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.
“Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” And Age of the Prestige Prank Show
The second season of "Jury Duty," retitled "Company Retreat," arrives on Prime Video with a fresh premise set at a Los Angeles hot‑sauce company’s staff retreat. Creator‑team Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky replace the courtroom backdrop with a sprawling corporate‑camp environment, introducing a new ensemble led by Anthony Norman. The series continues the hybrid mockumentary‑prank format while amplifying production values, and it follows the original’s 2024 Peabody win and a $100,000 payout plus an Amazon overall deal for the first‑season unwitting star. Critics praise the cast’s quirks but warn the relentless optimism may dilute narrative tension.
Tubi Teams Up with Tiktok, Feat. Rich Bloom & The Verdicts Changing Social Media Forever
In this episode of Creator Upload, Tubi’s GM of Creator Programs, Rich Bloom, explains the new partnership with TikTok to develop long‑form series starring TikTok creators. The deal leverages TikTok’s Spotlight and marketing tools to promote the shows while Tubi...
FOX Sports Assembles Top-Tier Roster for 2026 Major League Baseball Regular Season Coverage
FOX Sports unveiled its 2026 Major League Baseball broadcast lineup, featuring Hall of Famers John Smoltz, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz alongside Emmy‑winning play‑by‑play talent Joe Davis. The network will begin coverage on March 28 with a day‑night doubleheader, supplementing...
Digital PR Amplifies Brand Visibility in AI Search
Why Digital PR matters in AI search 👇 Digital PR is becoming more important in AI search because it helps put your brand into the broader web conversation beyond your own site. 1. Repeated third-party coverage can help reinforce public associations between...
Fox One and the Future of Sports Streaming: Ten Insights From DTC Chief Pete Distad
Fox Corporation unveiled Fox One, a streaming‑first sports platform designed to capture the roughly 60 million U.S. households that have left the traditional pay‑TV bundle. The service complements, rather than replaces, existing pay‑TV offerings, bundling live sports, news and entertainment while...
"The Morning Show" News Incoming - Sean Hayes Joins the Cast of Season 5
Apple TV+ confirmed via its official Twitter account that Sean Hayes will join the cast of *The Morning Show* for its fifth season. The announcement, released on March 27, 2026, provided no specifics about Hayes’s character or plot direction. Hayes,...
Why Microdramas Are a Streaming Media Opportunity
Recent EMARKETER data shows Americans now spend more than five hours daily on mobile video, while TV accounts for under 40% of total viewing time by 2026. Chinese‑origin microdrama apps, delivering 60‑90 second episodes for a $15‑$25 series fee, generated...
New Apple Podcasts HLS Hosts, Targeting Podcasting’s Holdouts, & More
Apple released iOS 26.4, adding HLS video support to Apple Podcasts and onboarding four new hosting platforms—Podspace, Riverside, Ausha and Firstory. A March 25 report shows 48 podcasts already streaming HLS video, though full video remains unavailable on macOS and Apple TV. Research from...
TechnoSport Taps IPL Buzz with ‘Real Movement’ Campaign
TechnoSport unveiled a brand film titled “Real Movement” during the Indian Premier League, shifting its narrative from gym‑centric performance to everyday activity. The campaign, part of a broader identity refresh, will run on connected TV, digital platforms and transit media...
Disney+ Signs RTVE Content Deal
Disney+ has inked a content agreement with Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, bringing a curated slate of the network’s titles to the streaming service a day after their linear broadcast. The lineup includes the thriller series *Rojo sobre blanco* and the...
How to Achieve Seamless Shoppable CTV
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, leaders from Fuse Media, Disney, Spaceback and LG outlined the next wave of shoppable CTV innovations. They highlighted homepage tile ads as a low‑funnel performance tool, Roku’s phone‑number‑linked click‑to‑buy flow, and LG’s Shop Time platform that leverages...
