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.
‘Fear of Believing You’re Irrelevant’: Economic Headwinds, Global Tensions Won’t Keep Marketers From Cannes Lions
Marketers are still committing to Cannes Lions despite soaring travel costs, with round‑trip flights from U.S. hubs now ranging from $2,000 to over $20,000. The ongoing Iran conflict has pushed oil and gasoline prices higher, raising concerns that a prolonged recession could erase $50 billion in ad spend this year and $44 billion next. Agencies such as Transmission and PMG are expanding client‑facing delegations to prove AI‑driven ROI and agency relevance, while some consultants opt out due to expense and industry layoffs. The event remains a critical platform for relationship building and demonstrating value amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
Sol De Janeiro’s Director of Global Influence on the Rise of ‘Non-Followers’ and the New Rules of Social Engagement
Sol de Janeiro’s new director of global influence, Avrielle Cortes, says the brand is shifting from a TikTok‑centric strategy to a fragmented, multi‑platform approach. She highlights the rise of “non‑followers” – viewers reached through algorithmic feeds – as a key...
Behind the News: Who Are We to Believe when Tragedy Strikes?
The March 29 collapse at Tanzania’s Msasa‑Runzewe gold mine sparked a clash between citizen‑generated video and official statements. Social‑media users posted grainy footage suggesting dozens of victims, while authorities quickly announced no casualties, citing an evacuation due to heavy rains. Mainstream...
Weekend Ratings (10-12/04/2026): Bec Releases Fury At MAFS Reunion Dinner Party
The penultimate episode of Nine’s "Married at First Sight" reunion dinner attracted a national average audience of 1,974,000 and topped three million total viewers. The segment featured Bec confronting ex‑husband Danny and his flirtation with contestant Stephanie, sparking a heated...
Survey: Brits Increasingly More Open to Ads for Cheaper Streaming
A Bango survey of 1,500 UK consumers shows 42% would tolerate twice as many ads on streaming services if it lowered their monthly bill, with the figure rising to 50% among Millennials and 44% among Gen Z. Britons now pay...
Chloe Cherry on Shooting Disgusting Euphoria Premiere Scene
Chloe Cherry revealed she "had so much fun" filming a harrowing drug‑mule scene in the Euphoria season 3 premiere, where her character Faye and Zendaya’s Rue ingest fentanyl packets. The sequence required the actors to simulate swallowing bags with KY jelly,...
‘Doesn’t Have the Financial Resources’: Media Analyst Warns Nine About Keeping NRL Rights
Morningstar analyst Brian Han warned Nine Entertainment that its upcoming NRL rights renewal could strain finances as the current deal expires after the 2027 grand final. He highlighted Nine's shrinking market cap—down to roughly $1.6 billion from $4.96 billion in 2021—and a...
The Advertising Industry Has a Producer Problem. And AI Just Made It Worse.
The Australian advertising sector is confronting a producer shortage that AI has amplified. Mass redundancies, shrinking margins and a wave of AI‑generated content have exposed a skills gap, especially as agencies grapple with $50k AUD (≈$33k USD) triple‑bid jobs. In‑house...
Activist Group Urges Advertisers To Cut Support For Kyle Sandilands, Calls On Seven To End Australian Idol Contract
Activist group Mad F***ing Witches (MFW) has launched a fresh campaign urging advertisers to withdraw support from Kyle Sandilands and press Seven Network to end his contract on Australian Idol. Sandilands, returning as a judge for the 2026 season, remains under...
Prime Video Makes 'The Boys' Flagship of 2026 Slate, Betting on Subscriber Growth
Prime Video has positioned the fifth season of "The Boys" as the centerpiece of its 2026 content slate. The move underscores Amazon's strategy to use high‑profile original series to attract new subscribers and deepen engagement, as the show debuted at...
YouTube Deploys Conversational AI to Smart TVs, Unlocking New Video Ad Real Estate
YouTube has extended its conversational AI tool to smart televisions, gaming consoles and streaming devices, giving advertisers a fresh interactive format on a platform that already commands more than 12% of TV audience share. The feature, accessed via an “Ask”...
