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.
The Surprising Trick Corporate Natalie Used to Kickstart Her Career as a Content Creator
Content creator Natalie Marshall, known as Corporate Natalie, pretended to have an assistant by creating an email alias, making brands think she ran a larger operation. The tactic helped her secure deals with Dell, Paycom, SoFi and a Dunkin’ commercial, growing her following to over 2.5 million. She now employs three full‑time staff and runs two companies, ExpandVA and Expand Co‑Lab. The story mirrors Sophia Kianni, who fabricated an assistant named Kobe to land speaking gigs.
New Video Frontiers 2026: What to Expect
VideoWeek’s New Video Frontiers 2026 conference kicks off tomorrow in London, gathering broadcasters, agencies, platforms and brands for two days of CTV, AI and ad‑tech discussions. Day 1 features a fireside on brand‑marketer pressures, Omdia’s CTV forecasts, AI‑powered ad‑trading infrastructure, and...
Evergent Introduces Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platform
Evergent unveiled its Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platform, a suite of AI‑driven tools designed for subscription businesses in streaming, pay‑TV, telecom and gaming. The platform introduces three agents—Retention, Operations and Customer Support—that predict churn, streamline product creation via natural language, and...
Social Media Platforms Need To Stop Never-Ending Scrolling, UK's Starmer Says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged social‑media firms to strip away infinite‑scroll features for users under 16, as Britain widens its child‑online‑safety consultation. The government is weighing bans, curfews and app‑time limits to curb addictive usage, and more than 45,000...
Audiences Increasingly Turning to Prime Video, Roku for Aggregation
A Hub Research survey reveals that 54% of U.S. viewers now subscribe to at least one additional streaming service through Prime Video’s digital subscriptions hub, up from 50% in 2025. Roku serves as an aggregation point for 26% of respondents,...
A ‘PQ’ Proposition For Tackling Hispanic Radio’s Ad Dollar Disconnect
The U.S. Hispanic population has risen 19% since 2016, now comprising roughly one‑fifth of the nation. Yet advertising spend in Hispanic media remains a small fraction of that audience’s size and listening power. Patrick Quinn, founder and CEO of PQ...
BMW Digital Founder Urges Brands to Trade Moments for Commitments
NeAndre Broussard, chief executive of BMW Digital and founder of the Black Menswear movement, told ADWEEK’s Social Media Week that brands should abandon fleeting viral moments in favor of lasting community commitments. Drawing on six years of building a culturally resonant Black‑men’s fashion...
A Golden State Deal That Returns ‘Rocking M’ Name
A six‑member Montgomery family, together with a station employee, has formed Rocking M Media Group to acquire an AM/FM combo and three additional FM stations in California. The deal is unrelated to the well‑known Monte or Doris Miller, despite the...
Fans Are Split on Netflix's 'Little House on the Prairie' Reboot
Netflix has released the official teaser for its upcoming reboot of the classic series Little House on the Prairie, slated to debut on July 9, 2024. The original show aired on NBC from 1974 to 1983, spanning nine seasons and becoming...
Impactful Analysis Beats Follower Counts, Prevents Panic Selling
On one hand @gCaptain is clocking all time highs in revnue and pageviews. On the other hand we lost some marketshare to European publications written by doomers. I defintly didn't get the hundreds of thousands of X followers the worst...
🎧 Jean Smart’s Perfect Exit (Again)
Jean Smart announces her departure from the Netflix comedy *Hacks* after its fifth season, mirroring her earlier exit from *Designing Women* after a similar five‑year run. She cites personal milestones—including motherhood, the loss of her husband, and a recent triple‑bypass...
Justin Bieber’s YouTube Coachella Set Fuels Ownership Debate
Justin Bieber headlined Coachella and played snippets of his early hits directly from YouTube, igniting a discussion about who controls an artist’s catalog. Experts quickly refuted Daily Mail claims that his 2022 catalog sale forced the on‑stage video workaround.
Sydney Sweeney's 'The Housemaid' Sets Streaming Record on STARZ After Box‑Office Hit
Sydney Sweeney’s thriller *The Housemaid* debuted on STARZ on April 1 and became the network’s best‑performing Pay 1 film in just two weeks, following a strong theatrical run. The record‑breaking streaming performance underscores the growing power of female‑led thrillers and the convergence...
ABC Locks In ‘The Rookie’ Season 9 and ‘Will Trent’ Season 5 Renewals
ABC confirmed the renewal of its veteran dramas The Rookie (season 9) and Will Trent (season 5) for the 2026‑27 schedule. Both series average more than 8 million viewers per episode across broadcast and streaming, placing them in the top‑15 network entertainment shows...
Neon Elevates Joey Monteiro to Global Marketing Lead, Alex Altschuler to Media President
Neon has promoted Joey Monteiro to president of worldwide marketing and Alex Altschuler to president of media as the studio gears up for Cannes. The reshuffle adds senior talent across the marketing ladder and signals a deeper in‑house media strategy...
