched a four‑year contract that adds $321 million to health and pension funds but stops short of securing compensation for the use of writers’ work in AI training. Studios must only notify the WGA if they...
NBC Plans to Air NBA Playoffs Following Derby, Preakness
NBC Sports announced it will use the Kentucky Derby and possibly the Preakness Stakes as lead‑ins for its 2026 NBA playoff broadcasts. The network will air three consecutive nights of double‑header games to kick off its first postseason coverage since...
Trust in News Rises After Years of Decline in NZ. What’s Behind the Shift?
Public trust in New Zealand news climbed to 37% this year, up from 32% a year earlier, marking the first rise since the 2020 baseline. Trust in the specific outlets individuals consume also improved, reaching 50% versus 45% in the prior...
This Site Supercharges Your Library Card with Reciprocal Libraries
An emerging platform expands the utility of standard library cards by linking them to a reciprocal network of libraries nationwide. Through integration with the Libby app, users can borrow e‑books, audiobooks, and magazines from any participating library without additional fees....
Respondology Launches Respond to Turn Comments Into Competitive Advantage
Respondology introduced Respond, an AI‑powered platform that automatically engages with social‑media comments across X, TikTok and Instagram. The company says 97% of comments go unanswered, yet 68% of shoppers read them before buying, making comment response a competitive advantage. Respond’s...
Musk Gives a 50 Million-View Boost to COVID Vaccine Hoax
Elon Musk reposted a claim that COVID‑19 vaccines caused up to 60,000 deaths in Germany, generating more than 50 million views on X within 30 hours. The allegation originated from former Pfizer toxicologist Helmut Sterz, who mis‑interpreted a German regulator’s report of...
Why Brands Are Turning to Video Games for Creative Inspiration
Brands are increasingly borrowing retro video‑game aesthetics to make ads more emotionally resonant. Coinbase’s Oscar‑season spot uses early PlayStation graphics to illustrate financial freedom, while Met‑Rx, Skittles and Jack in the Box have launched Nintendo‑style videos and even a playable game. With over...
Cumulus Media Nearing Bankruptcy Exit
Cumulus Media’s creditors have approved a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan that would wipe out roughly $592 million of the company’s $697 million pre‑petition debt. The restructuring converts most of that debt into equity, issues $50 million of exit convertible notes and secures a $100 million...
X Cuts Clickbait Payouts and Exposes a Creator Program Problem
X announced it will cut payouts for accounts that post clickbait, keeping the content live but reducing creator earnings. The move follows a similar penalty for undisclosed AI‑generated conflict footage, showing X prefers monetization sanctions over content removal. The Creator...
Platforms Lock Transcripts, Creating Artificial Data Silos
YouTube makes it effectively impossible to copy or download transcripts for videos, and Apple Podcasts limits how much of a transcript can be copied. I was trying to load a transcript into Claude, getting frustrated with it, and remarked to...
The First AI-Era War Is a "Slopaganda" Battle to Control Memes
AI‑driven "slopaganda"—low‑cost, viral content such as LEGO war videos and Trump memes—is proliferating amid the Iran conflict, experts say. Generative models enable rapid, cheap production of persuasive imagery that spreads faster than traditional propaganda. Iran leverages pop‑culture aesthetics while the...
I (Still) Don’t Vote. Here’s Why. 🗳️🤯
Chris Cillizza, a Substack political commentator, reiterates his lifelong refusal to vote, aside from a single college council race. He argues that a journalist’s voting record is irrelevant to the ability to provide unbiased, fact‑based coverage. The piece references his...
Survey: 81% of Creators Rely on Brand Deals as Primary Income Amid Life Milestones
Creator marketplace #paid’s "Creator Signals 2026" report shows 81% of creators rely on brand deals as their primary income, while 63% identify as full‑time creators. Earnings are spread across brackets, with 24% making $50K‑$100K annually and 6.6% exceeding $200K. Travel‑vlog...
Now Online: A Treasure Trove of 1000s of Secret Concert Recordings
Chicago fan Aadam Jacobs has uploaded his personal archive of over 10,000 live concert recordings to the Internet Archive. The collection spans from 1984 to the early 2000s and includes early performances by Nirvana, R.E.M., The Cure, Phish, and dozens...
Full‑stack Meta Strategy Drives Scalable Brand Growth
Meta strategy Meta strategy + offer that converts at current CPMs Meta strategy + offer + creative that doesn't fatigue the same audience Meta strategy + offer + creative + not generic thank-you page Meta strategy + offer + creative + not generic...
NAFB Invests $15,000 in Next-Gen Ag Broadcasting Talent
The National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) has awarded $15,000 in internship grants to five member stations—Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Rural Radio Network, Brownfield Ag News, Red River Farm Network, and Radio Oklahoma Ag Network. Each station will select an agriculture communications student for...
