Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, overtaking pay‑TV revenue
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, surpassing pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit levels in 2026 as operators focus on monetising existing users.
Also developing:
Katey Sagal Joins Netflix's Live‑Action "One Piece" As Dr. Kureha, Boosting Season 2 Hype
Netflix announced that veteran actress Katey Sagal will portray Dr. Kureha in season 2 of its live‑action adaptation of the manga "One Piece." The casting, confirmed by Sagal and co‑showrunner Joe Tracz, highlights Netflix’s strategy of leveraging established TV talent to broaden the appeal of high‑budget anime adaptations.
CBS Chief Bari Weiss Unveils Aggressive Overhaul of '60 Minutes' Amid Staff Cuts
Bari Weiss, the newly installed editor-in-chief of CBS News, announced a sweeping redesign of the flagship program '60 Minutes' and signaled another round of staff reductions. The move, framed as a bid to broaden the show’s appeal, has ignited fierce...
MS NOW Names Executive Producers for 4 New Shows
MS NOW announced four new executive producers to lead its upcoming shows launching in June, part of a broader schedule revamp unveiled in March. Patrick McMenamin will helm Stephanie Ruhle's two‑hour morning block, while Rebekah Dryden follows Ali Velshi to...
Sony Music Publishing UK and Second Songs Sign Olivia Dean Co-Writer Bastian Langebaek to Global Deal
Sony Music Publishing UK, together with joint‑venture Second Songs, has signed Copenhagen‑based songwriter and producer Bastian Langebaek to a global publishing agreement. The deal reunites Langebaek with A&R veteran Mark Gale, who first signed him at Universal Music Publishing Group eleven...
ReelShort Teams with AIS to Offer $1.15 5G Video Add‑On Across Thailand
ReelShort has launched a co‑branded 5G add‑on with Thailand’s AIS for THB39 ($1.15) a month, giving subscribers ad‑free access to its 3,000‑title library. The partnership, AIS’s first telco deal with a short‑drama platform, positions ReelShort to expand across Southeast Asia’s...
Prime Video's 13 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Should Stream Right Now
Prime Video has compiled a curated list of thirteen science‑fiction movies, all available at no extra cost to Prime members. The collection ranges from classic cult hits like Donnie Darko and Battle Royale to newer releases such as Mickey 17 and...
Prime Video Reveals "Fresh Look" At Family Drama Series Starring Scott Foley, "It's Not Like That"
Prime Video unveiled a refreshed look at the family drama series “It’s Not Like That,” starring Scott Foley, with a global launch slated for May 15, 2026. All episodes are already streaming in the U.S. through Wonder Project’s subscription on...
This Guy Has Made You Laugh and Cry for Decades
Veteran writer‑producer Bill Lawrence is enjoying a mid‑career renaissance, steering a slate of emotionally resonant comedies such as Shrinking, Rooster, the Scrubs revival, and the crime‑oddity Bad Monkey. His work, now largely funded by streaming services, pushes boundaries that network...
Digital Revenue Growth Concentrated in Minority of UK Publishers Finds DPRI
UK digital publishers reported a 3.88% year‑over‑year revenue increase to £180.72 million (≈ $229 million) in Q4 2025, according to the Digital Publishers’ Revenue Index. Growth was uneven, with 46% of firms posting gains and 31% achieving over 25% growth, while 54% saw declines....
‘The Monk Who Sold My Ferrari’: Samay Raina Jokes Ranveer Allahbadia ‘Jeopardised’ the Artform, Confirms India’s Got Latent Season 2
Comedian Samay Raina accused fellow YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia of single‑handedly ending his YouTube show India’s Got Latent during a stand‑up special titled Still Alive. The controversy stemmed from an offensive question Ranveer asked, prompting three FIRs and a severe mental‑health...
Why Most Newsletters Never Make Money
The post argues that most newsletters fail to generate profit because creators focus on building an audience rather than a revenue engine. While consistent publishing and value delivery boost subscriber numbers, they rarely translate into earnings without a monetization framework....