OpenAI Sets Sights on $100 Billion Advertising Market by 2030, Unveils Cybersecurity Model
OpenAI announced plans to pursue a $100 billion advertising empire by 2030 and will pilot a new cybersecurity framework for its ad‑tech services. The move positions the AI firm as a potential rival to established programmatic platforms and raises security questions...
Gulf Media Crackdown Sanitizes Images of the War
After the UAE arrested foreign photojournalists in March, global newswires halted original images of Iranian missile and drone strikes that have battered Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al‑Khaimah. The visual blackout follows a broader Gulf‑wide crackdown that criminalizes filming under...
Returning: 7News Spotlight
Australia’s flagship investigative program 7NEWS Spotlight returns this Sunday, featuring a high‑profile clash between Energy Minister Chris Bowen and journalist Liam Bartlett. Bowen announced a ban on further engagements with the Seven Network after accusing Bartlett of disrespectful conduct at...
Special Agents: The Rise of the Neurodivergent Hero in TV Crime Drama
Streaming platforms are flooding audiences with crime dramas that spotlight neurodivergent protagonists, from obsessive detectives in The Killing to dyslexic lead Will Trent. Shows such as The Bridge, Bones, and Dexter portray characters on the autism spectrum or with other...
‘DTF St. Louis’ Review: A Sensational Finale Reveals Far More Than Who Dun It — Spoilers
The review dissects the finale of HBO’s limited series “DTF St. Louis,” arguing that its emotional climax reveals deeper themes of male loneliness, systemic bias, and the fragile nature of friendship. While the plot resolves the murder mystery, the writer...
Ex-PHD Boss Simon Lawson Launches Media Advisory With Principal Media In Crosshairs
Former PHD Australia MD Simon Lawson has founded Chilon Media Governance, an independent advisory firm aimed at helping advertisers recover lost value and improve transparency in complex media supply chains. Leveraging his two‑decade experience at Omnicom and Publicis, Lawson’s firm...
Eurovision 2026: Portugal
Portugal’s entry for Eurovision 2026 is the quintet Bandidos do Cante performing the song “Rosa.” The group fuses UNESCO‑listed Cante Alentejano, a traditional Alentejo vocal style, with modern pop arrangements. Their debut single “Amigos Coloridos” quickly became the most‑played track...
SSI Divers Featured in Leading Travel and Conservation Outlets
Scuba Schools International (SSI) announced that its divers, instructors and expedition partners have been highlighted in major publications such as Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Oceanographic Magazine. The coverage showcases global expeditions, conservation work and the growing...
AMC Launches Darkly Comic Silicon Valley Drama “The Audacity” With Two‑Episode Premiere
AMC premiered the eight‑episode series “The Audacity” on Sunday, April 12, airing two episodes back‑to‑back on the broadcast channel and streaming them on AMC+. The dark comedy, created by Jonathan Glatzer, targets tech‑industry excess and will roll out new episodes weekly.
The Best Horror Series of the '90s Is Officially Coming to Streaming for the First Time Ever
Tales From the Crypt, the iconic 1990s horror anthology that aired on HBO from 1989 to 1996, is finally arriving on a streaming platform. Shudder will launch season 1 on May 1, 2026, and will add a new season each subsequent Friday....
Spotify Adds Podcasts to Prompted Playlists, Turning AI Curation Into a Tech News Feed
Spotify has expanded its generative‑AI Prompted Playlists to curate podcasts, allowing users to create automated feeds of the latest tech news. Early adopters report the feature cuts down scrolling time and personalizes news consumption, signaling a new convergence of music...
LaLiga Launches Tender for East-Focussed Broadcast Packages
LaLiga has opened a tender for broadcast rights in seven European territories for the 2026‑27 to 2030‑31 seasons, divided into two packages covering the Baltic states and a group of Southern European countries. Bids are due May 6 with contracts expected...
