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.
Conecta Creative Lab 2026 to Take Place in Mallorca on May 25
Conecta Creative Lab 2026 will convene on May 25 in Palma de Mallorca, hosted at iconic venues such as Castell de Bellver and Centro Cultural La Misericordia. The closed‑door think‑tank gathers 80 senior audiovisual executives, investors and leading research firms to share exclusive data on the sector’s structural transformation. Participants include experts from the European Audiovisual Observatory, Parrot Analytics and other analytics consultancies. The gathering will culminate in the Conecta Mallorca Report, a strategic document outlining key conclusions and recommendations for the industry’s future.
SPNI Dedicates ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Episode to Distribution Partners
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) dedicated a special episode of its newly launched Indian version of Wheel of Fortune to its distribution partners, inviting them onto the set as audience members and contestants. Hosted by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, the...
Google’s Push For Data Strength Is Really A Push For Better Bidding via @Sejournal, @Brookeosmundson
Google is urging advertisers to prioritize data strength, arguing that AI‑driven bidding only works with high‑quality conversion signals. The push spans product updates, tag gateway, server‑side tagging, and new integrations with platforms like HubSpot and Zapier. Google stresses that conversion...
The Widower and Divorcee - Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs' New Comedy
Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs are returning to collaborate on an untitled BBC Wales comedy that follows a widowed teacher and a divorcing environmental officer who meet at a knee‑trauma clinic. The pair, famed for the hit series *Stella*, will write...
ViX Announced the Premiere of Its New Original Series Los Encantos Del Sinvergüenza
ViX announced the premiere of its new original series Los Encantos del Sinvergüenza, an 11:11 Films & TV production in partnership with W Studios. The drama, adapted from Ángela Becerra’s novel Memorias de un sinvergüenza de siete suelas, debuts on...
EXCLUSIVE: CRAIG MELVIN NERVOUS AS HODA KOTB FILLS IN — “WHAT IF THE RATINGS GO UP?”
Craig Melvin is set to take a vacation just as Hoda Kotb steps in as co‑anchor with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's "Today" show. Insiders warn that any ratings uptick during his absence could make his leave look ill‑timed and potentially...
Movistar Plus+ Expands Liga Endesa Access Through DAZN Deal
Movistar Plus+ has expanded its basketball coverage through a new agreement with streaming service DAZN, offering two Liga Endesa games per matchday to all of its subscribers. Full league coverage remains on DAZN Basketball for dedicated sports packages, while the...
Futuresource Sees SVOD Entering More Disciplined Growth Phase
Futuresource Consulting reports that the global subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) market has reached 2.2 billion subscribers and is expected to climb to 2.6 billion by 2030. As major territories near saturation, growth is becoming incremental, pushing platforms to prioritize pricing strategies, bundling, distribution...
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The 12 Best Sci-Fi Shows on HBO Max
Entertainment Weekly lists HBO Max’s 12 top sci‑fi series, ranging from post‑apocalyptic drama "The Last of Us" to space comedy "Avenue 5" and animated hit "Rick and Morty." The guide highlights upcoming multi‑year releases such as season 3 of "The Last of...
Friday Radio Prep
The post aggregates a string of sensational headlines that connect former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance to controversial Iran‑related moves, a purported Pentagon threat toward the Vatican, and a claim that Hunter Biden cannot afford legal representation. All...
Encompass Expands Riga-Based MCR for European Broadcasters
Encompass Digital Media has expanded its Riga, Latvia master control room, boosting capacity to handle more than 1,500 hours of live sports each month. The upgraded facility now oversees 277 channels for 22 broadcasters across Europe, Asia and the United States....
Accounts in Transit: Nickerson Picks Up Smartify Media
Nickerson has been appointed agency of record for Smartify Media, a digital‑out‑of‑home network that specializes in digital windows and retail displays. The firm will drive integrated marketing and communications to accelerate Smartify’s growth in the commercial‑real‑estate sector. In parallel, Meyocks...