Tipping the Balance: Conquering the Ad Tech Ecosystem with Content Ignite
Content Ignite, founded by James Hanslip and Ben Spencer in 2014, offers the Fusion platform that lets publishers control their entire ad stack with a single tag. The agnostic marketplace aggregates multiple ad‑tech vendors, reducing integration costs and enabling direct‑sale...
Christian Radio Reaches Far Beyond the Faithful, Data Shows
Christian radio reaches 98% of U.S. adults, but retention, not distribution, is the sector’s primary hurdle. Pew’s study, based on FCC records, a 5,000‑person survey and 440,000 broadcast hours, shows 45% of adults listen regularly, with a strong shift toward...
Hiimaanshu Shindde Joins Zee Music Company as VP & Head – Streaming
Zee Music Company has appointed Hiimaanshu Shindde as Vice President and Head of Streaming, tasking him with shaping the label’s streaming strategy, partnerships, and growth across digital platforms. Shindde arrives with more than two decades of experience in music, digital...
Publishers Get a New Revenue Line as Brambles.ai and Shopnomix Bring AI Commerce Into Editorial Content
Brambles.ai and Shopnomix have partnered to embed conversational AI shopping directly into editorial content, allowing readers to discover and purchase products from over 50,000 brands without leaving the page. The integration combines Brambles.ai’s on‑page chat interface with Shopnomix’s product data,...
I Produce Survival TV. Here’s What Goes on Behind the Scenes.
A veteran survival‑TV producer explains how location scouting drives every episode, from confirming water sources to assessing terrain. The process begins with remote planning, tax‑rebate analysis, and hiring local fixers to manage logistics and medical support. On‑site scouting reveals hidden...
Netflix Collaborates with INSAIT to Launch Breakthrough AI Video Editing Tool
Netflix Research and Bulgaria’s INSAIT have released VOID, an open‑source AI model that removes objects from video while reconstructing scenes with physics‑consistent motion. Launched on April 3 under an Apache 2.0 license, VOID leverages Meta’s SAM2, Google’s Gemini 3 Pro and Alibaba’s CogVideoX in...
Guide: How to Segment Audiences for a Dynamic Paywall
Publishers can boost subscription conversion by deploying dynamic paywalls that adapt to audience segments. The guide outlines three segmentation buckets—content type, user profile, and acquisition channel—and shows how each can dictate paywall visibility, messaging, design, and pricing. It provides practical...
Why Smart Radio Sellers Chase Auto Dollars Outside Their Signal
Radio sales teams often limit themselves to the geographic reach of their signal, assuming listeners outside the coverage area are irrelevant. However, modern car buyers prioritize price and are willing to travel long distances, especially when online tools reveal better...
Podcasts Meet Spotify's Prompted Playlists for Curious Premium US Beta Testers
Spotify is extending its Prompted Playlists beta to generate podcast playlists, letting Premium users in six countries type natural‑language requests for shows. The feature, first launched for music in January, now scans millions of podcasts and offers daily, weekly or...
BIGO Ads Becomes a Registered Vendor Under IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF)
BIGO Ads, the programmatic advertising platform of JOYY Inc., has been added to IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) v2.2 vendor registry. The registration confirms BIGO Ads’ compliance with GDPR and ePrivacy standards, enabling it to operate across the...
Video: Peacock Releases Trailer, Key Art, and New Images for Upcoming Original Drama Series "M.I.A."
Peacock unveiled the trailer, key art and new images for its upcoming original drama series “M.I.A.” The nine‑hour, nine‑episode crime drama, created by Bill Dubuque and Karen Campbell, stars Shannon Gisela, Cary Elwes and Danay Garcia among others. It will premiere as...
The Many Ways CTV Publishers Extend Supply and What It Means For You
CTV publishers use five distinct supply models to monetize inventory beyond their owned‑and‑operated channels. The models—inventory share, backfill, buyback, audience extension, and run‑of‑network—allow publishers to expand impressions from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions while retaining control over pricing...
How Will the Consolidation of Indy TV Stations Change Our City?
Local TV news in Indianapolis is undergoing rapid consolidation as Circle City Broadcasting finalized its purchase of WRTV, joining its existing ownership of WISH‑TV and WNDY‑TV. Simultaneously, Nexstar Media Group closed its $8.5 billion deal to acquire TEGNA, the owner of...
