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.
Cuttings: Neologisms, Reddit and More
The New York Times severed ties with freelance journalist Alex Preston after a reader identified AI‑generated content that closely mirrored a Guardian review of Jean‑Baptiste Andrea’s book. The incident highlights growing scrutiny of AI‑assisted writing in reputable newsrooms. Editors increasingly rely on large language models themselves, questioning the value of freelancers who outsource to AI. A LinkedIn commentary framed LLMs as tools comparable to delegating tasks to a human colleague, sparking debate over ethical boundaries.
Three Newsletters for the Price of 1.5: Independent Journalists Experiment with a Bundle
Independent journalists Marisa Kabas, Katelyn Burns, and Kat Tenbarge have launched a 30‑day newsletter bundle through the new Trustfnd platform, letting readers access all three publications for a single $8.50 payment—about half the cost of buying them separately. Trustfnd bridges...
Court Won't Revive Challenge To Minnesota Deep Fake Law
A federal appellate court declined to revive a challenge to Minnesota's 2023 deep‑fake law, leaving the 8th Circuit's earlier ruling intact. The law criminalizes realistic AI‑generated videos of politicians unless they are clearly labeled as parody. Plaintiffs Christopher Kohls and...
Seven Packs Easter Long Weekend with AFL, Surf, Racing and Stawell Gift
The Seven Network is rolling out an all‑day sports marathon for the Easter long weekend, featuring live AFL matches, the World Surf League’s Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, and premier horse‑racing carnivals with roughly $16.5 million USD in prize money. The schedule also...
New Starz Limited Series ‘Amadeus’ Set to Premiere May 8
Starz announced that its five‑part limited series “Amadeus” will debut in the United States on May 8, 2026, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. The drama adapts Peter Shaffer’s acclaimed 1979 play and features Emmy‑nominated Will Sharpe as Mozart opposite...
Instagram Reels Introduces Teleprompter and Touch‑Up Filters
Instagram Reels has added a teleprompter feature and a Touch Up feature. Screenshots attached (I can vouch for the Touch Up because I look wrecked IRL today and this blurred everything out) *h/t to @oncescuradu who originally spotted this
The Nonprofit Salt Lake Tribune Is Ready to Tear Down Its Paywall
The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah’s largest newspaper and a nonprofit since 2019, will eliminate its digital paywall in May 2026, making all new stories free. Current digital subscribers will be converted to $10‑per‑month donors, retaining exclusive benefits such as commenting...
Unbeaten Sports Channel Launches Exclusively on FETCH TV
Fetch TV announced the exclusive launch of Unbeaten, a 24/7 sports channel owned by Inverleigh, adding global competitions, emerging leagues and under‑represented codes to its lineup. The channel is bundled with the Vibe Pack (AU$7.99 ≈ US$5.30 per month) and...
Apple TV Horror Comedy Widow’s Bay Started as a Parks and Recreation Script
Apple TV’s horror‑comedy Widow’s Bay premieres on April 29, marking the streamer’s push into genre‑blending originals. Showrunner Katie Dippold, a former Parks and Recreation writer, reveals the series grew from a spec script she penned for the sitcom. The show...
Public Trust in Science Journalism: Comparative Insights From Germany, Italy, and Lithuania
A new study of 87 journalists from Germany, Italy and Lithuania finds that public trust in science is not collapsing but remains fragmented and context‑dependent. German science desks benefit from strong public‑service support, while Italy and Lithuania struggle with limited...
The WICT Network, TVNewsCheck Form Media Partnership
The WICT Network and TVNewsCheck announced a media partnership to amplify thought leadership across media, entertainment, technology, sports and gaming. TVNewsCheck will promote WICT’s flagship events—including the Leadership Conference, Signature Awards Luncheon, Stanford Senior Executive Summit and new AI Summits—to...
You Can Play This 'Hidden' Game in Your TikTok DMs
TikTok has added a hidden, Doodle‑Jump‑style platformer to its direct‑message feature. Users trigger the game by sending any single emoji, which then appears as a speed‑boost icon. The avatar is the friend’s profile picture, allowing solo play or head‑to‑head matches...
My Secret Thoughts & Tips for Building a Travel Media Brand
Brandon Berkson announced a new quarterly travel newspaper, printed on butter‑yellow newsprint, as a low‑cost alternative to glossy magazines. He argues that newsletters on platforms like Substack and Beehiiv are the most efficient way to grow a loyal audience and...
Google Ads Experiments Now Auto-Apply Results by Default
Google Ads has introduced an auto‑apply setting for its Experiments feature, turning it on by default. Advertisers can select directional results or statistical confidence levels, with a built‑in guard that prevents auto‑application if the chosen success metric declines. The feature...
News: What the Wider Content Market Can Learn From the Latest Shifts
The news sector is undergoing a rapid transformation as digital platforms reshape distribution and revenue models. TikTok’s algorithmic reach is pressuring traditional outlets, while independent creators launch their own video operations and newsletters with minimal overhead. Legacy brands such as...
