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.
AllCity Network Strikes Sales, Content Partnership with KC Sports Network
AllCity Network announced a strategic partnership with the Kansas City Sports Network, becoming its exclusive sales representative while collaborating on content and distribution. KCSN will retain editorial and production control, leveraging its 33,000‑subscriber YouTube channel and 20,000 Substack followers. The agreement marks AllCity’s first market entry since August 2024, expanding its portfolio beyond Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix. The move follows a $10 million funding round and a series of layoffs that have slowed the company’s organic growth.
Amir Zaki’s “Building + Becoming” Wins Gold Design Award
Building + Becoming by Amir Zaki. Co-published with DoppelHouse Press, Building + Becoming brings together 272 pages of full color work by the Orange County, CA–based hyperrealist photographer, accompanied by an interview with curator and writer Corrina Peipon and an essay co-authored by critics...
DigitalGlue Challenges AI Fatigue at NAB Show 2026 with Creative.Space Platform
DigitalGlue unveiled its creative.space platform at NAB Show 2026, debuting the AI‑driven creative.space Intelligence (CSI) in beta while making the creative.space Storage solution generally available. The unified operating system merges storage, collaboration and AI insight to replace fragmented video‑production tool...
Who Wants an Early Read of I Eat the Stars?
Author Sarah Wilson shares a draft of her upcoming book "I Eat the Stars" and asks readers for help identifying compelling excerpts. She plans to turn those snippets into social‑media tiles to attract new readers before the official launch. Wilson...
Can Newspapers Be Saved? One Billionaire Thinks He Can Do Just That
Billionaire David Hoffmann has amassed control of 131 U.S. newspaper titles, directly owning 42 and holding a 53% stake in Lee Enterprises. Since 2022, every paper he acquired outright has become profitable, a rare feat amid a sector where 40%...
Portland Fire+ Streaming Platform Launches
Portland’s new WNBA franchise has launched Portland Fire+, a direct‑to‑consumer streaming service priced at $5.99 per month or $59.99 annually. The platform, built with Kiswe’s streaming technology and featuring live game broadcasts by Chime, offers original series, player features, and...
YouTube Tests New Premium Feature that Automatically Speeds up Videos to Save Viewers Time
YouTube is piloting an "auto speed" feature that dynamically adjusts playback rates for Premium subscribers, aiming to keep content clear while speeding up longer videos. Users must enable the experiment in Settings under "Try experimental new features". The rollout coincides...
Disney to Cut 1,000 Jobs in Marketing Overhaul Ahead of New CEO
Disney announced plans to eliminate roughly 1,000 marketing jobs, representing less than 1% of its 231,000‑strong workforce, as part of a broader restructuring called Project Imagine. The cuts come ahead of the appointment of a new chief executive officer and...
Paramount Global President Jeff Shell Resigns Amid $111 B Merger Talks
Paramount Global President Jeff Shell quit his role on Thursday to focus on a lawsuit with gambler R.J. Cipriani, just as the media giant finalizes a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The departure adds uncertainty to one of the...
Brett Gipson on Taking Over David Harbour’s Hopper in ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85’
Seasoned actor Brett Gipson has been tapped to voice Jim Hopper in Netflix’s animated spin‑off *Stranger Things: Tales From ’85*, debuting April 23. He approached the blind audition by channeling the Hopper‑Eleven dynamic rather than mimicking David Harbour, and was...
Seven Kicks Off Live AUS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS Coverage Today
Seven Network launched live, free-to-air coverage of the Australian Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park, streaming on Seven and 7plus Sport. The three‑day meet crowns national champions and doubles as a selection trial for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. A...
Instagram Comments Can Now Be Edited (Within 15 Minutes)
Meta has rolled out a new feature that lets users edit Instagram comments for up to 15 minutes after posting. The edit function mirrors the direct‑message editing tool introduced earlier this year and can be used repeatedly within the time...
Ricki-Lee Talks Idol Return and Radio Grind on BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
Better Homes and Gardens aired a special episode featuring Australian pop star Ricki‑Lee Coulter, who discussed her upcoming return to Australian Idol and the demands of her radio hosting duties. The interview highlighted her two‑decade journey from Idol contestant to...
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández Joining Fox Sports as Analyst for 2026 World Cup
Fox Sports announced that Mexican soccer legend Javier “Chicharito” Hernández will serve as a studio analyst for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage. Hernández, Mexico’s all‑time leading scorer with 52 goals, retired in 2025 after a 17‑year career spanning clubs...
Patreon Podcast Revenue Up, New Spotify Video Controls, & More
Patreon reported a 33% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $629 million, driven by 7.6 million paid podcast memberships across 47,000 creators. American Public Media and Streamguys launched the Inform Media Network, a private marketplace delivering 55 million+ monthly impressions for public‑media podcasts and livestreams....