"Saturday Night Live" Closes Out Its 51st Season with Three New Shows in May
Saturday Night Live wraps its 51st season with three new episodes in May, featuring Olivia Rodrigo’s hosting debut and musical performance on May 2, Matt Damon’s return on May 9, and Will Ferrell’s finale hosting on May 16. The line‑up also includes musical...
The Publicis-Microsoft Deal Is Bigger Than You Think
Microsoft has appointed Publicis Groupe as its global media agency of record and simultaneously launched an AI partnership that will blend Microsoft’s tools, technology, and data with Publicis’s client capabilities. The agreement covers a media business segment valued at roughly $1.2 billion,...
British Crime Drama Hailed 'Best Thing on Netflix in a Long Time' Gets Exciting Return Update
British crime drama *The Gentlemen* is returning for a second season, with star Theo James confirming production is complete and post‑production edits are in progress. The Netflix series, inspired by Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film, will debut in the fall of...
Influencer Calls Out Bill Gates’s Daughter Trying to Negotiate Rates With a 'Super Limited' Budget
Influencer Kacie Margis posted a private DM screenshot allegedly from Phoebe Gates, Bill Gates’s daughter, claiming a "super limited" budget and requesting lower rates. The message shifted the negotiation off Collabstr, the platform where the outreach began, prompting a heated...
New Original “Count My Lies” Goes Into Production
Disney announced that production has begun on its new original drama "Count My Lies," starring Lindsay Lohan, Shailene Woodley and Kit Harington. The series follows compulsive liar Sloane Caraway, played by Woodley, who infiltrates a secret‑laden household as a nanny. The show adapts...
Where Is Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2?
Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) does not appear on‑screen in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, though the series references his name early on. The actor’s absence is attributed to a packed schedule that includes The Punisher: One Last Kill special and the...
Le Monde CEO Urges Publishers to Sign AI Partnerships to Stay Competitive
Le Monde has signed AI licensing agreements with OpenAI, Perplexity and Meta, generating a significant new revenue stream that now accounts for about 25% of its earnings. The AI deals have boosted digital subscriber conversions, with ChatGPT referrals converting 20...
"Bridgerton" Adds New Members of the Ton in Season 5
Netflix and Shondaland announced that Bridgerton Season 5 will debut with eight episodes, spotlighting introverted middle daughter Francesca Stirling as she re‑enters the marriage market. The season introduces three new characters—Christopher Anderson (Tega Alexander), Helen Stirling (Jacqueline Boatswain) and Lady Elizabeth...
When Ad Tech Sprinkles Fairy Dust…
The column likens ad‑tech hype to cosmetic “fairy dusting,” where buzzwords like retail media, CTV, and agentic AI are added in trace amounts to sell a narrative rather than deliver measurable performance. It shows how each hype cycle—first‑party data, AI,...
The Boys' Showrunner Says It Was a Tough Call to End the Series. 'Politically, I Have a Lot More to...
Amazon Prime’s superhero satire *The Boys* launches the first two episodes of its fifth and final season, with the series concluding on May 20. Creator‑showrunner Eric Kripke said ending at five seasons was a deliberate choice to preserve narrative integrity, despite...
What Happens When a “Succession” Writer Takes on Silicon Valley
In this episode, host Stephanie Wu talks with Jonathan Glatzer, the creator of the new AMC series The Audacity, about how a writer known for Succession approached a Silicon Valley‑centric drama. Glatzer explains that the show uses the tech world...
The Importance of Live in the Age of AI and Content-Everywhere
The post argues that live content is becoming a strategic asset as audiences fragment and AI‑generated material muddies the line between real and synthetic. It cites lower viewership for online‑only award streams versus traditional broadcast, YouTube’s new FAST service "Stations"...
Lonelygirl15 Was the Most Famous YouTuber in the World. No One Had Any Idea Who She Really Was.
In the summer of 2006 a teenage‑styled video diary appeared on YouTube under the handle lonelygirl15, quickly becoming the platform’s first viral star. Viewers and journalists raced to uncover the creator’s true identity, turning the series into a global media...