David Brancaccio to Move Into Correspondent Role at ‘Marketplace’
David Brancaccio will step down as host of Marketplace Morning Report next week, moving into a special correspondent role focused on the long‑term effects of economic decisions. The transition follows his 13‑year tenure as the program’s morning anchor and a...
Optimization Masks Attention Commodification in Social Media Strategy
A lot of social media and content strategy "best practices" are built around gaming platforms that were built to commodify your attention, and we just call it "optimization."
Your April Premier Membership Links and Dates
Sarah Fay’s April post announces the release of Premier Membership links for the month, directing existing subscribers to sign in and new users to upgrade. The notice includes a direct upgrade URL and a sign‑in link for current members. It...
Jones Road Beauty Is Using A New Type Of MMM To Reset Its Media Measurement
Jones Road Beauty teamed with ad‑measurement startup Haus to pilot a new causal media‑mix model (MMM) that anchors forecasts in real experiment lift rather than historical correlations. By testing spend levels on Google Demand Gen, Meta Advantage+, and branded search, the...
Hightouch Launches DSP Marketplace Solution
Hightouch announced a new DSP Marketplace Solution that directly integrates its data onboarding platform with The Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP. The integration lets media networks build warehouse‑native audiences from purchase data, AI scores and consent flags, then list those...
Sprinklr Partners with CreatorIQ
Sprinklr and CreatorIQ have integrated their platforms, linking CreatorIQ’s Creator Graph with Sprinklr’s social media reporting environment. The unified system lets brands view creator, organic, and paid performance side‑by‑side, enabling clearer revenue impact analysis. It also allows direct activation of...
Meta Appoints Instagram Exec to Lead Edits Team
Instagram's Edits team is working overtime this week: 👀 Scalable Pod revealed Meta exec Brett Westervelt would be the head of Edits https://scalablepod.com/p/exclusive-meta-taps-instagram-exec-to-lead-edits 👀 Matt Navarra shared an interview with Matt Simari (Director of Product Management at IG) to unpack the strategy...
The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in April
Netflix’s April 2026 lineup adds three high‑profile titles: the second season of the social satire ‘Beef’ arrives on April 16, David Attenborough‑narrated nature documentary ‘A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough’ debuts on April 17, and the animated spin‑off ‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’ launches...
Gemini Live Transforms News Briefs Into Interactive Deep Dives
Focus on news SEO? Heads-up, I tried it this morning and it's pretty darn good. And you can interrupt it to find out more about a story -> Gemini Live just killed boring news briefs "News summaries in Gemini Live are...
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Influencer-Restaurants-Survive-Stop-Doing-This-FT-DGTL0426-b8c06a32c4d64d0184b885e1ac61cfab.jpg)
If You're an Influencer and You Want Restaurants to Survive, Stop Doing This
Chef‑owner Michael Gulotta warns that Instagram‑ready décor is hurting his restaurant’s bottom line. While a photogenic wall initially drove TikTok buzz, influencer photo shoots now occupy staff time and displace paying diners. On busy Saturdays, content‑focused groups have consumed up...
EU's New Rules Threaten Ad Revenue, Boost Platform Liability
Macro: EU digital regulation tightens. Key factors: Italy bill curbs profiling, boosts platform liability; risks: ad revenue and engagement decline. Trade: short adtech incumbents 📉 — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Hachette Pulls Mia Ballard’s ‘Shy Girl’ Over Suspected AI‑Generated Text
Hachette announced it will not publish Mia Ballard’s horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ in the United States and will pulp the U.K. copies after AI‑detection software flagged extensive passages as likely generated by artificial intelligence. The move marks the first known instance of...
Disney’s $1 B Sora Deal Collapses as OpenAI Shuts Down Video AI
Disney and OpenAI announced a $1 billion partnership in December to let users generate videos featuring Disney icons via OpenAI’s Sora text‑to‑video tool. On March 24, OpenAI abruptly shut Sora, leaving the deal unfulfilled and igniting criticism from creators and the Writers...
Activist Irenic Capital Takes 2.5% Stake in Snap, Calls for Board, Cost and AI Overhaul
Irenic Capital Management disclosed a 2.5% holding in Snap Inc., demanding a board revamp, workforce reductions and a shift to AI‑driven ad monetization. The activist push sent Snap shares up more than 13% in a single session, reviving debate over...
Links of Interest: April 1, 2026
Jane Friedman’s newsletter page promotes a paid subscription that grants weekly publishing industry analysis, access to over 3,000 searchable premium articles, and private resource guides. The offering is positioned as a premium alternative to free content, emphasizing depth in publishing,...
From Feeds to Events: How Content Creators Are Reshaping TV Strategy
The line between creator‑driven channels and traditional streaming TV is blurring as both adopt event‑driven tactics. Mark Rober’s 12‑video‑a‑year model shows low‑frequency, high‑impact releases can generate water‑cooler buzz on YouTube, while the Sidemen combine daily short‑form clips with premium, Hollywood‑style...