Trump’s Jesus Meme Sparks Backlash From Allies and World Leaders
President Donald Trump posted an AI‑generated image of himself as a Christ‑like healer on Truth Social, then removed it after a wave of condemnation from his own Republican allies, senior Catholic officials and European politicians. The episode has ignited a...
Virginia Governor Signs Law Banning Sales Of Location Data
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 338, a privacy law that bans the sale of precise location data within a 1,750‑foot radius. The measure, effective July, replaces the 2021 consent‑based framework and joins Maryland and Oregon in prohibiting such...
Social Media Powers Online’s Ad Market Dominance, and Meta Eats 70 Percent of That Pie
Online advertising is set to surpass $1.6 trillion by 2030, with social media driving the bulk of growth. Omdia projects online ad spend will reach $1.5 trillion, up from $935 billion in 2025, and grow 13% in 2026 alone. Social ads are forecast...
Broadcast Radio Launches Split Voice Tracking
Broadcast Radio has added Split Voice Tracking to its Myriad Playout & Automation platform, letting stations that use split transmissions record separate voice tracks for each region or platform. The new tools include log placeholders, navigation shortcuts, and length‑consistency checks...
The Wayback Machine Archive Is in Mortal Peril !!
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine faces escalating blocks from major publishers such as USA Today, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Reddit, which are preventing its crawler from capturing new pages. Publishers cite AI‑scraping concerns, but the restrictions threaten...
Nielsen: Move Along, Nothing To See Here (*)
Nielsen released its February "Gauge" report, but the data still relies on an outdated methodology that fails to capture true cross‑platform TV consumption. The report shows streaming outpacing broadcast and cable, a result the author argues is more a measurement...
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Will Go Nonprofit After Being Acquired by The Baltimore Banner’s Owner
The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, owner of the nonprofit Baltimore Banner, announced it will purchase the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette and operate the historic newspaper as a nonprofit. The deal, described as a “huge discount” by Baltimore Banner founder Stewart Bainum,...
Mr Loverman's Tamara Lawrance Among New Cast Confirmed for Gangs of London in Season 4 Update
Sky’s action‑thriller Gangs of London is set to return for a fourth season, introducing several new characters. Tamara Lawrance, known for Mr Loverman, joins as Jo Malik alongside newcomers Luna Fujimoto, Eugene Nomura and Melika Foroutan. Veteran actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù returns...
A16Z‑backed Doublespeed Hacked, Exposing AI‑generated TikTok Accounts
Doublespeed, the a16z‑funded phone‑farm startup that creates AI‑generated TikTok influencers, was breached for a second time, exposing 573 accounts and 47 MB of data. The hacker attempted to post a meme calling a16z the “antichrist,” but the company says no unauthorized...
NYT Reporter Claims AI Analysis Unmasks Bitcoin Creator Adam Back
New York Times reporter John Carreyrou says an AI‑assisted writing analysis points to Blockstream founder Adam Back as the real Satoshi Nakamoto. The claim, based on stylistic matches across 134,000 cypher‑punk posts, has ignited both excitement and criticism within the crypto community.
Podcasting’s Next Growth Frontier: Tackling the Unconverted
MIDiA’s 2025 audio consumer profile shows a sizable share of the global population—about 25% in the U.S.—still never listens to podcasts. The industry has focused on engaged listeners, but growth may hinge on converting the “unconverted” audience. MIDiA plans to...
A Beasley ‘Coyote’ Talent Ready For A Wider Orbit
Beasley Media Group is teaming with WideOrbit to showcase a live, on‑site broadcast at the 2026 NAB Show. Program Director Shawn Stevens will host his regular KCYE‑FM "102.7 Coyote Country" shift from the WideOrbit booth, using the Aurora Web Studio...
How a Yoga Teacher Turned Bedtime Stories Into a Media Empire
Kathryn Nicolai, a former yoga teacher, turned bedtime storytelling into the wildly popular sleep‑podcast *Nothing Much Happens*. Launched in 2018, the show now exceeds 200 million lifetime downloads and has expanded into books, subscriptions, and a broader wellness brand. By deliberately...
Fake Campaigns Are Being Used to Boost Bands, Why Not Stocks Too?
Wired exposed Chaotic Good Projects' "trend simulation" campaign that manufactured viral buzz for Brooklyn rock band Geese by deploying thousands of TikTok and YouTube accounts. The firm’s playbook—seeding content to trigger platform algorithms—could be duplicated on financial social media to...
Roblox Is Turning Its Product Roadmap Into Advertising Inventory
Roblox introduced a new Makeup feature on March 31, letting creators sell avatar cosmetics that overlay players' faces. The launch was partnered with e.l.f. Beauty, which worked with Roblox’s Kestrel studio to create five branded looks and offered them in the...
‘Paperman’ Netflix K-Drama: Jo Jung Suk Approached to Play Lead Role & What We Know So Far
Netflix is courting top Korean star Jo Jung Suk to headline the upcoming original series *Paperman*, directed by Lee Il Hyung. The drama centers on a color‑blind man who becomes entangled with counterfeit money, a premise that blends thriller intrigue...
