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.
Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems’ BATON QC Solution
Interra Systems announced that Elite Media Technologies has chosen its BATON file‑based quality‑control platform for its master‑level audio, video and IMF/DCP workflows. Elite highlighted BATON’s automated audio‑video analysis, scalable architecture, and support for both SDR and HDR content as key differentiators. The partnership positions Elite to streamline compliance across VOD, SVOD and OTT deliveries. Interra will showcase the latest BATON version at NAB 2026 in Las Vegas.
Viral Posts Follow a Predictable Five‑step Structure
Viral content often looks random only if you don’t study structure. Behind a lot of strong posts and videos there’s a pattern: - a hook family - a framing choice - a pacing decision - a CTA - a distribution fit
Wyclef Jean and Jaeson Ma’s D2C Service OpenWav Launches Snafu-Backed Indie Artist Financing Platform
OpenWav, the direct‑to‑fan platform co‑founded by Wyclef Jean and Jaeson Ma, has unveiled OpenWav Artist Bank, a financing service that offers independent musicians cash advances ranging from low five figures to high seven figures. The program, built with AI‑driven catalog...
Authors Should Harness AI to Deliver Their Best Work
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/02/artificial-intelligence-writers-powerful-language I use AI everyday to write my books. I have an obligation to write the best book that I can for my readers. That means using every tool that's necessary.
7 (Actually Good) Things to Watch on Netflix in April
Netflix's April lineup showcases a mix of high‑profile series, documentaries, and genre films aimed at retaining subscribers and attracting new viewers. The platform debuts "Beef" season two, an anthology shift starring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, while adding the soccer...
Amazon MGM’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Tops $300 M Worldwide, Becomes Studio’s Biggest Hit
Amazon MGM’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ has earned more than $300 million worldwide in just over two weeks, with a $165 million domestic haul and a $54.5 million second‑weekend. The film’s gentle drop‑off signals a shift in how streaming‑heavy studios approach theatrical releases.
Chicago Bookstore Bans ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ Over Zionism Claims
City Lit, a Chicago independent bookstore, told its book‑club members they could no longer vote to read Gabrielle Zevin’s bestseller “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” after an assistant manager flagged the author as a “Zionist.” The move ignited a broader...
Delta Adds New York Times To Seatback Screens — ‘Free Access’ Is Really A Subscription Pitch
Delta Air Lines has partnered with The New York Times to provide SkyMiles members aged 18 and older with free, all‑access NYT content through its seat‑back entertainment system, Delta Sync. The offer grants up to 24‑hour access and can be used up to...
Trump's Iran War Address Preempts "The Masked Singer" Finale, Shifts Prime‑Time Lineup
President Donald Trump delivered a prime‑time address on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, interrupting the season‑finale of The Masked Singer and a Survivor special across ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. The speech, aimed at updating the nation on the two‑month‑old Iran...
Saga’s Gainesville-Ocala Duo Get A New GM
Saga Communications announced the appointment of a new general manager for its Gainesville‑Ocala radio cluster, replacing the outgoing executive after a three‑year tenure. The new GM, Lisa Varner, brings 15 years of market‑specific programming and sales experience, previously leading revenue...
Hisense’s Art-Inspired CanvasTV Has Hit a New Low Price
Hisense has slashed the price of its 55‑inch CanvasTV to $599.99, a $400 discount from the original $999.99 list price. The art‑inspired 4K QLED TV mimics a framed painting when idle, offering a cheaper alternative to Samsung’s premium Frame series....
Google Open‑Sources Gemma 4, Enabling Offline AI for Media Creators
Google's DeepMind division launched Gemma 4 as a fully open‑source large language model under the Apache 2.0 license. The move lets media companies, publishers and creators run advanced AI locally on devices, cutting cloud costs and boosting privacy.
Sam Altman Felt ‘Terrible’ Telling Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro About OpenAI’s Decision to Kill Off Sora, Says Companies Still Looking...
OpenAI announced the shutdown of its Sora video‑generation platform, a move that caught Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro off‑guard and halted Disney’s plan to let fans create AI‑generated versions of over 200 characters. The cancellation puts a $1 billion Disney investment on...
On Lurching for Paradise
During spring break, Hachette abruptly cancelled the forthcoming novel “Shy Girl,” igniting a firestorm over the use of artificial intelligence in manuscript creation. The decision coincided with a wave of controversies, including a love memoir under scrutiny for dark subtexts...
Nielsen Renews Multi‑year Deal with TelevisaUnivision to Broaden Hispanic Audience Measurement
Nielsen has signed a new multi‑year measurement and data agreement with TelevisaUnivision, extending its analytics across the Spanish‑language broadcaster’s TV, cable, streaming and radio assets. The deal adds Nielsen’s Advanced Audiences, streaming ratings and out‑of‑home tools, promising marketers deeper insight...
