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.
![The $5800 FAISS Index That Was Stale for 168 Hours Straight [Edition #3]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fOxT!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F444d8dff-2e3d-4216-b86d-30b379177d49_1200x1200.png)
The $5800 FAISS Index That Was Stale for 168 Hours Straight [Edition #3]
LexiFeed’s discovery engine relies on a flat FAISS index rebuilt only once a week and a two‑tower model trained on six‑month‑old engagement data. This architecture makes every article up to 168 hours stale, contributing to a flat 4.2% click‑through rate despite 5 million daily users. The system also over‑provisions hardware—using eight r5.4xlarge instances to store a 2.4 GB vector set—costing roughly $14.5 k per month. Recent incidents, including an OOM‑induced index rollback, highlight the fragility of this setup.
Reality Check Podcast: Iran War AI Fakes — and the Backlash Against Reality
The episode dissects how synthetic media is weaponized in the Iran conflict, highlighting a pro‑China network that repurposed a Russian‑Ukraine surrender photo to portray U.S. soldiers as defeated and a fabricated "No Kings" missile inscription used to manipulate U.S. political...
HBO Max: The 31 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch
HBO Max’s catalog now spans award‑winning dramas, genre‑bending sci‑fi, and high‑profile comedies, with four new season premieres slated for April—including Hacks, Euphoria, The Dark Wizard and Half Man. The platform continues to leverage flagship franchises such as Game of Thrones...
Lily-Rose Depp’s $181M Gothic Horror Movie Is Coming to Peacock Soon
The 2024 horror remake Nosferatu, starring Lily‑Rose Depp and directed by Robert Eggers, will debut on Peacock on April 21, 2026. The film reimagines the 1922 classic with a psychic link to the vampire Count Orlok and features a cast...
TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Jason Segel
Apple TV+’s dramedy *Shrinking* delivered a standout performance by Jason Segel in its penultimate Season 3 episode, “The Bodyguard of Sadness.” Segel’s portrayal of Jimmy navigates deep‑seated hurt and father‑figure issues as his mentor Paul prepares to leave and his own...
How to Watch Chelsea v Port Vale FA Cup Match: Live Stream, TV Channel, and Start Time
Chelsea will host League One side Port Vale in an FA Cup quarter‑final that kicks off at 17:15 BST on Saturday. In the UK the match is broadcast live on BBC One from 17:00 and on TNT Sports 1 from...
Thoughts on 5 Years of Lucid
The Lucid newsletter marks its five‑year milestone, highlighting a series of live Q&A sessions with experts such as historian Frank Dikötter and political figures like Brad Lander and Jocelyn Benson. To celebrate, the founder is offering a 30% discount on annual subscriptions through...
“Fab Five” Reunion Drives TNT and CBS’s Experimental Final Four Altcast Built on REMI Workflow
TNT Sports and CBS Sports will air an alternate broadcast of the Michigan‑Arizona Final Four semifinal on truTV and HBO Max, featuring the reunited Michigan "Fab Five" as on‑air commentators. The production uses a remote‑integration (REMI) workflow anchored by NEP’s...
The X-Files' Forgotten Spin-Off Series Deserved A Far Better Fate Than A Quick Cancellation
“The Lone Gunmen,” a 2001 spin‑off of “The X‑Files,” aired 13 episodes before Fox canceled it, citing a schedule shift to Friday nights that slashed ratings. The series’ pilot eerily depicted a plot to crash a plane into the World...
Miami Entrepreneur Launches VURT, Free Streaming App That Splits Ads 50‑50 With Creators
Ted Lucas, founder of Slip‑N‑Slide Records, launched VURT in March, a free streaming service that lets creators earn half of advertising revenue. The app focuses on vertical video and real‑time analytics, offering a low‑cost alternative to traditional distributors for independent...
Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch Earns $6.7 Million in 2025 Amid Spin‑Off Transition
Starz disclosed that CEO Jeffrey Hirsch earned $6.7 million in total compensation for the 2025 fiscal year, a figure that includes salary, stock awards and incentives. The payout, revealed in a proxy filing, underscores a 67‑to‑1 pay ratio and comes as...
