Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue hits $176B
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 for the first time as pay‑TV revenue fell to $170 billion. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit rates in 2026, prompting operators to focus on monetising existing users.
Sea Cleaners, JCDecaux Target Litter as Brand Risk
Sea Cleaners and JCDecaux have launched Reverse Media Schedules, a model that treats littered branded packaging as negative outdoor advertising. The system blends litter audits, audience data and media modelling to estimate how many people see branded waste and its commercial impact. Research shows consumers would pay about 2% less for products seen as litter, and 75% would favor brands that help clean up. New Zealand brands such as Heineken, Export and Monteith’s have signed on, with plans to expand the programme to Australia.
AI Churning Books Fast; Human Craft Still Matters
I was talking to one of my clients, a successful multi-published novelist, about the fact that people are creating entire novels in just a few hours using AI, and putting them up for sale. She was feeling discouraged, wondering how...
3 Popular Jack Black Movies Now Streaming on Peacock
Peacock has added the three Kung Fu Panda movies, all featuring Jack Black as the voice of Po, to its streaming lineup. The original 2008 film generated roughly $632 million worldwide, while the 2024 fourth installment earned about $548 million, underscoring the franchise’s box‑office...
UK Social Media Activity Drops but AI Is on the Up
Ofcom’s latest reports reveal that while 89% of UK adults remain on at least one social platform, active participation is falling sharply – posting, sharing and commenting dropped from 61% in 2024 to 49% this year. Users are becoming more...
Celebs Face the Music in Seven’s Glenn & Mick’s CELEBRITY INTERVENTION
Seven Network is launching a new primetime comedy series, Glenn & Mick’s Celebrity Intervention, on its broadcast channel and streaming platform 7plus. Hosted by veteran comedians Glenn Robbins and Mick Molloy, each episode places a well‑known Australian celebrity in a...
Why Every Social Strategy Needs a Performance Audit Before Q2
A social media audit is a structured review of account health, content performance, competitors, and goals, providing an objective snapshot of what works and what doesn’t. Teams that conduct quarterly audits grow faster than those that only react to problems,...
Foreign Correspondent: Apr: 7
ABC’s Foreign Correspondent will profile New York’s newly elected mayor, Zoran Mamdani, a young Muslim Asian American who identifies as a democratic socialist. Mamdani’s platform promises tax hikes on the wealthy, rent freezes and free childcare to address the city’s...
TikTok Tests In-App DM Games
TikTok has rolled out a new emoji‑based game that can be launched directly from private or group direct messages, making it the latest in‑app entertainment feature for the platform. Users send a single emoji, tap it, and then guide the...
Iconic Cable Channel Warns of Bankruptcy, Survival Risk
QVC Group Inc., owner of QVC and HSN, warned investors it may not survive as a going concern after missing its Form 10‑K filing deadline. The company is negotiating with lenders to restructure more than $5 billion of debt, and a...
47 Years Ago Today: Nickelodeon First Launched on Cable TV & Changed Children’s TV Forever
On April 1, 1979 Nickelodeon debuted as the first cable network devoted exclusively to children, launching with the preschool series Pinwheel and no commercials. The channel grew from a 13‑hour, ad‑free test in Ohio to a national brand, adding advertising...
Andy Cohen “Was Surprised” By Amanda Batula & West Wilson’s Relationship, Has “So Many Questions” For ‘Summer House’ Reunion
Andy Cohen revealed he was surprised by Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s joint relationship announcement, emphasizing that the statement left many unanswered questions. The couple confirmed their romance, describing it as evolving from a long‑standing friendship and acknowledging its broader...
YouTube Connects AI Chatbot to Smart TVs
YouTube has extended its conversational AI chatbot to select smart‑TV platforms, letting viewers ask spoken questions via the remote’s microphone while watching videos. The feature, tested since February 2026, appears as an “Ask” button that delivers in‑stream answers and recommendations....
Deadline Launching Reality TV Summit In LA With Unscripted Stars, Buyers, Producers & Creators
Deadline is launching its first Reality TV Summit in Los Angeles on May 1, 2026, gathering top unscripted talent, network and streaming executives, and hit‑show creators. The event, held at Lumen West LA, will feature panels on the state of reality television, the...
Will Smith & Matt Damon’s Controversial Movie Streams on Paramount+ Today
Paramount+ added the 2000 drama "The Legend of Bagger Vance" to its library today, making the Will Smith‑Matt Damon collaboration available for on‑demand streaming. The film, directed by the late Robert Redford, was a commercial flop, earning roughly $39.5 million against...
The YouTube Mentorship Is Finally Here
Leea’s new YouTube 101 Mentorship launches, offering entrepreneurs a one‑on‑one, done‑with‑you program to turn YouTube into a revenue engine. The mentorship covers branding, website integration, channel setup, and a systematic content strategy, with Leea personally reviewing each participant’s work. It targets...
Advertising-Funded Streaming Surges Ahead in DACH, New Study Finds
A new report by FUNKE Channels and valantic shows advertising‑funded streaming, especially FAST (Free‑Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) channels, is accelerating in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Linear television remains the dominant format but its share is eroding as VOD, subscription services and...