Meet The Self-Made American Who Founded Forbes
B.C. Forbes, a self‑made immigrant who left school after eighth grade, founded Forbes magazine in 1917 amid World War I. He distinguished the publication by profiling CEOs—the “head knockers”—instead of merely reporting balance‑sheet data. Despite a near‑total bankruptcy in 1932,...
Apple Offers Ads on iOS Maps but What’s the Final Destination?
Apple announced that iOS Maps will now host advertising slots, allowing businesses to promote themselves directly within the app’s search and navigation experience. The ads will appear alongside location results, points of interest, and in the new Look Around feature....
Brad Bird Unveils First Look at Netflix’s Animated Sci‑Fi Detective “Ray Gunn”
Skydance Animation and Netflix released the first look at Brad Bird’s animated sci‑fi detective “Ray Gunn,” confirming a star‑studded cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. The film, budgeted at over $150 million, is slated for a 2026...
CNN Debuts Kara Swisher’s Six‑Part Docuseries on Extending Human Lifespan
CNN launched a six‑part documentary series titled “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” premiering Saturday, April 11, 2026. Hosted by veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher, the series probes the science, technology and commercial forces shaping human longevity. The debut places...
75‑Year‑Old Amrit Kaur Nails Full Push‑Ups in 12 Weeks, Video Hits 1.4 Million Views
Amrit Kaur, a 75‑year‑old Indian fitness enthusiast, posted a 12‑week push‑up progression that amassed 1.4 million views, proving that age need not limit strength training. The viral clip has ignited both admiration and skepticism, spotlighting a growing wave of senior influencers...
Roku Accelerates International ARPU Push, Targets 100M Streaming Households by 2026
Roku is refocusing its strategy on monetizing existing users abroad, rolling out ad platforms and premium subscriptions in Mexico, Canada and Brazil. The company expects its global streaming household base to exceed 100 million by 2026, supporting a projected $5.5 billion revenue...
Manhattan DA Demands Meta Shut Down Fraudulent Facebook and WhatsApp Accounts
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has publicly demanded that Meta delete fraudulent Facebook and WhatsApp accounts used in immigration‑law scams that have cost victims tens of thousands of dollars. The prosecutor’s letter to Mark Zuckerberg cites repeated requests that were...
Where and How Book Censorship Is Impacting Children’s Publishing Right Now: Book Censorship News, April 10, 2026
The abrupt closure of Penguin Random House's Dial Books imprint highlights the cascading effects of intensified book censorship in U.S. schools and libraries. Aggressive legislation in Texas and Florida—particularly Senate Bills 12 and 13—has stalled thousands of titles, costing publishers...
Arsenal Tap Meta for Global WhatsApp and Facebook Partnership
Arsenal has announced a global partnership with Meta, linking the club’s fan base to official WhatsApp and Facebook channels. The deal includes exclusive digital experiences, in‑stadium activations throughout April, and opportunities for Facebook community members to attend matches. Meta’s agreement...
Ecosystem Roundup: The Hard Truth Behind OnMic’s Quiet Exit
OnMic, the Vietnam‑based social‑audio startup that rode the pandemic wave, has shut down, underscoring the difficulty of turning fleeting user enthusiasm into a sustainable business. The platform attracted Gen Z micro‑communities during COVID‑19 but lacked a clear monetisation strategy and...
Omnicom Lands IBM's Global Media Account
Omnicom Group has won IBM’s global media account, taking over from incumbent WPP Media, which opted not to defend the business. The multi‑year contract gives Omnicom responsibility for planning and buying IBM’s worldwide advertising across digital, TV and print. IBM’s...
Pillar Media’s Stockman Lays Out How Radio Out-Programs Spotify
Matt Stockman, Pillar Media’s brand director, highlighted research showing radio playlists closely resemble streaming habits, with listeners maintaining roughly 66 active titles and 5‑15 core artists. He warned that shrinking panel sizes in streaming research distort chart data, contrasting Nielsen’s...
