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.
Endemol Shine Brasil Is Preparing Its New Docu-Reality Series Underground City
Endemol Shine Brasil, part of Banijay Americas, is launching *Underground City*, a docu‑reality series that delves into São Paulo’s subway system. The show will air on GNT, Globoplay, and TV Globo’s Fantástico, offering unprecedented access to control rooms, maintenance yards, and security units. Using surveillance and body‑camera footage, each episode weaves together high‑pressure operational moments with personal commuter stories. CEO Nani Freitas describes the format as a premium, access‑driven series with global appeal.
Brendan Carr Ignores The Law, Rubber Stamps More Right Wing Media Consolidation, Then Lies About It
The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, approved Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna in a closed‑door vote, allowing the combined entity to reach 54.5 % of U.S. television households—well above the 39 % cap that previously limited market concentration. The...
Peaky Blinders Star Confirmed to Join Star-Studded Cast of Exciting New Thriller From Homeland Boss
Daryl McCormack, known for his role in Peaky Blinders, has been added to the cast of an untitled Apple TV+ thriller produced by former Homeland executive Alex Cary. The series follows an undercover Treasury agent, played by Dakota Fanning, who infiltrates a multi‑billion‑dollar...
Why Social Media Is Failing Artists, And What To Do Instead
The article argues that social media platforms are ill‑suited for artists because algorithmic feeds favor outrage and shallow engagement, leaving creators without genuine audience connection. It proposes that artists reclaim sovereignty by hosting their work on personal websites and using...
Stop Optimizing Content; Reclaim Your Time From Algorithms
I stopped optimizing every piece of content for social media algorithms. Social media was built to commodify your attention and sell it to advertisers. That's why it's free. Me spending hours chasing the algorithm? That's exploiting my own labor for someone else's...
Access Limits Fuel Manga Piracy Worldwide
The shutdown of Bato.to, the world’s largest manga piracy site, sparked frantic fan searches for replacement platforms, highlighting the deep reliance on illegal sources. Japan’s entertainment industry loses an estimated $36 billion annually to manga piracy, according to a Ministry of...
Paul McCartney Banned for Self‑Promoting Concert Photos
Ah, Reddit -> Paul McCartney Banned From Reddit After Promoting Himself in Paul McCartney Subreddit "Sir Paul McCartney was banned from Reddit after sharing pictures of a concert in the r/PaulMcCartney subreddit. Over the weekend, Paul McCartney’s Reddit account attempted to...
After 15 Years, Philly’s WRNB Welcomes Back Michael Shawn
Michael Shawn is returning to Urban One Philadelphia’s 100.3 RNB (WRNB) for a weekend show debuting on April 4, marking his first on‑air appearance at the station in 15 years. He originally hosted the Michael Shawn & the Takeover Legends Night Show...
Attorney General Warns Merger Harms; Data Shows Fees Already Rising
Colorado Attorney General @pweiser said: “This merger would put @NXSTMediaGroup in a position to raise the fees paid by cable and satellite companies and fire many trusted local reporters as part of consolidating the two local news operations. Because of...
Nik Launches New Podcast Collaboration with Jimmy and Team
Nik is building out a great podcast. Proud of what he is doing and he is a great partner at DSMMA. See here for the collab with Nik, Jimmy and me. https://t.co/PqYYoFGCGM
WPP Media Launches AI-Driven YouTube Tool ‘YouTube 5K’
WPP Media, in collaboration with Google, launched YouTube 5K (YT5K), an AI‑driven solution that automates channel curation and creative versioning for YouTube advertising. The platform scans channels to generate a refreshed list of over 5,000 brand‑safe options and automatically creates...