JB&A Spotlights Exhibitors Ahead of Pre-NAB 2026 Technology Event
JB&A is previewing its Pre‑NAB 2026 Technology Event, scheduled for April 17‑18 at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. The showcase will feature Barco’s SwiftAgent‑driven workflow as the headline demo, while exhibitors highlight control‑system, live‑production, LED‑wall and PTZ solutions. Attendees will...
Vinten To Showcase New Versine 240 Fluid Head, PTZ Control At 2026 NAB Show
Vinten will debut its Versine 240 fluid head and the VEGA Lite PTZ control suite at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 18‑22. The Versine 240 supports payloads up to 55 lb (25 kg), targeting live production, outside broadcast and ENG applications. VEGA Lite adds...
Crave Comedy ‘Sisters’ Returning for Second Season on April 22
Crave announced that the six‑episode second season of its original dark comedy *Sisters* will drop on April 22. The Irish‑Canadian co‑production, created by stars Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley, continues the story of the estranged sisters navigating fertility news, a wedding,...
Create a Full AI Marketing System in 2 Hours
i'm running a live claude cowork workshop for non-technical people on april 22 by the end of the 2 hours, you'll have a fully set up marketing system on your computer that: > produces a full week of content in one sitting,...
Ayra Starr’s Roc Nation Deal Tests Afrobeats’ Global Reach
Ayra Starr’s nine‑month Roc Nation management partnership has kept her streaming engine humming, with 3.48 billion Spotify streams and roughly 17.5 million monthly listeners. However, new releases in Nigeria now hover around the 90‑range on daily charts, a noticeable dip from her pre‑deal...
Super Channel Greenlights New Docuseries Offering Rare Inside Look at RCMP Investigations
Super Channel and Winnipeg‑based Farpoint Films have green‑lit *RCMP Files*, a 20‑episode documentary series that follows Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators through historic Canadian cases. The series, produced in Winnipeg, will feature interviews with current Commissioner Mike Duheme and former...
Haivision Launches Falkon X4 5G Transmitters
Haivision introduced the Falkon X4, a 5G‑enabled mobile video transmitter designed for live‑sports and news remote productions. The unit features a four‑modem, 2×2 MIMO architecture with eight cellular antennas and can bond 5G, 4G, Wi‑Fi, Ethernet and LEO satellite links for resilient,...
Introducing CFX – A Note From Our Editor
Cablefax announced a rebrand to CFX, positioning itself as a business journal for convergent media. The new name drops the legacy "cable" reference and embraces a broader focus on connectivity, streaming, AI‑driven ad tech, sports rights, and distribution economics. The...
Gen Z Grows Up, Keeps Scrolling, Still Doesn't Trust You
Morning Consult’s "The State of Gen Z" report finds that as the cohort reaches adulthood, their purchasing power and family responsibilities have grown, yet their wariness of brands remains entrenched. TikTok leads as the preferred platform for 32.8% of Gen Z, followed by...
Studios Finally Admit Theatrical Windows Still Matter
As finally after 6 years Post-Covid even studios started to realise that theatrical windows DO MATTER, exhibitors union #CinemaUnited (formerly known as #NATO)’s CEO #MichaelOLeary went harder than ever in his “State of the Union” speech at #CinemaCon 2026, citing...
Netflix’s “Lord of the Flies” Lands 12 Emmy Slots
Netflix’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Enters 12 Emmy Categories, Positioning Young Cast for Potential Nominations (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/VRgohMt9zw via @variety
YouTube Livestreams Will Now Hold Back Ads During Peak Engagement to Protect the Vibe
Google’s YouTube announced it will automatically hold back ads on livestreams when chat engagement spikes, aiming to preserve the “vibe” of high‑energy streams. The ad pause applies to all viewers, while Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gift purchases still trigger an immediate,...
AI, Not You, Chooses Your Options—Monetization Risks Rise
You think you’re choosing between options. You’re not. AI is choosing which options you get to see. That’s a reallllllly big shift. And it’s why monetization gets dangerous fast. I broke this down in my latest issue of Agent-Led Growth: https://t.co/1qgrL6QQL4 #AgentLedGrowth...
All-In Hub to Build
My mission for the newsletter and podcast coming to fruition. Newsletter + Podcast + Slack + https://t.co/HmxPPdkXkg + https://t.co/8SbOHHuKW5. All the advice, community, and tools you need to build a world-class product and career. https://t.co/G1Sgsku7b5
A Mid-Florida ‘Outlaw’ Finally Gets An Owner Shift
A Class B AM station serving the agricultural corridor between Sebring and Sarasota, Florida, along with its 250‑watt FM translator, is slated for an ownership change. The buyer is the station’s own “Outlaw” programming brand, effectively purchasing the facilities it already...
Generic Marketing Saturates Music, Movies, and Influencers
Unfortunately this is pretty run of the mill marketing now for music, movies, influencer brands, etc
Suggest Your Favorite Creators for VidSummit 2026
Who should be on the VidSummit 2026 stage? Tag the creators, marketers, and industry leaders you want to hear from this year. https://t.co/gN26cat8aN