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:
Gather Round Returns to CHANNEL 7 with Packed Weekend of AFL Action
The Seven Network will broadcast the 2026 AFL Gather Round live and free across its channels, delivering every Round 5 match from Thursday, April 9 through Sunday in South Australia. Thursday night kicks off with the Adelaide Crows hosting Carlton, followed by a neutral‑venue clash between Collingwood and Fremantle on Friday. Sunday features a 10‑hour marathon, including a special Barossa Valley broadcast, GWS Giants versus Richmond, and Port Adelaide against St Kilda. Sunrise will host a breakfast event at Elder Park to celebrate the festival of footy.
AI Agent Enforces 24‑Hour Freshness for News Feed
A few people said my new AI news site was sharing some old items that people were sharing here on X (It is only looking at the AI community here on X). So this morning I told my AI agent off....
Lawmakers Push FCC to Block Sports Media Consolidation
In a letter Monday to @BrendanCarrFCC about the cost and inconvenience of TV sports and streaming deals between @Disney’s @ESPN and @NFL and @MLB, @SenWarren and @RepPatRyanNY said, “To promote competition in sports media in support of the public interest,...
Retail Media Is a $69B Opportunity. So Why Is It Still So Hard to Get Right?
Retail media is projected to reach $69.3 billion in 2026, cementing its place as one of the fastest‑growing ad channels. The surge is driven by retailers leveraging first‑party shopper data to sell ads on‑site and off‑site. However, most retailers juggle 15‑20...
Scripps Sports, Nashville Predators Partner on Multi-Year Agreement to Air National Hockey League Team’s Games
The E.W. Scripps Company and the Nashville Predators have signed a multi‑year media rights agreement that will broadcast all local preseason, regular‑season and first‑round playoff games free over the air starting in the 2026‑27 season. Scripps will use its second...
GSN President John Zaccario & Sony TV Head Of Comedy Colin Davis Leaving Amid SPE Layoffs; Studio Shuts Down Wardrobe...
Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a wave of layoffs that includes the departure of John Zaccario, president of Game Show Network, after 18 years, and Colin Davis, EVP of Comedy Development at Sony TV. The cuts also signal the shutdown of...
Peabody Awards’ First Batch Of Nominees Include Oscar-Winning ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’, L.A. Fire Coverage
The Peabody Awards announced the first batch of nominees for their 86th ceremony, highlighting eight mentions for PBS and four for HBO. The list features the Oscar‑winning documentary *Mr. Nobody Against Putin* and notable news coverage such as ABC’s reporting...
Forget the A.I. Apocalypse. Memes Have Already Nuked Our Culture.
The article argues that memes have become the primary engine of cultural diffusion, eclipsing traditional media. It highlights the "6-7" meme as a case study, showing how a meaningless phrase can achieve massive penetration across both digital and offline spaces....
Social Platforms Are Facing Increased Scrutiny. How Long Will Advertisers Stick Around?
Recent jury verdicts ordered Meta to pay $375 million and Google/Meta $6 million for child‑safety and mental‑health harms. Despite these landmark cases, advertisers have kept spending, with Meta posting double‑digit ad‑revenue growth in each quarter after the scandals. Rising CPA costs, AI‑related...
YouTube, CBS Sports and The Walt Disney Company Are Among the 2026 Digiday Video and TV Award Winners
The Digiday Video & TV Awards 2026 honored brands that are reshaping video through technology, creator collaboration, and immersive storytelling. YouTube took home Best Digital Video Platform and Best UGC Integration, highlighting its global scale and community‑driven content. CBS Sports HQ...
Virgin Music Group Announces Global Distribution Partnership with Ari Elkins and Joey McCarthy’s New Label, Suede Records
Virgin Music Group, the independent services arm of Universal Music, has inked a global distribution and marketing partnership with Suede Records, a new label founded by TikTok music curator Ari Elkins and A&R veteran Joey McCarthy. Elkins brings a 3 million‑follower digital audience...