Electronic TV Ratings Reveal Why Oscars Viewership Fell
TV Q&A: How are TV ratings measured electronically? Why did #oscars ratings drop? Via @TribLIVE https://t.co/vQIwVwJwMd https://t.co/AlSMj3DNRV
Rethinking Media: Life Beyond Newspapers and Smartphones
The question they should be asking: Is there life after newspapers? Is There Life After Smartphones? https://t.co/LClCxzIAmb
Accounts in Transit: Matter Picks Up Clear Channel Outdoor
Matter has been appointed agency of record for Clear Channel Outdoor, tasked with expanding the out‑of‑home giant's earned media, social and thought‑leadership footprint. Marino will lead branding and executive storytelling for Hillpointe, a Sun Belt multifamily developer seeking greater market...
Offscript with Moky Makura
Moky Makura, a former publicist, TV anchor, actress and entrepreneur, now leads Africa No Filter, an organisation dedicated to reshaping how the world tells African stories. Her career began in media sales, where she learned that selling ideas is essential,...
Like Journalists, Prosecutors Shaped a Distorted View of Crime. They Can Help Fix It, Too.
A recent Princeton symposium highlighted how journalists and prosecutors jointly amplify a distorted view of crime by focusing on sensational incidents. Prosecutors, who generate the data behind court filings, now recognize their role in correcting public misconceptions. In Broward County,...
NPR Distribution Highlights New Adaptable Receiver
NPR Distribution’s vice president Badri Munipalla announced at the Public Radio Engineering Conference a next‑generation ContentDepot Edge receiver, a low‑latency terrestrial solution for live broadcast distribution. The Edge platform, currently in pilot, adds station‑to‑station sharing, geo‑targeted delivery, richer metadata and...
Authentic UGC Ads Outperform Polished Studios 9×
I've analyzed 1,000+ winning ads. Here's the pattern: Ads that looked like native social media posts (UGC, iPhone footage) outperformed polished studio ads 9 times out of 10. Your assumption that you need high production value is wrong. Authenticity wins.
‘It’s Not a Completely Authentic Reporting Experience’
Sebastian Walker, veteran foreign correspondent, discusses Frontline’s updated documentary “Strike on Iran: The Nuclear Question,” which blends rare on‑the‑ground footage with satellite‑forensic analysis to examine the impact of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. He explains the opaque...
‘It’s Really Hard to Give Up That Kind of Money’
Kevin Ortega‑Rojas, a solo news creator with 500,000 Instagram followers, faced a backlash after posting a paid partnership with prediction‑market platform Kalshi that promoted betting on the Texas Senate race. He removed the post within an hour and later disclosed...
Tech Creators Are Getting the Star Treatment at a New Talent Management Firm
Reign Maker Group has launched Kernel Management, a talent agency focused exclusively on tech creators such as YouTube’s Tech with Tim. The firm aims to connect creators with AI and software brands, offering sponsorships that can exceed $1 million for long‑term...
Instagram Sets Out Its Stall as a ‘Music Superfandom’ Platform
Instagram is positioning itself as a "music superfandom" platform, backed by a Luminate‑commissioned report that finds 58 % of music superfans use the app and 32 % of daily music engagers qualify as superfans. Meta’s experimental activation program delivered an average 10 %...
TikTok to Let US Creators Sell Personalized Videos In-App Through Its New Cameo Partnership
TikTok announced a partnership with personalized‑video service Cameo, enabling U.S. creators to sell custom video messages directly inside the app. The integration adds a seamless sign‑up flow and a “Cameo” search button, allowing fans to request videos that start at...
Volumetric Video Thrives in Sports, Stalls in Cinema
Volumetric video shines in live sports, but cinema’s creative and technical barriers slow adoption. https://t.co/NYB9FynplA
The War Against Misinformation Is Over. The Lies Won
The author declares that the fight against misinformation has been lost, arguing that despite fact‑checking and media‑literacy efforts, false content continues to spread unchecked. Citing recent Princeton‑Northwestern research, the piece shows that outrage fuels sharing even when people recognize falsehoods,...