CBS Reveals Finale Spoilers For 19 Shows — Plus, Jensen Ackles' Tracker Return Confirmed
CBS announced the finale schedule for 19 shows spanning April 23 to May 24, marking the close of its 2025‑26 season. The lineup includes the end of long‑running series like The Neighborhood after eight seasons and the cancellation of DMV and Watson....
Nine Launches BBC News Channel on 9NOW to Boost Live News Offering
Nine Entertainment has added the 24‑hour BBC News channel to its free streaming service 9Now, expanding the platform’s live‑news portfolio. The move builds on a suite of BBC FAST channels launched in late 2024, including BBC Comedy and Top Gear. Executives...
Orbán’s Government Accuses Facebook of Undermining His Reelection Campaign
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government alleges that Facebook’s algorithm favors rival Péter Magyar, who leads in polls ahead of the April 14 election. Data from a Telex tally shows Magyar’s 287 March posts generated 14.1 million interactions, nearly double Orbán’s...
Netflix Adds Three Jackbox Games to Its TV App
Netflix has added three popular Jackbox titles—Fibbage 4, Quiplash 3 and Drawful 2—to its TV app, making them free for all subscribers. The games support up to eight players, turning any living‑room TV into a party hub. This addition builds on Netflix’s recent...
Conductor Partners With Acquia to Focus on AI Content Optimization
Conductor has entered a partnership with Acquia to embed its AI‑powered Creator and optimization tools directly into Acquia’s digital experience platform. The integration allows enterprise marketers to research, draft, and refine content within the Acquia CMS, leveraging real‑time AI insights...
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Hacks’ Season 5 On HBO Max, Where A Lawsuit Keeps Deborah In The Spotlight As...
HBO Max confirms *Hacks* Season 5 as the series’ final chapter, streaming April 9, 2026. The episode opens with Deborah Vance confronting a false death rumor, then pivots to her plan to sell out Madison Square Garden while battling a network lawsuit. The...
Logies Rule Change Expands Gold, Hall of Fame Nominations
The Logie Awards have introduced a rule change allowing TV Week to submit its own nominations for the Gold Logie and Hall of Fame, alongside traditional broadcaster entries. Each broadcaster, including streaming platforms, can now put forward up to four candidates...
Can the Trade Desk Remain ‘King’ of the Open Web?
The Trade Desk, the world’s largest independent DSP, posted 19% YoY revenue growth in Q4 2025, buoyed by AI‑driven product upgrades like Kokai and Audience Unlimited. Founder‑CEO Jeff Green bought $150 million of stock to underscore confidence, while the firm deepened joint‑business...
Storyblok JoyConf Mainz 2026
Storyblok’s JoyConf 2026 will take place October 28‑29 in Mainz, Germany, gathering developers, marketers and digital innovators to explore AI‑driven content strategy. The two‑day conference will be held at the Rheingoldhalle near Frankfurt Airport and is open to senior leaders seeking...
Holly Rowe Elaborates on Deleted X Post Criticizing Tennessee Athletic Department
ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe posted, then deleted, a scathing X message targeting the University of Tennessee athletic department for allowing the once‑dominant Lady Vols program to "disintegrate." She singled out Athletic Director Danny White and linked the criticism to...
False Firefighter Death Trend Exposes AI’s Shallow Fact Checks
There was also a (thankfully) false "trending now" about the death of a firefighter in a NYC fire a few weeks ago. Sloppy X AI "works" if you a) know enough about the subject matter to instantly discern what's true...
Win Online with Tiny, Consistent Content Effort
It has literally never been easier to win: • 94% of blogs have fewer than 5 posts • 99% of podcasts have fewer than 21 episodes • 85% of YouTube channels have less than 10 videos • Americans spend 2.5 hours per day doom-scrolling You...
Did Abbott Elementary Just Break Up Janine And Gregory? Quinta Brunson Details The Fallout From That Big Fight
Abbott Elementary’s Janine and Gregory clash over a vacation plan, turning a simple disagreement about flying to the Outer Banks versus driving into a heated debate about money. Janine unilaterally purchases plane tickets, prompting Gregory to call her “cheap” and label...
How Is Euphoria Season 3 Handling Fezco?
Euphoria’s third season tackles the loss of actor Angus Cloud by keeping his character Fezco alive in the narrative. Creator Sam Levinson says the arc honors Cloud and explores hope amid darkness. Fez, now serving a 30‑year sentence, appears through phone...
How To Save TV News: Kevin Newman
In this episode, host Jonathan reunites with veteran journalist Kevin Newman to dissect the crisis facing TV news in the U.S. and Canada. They critique the industry’s drift toward shallow, conflict‑driven coverage and argue that rigorous verification—triangulating citizen video and...
DOJ Launches Probe Into NFL over Media Rights Packages and Antitrust Concerns
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an antitrust investigation into the NFL over its media‑rights distribution, citing concerns that the league’s model may limit competition and drive up consumer costs. The probe arrives as the NFL prepares to renegotiate...
Check Out Our NEW Product Submission Form For 2026
Facility Executive Magazine introduced a new Product Submission Form to simplify how manufacturers and suppliers propose products for editorial coverage. The online portal standardizes required information, including press releases and high‑resolution images, and targets products released within the last year...