Are The Pitt's Non-White Actors Disposable? / Survivor 50 Is Being Overproduced to Death / Euphoria Creator Has “No Plans”...
The article critiques three current TV trends: The Pitt is accused of treating its non‑white actors as expendable, with the upcoming departure of Supriya Ganesh highlighting broader diversity concerns; Survivor’s 50th anniversary season is deemed overproduced, risking viewer fatigue amid...
Golden Globe Winner Uma Thurman to Reprise Her Role as "Charley" In Season Two of "Dexter: Resurrection" For Paramount+
Golden Globe winner Uma Thurman will reprise her role as Charley in season two of the Paramount+ series Dexter: Resurrection. The upcoming season also introduces Brian Cox as the serial killer known as the New York Ripper. Showrunner Clyde Phillips...
Harrison Ford Returns for Season 4 After Optimistic Finale
‘Shrinking’ Creator Confirms Harrison Ford Will Return for Season 4 as Show’s Grief Storyline Ends With ‘An Incredibly Optimistic and Happy’ Finale https://t.co/gAv85VpIRR via @variety
What Happens to Steve Howey’s Nick Wagner & Does He Die in High Potential S2?
The season‑two finale of Hulu’s thriller High Potential ends on a cliffhanger, leaving Captain Nick Wagner gravely wounded and his fate ambiguous. The episode intertwines the murder of Vera Hensley with Wagner’s solo investigation into Roman’s disappearance, culminating in a...
Oprah Winfrey Asks Stephen Colbert How He’s ‘Feeling About the Whole Thing’
Oprah Winfrey appeared on The Late Show for her fourth interview with Stephen Colbert, shifting the conversation to his impending departure. Colbert admitted he isn’t ready to let go of his crew, band, and audience, emphasizing their importance to his performance....
Has Shrinking Season 4 Been Canceled or Renewed?
Apple TV+ confirmed that the comedy‑drama Shrinking will return for a fourth season. Creator Bill Lawrence announced the renewal on X on April 4, 2026, noting the series will launch a completely new story while retaining the same cast and characters. Season 3,...
John Gray on the End of the American Empire
Philosopher John Gray argues that Donald Trump’s impulsive war in Iran signals the unraveling of America’s global empire. A two‑week cease‑fire offer tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz provides a tentative diplomatic opening, but Gray warns it is no...
Media's Duty vs Clickbait: Why False Stories Spread
There are two interesting questions here: 1. The obligation: Do media get to transmit things they should know are false? 2. The motivation: Do they do it for political reasons or just because it creates more clicks?
Concacaf Renews Key Mexican TV Rights with Fox for Men’s Club Competitions
Fox Latin America and CONCACAF have extended their broadcast partnership for four years, securing Fox as the exclusive home of CONCACAF men’s club competitions in Mexico through 2030. The renewal covers the next four editions of the CONCACAF Champions Cup...
India Becomes World's #2 Music Streaming Market
Lumiate says India is now the second-largest music streaming market behind the U.S., with 489.9 billion streams clocked in 2025. India is also the largest market for ad-supported streaming in Asia, with 84% streaming share coming from that channel. https://t.co/tIxk1tPtde
‘Euphoria’ Creator Sam Levinson Says There Are ‘No Plans’ for Season 4
Sam Levinson, creator of HBO’s “Euphoria,” told Variety there are currently no plans for a fourth season, emphasizing he writes each season as if it were the last. He is concentrating on delivering a strong third season, slated to premiere...
Kepler’s Zach Schimpf Makes Music for Adult Swim—And About His Dogs
Zach Schimpf, Kepler’s content production lead, transitioned from indie musician to agency creative, leveraging his home‑studio expertise to produce music for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. His early love of guitar and a digital recorder evolved into audio‑engineering, video editing, and...
ChatGPT Introduces Ads to Fund Free Service
ChatGPT has announced the introduction of advertisements within its platform, marking a significant shift in its user experience. This new revenue model aims to balance free use with sustainability. Read more: https://t.co/UgTEWz3Z1Y @wearetenet