Sustainable Advertising Is Our Best Creative Brief
Sustainable advertising is emerging as a generational business opportunity, promising to drive both environmental impact and revenue growth. Yet many brands remain cautious, citing cost concerns and difficulty measuring behavioral change. The article argues that creative teams must treat sustainability...
OUT MONDAY: Radio Ink’s Leaders Issue
Radio Ink’s April issue spotlights the people shaping radio’s future, from multicultural growth to policy advocacy. The cover story features MediaCo CRO Brian Fisher outlining a market‑by‑market strategy to build a national network anchored in multicultural broadcasting. The magazine also...
Katz: 77% Would Consider New Auto Insurer After Radio Exposure
A Katz Radio Group case study of 600 auto‑insurance decision‑makers found that 77% would consider a new insurer after hearing a radio campaign. The research shows 82% of the 25‑54 target audience tunes AM/FM radio weekly, giving advertisers consistent reach...
Zach Sang to Headline BEA Fireside Chat with Radio Ink in Vegas
Zach Sang, the former teen‑radio prodigy turned syndicated host, will headline a fireside chat at the Broadcast Education Association’s 2026 conference in Las Vegas. The session, co‑hosted with Radio Ink editor Cameron Coats, runs on April 20 from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. PT...
8 Ways To Make Talent Endorsements Work
Radio and podcast hosts can wield endorsements that rival personal recommendations, but only if they feel authentic. The article outlines eight practical rules—starting with only promoting products the host would use, and ending with aligning deals with long‑term brand values....
Hacks’ Final Season Makes a Case for Comedy as Our Greatest Defense From Repression / What About People Who Have...
The fifth and final season of *Hacks* argues that comedy serves as a shield against societal repression, showcasing the evolving partnership between veteran Jean Smart and breakout star Hannah Einbinder. The series moves from its early confrontational tone to a...
New Data From DAIVID & Kinetiq Shows BODYARMOR Debut Increased Coca-Cola’s March Madness Visibility By 55%
Coca‑Cola’s $5.6 bn acquisition of BODYARMOR has reshaped its NCAA March Madness strategy, replacing POWERADE after 15 years. Data from DAIVID and Kinetiq shows BODYARMOR ads aired 55% more often, with a 71% surge in the men’s tournament and a jump to...
‘Euphoria’ Is Back. Here’s What to Know.
HBO’s cult teen drama “Euphoria” returns for a third season on April 12, 2026, marking its first new episode in over four years. Production was delayed by the 2023 writers and actors strikes and by the busy schedules of its...
Billy Magnussen Has Mixed Feelings on Playing ‘Punchable’ Guys So Well
Billy Magnussen headlines AMC’s new Silicon Valley satire *The Audacity*, portraying a tech‑bro visionary. Known for roles that make audiences want to “punch” his characters, he’s become synonymous with the archetype across shows like *Black Mirror* and *Made for Love*....
Week of March 30 Cable News Ratings: Wednesday’s Live Events Lift Cable Networks
Fox News dominated cable news viewership during the week of March 30, 2026, capturing 4 million viewers for the Artemis II launch and 6.654 million for President Donald Trump’s primetime address. The network’s primetime average rose 4% week‑over‑week to 2.763 million total viewers and 16% in...
The Stack: Streaming Shake-Up
This week streaming platforms embraced AI and new partnerships while facing legal scrutiny. Tubi launched a ChatGPT‑native app, and Microsoft deepened its agentic‑marketing tie‑up with Publicis, signaling automated ad buying. CNN International Commercial announced an in‑house AI‑driven media‑trading infrastructure slated...
If We Lost Everything, Here's the Media Company We'd Build (527)
In this episode of This Old Marketing, hosts Joe Polizzi and Robert Rose imagine building a media company from scratch in 2026 with no audience, brand, or team. They explore which formats—newsletters, podcasts, or other digital content—offer the best path...