Japan's Twitter Merger Mirrors Its Global Convergence
Just as Japan Twitter is going to merge with the rest of Twitter, Japan itself is converging toward the rest of the world. https://t.co/E2FnSeaVyV
R99 DStv Deal to Keep Showmax Subscribers From Bolting
MultiChoice is offering Showmax users a 12‑month DStv Stream Compact subscription for R99/month (≈ $5.35), a 67% discount from the regular R299 (~$16.15). The promotion aims to retain subscribers as Showmax will shut down on 30 April. Migration is not automatic; users...
The Center Cannot Hold
A new Sounds Profitable study of 4,652 Americans reveals a clear political gradient in podcast non‑consumption: 17 % of very liberals versus 27 % of very conservatives have never listened to a podcast. The gap is not driven by content relevance—both sides...
NEM Dubrovnik Unveils First Speakers for 2026 Edition
The NEM Dubrovnik TV market announced its first keynote lineup for the 2026 edition, scheduled for June 8‑11 in Croatia. Organisers project participation from more than 300 broadcasters, streamers, producers and distributors, making the event about 50 % larger than last year....
‘Hard Knocks’ Returns With Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Edition
HBO Max and NFL Films revive *Hard Knocks* with a five‑episode season that follows the Seattle Seahawks at their Renton, Washington training camp. The series premieres on August 11 and runs weekly through September 8, marking the first time a defending Super Bowl...
FCC Urged to Modernize Rules as Sports Streaming Shifts, Netflix Seeks More NFL Games
Broadcast groups have filed comments urging the FCC to overhaul antiquated ownership rules as live‑sports rights move to streaming platforms. At the same time, Netflix is in talks to double its NFL package from two to four games, underscoring the...
617 Collective Acquires Zanahoria Azul to Bolster Creator‑Economy Reach
617 Collective announced the purchase of Miami influencer talent agency Zanahoria Azul, adding a curated Hispanic creator roster to its portfolio. The deal, terms undisclosed, gives Zanahoria Azul access to 617’s capital and shared services while preserving its brand and...
Why I Self-Published - And Why It Changes Everything
Matt Goodwin’s self‑published title *Suicide of a Nation* has surged to the No. 1 non‑fiction paperback spot for small publishers and No. 2 overall in the UK, proving a controversial book can dominate the charts without a traditional house. Goodwin argues mainstream...
France 24 Launches BMW In-Car App with Dotscreen
France 24 has introduced a dedicated in‑car app for BMW Group vehicles in Europe and the United States, using Xperi’s TiVo infotainment platform. Developed by Dotscreen, the app delivers live streams, video bulletins and on‑demand news in French, English, Arabic and...
Meet Morgan Lindholm, Who Plays Cal’s Bartender Daughter Maddie in Yellowstone Spin-Off Marshals
Taylor Sheridan, creator of Yellowstone, serves as executive producer on two hit series, The Madison and Marshals. Marshals, a Yellowstone sequel starring Luke Grimes, currently ranks #1 on Paramount+ according to FlixPatrol. The show introduced Morgan Lindholm as Maddie, the...
3 Trends Reshaping the Creator Economy in 2026
In the Q1 2026 episode, the hosts identify three major trends reshaping the creator economy: the explosive growth of live streaming, especially IRL formats; the rise of a lucrative clipping economy that turns live moments into viral short-form content; and...
Taylor Lorenz’s Screen Time Is Almost 17 Hours a Day
Taylor Lorenz, author of *Extremely Online* and independent newsletter creator, reports an average of roughly 10 hours of iPhone screen time each day, supplemented by a 2024 14‑inch MacBook Pro for video editing. She maintains over 15,000 unread emails and hundreds...
US Paper Bags: Not a TV Prop, They're Real
Before I first visited the US, I thought that the brown paper bags everyone on US TV used to carry their shopping home were a TV convention (like area code 555) - a way to avoid showing brands. Then I...