Retail Media Has Reached Its Accountability Moment
Retail media, once celebrated for its closed‑loop attribution near the point of sale, is now confronting an accountability crisis. Advertisers are demanding proof that spend drives incremental lift beyond a single retailer’s ledger. In response, major networks are expanding into...
Isabel Klee’s ‘Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About’ Lands At UCP
Isabel Klee, a social‑media star with roughly two million followers, is turning her debut memoir *Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About* into a television series after Universal Content Productions (UCP) secured the rights. The book, slated for an...
Disney Jr. Shares Theme Song, Sets ‘Sofia the First: Royal Magic’ Premiere
Disney Jr. unveiled the theme song for "Sofia the First: Royal Magic" and confirmed the series will premiere on May 25, with episodes streaming the following day on Disney+. The new season introduces Sofia’s magical school, new friends, and guest appearances by...
As CFOs Scrutinize CTV Spend, Incrementality Emerges as a Differentiator
CFOs are tightening scrutiny on connected‑TV (CTV) spend because traditional metrics like impressions and modeled ROAS fail to prove incremental revenue. The article argues that the trust problem stems from over‑attributed conversions and fragmented measurement infrastructure. Incrementality testing, which isolates...
Too Much Creative Similarity Drives Up CPMs
Once your Creative Similarity Score hits 60%+, Meta practically kills your ad. I'm seeing this across accounts right now. When your ads look too similar… → Same format → Same visual style → Same angle Andromeda clusters them together regardless of how many...
Netflix Doubles Down on Rom‑coms with New 'Court Date' Pickup
Excl: Netflix leaning hard into rom-coms, with its latest move being a pick up of a pitch titled COURT DATE from rising writer Michael Montemayor. Berlanti/Schechter Films is on board to produce. https://t.co/60L4PtCqtH
Money Has Always Ruled the TV Industry. Greed Is Pushing It to Collapse
The TV industry’s employment base in Los Angeles has collapsed, shedding about 42,000 jobs—a 30% drop—since late 2022 as producers chase cheaper locations and tighter budgets. The shift began with cable’s lucrative multi‑stream model, but streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+...
Top Journalists Earn Emmy Nods, Shift to YouTube
Congratulations to @jorgeramosnews and @johnnywharris on their News & Documentary Emmy nominations. Some of the biggest names in journalism are bringing their talents to @youtube, where they can connect directly with their viewers 🎥🎙️
Predators Secure Scripps Sports Broadcast Deal Post
Latest development on local game delivery @PredsNHL ink broadcast deal with @ScrippsSports following Main Street demise More with @AlexMSilverman https://t.co/C7s6V9EKvY
Carrie Healey Joins NAB as VP of Communications
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) appointed Carrie Healey as Vice President of Communications, making her the organization’s primary spokesperson. Reporting to Chief of Staff Michelle Lehman, Healey will direct media relations and advocacy messaging aimed at Congress and the...
Predators Secure New Local Broadcast Deal with Scripps
New at @SBJ: The @PredsNHL have signed a local broadcast deal with Scripps beginning next season following the demise of Main Street Sports Group (owner of FanDuel Sports Network). https://t.co/GmhKmMo5yr
Tommy Harper Aims to Build HBO‑Style Micro‑Drama App
Exclusive: 'Star Wars' and 'Top Gun' producer Tommy Harper wants to make the 'HBO' of micro dramas with a new app. Read my interview with him and the pitch deck here 👉 https://t.co/kblixmikVy
Wrexham v Southampton on TV, Live Stream, Channel Details and Kick Off Time
Wrexham host Southampton at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday evening, with the Championship clash broadcast live on Sky Sports+ and streamed via the Sky Sports app. Both clubs sit on the cusp of the playoff race—Wrexham in sixth place, a...
Fox to Use Kalshi Predictive Data in News, Weather Forecasts
Fox Corporation has signed a sponsored integration with prediction‑market platform Kalshi, embedding its data into Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather and the streaming service Fox One. The deal excludes election coverage, where Fox will continue to rely on its...
