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.
B2B Has Run Out of Excuses to Avoid Creator Marketing, Says Later CEO Scott Sutton
B2B firms are finally embracing creator marketing as the millennial decision‑maker generation spends its buying power on social platforms. New attribution technology now links creator posts directly to subscription installs, lifetime value and customer acquisition cost, closing the ROI gap that once deterred enterprise marketers. Niche creators now exist for every B2B vertical, from AI to corporate satire, prompting a shift from one‑off campaigns to always‑on ambassador programs measured by ROAS. Executives who act now can secure early wins and avoid costly lag.
Inside Mom 2.0 Summit 2026: Ownership, AI, and the Creator Economy’s Next Phase
The Mom 2.0 Summit returns to Austin April 16‑18, 2026, spotlighting parenting creators’ transition from content‑centric influencers to owners, founders, and executives. Four agenda‑shaping forces—shifting from sharing to building, sustainability, privacy/consent, and AI—drive a program that blends keynote insights from Dr. Becky...
Spotwise.ai Closes $450,000 Pre-Seed to Expand AI Sales Intelligence Platform for Broadcast Media
Spotwise.ai announced a $450,000 pre‑seed round led by Outlast Fund, with participation from BADideas.fund and 500 Global. The funding will accelerate development of its agentic AI platform that combines broadcast monitoring, analytics, and sales automation for media companies. The solution processes...
Owl & Co. To Host Vertical Media Summit in Los Angeles This June
Owl & Co. will host the Vertical Media Summit on June 3, 2026, at W Hollywood in Los Angeles, gathering senior operators, investors, and technology builders for a half‑day, ticketed event. The summit follows a December 2025 invitation‑only Short Drama...
CreateAI CEO Cheng Lu on Why the AI Debate in Animation Is Already Settled: ‘AI-Assisted Production Is Just Going to...
CreateAI has inaugurated Asia’s largest motion‑capture studio in Beijing, equipped with 130 Vicon VK26 cameras across a 2,000 sq m facility. CEO Cheng Lu says the studio will use AI to automate post‑capture data treatment, making high‑quality animation cheaper for smaller studios. The...
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Lifts Government TikTok Ban, Citing Need to Reach New Yorkers on Social Media
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has lifted the 2023 ban on TikTok for government use, allowing agencies to operate on the platform under strict guidelines. The new policy requires dedicated government devices, designated staff, and agency‑managed credentials to address...
UK MPs Urge Government to Formally Recognize Creator Economy Through Industrial Classification Update
A cross‑party group of UK MPs, backed by YouTube, has urged Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to add the creator economy to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2026 framework. The sector generated about $2.8 billion (≈£2.2 bn) in 2024 and supports 45,000 jobs,...
Reporter at the Helm: Adeyeye Joseph on Leading with Punch, Reckoning with AI, and Journalism’s Enduring Purpose
Adeyeye Joseph, managing director and editor‑in‑chief of Punch Newspapers, was elected to WAN‑IFRA’s World Editors Forum board and is completing a PhD on digital disruption’s impact on public‑interest journalism. He leads Punch with a reporter’s mindset, holding open "village meetings"...
Billion Dollar Boy Partners With Lumanu to Launch ‘Creator Payments’ in Its Companion Platform
Billion Dollar Boy’s AI‑driven platform Companion now includes a Creator Payments feature, built with Lumanu’s financial infrastructure. The tool consolidates onboarding, tax compliance and payout distribution into a single dashboard, handling up to 14 administrative actions per creator. An accompanying...
Pioneering Black Talk Host Bob Law Dies at 86
Bob Law, the pioneering Black radio personality behind "Night Talk," died at 86. The program, launched on New York’s WWRL, entered national syndication in 1981 via the National Black Network, becoming the first Black talk show broadcast across the United...
Learn About WO Aurora
WideOrbit unveiled WO Aurora, a cloud‑powered evolution of its radio automation platform, offering cloud, on‑premise or hybrid hosting. The system introduces Web Studio, a browser‑based interface that lets on‑air talent log in from any device and use the Live Mic...