Really, You Made This without AI? Prove It
As generative AI blurs the line between machine‑made and human‑made content, creators are pushing for a recognizable “human‑made” label. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri suggested fingerprinting real media, while standards like C2PA have struggled to gain traction. Over a dozen certification schemes—ranging...
Everything You Need to Know About Switching to YouTube TV From Comcast or Spectrum
YouTube TV now offers a flagship base plan at $82.99 per month and three lower‑priced tiers ranging from $54.99 to $77.99, each delivering a mix of entertainment, sports, and news channels. All plans include unlimited cloud DVR storage for up...
Fact-Checkers Anonymous
The New Yorker’s parent company, Condé Nast, abruptly terminated the magazine’s first vice‑chair of the NewsGuild shortly after his three‑year term ended. The dismissal came days after a retirement celebration for a longtime copyeditor, underscoring a stark contrast between the festive...
‘I Told Ranveer Allahbadia to Tone It Down’: Ashish Chanchlani Reveals Sensing the India’s Got Latent Backlash Before the Scandal
In early 2025 a clip from the YouTube show *India’s Got Latent* went viral, sparking nationwide outrage and multiple FIRs against its participants. Ashish Chanchlani, one of the guests, revealed he warned co‑host Ranveer Allahbadia during the shoot to tone...
TikTok Rebrands as Full‑Funnel Shopping Destination
TikTok launched a new brand campaign, "Watch it. Love it. Want it.," positioning the app as a full-funnel commerce platform where discovery and purchase happen in the same moment. It is a more ambitious swing than its previous "Don't Make Ads,...
The Chinese Box Office Isn't the Hollywood Kingmaker It Used to Be. Here's Why
The Chinese box office, once a lucrative gateway for Hollywood, has lost its king‑maker status after the 2012 U.S.–China Film Agreement expired in 2017 and stricter censorship took hold. Beijing now favors domestic productions and can toggle foreign film distribution...
Don Cheadle’s Wild ’80s Showtime Comedy Is Coming to Netflix This April
Netflix will add the entire three‑season run of Showtime’s cult comedy *Black Monday* to its US catalog on April 13. The series, set against the 1987 stock‑market crash, blends dark humor with 1980s excess and has earned a solid 7.4...
Stream Now: 'Edge of the Seat' Crime Thriller Jumps up UK Top 10 Chart After Being Added to Netflix
American drama *The Cleaning Lady* entered Netflix UK on March 31 and quickly vaulted to number 3 on the UK Top 10 chart, trailing only *XO, Kitty* and *Love on the Spectrum*. The series, which ran four seasons on Fox from 2022‑2025, follows...
AI Builds UGC Video Ads in 15 Minutes
🤯 I made a UGC video ad in 15 minutes. 🔥 AI wrote the script from a winning ad. 🛠️ AI cloned my voice for the VO. 🤵 AI edited clips and added captions. 📦 Ready to test. This is crushing $1,500 video editors. Want the...
What To Watch Saturday: Jack Black Hosts SNL, Merrily We Roll Along On Netflix, And More
Saturday, April 4, 2026, features a packed primetime lineup across broadcast, cable and streaming. Jack Black returns to host Saturday Night Live, while Netflix debuts a filmed version of the Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along. TBS will air the men’s NCAA March Madness Final Four,...
Raye Scores First UK #1 Album with Retro‑Soul LP 'This Music May Contain Hope'
British singer‑songwriter Raye has claimed her first UK number‑one album with the debut LP 'This Music May Contain Hope', released last week. The record tops a chart dominated by Olivia Dean, Ye and BTS, underscoring a breakout moment for the...
Defenders Actors Spotted on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set, Hinting at Netflix‑Marvel Reunion
Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter and Finn Jones were seen on the set of Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, the first full Defenders gathering since the Netflix miniseries. The images, released by Getty Images, fuel speculation that Netflix’s Marvel heroes may re‑enter...