Heroes' Creator Got His Start Writing For Courteney Cox's Forgotten Sci-Fi TV Series
Tim Kring’s first notable TV credit was writing the ninth episode, “Twin Engines,” of NBC’s 1985 sci‑fi series Misfits of Science, a short‑lived, campy show starring a young Courteney Cox. The series was canceled after one season due to low ratings,...
GRID Teams With NAVER to Bring LoL Esports Data to CHZZK Platform
South Korean internet giant NAVER has partnered with esports data specialist GRID to embed real‑time League of Legends statistics into its CHZZK livestreaming service, launching with the LCK season on April 1, 2026. The integration will surface a live win‑probability graph, early‑game...
I Feel Like Jon Hamm Is Wasted In This Show
Jon Hamm headlines the new hour‑long series "Your Friends & Neighbors," a hybrid crime‑dramedy about a broke finance bro who turns to theft and murder. Early reviews describe the show as tonally confused, with unlikable characters that fail to engage...
Bruins CEO Surprisingly Bullish on Future of Regional Sports Networks
Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs told The Athletic he remains optimistic about regional sports networks (RSNs) despite industry headwinds. He highlighted that pay‑TV households have dropped from over 100 million to roughly 62 million, eroding the traditional RSN revenue model. Jacobs pointed...
LA’s Woody To Be Honored with MSBC’s ’26 Kidd Kraddick Award
Woody, the host of the syndicated The Woody Show on iHeartMedia’s ALT 98.7 in Los Angeles, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Kidd Kraddick Award at Talentmasters’ 38th Annual Morning Show Boot Camp, to be presented in Cleveland from August 5‑7. The...
Literary Agents, Danielle Allen, and More
Danielle Allen, a liberal scholar who engages seriously with conservatism, is highlighted as a nuanced voice beyond the typical "moderate" label. A recent analysis reveals that just 25 literary agents represent half of all authors shortlisted for major U.S. literary...
TikTok Name Trick, 10‑Minute Silence and Soft‑Play Guides Rise as Parents Seek Calm
A wave of evidence‑based tactics—from shouting a random name to halt toddler meltdowns, to carving out ten minutes of silence to curb "mom rage," and a new soft‑play guide for stressful road trips—are gaining traction on TikTok and in parenting...
NYC Organizer Fernando Mateo Gets Sunday Show on 77WABC
Former NYC mayoral candidate Fernando Mateo is launching a new Sunday‑night talk show, “No Excuses,” on Red Apple Media’s 77 WABC. The program targets the tri‑state area’s Hispanic community, featuring policy discussions, listener calls, and interviews with government, business, and grassroots...
Taylor Swift Drops Surprise 'Elizabeth Taylor' Video, Honors Iconic Actress
Taylor Swift unveiled a surprise music video for her song "Elizabeth Taylor," stitching together iconic film scenes and archival footage of the late star. The video, released exclusively on streaming platforms, channels royalties to the Elizabeth Taylor estate, underscoring a...
ElevenLabs Eleven V3 Review: A More Expressive Voice Model For Creators and Developers
ElevenLabs unveiled its flagship Eleven V3 model, marketed as the most expressive AI voice engine for creators and developers. The model introduces inline audio tags that let users dictate tone, emotion, and non‑verbal cues directly in the script. It also...
‘Jeopardy!’ Debuts First‑of‑Its‑Kind YouTube Special with Top Creators
Sony Pictures Television’s ‘Jeopardy!’ aired its first YouTube‑only episode, featuring creators like Monét X Change, Rebecca Black and Brennan Lee Mulligan. The digital spin‑off preserves the show’s classic gameplay while targeting the platform’s younger, creator‑centric audience.
Maine Businesses Rally Against Data‑Privacy Bill Threatening Targeted Online Ads
Maine business leaders and trade groups are intensifying opposition to LD 1822, a data‑privacy bill that could curb targeted online advertising and biometric data collection. More than 200 owners signed a letter warning the measure would put the state at...
DIY Hollywood: Pro‑Level Filmmaking Now Cheap
Hollywood might be in trouble. Cinema Studio 3.0 is changing the game. Now, regular people can make big, movie-looking scenes right from their own rooms. Higgsfield Cinema Studio 3.0 comes with about 200,000 visual styles, 150 camera moves, and millions of action-scene...
International Shoots: Why Trusted Hubs Are Overtaking Incentives
International film production hubs are outpacing pure tax rebates as the primary draw for Netflix, Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery. While many Ibero‑American territories still tout high incentive percentages, executives now prioritize regulatory predictability, fast permitting, reliable payments and robust local...
Audacy Phasing Out Market Manager Role in Sales Restructure
Audacy announced a sweeping sales reorganization that eliminates the Market Manager role across all of its clusters. The company will replace those positions with Senior Vice Presidents of Sales and ten new Regional Vice Presidents who will oversee multi‑city territories....
Peter Friedlander Is Remaking Amazon TV. What’s Taking So Long?