Top Seven K-Drama Releases To Know in April 2026
April 2026 brings a packed K‑drama slate with seven high‑profile releases, ranging from gritty action to supernatural horror. Season 2 of *Bloodhounds* returns with Rain as a new villain, while *Perfect Crown* pairs IU and Byeon Woo‑seok in a contract‑marriage romance‑noir....
From Madonna Photo Ops to Bankruptcy: The Publisher that Owes Bob Dylan Blames 'Predatory' Lenders
Callaway Arts & Entertainment, the New York‑based publisher behind Madonna’s 1992 "Sex" book and a Bob Dylan centennial volume, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company disclosed assets and liabilities ranging between $1 million and $10 million and cited "predatory" alternative lenders...
Shutterstock Launches Licensed Content App in ChatGPT, Bringing Commercial-Ready Assets Into AI-Native Workflows
Shutterstock has launched a dedicated app inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing users to search, preview and license images, video, music and sound effects without leaving the conversational interface. The integration taps into one of the world’s largest rights‑cleared media libraries, turning...
Former NRG Omaha Cluster Ushers in New Leadership
Usher Media Group has appointed three Omaha veterans to senior roles after acquiring the former NRG Omaha cluster. Stacie McElligott, a 14‑year NRG veteran, becomes Assistant General Manager. Megan Rieder is promoted to Program Director of Sweet 98.5, while Alyssa Siebken takes the Program...
NYT Cuts Ties With Writer as Scrutiny of AI Content Grows
The New York Times has severed its relationship with freelance critic Alex Preston after an investigation revealed he used an AI tool that duplicated passages from a Guardian review. A reader flagged the similarity in a January book review, prompting...
TV 2 and Amedia Plan Joint Streaming Platform for Norwegian Football
TV 2 and Amedia have formed a joint venture to offer Norwegian football broadcasting rights from 2026 to 2034, using a shared streaming platform. The partnership combines TV 2's national reach with Amedia's extensive local newspaper network and its Direktesport...
Are Journalists Liable for Social Media Comments? An Italian Court Is Poised to Decide
Italian journalist Fabio Butera was ordered to pay roughly $35,000 in damages after courts held him liable for defamatory comments posted by strangers under his Facebook article. Both the Verona court and the Venice Court of Appeal upheld the liability, arguing...
A New Events and Experiences Leader For iHeartMedia In NYC
Andrew Festo, a longtime iHeartMedia employee who rose from promotions assistant to event director for the Tri‑State market, has been promoted to Vice President of Events and Experiences for the company’s New York station group. In his new role he...
Bitmovin Adds Support for SGAI to Enhance Ad-Supported Streaming Products
Bitmovin announced support for Server‑Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback suite, using HLS interstitials to signal ad breaks. The hybrid approach merges client‑side flexibility with server‑side scalability, enabling real‑time, personalized ad decisions. By standardizing the insertion point, Bitmovin aims...
Spanish Series La Mesías Premieres in the US on Disney+ and Hulu
Spanish drama "La mesías" has launched in the United States, streaming exclusively on Hulu and the Hulu‑on‑Disney+ bundle. Created by acclaimed duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, the seven‑episode series follows siblings confronting religious trauma and seeking redemption. The show...
Pixalate Unveils US Connected TV (CTV) Seller Trust Index 2.0: First Independent SSP Rankings on Arbitrage Vs. Publisher-Direct; Rates 20+...
Pixalate has launched the Connected TV (CTV) Seller Trust Index 2.0, an independent, quarterly‑updated benchmark that rates more than 20 programmatic CTV ad sellers on arbitrage and invalid‑traffic risk across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV and LG...
Pixalate Unveils Mobile Seller Trust Index 2.0: First Independent SSP Rankings on Arbitrage Vs. Publisher-Direct; Rates 200+ Mobile Ad Sellers...
Pixalate launched the Mobile Seller Trust Index (STI) 2.0, a free quarterly benchmark that rates more than 200 open‑programmatic mobile app sellers in over 100 markets. The index uniquely separates arbitraged inventory from authorized‑direct traffic and adds sophisticated invalid‑traffic (SIVT) and...