Twitchcon Cuts Featured Creators From Rotterdam 2026
Twitchcon has just removed the Featured Creators section from the Rotterdam 2026 page. As such, I deleted the tweet below.
Versant Buys AI‑Driven StockStory to Boost CNBC’s Digital Investing Platform
Versant has acquired AI‑powered financial‑insights startup StockStory, integrating its technology into CNBC’s digital offerings. The move, announced without disclosed terms, signals Versant’s push to grow its platforms segment and deepen retail‑investor engagement through AI‑driven analysis.
Semafor Accelerates Gulf Editorial and Commercial Presence
Semafor announced that its Gulf edition will publish five days a week starting this spring, expanding coverage of finance, business and geopolitics across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. The rollout includes a major hiring push that adds journalists from...
TV: ‘A Full-Funnel Driver Of Performance’
A new Comcast Advertising report finds that brand recall spikes dramatically when television is combined with other media channels. Recall is 8.7 times higher when TV is paired with search, 1.8 times higher with social media, and 1.6 times higher...
Google Now Lets You Direct Avatars Through Prompts in Its Vids App
Google has upgraded its Vids video‑editing app with AI‑driven avatar prompting, the Veo 3.1 video‑generation model, direct YouTube export, and a new Chrome screen‑recording extension. Users can now steer avatars using natural‑language prompts, customize appearance, and generate eight‑second clips, with ten...
‘The Testaments’ Review: Hulu’s Next-Gen ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Bears Witness… and Little Else
Hulu’s sequel series *The Testaments* launches on April 8, 2026, continuing the dystopian world of *The Handmaid’s Tale* through the eyes of two privileged young women, Agnes and Daisy. Critics argue the show recycles the original’s themes, offering little new insight...
HBO Max Might Be Out in the UK, but I'm Watching Its Shows a Different Way
HBO Max has finally launched in the UK after years of delay, primarily caused by Sky’s existing HBO agreements. The article’s author, a self‑identified prestige‑TV fan, continues to watch classic HBO series like *The Wire* on Blu‑ray rather than the...
Create, Edit and Share Videos at No Cost in Google Vids
Google Vids now offers free, high‑quality video generation using the Veo 3.1 model, granting every Google account ten video generations each month. Subscribers to Google AI Pro and Ultra gain access to custom music creation via Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro, as well...
Google Vids Adds AI Avatars that You Can Customize & Direct, Free Veo Generation
Google has upgraded its Workspace video suite, Google Vids, with AI‑driven avatar customization, new music generation via Lyria 3, and expanded Veo clip limits. Free users can now create up to ten 8‑second clips each month, while AI Ultra subscribers receive...
The Big Ben Show: Jonathan Turley V. Thomas Paine
The Big Ben Show has released a new episode featuring constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley and journalist Robby Soave. The program is streamed on the Fox News podcast platform, with options to watch, listen, and share. Listeners are encouraged to...
Premiere Pro's Object Masking Simplifies Green‑Screen‑Free Rotoscoping
This morning I finally took the time to upgrade to the latest version of @adobevideo Premiere Pro and learn how to use its new object masking tool for rotoscoping without a green screen. I know I’m late to the game...
Strips Is Going Free
Planet Nude has removed the one‑week early‑access paywall for its Strips comics, making them free to all readers from day one. After a year of testing, data showed the temporary paywall hindered viral sharing and created a poor experience for...
What to Watch This Week
The Economist’s Culture roundup this week spotlights a series of wedding‑themed stories, from a Louisiana bride’s traditional ceremony to a secret, intimate nuptial of a famous couple. It also flags a new television series about a divorcee‑turned‑thief, calling it a...
‘Full Swing’ Season 4 Finally Sets April 2026 Release with a Reduced Episode Count
Netflix confirmed Full Swing season 4 will debut on April 17, 2026, returning after a 14‑month hiatus. The docuseries, produced by Box to Box Films, trims its episode count to four, the smallest season yet. It will follow ten PGA Tour players, revisiting 2025...
Maria Laura Neves Appointed Editor in Chief of Vogue Brasil
Maria Laura Neves has been appointed the permanent editor‑in‑chief of Vogue Brasil, a role she has held on an interim basis since February following Paula Merlo’s departure. Neves joined Vogue Brasil in 2021 as deputy editor after a tenure as...
The Trust Famine Inside Publishing Is a Business Problem, Not a Disposable Moral Argument
The article argues that the current “trust famine” in publishing is a core business problem, not just a moral issue. Recent surveys show US mass‑media trust at a historic low of 28%, while AI‑generated content deepens audience skepticism. Treating trust...
LLMs Boost Output Volume, Not Literary Quality
The real question all the "authors must use LLMs" pieces ignore is how they improve *quality* in any way. There's plenty of evidence they aid *quantity*. LLMs cam generate infinite low quality text. But what book is improved by that?...