The AI Imperative: Reshaping Healthcare Media for Impact and Integrity
AI is poised to overhaul healthcare and life‑science media by delivering highly targeted, data‑driven experiences. Large language models already help clinicians sift through up to 5,000 new papers daily, while programmatic platforms can serve personalized messages at critical decision points....
‘The Boys’ Casts The Worm & Teenage Kix For Fifth & Final Season
Amazon Prime Video’s hit series “The Boys” is gearing up for its fifth and final season, premiering April 8, 2026. The season introduces new characters, including Ely Henry as the supe “The Worm” and the teenage superhero team Teenage Kix—Jetstreak...
50 Cent Documentary Series Set At Hulu
Hulu has green‑lit a three‑part documentary series on rapper‑entrepreneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, reportedly paying $75 million for the project. The series will trace his journey from Queens streets, through a near‑fatal shooting, to his record‑selling music career and expansion into television...
SDVI Launches Next-Gen Rally Platform For Media Supply Chains
SDVI announced the launch of the next‑generation Rally platform, revamping its media supply‑chain engine with a declarative architecture that separates the control plane from the data plane. The upgrade adds a visual supply‑chain builder, a modular functions layer, and a...
How Axios Local Is Leveraging AI to Expand Into Smaller Cities
Axios Local is extending its newsletter‑first news model into smaller cities by leveraging artificial intelligence to trim newsroom costs. The company’s original high‑touch approach relied on multi‑reporter teams, which worked in large metros but proved unsustainable in markets with limited...
News Outlets Confuse GMT with London Time Zones
So many news services dont know the difference between GMT and London when reporting Trump 8pm eastern deadline. 8pm Eastern is midnight GMT = 1am London = 2am CET = 3am Mecca = 4am Dubai. Are we clear now?
NAB 2026: AWS to Showcase AI and Cloud Media Technologies
Amazon Web Services will occupy booth W1701 at NAB Show 2026, demonstrating AI‑powered media tools such as AWS Elemental Inference, which creates vertical video from live streams in 6‑10 seconds. The service, already adopted by Fox Sports Digital and NBCUniversal,...
Real Madrid v Bayern Munich Live Stream, TV Channel, and Kick Off Time
Real Madrid host Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter‑final first leg at the Bernabeu, kicking off at 20:00 BST on Tuesday. In the United Kingdom the match will be broadcast live on TnT Sports 1 and streamed via HBO Max, requiring...
Eluvio Launches Next-Gen Content Fabric ‘Bucharest Release’ Ahead Of NAB Show
Eluvio has made its next‑generation Content Fabric, dubbed the Bucharest Release, commercially available ahead of the NAB Show. The platform introduces a zero‑copy, any‑to‑any routing architecture that replaces satellite and point‑to‑point fiber links for live broadcast distribution, delivering sub‑500 ms global...
NAB 2026: Manifold Technologies to Join NEP Platform as Deployable Application
Manifold Technologies will make its Manifold CLOUD platform available as a deployable application within NEP Platform, the software orchestration system of NEP Group, with a live demonstration at NAB 2026. NEP Platform automates deployment, scaling and health monitoring of third‑party broadcast software...
The First Podcast That Made Money Didn’t Look Successful at All
Most podcasters equate large audiences with success, but the first profitable show Liam Austin observed proved otherwise. Smaller, niche podcasts can generate consistent five‑figure monthly revenues through layered sponsorships, subscriptions, and merchandise, even without cultural buzz. The post argues that...
Cuez ‘Expands’ Cloud-Based Newsroom Platform Ahead Of NAB Show
Cuez is expanding its cloud‑based newsroom control system with four new tools—Storydesk, Blockz, Browz, and an open AI agent framework—set for demonstration at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas. Storydesk re‑imagines the newsroom as a story‑first, cross‑platform publishing hub, while...
Google's Neglect Hits Smallest Publishers Hardest
Ouch. Google really needs to do a better job of promoting small publishers Chartbeat data shows the smallest publishers (1,000–10,000 daily page views) saw the biggest declines over the past 2 years Small publishers are the backbone of the web. We don't...