Brené Brown Misquoted in Error of Epic Proportions
The Financial Times published an interview with Brené Brown that mistakenly quoted her as saying she was "solidly in my f*ck it era" instead of the intended "f*cking era." The error was flagged by Stanford professor Bob Sutton and quickly...
Verizon, Disney and Roblox Lead Entertainment Stock Watch on April 9
MarketBeat’s stock screener highlighted Verizon Communications, The Walt Disney Company and Roblox Corporation as the three entertainment stocks with the highest dollar trading volume on April 9. The trio’s activity underscores investor focus on diversified content platforms and user‑generated experiences amid...
FAA Targets Gamers with New Air Traffic Controller Recruitment Drive
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration unveiled a recruitment ad that uses esports footage and an Xbox One logo to lure gamers into air‑traffic control careers. The campaign, timed for a "level up" on April 17, seeks to plug a growing...
From Ashram to Hippy Farm: Free Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of my memoir, 'From There to Here: A Story of Survival' is up! Remember that it is *completely* free. Subscribe (again, it's completely free) here: https://thestoryofanneslife.substack.com/ About my memoir: https://thestoryofanneslife.substack.com/about Direct link to chapter 12 (but of course read chapters...
Streaming Bonuses Apply to Just 4.4% of Shows
Three years ago, Hollywood labor unions pushed for members to get streaming bonuses for hit shows. Last year, only 4.4% of programs would have qualified. Most of them were on Netflix. https://t.co/yCM7k2EnGb https://t.co/thdvInkmYh
10 Upcoming K-Dramas You Cannot Miss
The 2026 K‑drama slate is shaping up as one of the richest ever, with major streaming platforms and broadcasters unveiling a mix of horror, thriller, comedy and cross‑border noir projects. Highlights include Disney+’s "Gold Land" penned by Oldboy co‑writer Hwang...
Hub Research Finds AI Poised to Help CTV, Aggregation
Hub Entertainment Research’s latest Connected Home study shows Roku dominates the CTV operating‑system market with a 55% share, outpacing Samsung, Amazon Fire TV and others. The survey also reveals strong consumer appetite for AI‑powered tools on televisions, with 61% expressing...
Hollywood Letter Opposes PSKY-WBD Deal
Hollywood’s top talent rallied behind an open letter of more than 1,000 signatures to block the proposed $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. The signatories argue the deal would deepen media concentration, cut jobs, raise costs and shrink...
Sling TV’s New Essentials Plan
Sling TV introduced a new $19.99/month Essentials bundle that includes Disney’s ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel and Freeform plus several niche networks. The bundle can be combined with Sling Select for $34.99/month, adding Fox News, FS1, NFL Network and Nat Geo....
MS Now Expands Journalism Initiatives
MS Now announced new journalism partnerships with the Pulitzer Center, the Marshall Project, and an expanded collaboration with States Newsroom. The initiatives will fund local, nonprofit and independent reporters to produce accountability and investigative stories on national, immigration, and state‑level...
Bob’s Burgers: Season 16 Ratings + Viewer Votes
Bob’s Burgers has been officially renewed by FOX for a 17th season, extending the long‑running animated sitcom beyond its current Season 16. Season 15 delivered a 0.22 rating in the 18‑49 demo and 814,000 total viewers, providing a benchmark as season‑16 numbers...
Seven Ramps up Glasgow 2026 Coverage with 800+ Hours Across Platforms
Seven Network is expanding its role as the official Australian media partner for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, committing more than 800 hours of content across broadcast, streaming and audio platforms. The plan includes 150 hours of linear TV, over...
ROB SHUTER SIGNS 3-BOOK DEAL — THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Rob Shuter has secured a three‑book publishing agreement with Post Hill Press, with distribution handled by Simon & Schuster. His debut novel, *It Started With a Whisper*, hits shelves on April 21 and is already available for pre‑order. The second...