One Of Marketing’s Toughest Execs Says Radio ‘Still Killing It’
Jessica Reyna, CEO of Kill Your Competition, praised radio as the only traditional medium still delivering strong results, rating it "always" while dismissing newspapers, TV, and outdoor. She emphasized that radio’s effectiveness hinges on format fit, timing aligned with customer...
The Handmaid's Tale's "Heartbreaking" Decision Was Necessary, and Was Always Going to Upset Fans
The Handmaid’s Tale ended without reuniting June Osborne and her daughter Hannah because the sequel series, The Testaments, was already in development. Showrunners Yahlin Chang and Eric Tuchman said contractual and narrative constraints forced a shift toward June’s resilience rather...
Has Jeep Cracked Interminable Advertorials – with Humour?
Jeep has launched a second‑year humor‑driven advertorial campaign on UK cheap‑channel television, featuring comedian Iliza Shlesinger and the tagline “We Will be funny” from agency Highdive. The spot replaces the typical long, product‑heavy infomercials with a comedic format that aims...
Spectator Made £6.6m Loss in Year Paul Marshall Paid £100m for Title
British weekly The Spectator posted a pre‑tax loss of £6.6 million ($8.4 million) for 2024 after Sir Paul Marshall’s Old Queen Street Ventures paid £100 million ($127 million) for the title. The 15‑month sale process cost the magazine £11.4 million ($14.5 million), turning a £2.6 million profit...
France: FTA Still Most-Watched TV Service
France’s free-to-air (FTA) television remains the most consumed video service, even as internet streaming expands, according to Arcom’s Q1 2026 audio‑video trends report. While 74 percent of households now receive IPTV, terrestrial digital terrestrial television (DTT) usage has fallen to 34.7 percent, with...
Agency Faces ‘£100,000’ Legal Costs From Mail and Telegraph over £200 Pictures Claim
A UK news agency, Central European News (CEN), is being sued by The Daily Mail and The Telegraph for failing to pay fees for two images, each valued at less than £200 (≈$250). The publishers have incurred roughly £100,000 (≈$125,000)...
Live Streaming Architecture: Ingest, Transcoding, and Delivery at Scale
Live streaming hinges on a three‑second viewer tolerance, forcing platforms to ingest, transcode, and deliver streams in near‑real time. Ingest typically uses RTMP, SRT, or WebRTC, while transcoding a 1080p60 feed consumes four to six CPU cores to produce a...
When Stars’ Plastic Surgery Is Played for Your Entertainment
Social media creators, often medical professionals, are posting side‑by‑side analyses of celebrity faces, guessing at procedures like Botox, brow lifts and lip fillers. The trend, popular on TikTok and Instagram, mixes authoritative commentary with entertainment, inviting viewers to identify “changes.”...
The Best Movies and TV Shows Streaming in April 2026
April 2026 sees a wave of new streaming titles, highlighted by AMC+ debuting the tech‑satire series “The Audacity” on April 12 and Amazon Prime Video launching an eight‑episode adaptation of Isabel Allende’s novel “The House of the Spirits” on April 29....
Who Covers Education in Indy?
Indianapolis’ education beat is fragmented across 11 public school districts, making comprehensive coverage difficult. Local newsrooms—Mirror Indy, WFYI, IndyStar—maintain dedicated education reporters, while Chalkbeat Indiana’s three‑person team partners with them to fill gaps. The collaboration yields joint stories on issues like...
YouTube Reveals Upfront Event Details, Including Trevor Noah and Chappell Roan
YouTube announced its Brandcast 2026 upfront event for May 13 at 5:30 p.m., hosted at Lincoln Center in New York City. Comedian Trevor Noah will serve as host while singer‑songwriter Chappell Roan headlines the musical segment. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and Google Americas president...
ITV’s Grace Has Returned For Season 6 – Here’s Where It Was Filmed
ITV has launched the sixth season of its crime drama Grace, debuting on March 29 across ITV1 and the streaming service ITVX. The series continues to follow Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, played by John Simm, as he tackles new cold‑case...