Bell Media, Ottawa Senators Extend Regional Broadcast Rights Agreement
Bell Media and the Ottawa Senators have signed a long‑term extension that keeps TSN and its French counterpart RDS as the regional television broadcasters for Senators games. TSN Radio 1200 also remains the exclusive English‑language radio partner, delivering live play‑by‑play...
Northbeam Adds The Third Leg Of The Attribution Stool With Incrementality Testing
Northbeam has launched an incrementality testing feature, completing its promised "triad" of attribution tools alongside multitouch attribution (MTA) and marketing mix modeling (MMM). The new product adds a calibration layer that estimates cross‑platform conversion influence without tracking individual users, addressing...
Arsenal v Sporting Lisbon Live Stream, TV Channel, and Kick Off Time
Arsenal travel to Lisbon for the Champions League quarter‑final first leg against Sporting CP, kicking off at 20:00 BST on 7 April. In the UK the match will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime, requiring a subscription. Arsenal arrive after recent domestic...
NAB Show: Beeble Expands AI Production Workflow With Background Remover
Beeble announced the launch of Background Remover, an AI‑powered rotoscoping tool, ahead of its NAB Show appearance in Las Vegas. The web‑based service can generate clean alpha mattes in seconds, handling complex motion, hair and blur. Users may batch‑process up...
Public Media Management Names Christian Siebeneck VP, Technology & Innovation
Public Media Management appointed Christian Siebeneck as Vice President of Technology & Innovation to accelerate its cloud and master‑control services for public television stations. Siebeneck previously served as chief technology officer at Twin Cities Public Television and chief technologist at...
Up to $100,000 Grant For Mid-Career Public Service Journalists and News Reporters (Deadline: April 20, 2026)
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) offers the Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship, a grant of up to $100,000 for mid‑career opinion journalists and news reporters focused on fact‑based public‑service commentary. Fellows can use the funds for travel, research materials, and living...
NAB Show: Marshall Electronics Bringing CV376 NDI|HX3 HDMI POV Camera
Marshall Electronics unveiled the CV376 Compact NDI|HX3 HDMI POV camera at the NAB Show, featuring an 8.46‑megapixel 1/2.8‑inch sensor capable of 4K 3840 × 2160 p60 output over HDMI and simultaneous IP streaming. The device supports NDI|HX3, NDI|HX2, RTSP and RTMP, with H.264/HEVC encoding...
After Managing Millions in Ad Spend, Here’s the Truth About What Actually Works
The author, a former near‑homeless media buyer who now runs a seven‑figure business, argues that the single most critical factor in successful paid‑media campaigns is rigorous testing, not trendy hacks or early certainty. After managing millions in ad spend, he...
How Much Do Content Creators Really Make in 2026?
The Influencer Mastercourse Earnings Report reveals that creators of all sizes are generating real income in 2026, with user‑generated content (UGC) and brand partnerships driving the bulk of earnings. A creator with under 6,000 followers made more than $12,000 in...
Oscar Winner ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ Among Peabody Award Nominations in Documentary, News, Radio/Podcast and Public Service
The Peabody Awards announced its 2026 nominees across documentary, news, public service and radio/podcast categories, naming 22 documentaries, nine news broadcasts, six podcasts and four public‑service pieces. A panel of 28 jurors selected the finalists from more than 1,000 entries,...
Lego One Piece Special Heading to Netflix
Netflix announced a two‑part Lego One Piece special slated for September 29, 2026, debuting with an original OVA‑style story centered on Usopp. The trailer reveals Usopp as "Captain Usopp the Brave" and includes Jacob Romero reprising his live‑action role. The special aligns with the...
The Insightful Leader Live: AI and Advertising … This Time It’s Personal
Kellogg professors Jacob Teeny and Brett Gordon hosted a free webinar on April 7, 2026 discussing how AI will reshape advertising through hyper‑personalized content. The session covered AI‑driven customer profiling, the latest research on personalized persuasion, emerging industry trends, and the ethical...