JWX Partners with QuantumPath to Give Media Buyers Holistic Control Across Their Programmatic Ad Buys
JWX announced an exclusive agreement with QuantumPath to launch a multi‑DSP agentic orchestration layer that sits above existing programmatic buying platforms. The new layer automates campaign setup, pacing, optimization and reporting across more than a dozen DSPs, reducing manual effort...
Meet the NextGen AI Leaders in News Media
WAN-IFRA, in partnership with the Google News Initiative, has launched the inaugural NextGen AI Leaders programme. After a competitive review of over 100 applicants, 24 media professionals from 14 countries were selected. The cohort will convene on 14 April in Frankfurt...
New Episode of "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets" Coming Soon to Peacock
Peacock announced that a new episode of its true‑crime documentary series "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets" will be released soon. The first three episodes are already streaming, giving viewers an early look at the investigation into the 2010‑2011...
Esports: An Arena Where Every Dollar Is Spent Effectively
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 transformed gaming from a niche hobby into a core marketing platform, drawing over 2,000 players, 200 clubs, and a $70 million prize pool across 24 games. The seven‑week tournament attracted more than 3 million on‑site visitors...
Own Media, Not Just Access: DRM's Endgame
Everyone forgot that DRM was shitty. You never own the book or song, just the right to listen to it on a specific platform. If you really want to own the thing, move your caring time to the point...
Brittle AI Detectors Fuel Witch Hunt, Erode Trust
For those who follow me on LinkedIn, I have published some thought on the "witch hunt" for authors using AI and why brittle AI detectors (often from profit-oriented companies) are just fueling the epidemic of mistrust. https://t.co/gC0zP9fLH5 https://t.co/awI9AEJbSB
![[Perspectives] The Pitt: Essential Work](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/4241c85d1998e320248886769c933277.webp)
[Perspectives] The Pitt: Essential Work
The Pitt, now in its second season, is a drama that follows a single, intense day in the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Each episode captures one hour of that day, framing the narrative around chief...
YouTube Hikes Premium Subscription Fees Again in US
YouTube has quietly raised Premium prices again in the US ✅ Details - https://t.co/weytAqTLSb https://t.co/0jq7I4sNSb
It’s Just Not Cricket. Indian Broadcasters Baulk at FIFA’s World Cup Asking Price
FIFA has been unable to sell broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in India, even after slashing its asking price to roughly $35‑40 million from an initial $100 million. Only 13 of the 104 matches are scheduled to air...
Experts Forecast AI's Future on HumanX Show
MyPOV: the view from the #HumanX show with @MarkNiuWrite and @anandnaidoo on @cgtnamerica #TheHEAT talking about the future of AI with @andymok @IanKhanFuturist @constellationr Go deep on the program and hear more about @openai @anthropicai https://t.co/7n4Yt8yKdw
Leaning Into Serialised Social Storytelling, Not Campaigns
Danielle Bedin argues that the traditional, time‑boxed campaign model is obsolete on social platforms where users scroll endlessly. Brands that post consistently—three to five times a week—see double the follower growth, while periods of silence hurt algorithmic standing. Serialised storytelling,...
Ads of the Week: 9 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From On to Coca-Cola
A weekly roundup highlighted nine standout ad campaigns ranging from fashion‑tech collaborations to sports league celebrations. Notable spots include Zendaya fronting On’s “Shape of Dreams,” Coca‑Cola’s refreshed “Hilltop” anthem for the America 250 project, and Wise’s tongue‑in‑cheek critique of legacy banks....
Inside the Stream – Interview: Wurl’s EMEA GM on Sports & FASTs
Wurl’s EMEA general manager Keith Bedford discusses the modest share of sports on free‑ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST), noting it represents just 2.7% of total FAST viewership. He highlights how FAST services are opening doors for sub‑premium sports rights, citing FIFA’s...
Standing Out From the Sea of Sameness
Touleen Barto warns that AI‑driven tools are flooding the market with fast, cheap content, creating a "sea of sameness" that threatens brand identity. While generative technology boosts production speed, it also homogenises visuals and copy, making campaigns indistinguishable. She argues...