Adult Swim’s Yearly April Fools Prank Is a Horrifying Claymation Spinoff of ‘Smiling Friends’
Adult Swim continued its long‑running April Fools tradition by debuting an 11‑minute clay‑mation short titled “Ghosts ’n Chainsaws.” The horror‑infused piece, created by British stop‑motion specialist Lee Hardcastle, expands on a brief gag from the Season 3 “Smiling Friends” episode “Curse of...
Google Pressured To Stop Serving AI Video To Kids
Child development experts have sent a letter signed by over 200 specialists urging Google to stop serving AI‑generated videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids. They describe the low‑quality “AI slop” as misinformation that can distort early learning and note that...
I Used Apple Music's New AI Tool to Break Out of My Music Rut - and It Worked
Apple Music introduced Playlist Playground in iOS 26.4, an AI‑driven tool that generates playlists from user‑provided prompts. The feature can produce themed collections for activities like walking, workouts, or focused work, but its success hinges on how precisely users describe the...
Reached 50 Paid Subscribers—Grateful for Real Support
Just noticed we crossed 50 paid subscribers 🎉 Thank you guys. The fact that real people pay real money to read my work is still kind of surreal to me, and it means a lot 🙏🏾
Amazon MGM's 'Project Hail Mary' Tops $300 Million Globally, Sets New Studio Record
Amazon MGM’s science‑fiction film “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling, has earned more than $300 million globally in just two weeks, the highest total for any Amazon MGM release. The strong hold – a 32% drop domestically and 5% internationally – signals...
Sir David Attenborough Says He Fears Not Living Enough Ahead of 100th Birthday
Sir David Attenborough, 99, told a new interview that he is not afraid of death but of "not living enough" as he approaches his 100th birthday on May 8. The BBC will mark the milestone with a suite of programmes, while...
Real-Time AI Video Is Nvidia’s New Pitch to Agencies—And It’s Turning Creatives Into Curators
Nvidia is positioning its latest computing platform as a real‑time AI video engine for advertising and entertainment agencies. At Runway’s AI Summit, the chipmaker demonstrated how its hardware can power Runway’s models to generate and modify video scenes instantly, turning...
Digital Hopes, Real Power: From Revolution to Regulation
Over the past decade, governments from Egypt to Qatar have transformed ad‑hoc internet blocks into comprehensive cybercrime, disinformation and platform‑liability regimes that criminalize online speech. Freedom House reports 66% of users live where political sites are blocked and 78% face...
Amazon’s Fallout Season 2 Sets Prime Video Record with 83 Million Viewers in 91 Days
Amazon Prime Video announced that Fallout season 2 attracted 83 million viewers worldwide in its first 91 days, making it the platform’s most‑watched series in more than 80 markets. The milestone places both seasons among Prime Video’s top‑four all‑time viewership tallies...
MOR Rays Games For Tampa Bay MLB Fans
The Tampa Bay Rays have secured a limited over‑the‑air broadcast partnership with Hearst Television for the 2026 season. Hearst’s stations in four Florida markets will air ten selected Rays games, including the April 6 home opener at the newly repaired Tropicana...
Indonesia Summons Google and Meta Over Child‑Safety Law Breach
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs summoned senior officials from Google and Meta on Monday, accusing them of violating a new law that bars users under 16 from social media. The move underscores mounting regulatory pressure on tech firms...
Tom Selleck's Favorite Blue Bloods Episode Is One Of The Show's Most Emotional
Tom Selleck says his favorite Blue Bloods episode is “The Job,” the season‑2, episode‑12 story that reveals Frank Reagan survived the World Trade Center’s North Tower on 9/11. The emotionally charged episode, written by Brian Burns, earned a Humanitas Prize...
Why LLM Ads Will Be a Bigger Business Than Search & Social Ads
OpenAI says its six‑week LLM ad pilot is on track for $100 million annual recurring revenue and already has more than 600 advertisers, with a self‑serve platform slated for April. The company points to Facebook’s 18‑year climb from $150 million to $196 billion...