Instagram Bots Inflate Likes, Kill Real Sales
I’m fairly confident Instagram is using bot traffic to compete for creators. How could a Soundcloud link get 77 like and lead to zero sales of a $7 book? https://t.co/OyE7ILI5XZ
Elon Musk's X to Deploy Scam Kill Switch by Auto-Locking First-Time Crypto Mentioners
Elon Musk's platform X will automatically lock any account that mentions cryptocurrency for the first time, requiring extra verification before further posting. The feature targets a surge in phishing attacks that hijack accounts to promote scam tokens, which Musk’s product...
Delta's “Free” NYT Access Masks Subscription Pitch
Delta Adds New York Times To Seatback Screens — 'Free Access' Is Really A Subscription Pitch - View from the Wing https://t.co/fQDM40egtM
AI Dominates Medium, Gaining Ground on Reddit
Per @max_spero_ over 50% of Medium was AI-written as of a year and a half ago. Reddit is now up to 10% AI-generated content, up from 7% last year
How Purchase Data Is Redefining TV Ad Performance and Driving Revenue
Purchase‑based segmentation is reshaping TV advertising, letting brands move beyond reach metrics to drive sales. Circana’s data shows that targeting 126 million U.S. households with past‑purchase signals can boost incremental sales, as demonstrated by Roku’s 35 % lift with half the impressions....
Create What Matters: Align Work with Your True Passion
What happens when you find yourself becoming known for something that isn't your deepest work? Chase Reeves joins me on the podcast to talk about developing taste as a creator and how to build something that's aligned with who you are. Search...
Judges Cite Trump's Press Attacks in Government Defeats
"Judges have cited attacks on the press by Mr. Trump and his appointees when ruling against the government in at least three court cases involving news organizations." @ErikWemple https://t.co/1ejjDsvzLV
Where Should Retail Media Networks Make Their Pitch for Ad Dollars?
Retail media is transitioning from a lower‑funnel, conversion‑only model to a full‑funnel, brand‑building channel, prompting networks to showcase broader capabilities. Major players such as Albertsons Media Collective and Walmart‑Vizio used this year’s IAB NewFronts to demonstrate scale, data assets, and...
OpenAI CEO Informs Disney CEOs About Sora Shutdown
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called both former Disney CEO Bob Iger and new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro to tell them about the decision to shutter Sora. "I get it," D'Amaro told Altman, the tech exec said in a new interview.
Disney+ Must Add Fresh Content Beyond Sora
Sora or no Sora, Disney+ needs a lot more fresh content $DIS @OpenAI The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 307. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/N2bEzJBhN5
BBC Boss Tim Davie Says It Was 'Very Clear' Scott Mills Had to Go
BBC Director‑General Tim Davie said new information confirming the alleged victim was under 16 made Scott Mills’ dismissal inevitable. The former Radio 2 breakfast host was sacked last Friday after the corporation learned the victim’s age. Davie described the decision as a...
Big Tech Reverting to Old Ways?
Empower Oversight sent a letter to four congressional committee chairs accusing Meta, Google and X of blocking ads for the documentary *Shielded by Power*, which profiles IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. The post links the ad suppression to...
YouTube Bringing AI Feature to Connected TV App
YouTube is extending its AI‑driven Ask feature from the mobile app to the connected TV app, with a rollout slated for the coming months. The new Ask button lets viewers pose questions about the video they’re watching using their remote’s...
Danish Shows to Watch While We’re Still at Peace
The new Danish drama “Generations,” debuting on MHz Choice, showcases Denmark’s outsized influence in high‑quality television despite its small population. Produced by the publicly funded broadcaster DR, the series blends family melodrama with ecological and supernatural elements, set against the...
RAIN Notes: April 2
iHeartMedia announced the hiring of former NBCUniversal executive Jamie Cutburth as vice president of marketing and promoted Andrew Festo to vice president of events and experiences. Cutburth will drive tent‑pole storytelling and cross‑platform packaging, while Festo will oversee live and...
Journalist Sues FAA Over Drone No Fly Zone Designed to Prevent Filming ICE
Minnesota photojournalist Rob Levine and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press have filed a lawsuit against the FAA over a temporary flight restriction that bars drones within 3,000 feet of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities and mobile...
‘Beef’ Season 2 Trailer: Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan Are in a Marriage From Hell in Netflix Series’ Sophomore Outing
Netflix unveiled the full trailer for "Beef" Season 2, an anthology drama returning April 16. The sophomore outing follows two affluent couples entangled in marital strife at a country‑club setting, starring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan alongside Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton. Creator Lee Sung Jin, who earned...
Netflix Drew the Youngest MLB Opening Day Audience Since 2017
Netflix streamed its first live MLB game on Opening Night 2026, attracting roughly 3 million viewers – the largest Opening Day audience since the pandemic‑shortened 2020 season. The 18‑49 demographic was the strongest for an MLB opener in nearly a decade,...