Labrinth Not Involved in New Season of ‘Euphoria’
Labrinth, the British singer‑songwriter who defined Euphoria’s early sound, will not contribute to Season 3, with Oscar‑winner Hans Zimmer taking sole composer credit. Zimmer is delivering a Western‑inspired orchestral score that matches creator Sam Levinson’s vision of a more cinematic, adult‑focused narrative....
Gemma Collins Clashes with Sinitta over Previous Theatre Role as Tensions Rise on I’m A Celeb
Gemma Collins returns to "I’m A Celebrity… South Africa" seeking redemption after quitting the Australian edition in 2022. In the latest episode she clashes with pop star Sinitta, who questions Collins’ credibility over a withdrawn role as Mama Morton in...
Emma Roberts Teases ‘American Horror Story’ Season 13 Return: ‘Surprise, Bitch’ | Video
American Horror Story announced that Emma Roberts will reprise her role as Madison Montgomery in Season 13, marking the witch’s return after multiple exits. The official AHS Instagram also revealed the return of Sarah Paulson’s Cordelia Goode and a first‑day look at...
Our Need for Control Fuels Unhealthy Media Consumption
We’re all monitoring the situation to feel some agency over issues well beyond our control. But is that doing us any good? On Tech Won’t Save Us, I spoke with @amandamull to dig into how we consume information and what drives...
76 Years Ago Today: Bob Hope’s First TV Appearance on “Star-Spangled Review”
On April 9, 1950 Bob Hope made his national television debut hosting NBC’s 90‑minute Easter special “Star‑Spangled Review.” The patriotic variety show, sponsored by Frigidaire, aired from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and earned strong ratings, convincing Hope to pursue further TV work. His...
The Quiet Backbone of AI: Taxonomies in an Agentic World
The IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic Ad Management Protocols (AAMP) introduce taxonomy guardrails to solve the “agentic advertising problem,” where autonomous AI agents misinterpret natural‑language briefs. By swapping ambiguous text for deterministic taxonomy IDs—covering content, ad products, and audience—the framework ensures...
AI Replaces Human Clip Teams in Influencer Growth
Top Influencers’ Secret Weapon for Engagement Might Be Replaced by AI Influencers rely on armies of clippers to flood feeds with viral short videos Creators spend big: with up to $50K monthly campaign spend, and millions paid via platforms like Whop But now,...
Zootopia 2 Smashes Viewership, Nearly Doubles Netflix Rival
ZOOTOPIA 2 debuted with a monster 1.7B minutes viewed in its first five days on Disney+, per Nielsen. That's nearly double the #2 movie that week, WAR MACHINE on Netflix.
More than 1,300 Newsrooms Participate in the First “Local News Day”
On April 9, the inaugural Local News Day attracted more than 1,300 local newsrooms, roughly 200 partners and 15 sponsors. The one‑day campaign asks readers to sign up for newsletters, tune in to local radio and subscribe to any local...
Erika Alexander Targets Emmy for New Comedy Series
Erika Alexander Eyes Supporting Comedy Emmy for ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/dhZelhUnOv via @variety
Seven Academic Findings Show Social Media Harms Youth
Interested in the upcoming social media trials? Get your guide to the 7 lines of academic evidence that social media platforms are causing a variety of harms to many young people. This is a condensed version of my essay...
Even with AI, Podcasts Retain Unique Value
Pretty amazing. In a world that I can ask AI to tell me about anything and do any research, podcasts still hold so much value.
Higgs X Seedance 2.0 Cuts 90% of Production Work
Thanks to Higgs x Seedance 2.0, we can skip about 90% of the production work. - No equipment - No reshoots - No endless edits It’s basically: references → cues → a full, cinematic result. Honestly, this is pretty amazing. https://t.co/B1Zd3uXVaw
Meta's Moat: 3 Billion Users Outweigh Early Entry
$META didn’t need to be early. It just needs to be good. 3+ Billion users is the moat. 🔥🚀
When Does Marshals: A Yellowstone Story Episode 7 Air?
Motorcycle gangs are causing havoc, and the girls are still missing. But when does Marshals: A Yellowstone Story episode 7 hit CBS and Paramount+? https://t.co/up28akKmHk
NYT Transcribers Still Botch Theological Interview Transcripts
The @nytimes transcribers aren't getting any better at the theological content in @DouthatNYT interviews: https://t.co/mTmr1LaYSt
EchoStar's Sling Beats ESPN DTC Price by 33%
⚡️ EchoStar’s Sling Undercuts ESPN DTC Pricing by 33% ⚡️ $DIS $SATS Disney/ESPN are already in litigation - unclear if this will further inflame the relationship https://t.co/UQYCc1M5nb
The Economist's Objectivity Questioned in Recent Commentary
No expert here, but it seems that our friends at The Economist may not be entirely objective https://t.co/1Jt6imrATc