IPL 2026 Ad Volumes Rise 10 per Cent Despite Fewer Brands
Google’s ad inventory for the first four IPL 2026 matches rose 9.94% year‑over‑year, reaching an index of 109.94. Yet the advertiser pool contracted sharply, with categories dropping from 47 to 40 and active brands falling from 58 to 43. Google...
CPG Leaders Push Full‑Funnel Media Strategies as Digital Landscape Fragments
Isabella Ganas and other CPG executives urged brands to adopt full‑funnel media plans that unite upper‑funnel storytelling with lower‑funnel performance. The shift reflects growing consumer fragmentation across devices and platforms, forcing marketers to redesign buying and attribution models.
Post 5+ Times Weekly, Grow 3× Faster
Creators who post 5+ times a week on Threads grow 3x faster than those who post once. That's not opinion. That's from our February report analyzing 255 creators and 27M views. Consistency wins. Every time. We built BlackTwist to make that easier. Schedule...
The Punisher: One Last Kill Heads to Disney+
The Punisher: One Last Kill will be the next Marvel Special Presentation to debut on Disney+ — here's what we know about it so far. https://t.co/m0jkiUrCZa
Manchester City v Liverpool Live – Watch FA Cup Football on TV Today
Manchester City host Liverpool in an FA Cup quarter‑final at the Etihad, broadcast in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and streamed via HBO Max. Guardiola’s side enters the tie unbeaten in 17 home FA Cup games and fresh off an...
Considering That Journalist Awards Might Actually Matter
There is a very slim chance that I may have to revise my lifelong view that journalist awards are bunkum. https://t.co/ufXWPV0clt https://t.co/nnVFhZrlnT
Controversial Ad Fuels Ye’s Sold‑out LA Shows
Last year Ye took out a Super Bowl ad promoting a swastika t-shirt. In less than a year, he booked two sold out shows in LA. Could anyone else do that after writing this? 🐐 https://t.co/BltmL2SFnf
‘Zootopia 2’ Returns Atop Overall Disc Sales Chart; ‘Return to Silent Hill’ Tops Blu-Ray Sellers; ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’...
Disney’s *Zootopia 2* reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Circana’s overall disc‑sales chart for the week ending March 28, after debuting strong in its first three weeks. Cineverse’s *Return to Silent Hill* led the Blu‑ray‑only chart, while the Criterion Collection’s 4K release of...
Most Online Content Is Noise; Only Fresh Ideas Trend
What's going on on X is the perfect example of what's going on in Search: 95% of content is a waste of time. Strong hook, no follow through. Lots of AI sloppy storytelling. As soon as someone bangs something new and notworthy out, like...
Gentlemen Season 2 Returns Later, Promises Darker Tone
The Gentlemen season 2 will return to Netflix later this year — and its lead star has confirmed that the new episodes are even 'darker'. https://t.co/NgqHK7XvGJ
Oscar Isaac & Antony Starr To Appear On “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Disney announced the upcoming week’s lineup for "Jimmy Kimmel Live," airing nightly at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC. The schedule features Oscar Isaac promoting Netflix’s "Beef" and Antony Starr representing Amazon’s "The Boys," alongside other actors, comedians, and musical guests such as Mitski and Gorillaz. Episodes...
X Appears to Geo‑lock Posts by User IP Region
So many replies like this now that I think it's likely X is indeed locking our posts to our IP geo region/country
Twitter Algorithm Favors Content in Your Current Country
Last 7d vs last 3mo I was in Brazil so I think the algo is either locking me to my local IP's country Or my Brazil tweets took off in Brazil https://t.co/ZbnhrG3Rlh
Voters in Wales Failed by Inaccurate UK Media Reports on Devolved Issues, Study Finds
A Cardiff University analysis of over 3,000 news items found that UK broadcasters routinely failed to label stories as England‑only or UK‑wide, leaving Welsh voters confused ahead of the May Senedd election. Seventy‑three percent of social‑media posts from the BBC,...