New Children’s Imprint: Curiosity Unlocked Books
Teacher Created Materials announced a new children’s imprint called Curiosity Unlocked Books, targeting readers up to age 12. The line will offer both fiction and nonfiction titles designed to complement classroom learning and spark curiosity. By positioning the imprint as...
Social Media Intelligence: Turn Signals Into Enterprise Insights
Snowflake and Viral Nation unveiled an AI‑driven social intelligence platform that fuses frame‑by‑frame video and audio analysis of 23 million creator posts with enterprise data. The solution, demonstrated during ADWEEK’s Big Game live event, translates real‑time cultural signals into actionable insights...
How Paramount+’s ‘Dutton Ranch’ Came Blazing to Life at SXSW
Paramount+ staged a high‑impact activation at SXSW, projecting a fiery Dutton Ranch logo on the Fairmont Austin for four hours across three nights. The campaign paired the OOH display with DR‑branded Angus ribeye specials at select Austin steakhouses, creating a...
You Can Now Get a 1-Year Standalone Subscription to Adobe Firefly for Just $99
Adobe has launched a standalone Firefly Standard subscription priced at $99 for one year. The plan grants users access to a suite of generative AI models from Adobe, Google, OpenAI, Runway and others, plus 2,000 monthly generative credits for creating...
Buy WMG on Pullbacks After Revelator Acquisition
Macro: music-tech consolidation; Key: WMG buys Revelator to bolster distribution, rights & analytics; Risk: integration execution/valuation mismatch; Insight: buy WMG on pullbacks. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Resemble AI Unveils Deepfake Detection Tools Amid Synthetic Media Surge
Resemble AI released a deepfake threat report and two free detection tools—a Chrome extension that scans images, video and audio, and an X bot that lets users verify suspicious posts without leaving the platform. The company also added enterprise features...
Netflix’s Brilliant Adventure Show Is Dominating the Charts, Expect Where It Matters
Netflix’s live‑action adaptation of *One Piece* debuted at number one in multiple international markets, but its U.S. performance lagged behind domestic hits like *Love Is Blind: The Reunion*. With roughly 66.7 million U.S. subscribers—about 20 % of Netflix’s global base—the American viewership...
We Could Win a Webby with Your Vote
FactCheck.org has been nominated for the 30th Annual Webby Awards in the News & Politics category for Websites and Mobile Sites. The organization is now asking its readers to vote for the Webby People’s Voice Award, which is decided by...
Amazon AI Chatbot Ads Get Few Clicks, Cost Half the Price
88 clicks versus 500K. Whoa -> More data about ads in AI: Amazon's "sponsored prompts" for its Rufus AI assistant are yielding significantly lower traffic than traditional ads, but are more cost-effective "Amazon’s new form of chatbot ads have only...
Netflix's Animation Pipeline: Lottery‑ticket Mindset, No Long‑term Planning
The massive gap between S1 and the still-undated S2 of #BlueEyedSamurai is such a microcosm for Netflix's approach to animation development. Strewn about lottery tickets in the hopes that one hits but very little forethought to what comes after. https://t.co/TRomhi6kiq
Scripps Stations Yanked From Xfinity In Latest Retrans War
The E.W. Scripps Company’s local‑channel portfolio was pulled from Comcast’s Xfinity platform after a retransmission‑consent agreement expired. The blackout affected WSFL‑39 in Miami, WHDT‑9 in West Palm Beach and other Scripps stations nationwide. The dispute surfaced during the Florida Panthers’...
One Algorithm Change Can Wipe Out Your Reach
Most people are one algorithm change away from losing everything. It feels safe until your reach drops overnight and you can’t control it. https://t.co/hJYQSD9Fij
Affiliate Loops Reveal Need for Independent Research
AJ from Lucid Trading exposing the circular affiliate game - firms pay ranking sites for visibility, then become affiliates of those same sites to recoup costs. Smart margin strategy but shows why independent research matters. Check https://t.co/1I4O2dByrK for unbiased comparisons...
Expanding Into Substack, TikTok, and Dance‑Infused Options Content
Leaning into Google's convinction that I'm an investment content creator and starting a substack and a TikTok, long-form writing and video shorts with little dances illustrating options concepts coming soon, stay tuned 🖤
January Launch Hits Substack Tech Top‑20 Bestseller
Wild stuff that we launched this in January of this year, and already top 20 in best sellers in tech on Substack. https://t.co/3P1v1ikB0L
OTA TV Still Relies on Internet, Surprisingly
And here I thought that half the point of over-the-air channels these days is so you don't need the internet… https://t.co/FF1YdOnSz5
Live From Boston Public Library with Jim and Margery
Will be on with Jim & Margery @BosPublicRadio, from the Boston Public Library studio, today at noon.
Resource Sharing Hasn't Boosted Local News Coverage
But I thought combining resources and finding back room efficiencies would increase local news reporting. So confused.
Invest Like The Best Rakes In Massive Ad Revenue
What kind of revenue is Invest Like The Best bringing in these days, the ad load is insane