Upfronts 2026: Enter the YouTube Era at Brandcast May 13
YouTube will host its annual Brandcast Upfront on May 13 at Lincoln Center, featuring CEO Neal Mohan, CBO Mary Ellen Coe, and Google President Sean Downey. The event highlights YouTube’s claim as the #1 U.S. streamer, reaching over 238 million adults...
How Fox News Is Luring in Gen Z
Fox News is expanding its reach to Generation Z by leveraging TikTok, where chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst posts daily bulletins to a million followers. The network’s traditional cable dominance remains strong, outpacing CNN, MSNBC, and even broadcast rivals like...
Harmelin's Meder Weighs In On Principal Media, Rebates Too
Mary Meder, president of Harmelin Media, publicly condemned the practice of agencies pocketing media rebates, urging advertisers and peers to reject the opaque fee structures. She argues the rebates undermine client trust and inflate campaign costs. Meanwhile, Meta has assembled...
Headliner Introduces Full Circle: Turn Video Into Video Clips
Headliner, the platform used by more than 1.5 million creators, unveiled Full Circle, a new feature that transforms existing video into short, shareable clips. The tool leverages AI‑driven autoframing, automatic captioning, and highlight detection to streamline the editing process. Users can upload...
AI Platform Set to Transform Publishing
A consortium of the Big Five publishers launched Txt2U, an AI platform that automates the entire publishing workflow—from writing and editing to cover design and review. The system claims it can generate up to 18,000 novels per hour, with AI...
‘Veil of Shadows’: Netflix Picks Up Fantasy C-Drama Series with Ju Jingyi and Joseph Zeng
Netflix has secured international streaming rights to the 29‑episode fantasy‑wuxia series Veil of Shadows, originally a Youku exclusive, and began releasing the first five episodes in the United States and select regions. The show, starring Chinese pop star Ju Jingyi...
New Ozone Unit to Crack How AI Will Shape Publishing
Ozone, the publisher‑centric digital advertising platform, has launched Ozone Labs, a collaborative R&D centre to investigate how large‑language‑model AI will transform publishing and marketing business models. The Labs will operate alongside Ozone’s core platform, offering a sandbox where partners can...
Meta Adds Event‑linked Reels Ads for Instant Cultural Relevance
Meta is expanding Reels trending ads with content lineups tied to major events, including Fashion Week, F1, Black Friday, and NFL games, plus new categories like TV & Movies and Travel. Brands get a more targeted way to show up...
AI Script Analyzer Quilty Delivers Jaw‑Dropping Insights
New @TheWrap: Don't drop your agent just yet. We tried Quilty, a new AI tool that promises to analyze and provide insightful feedback on your scripts, feeding it the screenplays for “Sinners,” “Barbie,” “Christy” and “Die Hard,." The results left us slack-jawed. https://t.co/ux0gB0XBTN
Trevor Noah to Host YouTube 2026 Upfront, Chappell Roan Performs
YouTube’s 2026 Upfront Taps Trevor Noah as Host, Chappell Roan to Perform https://t.co/K5nqKT3AGo via @variety
AI Amplifies April Fools' Chaos, Boosting Engagement
Remember folks...it's April Fools' Day... That being said...I am entertained by the engagement I'm seeing on some of the posts the social media algos are feeding me 🤪 Also...A-I has made this "holiday" even more of a🧨😂
Netflix Recruits YouTube Stars to Defend TV Dominance
Netflix’s YouTube opportunity, part 2 But given that the television is now the dominant viewing surface for YouTube in the United States, Netflix has good reason to want to recruit talent like Ms. Rachel and now Danny Go! from the...
Personalized Pitches Referencing a Journalist’s Beat Win
My favorite type of pitch email: "Given your coverage of [relevant beat], I thought this could be of interest,..."
All Major Networks Pause for Trump's National Address
JUST IN: Major TV networks to interrupt programming for President Trump’s address to the nation tonight