Substack May Force Follows, Eroding Creator Audience Ownership
"I wouldn't be surprised at all, if in the future, Substack forces a follow button on the main landing page to Substacks... eventually they'll just want people to follow. You'll still have your Stripe details, but you won't own your...
Netflix’s ‘Love on the Spectrum’ Renewed for Season 5, Fan Favorite Cast Member Connor Tomlinson Exits: ‘I’ve Chosen to Pass...
Netflix has renewed the U.S. version of “Love on the Spectrum” for a fifth season after the strong performance of its fourth installment. The docu‑reality series, which follows autistic young adults seeking romance, spent two weeks in the Global Top 10...
Boston Blue Welcomes Blue Bloods' Len Cariou In Season 1, Episode 13 — What Brings Grandpa Reagan To Beantown?
Len Cariou reprises his role as Henry Reagan on the CBS drama Boston Blue, arriving in the city to assist his grandson Danny’s pending transfer to the Boston Police Department. The episode also delivers a family bombshell for Mae, revealing her...
Download Classic Films and TV From Internet Archive
The Internet Archive contains millions of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and much more. And you can download most of it for your own enjoyment. Here's how to find classic films and TV series to save locally: https://t.co/kz0L0KYJzl #film #movies #tvshows...
ASEAN Influencers Spotlight Guangxi’s Beibu Gulf in New Cultural‑Tourism Campaign
Travel influencers from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia joined a six‑day cultural‑tourism exchange across six Guangxi cities. The “Romantic Coast, Beautiful Southern Border” promotion aimed to showcase the Beibu Gulf’s natural and cultural assets to ASEAN audiences,...
Omah Lay’s ‘Clarity of Mind’ Debuts at No.1, Claims Afrobeats Supremacy
Nigerian singer‑songwriter Omah Lay released his second album, ‘Clarity of Mind,’ which entered Apple Music Nigeria’s Top Albums chart at number one with over 227 million pre‑release streams. The 12‑track project is billed by the artist as proof of his greatness and the...
Versant Acquires AI‑Powered StockStory to Boost CNBC’s Digital Revenue Tools
Versant announced the acquisition of StockStory, an AI‑powered financial‑insights platform, to reinforce CNBC’s digital investing capabilities. While the purchase price was not disclosed, the deal brings StockStory’s founder Adam Hejl into Versant’s product organization. The move aligns with Versant’s broader...
RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: The Endgame
Season 18’s semifinal episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race confronts the fallout from front‑runner Jane Don’t’s unexpected elimination. The judges shift focus to defining what it takes to win, prompting the remaining queens to showcase versatility, charisma, and runway prowess. Critics note...
BTS ARMY Demands Release of Hidden ‘Arirang’ Song on Streaming Platforms
BTS unveiled a surprise track, “Come Over,” that is available only on the deluxe vinyl edition of their first full‑length LP in six years, Arirang. The song’s exclusive release has sparked a wave of fan petitions on X demanding a...
West Bile Virus (The 'Summer House' Drama)
SiriusXM’s Front Row Series event in New York featured six media personalities, including Ciara Miller and West Wilson. A brief post by Hunter Harris highlighted the gathering and controversially suggested Miller purchase a gun. The comment generated immediate online backlash,...
Clint Eastwood’s Legendary Westerns Are Streaming for Free on Tubi This April
Tubi is rolling out more than 100 free titles in April, highlighted by the addition of Clint Eastwood’s iconic Dollars trilogy—A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The classic Spaghetti...
Jack White Releases Two New Singles Ahead of SNL Performance
Jack White has issued two new tracks, "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs" and "Derecho Demonico," coinciding with his upcoming musical guest slot on Saturday Night Live. The releases are his first original material since the 2024 album No Name and...
Penguin Pays Six Figures for Lee Newbery’s YA Debut “Death Wish”
Penguin has acquired the rights to Lee Newbery’s debut YA novel “Death Wish” with a six‑figure pre‑empt deal, reflecting strong market confidence in high‑concept speculative fiction for teens. The book centers on a ruthless reality‑TV competition where the prize is...