Querying a Debut Book That's Not Your Debut Query
Many writers land representation on a later manuscript rather than their debut. Agents often pass on a first novel due to market timing, genre trends, or concept fit, not solely writing quality. The article advises authors to re‑query agents who...
Elon Musk, Who Owns X, Appears to Post on TikTok
Elon Musk’s verified @elonmusk account posted its first TikTok video, showcasing SpaceX and Tesla highlights under the caption “Ad Astra.” The move follows the recent appearance of a verified Elon Musk Instagram profile and comes as Musk prepares SpaceX for an...
Are Media’s Blake Talarico Says Marketers Have a Signal Quality Problem, Not a Data One.
Blake Talarico, head of commercial data at Are Media, says marketers face a signal‑quality problem rather than a data shortage. He points to tightening privacy rules, fragmented identifiers and AI‑driven data volume that have shifted focus from scale to the...
Twitter's Stricter Algorithm Improves Feed Despite Lower Reach
Is X dying? My feed is dramatically better than it was months ago. And my lists are busier. I went to threads and it just isn’t as good. And I can’t make this on threads: https://t.co/8L5xphk0qQ So I am not leaving. And yes reach is...
Deadliest Catch Celebrates 19 Years on Discovery
📺 🦞 April 12, 2005: “Deadliest Catch”, the docuseries about crab fishermen aboard vessels in the Bering Sea, debuted on the Discovery Channel. Narrated by Mike Rowe, it has been one of the cable network’s signature shows. Its upcoming season...
OMA and RSL to Roll Out National ANZAC Day OOH Campaign
The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) and the Returned and Services League (RSL) have renewed their partnership for a seventh‑year, national out‑of‑home (OOH) campaign marking ANZAC Day 2026. Running from April 13 to April 25, the message “The ANZAC spirit lives here” will...
Ezra Klein's NYT Role Highlights Big Media's Decline
The fact that Ezra Klein still has a job at the New York Times is a sign of the disaster today's Big Media has become. https://t.co/H5kCIw8zn4
The Philippines: Reinforcing Online Safety and Digital Integrity
The Philippine government has issued a formal directive requiring major digital platforms to submit detailed action plans for detecting, moderating, and removing false or harmful content. Regulators warned that failure to comply could invoke penalties under the Cybercrime Prevention Act,...
1990 Sitcom “Down Home” Stars Judith Ivey Returning Home
📺 April 12, 1990: Sitcom “Down Home,” starring Judith Ivey, debuted on NBC and ran for two seasons. Ivey played high-powered New York executive Kate McCrorey, who returns to her small Texas hometown and winds up staying to help save...
X Boosts Incentives for Original Content Creators
X announced a revamp of its creator revenue‑share program to prioritize original content. The company will cut aggregator payouts to 60% for the current cycle and plans a further 20% reduction in the next cycle. New detection tools will allocate...
Zendaya, Jean Smart Poised for Historic Emmy Sweep
Zendaya and Jean Smart Eye First-Ever Emmy Sweep by Women for a Single Series. Will They Pull It Off? https://t.co/S0o1vQhMb1 via @variety #Euphoria #Hacks
TikTok Publishes First Transparency Report on EU Hate Speech Removal
TikTok released its first EU transparency report under the Digital Services Act, detailing hate‑speech removal efforts. The platform reviewed 88.7% of user‑flagged content within 24 hours and removed 96.3% of violating material before a report. In the second half of 2025,...
The Twilight Zone Writers Had One Censorship Rule That Only Creator Rod Serling Ignored
The original *Twilight Zone* (1959‑1964) enforced a unique censorship rule: only creator Rod Serling could write the word “God” into scripts. All other writers saw the term removed or altered, even in casual exclamations. The restriction likely stemmed from Serling’s desire...
You Can Now Control Your Roku TV or Roku Player From Your Windows Computer
QuickRemote for Roku has launched a native Windows application that lets users control Roku TVs and players directly from a PC for a one‑time fee of $1.29. The app adds private listening, routing Roku audio to PC speakers or headphones...