Peter Friedlander, the former Netflix head of U.S. scripted series, took over Amazon’s global television division in October and has spent six months untangling a bloated, post‑Salke organization. So far he’s only greenlit a reboot of MGM’s *Robocop* and a...
Cord Cutting Today: PBS & NPR Funding Restored, DISH Faces $31B Debt Crunch & Roku Expands Streaming Push
A federal judge has reinstated crucial funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR, averting an immediate cash crunch. Meanwhile, DISH Network's parent company is pursuing a $31 billion debt refinancing to stave off bankruptcy risk. Roku announced a new mobile app...
Media Scale Comes From Data, Not Headcount
$100M with 30 people MarketBeat does $50M/year with 19 employees... @MediaKing thinks he can get to $100M with 30... "To go from a million subscribers to two... you don't actually produce more content. You just don't need more people." Scalable media businesses aren't...
My Recommendation on How To Do Product Seeding
In this 7‑minute episode, the host breaks down product seeding as a systematic funnel rather than a one‑off giveaway, emphasizing its role in generating user‑generated content, social proof, and valuable signal about which creators truly drive results. He outlines a...
EAT THE RICH: TOUGH BUT CHEAP
The post announces a live interview on April 2 at 11 a.m. ET with Chuck Collins, co‑editor of Inequality.org and heir to a meat‑packing fortune, focusing on the wealth‑defense industry that shields billionaires like Musk, Thiel, and Bezos. It highlights how...
Why The Summer I Turned Pretty Stars Didn’t Cash in with Movie / Report: Bari Weiss Planning 60 Minutes Shakeup...
The cast of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" will begin filming its follow‑up movie on April 27, but reports indicate they did not secure lucrative deals despite the series' Season 3 surge. Meanwhile, former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss...
Beloved THE TREEHOUSE Books Head to ABC in New Kids Series Adaptation
Australian public broadcaster ABC announced a new television adaptation of Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s bestselling children’s series The Treehouse. The project, produced with Werner Film Productions, is part of a $50 million Australian‑dollar (about $33 million USD) federal funding package aimed...
Blacked Out? How to Watch ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC & More Local Channels if Your Cable Company Dropped Them
Cable providers are losing local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and CW affiliates in several markets after carriage disputes, leaving millions of viewers without over‑the‑air news and sports. The article outlines a range of live‑TV streaming services—YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV,...
Free Descript Video Editing Course to Replace Bad Tutorials
Soooooo... how badly do you want to learn Descript for your video editing? I am considering dropping a full course on how to edit in Descript and putting it out for free on YouTube, because the tutorials out there are GARBAGE.
This Week in Baseball Launches 1977 with Mel
📺 ⚾️ April 1, 1977: “This Week in Baseball” debuted in first-run syndication. The program featured highlights of the prior week’s games and interviews with players and was originally hosted by New York Yankees play-by-play commentator Mel Allen. It ran...
Freestyle Releasing Dystopian Dramedy ‘Up the Catalogue’ Across Digital Retail Platforms on April 14
Freestyle Digital Media, the distribution arm of Allen Media Group, will launch the dystopian dramedy *Up the Catalogue* on April 14 across major digital retail platforms. The film stars Lyndsey Marshal and Jonathan Bailey and follows a charismatic presenter trapped...
Debating a Video on Meta‑YouTube Landmark Ruling
I wrote a script for a 10-minute video about the landmark ruling last week about Meta and YouTube. Can’t decide if I should actually make the video or not.
Secret Second YouTube Channel—Reply “Send It” For Link
I'm secretly launching a 2nd youtube channel reply "send it" and I'll dm it to you
Krypto Is in Trouble in the New Supergirl Trailer and He Had Better Be OK
The latest Supergirl trailer spotlights Krypto, Superman’s Kryptonian dog, in a perilous situation that has ignited fan discussion. The footage suggests a darker, more action‑driven tone for the upcoming series, hinting at alien threats and higher stakes. While the trailer...
New Show Unpacks AI Impact with Fresh Frameworks
Really excited to launch this new show. This was an exceptional episode. So many great frameworks for analyzing the impact of AI. Here are a few clips as a preview: Listen and subscribe here: Spotify: https://t.co/6a6URmgLQv Apple: https://t.co/Hm9mpeZUis https://t.co/Ch2CEPJI5q
General Hospital Premiered April 1 1963, Launching Iconic Daytime Drama
📺 April 1, 1963: "General Hospital" debuted on ABC. The daytime drama was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and originally focused on the characters of Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and his friend, Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin). It...
Watch Clips From ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ Animated Series
Lucasfilm Animation unveiled two clips from the upcoming Disney+ original, "Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord," slated to premiere on April 6, 2026. The eight‑episode animated series will release two episodes weekly, concluding on May 4, Star Wars Day. Set after "The Clone Wars,"...
Guest Appearance Announced on Above the Business Podcast
Keep an eye on the Above the Business podcast with @bradleyhamner . I'll be appearing on an upcoming episode... https://t.co/W9VQBSUsQY
Joining Maggie Lake’s YouTube & Substack Show Today
I'm on today at the close (April Fool's Day) with @maggielake on her YouTube and Substack channel.