TMZ Switches From Stars to Politicians, Fans Celebrate
TMZ has pivoted to reporting on politicians instead of celebrities and I absolutely love it #tmz #tax #democrats #republican #fraud
Exploring AI's Societal Impact at SF Book Event
Join me this Wednesday in SF for an event celebrating the new book from NPR's Planet Money team. We'll talk about the impact of AI on society, how we think about the future at Anthropic, and maybe read some of...
WTVision to Unveil R³ Engine Running Natively on macOS at 2026 NAB Show
wTVision will debut its R³ Engine, the first real‑time broadcast graphics renderer built natively for macOS, at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The engine uses Apple’s Metal framework and pairs with Macnica’s MEP100 SmartNIC to provide SMPTE ST 2110‑compatible IP...
Libertarian PR Firm Teaches Ethics While Rebranding 60 Minutes
Imagine being lectured on journalistic ethics by the company employing Bari Weiss to turn 60 Minutes into a libertarian infomercial.
NBA League Pass Needs All-Streaming Service Bundle
NBA league pass should offer a bundle that includes all the streaming services. I think they will get to this when they can.
Skyview Formally Unveils A Cloud-Based Distribution Platform
Skyview Networks has officially launched Cirocast, a cloud‑native, broadcast‑grade audio distribution platform, ahead of the 2026 NAB Show. The service moves mixed, market‑specific audio feeds into the cloud, enabling low‑latency IP delivery, ad targeting, copy‑split and content personalization. Cirocast is...
Washington Post CEO Sets 2026 Priorities: Profit, Excellence, Growth
Washington Post C.E.O. Jeff D'Onofrio emailed employees last week, expressing hope the company will be break-even this year and profitable thereafter. He also cited three priorities for 2026: "journalistic excellence, data, cost mastery & productivity, and disruptive growth." https://t.co/u50IOd3Chk
Google’s New Changes May Finally Fix Impression Tracking
Could this be the start of Google correcting the impressions situation? These emails could just be a byproduct of the changes they are making (and maybe Google didn't realize these emails would be triggered). :)
Social Traffic Kinda Stinks for News Publishers Now, in 3 Charts
Chartbeat data shows global news publishers have lost 70% of Twitter referral traffic since Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition, while Facebook referrals have also fallen sharply. In addition, users who arrive via these social platforms now spend less time on publisher...
Elderly Stars Relive Their Glory Over Chicken Wings
pitch for a show called Hot Once where old people reminisce about how they used to be hot, and eat chicken wings
The Audacity Drives Emmy Push with Star Campaigns
‘The Audacity’ Sets Emmy Strategy With Drama Series Push and Lead Campaigns for Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/qfWghf5bwy via @variety
Cumulus Speeding Toward Chapter 11 Exit
Cumulus Media filed a Modified Joint Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization in Houston on April 13, seeking court approval. The plan would wipe out roughly $592 million of debt and transfer control to secured creditors. A new board of directors...
Vulnerable Content Builds Loyalty; Viral Content Draws New Eyes
Your best content and your most viral content are probably not the same post. The vulnerable stuff builds trust and deepens loyalty with the people already paying attention. The viral stuff attracts new eyeballs. You need both but they serve...
Algorithm Glitch Repeats Old Tweets, Stalls Timeline Updates
@nikitabier something up with the algo? Keep seeing a lot of old tweets, and many of the same tweets, vs newer more dynamic information flow. Not as responsive timeline updates either.
Locala Unveils Planning Agents That Push Agentic Advertising Beyond Automation
Locala launched Planning Agents, an evolution of its Omni Planner platform that links advanced market insights directly to activation-ready strategies. The new agents combine proprietary signals, strategic reasoning, and activation readiness in a single workflow, enabling brands to execute granular,...
Surprising Subscriber Count Needed for a Million‑dollar YouTube Business
I asked @TintinSmith how many subscribers you actually need to build a million-dollar business from YouTube. His answer might surprise you. Search "Nathan Barry Show" to watch the full YouTube masterclass. https://t.co/onYCQZo0yl
TaaraConnect Expands Free-Space Optics to Video Distribution and Data Centers
. @TaaraConnect , a Google X Moonshot Factory grad focusing on free space optics, has opened up a new video distribution use case and is exploring its role in both terrestrial and orbital data centers. @Light_Reading https://t.co/SzaYL7n8uq
Patrón Takes Shot at Sponsoring Prime Video’s NBA Nightcap Through the Playoffs
Amazon Prime Video is elevating its NBA playoff coverage by naming Patrón Tequila the presenting sponsor of the post‑game show, NBA Nightcap. The partnership will run throughout the postseason, delivering brand integrations across every playoff broadcast and custom content pieces....
Atlantic Funds Deep Dives Into Sports Betting, Free Bread
The Atlantic really doing yeoman's work these days, giving its journalists amazing budgets to pursue deep investigations into sports betting and free bread.