Three Talented New Compact Radios for Surfing the Airwaves in Style
Philips introduced the TAR3500, a rugged DAB/AM/FM radio with a 60‑hour lithium‑ion battery, solar panel, hand‑crank charger and built‑in flashlight, SOS siren and beacon, priced at £59.99 (≈ $76). The company also announced the retro‑styled MS60 Roller at €179.99 (≈ $196). Roberts...
When Platforms Panic, Ads Follow (525)
In this episode of This Old Marketing, hosts Robert Rose and Joe Polizzi discuss a wave of platform panic that’s spilling over into advertising, starting with TikTok’s sudden removal of the AI‑generated parody account “Fruit Love Island.” They then dive...
Entertainment Industry Veterans Launch Unified Production Platform (UPP)
Entertainment veterans Mujeebur Rahmansaher, Greg Smith and An De Vooght have launched Unified Production Platform (UPP), a cloud‑native SaaS solution that consolidates casting, payroll, compliance, analytics and workflow management. The platform is AI‑powered and marketed as an open‑market alternative to...
MC-IF Targets Smaller-Scale Innovators to Accelerate Real-World Adoption of Versatile Video Coding in 2026
The Media Coding Industry Forum (MC-IF) is expanding its 2026 membership drive to include growth‑stage companies with less than $300 million in annual revenue. By lowering the entry‑level fee, MC‑IF aims to tap the agility of emerging innovators to speed up...
Love Story May Finally End the Kennedy Myth / Buffy Rejection Should Benefit Sarah Michelle Gellar / CBS Has Three...
Ryan Murphy’s new series Love Story attempts to dismantle the long‑standing Kennedy myth, but critics dismiss it as a Wikipedia‑driven farce. The show’s controversial take could finally shift public perception of the Kennedy narrative. Meanwhile, the ongoing debate over the...
Popular YouTuber Kizuna AI Is Virtual. The Screaming Fans Are Not
Kizuna AI, the pioneering virtual YouTuber, staged two sold‑out concerts in Tokyo, drawing thousands despite being a 2D anime avatar. The shows rely on motion‑capture technology, with dancer Amika wearing a suit tracked by 28 cameras to animate the character....
ACE Dismantles AnimePlay
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has taken down AnimePlay, a major illicit anime‑streaming app operating from Riau, Indonesia. The service, launched in 2020, attracted over 5 million registered users and stored more than 60 TB of pirated content. ACE seized...
ESPN Original "Why Not Us: UMES Volleyball" To Premiere March 30
ESPN announced the next installment of its Why Not Us series, Why Not Us: UMES Volleyball, premiering on March 30 via the ESPN App. The documentary follows the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s newly created men’s volleyball team, the first...
Has Dreaming Whilst Black Season 3 Been Canceled or Renewed?
Dreaming Whilst Black, the British comedy created by Adjani Salmon, Natasha Jatania, and Maximilian Evans, completed its second season on Paramount+ in March 2026. While the show has attracted a fresh U.S. audience, neither Paramount+ nor the producers have issued...
Inside ITV Digital’s Growth Surge Under CEO Akshansh Yadav
Akshansh Yadav, appointed CEO of ITV Network’s digital arm last year, has engineered a rapid turnaround of legacy news brands such as India News, NewsX and The Sunday Guardian. Leveraging a blend of editorial insight, product thinking and technology upgrades,...
Friday Flashback: 60 Minutes Lebanon Kidnapping
A decade ago, 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown and eight Nine staff members were detained in Lebanon on accusations of orchestrating a child abduction, allegedly paying $115,000 to a recovery agency. Lebanese prosecutors charged them with armed abduction, threats and physical...
Shoppable TV Has a QR Code Problem
Shoppable TV has leaned on QR codes to turn viewers into shoppers, but industry data shows click‑through rates hovering around 0.03%, far below expectations. While 62% of consumers discover new brands on television and spend roughly $290 annually on TV‑inspired...
Kim Nam-Gil Stars in Upcoming Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Nightmare’
South Korean actor Kim Nam-gil is set to star as Detective Kim Tae-yi in the upcoming sci-fi thriller series “Nightmare,” which blends crime drama with futuristic technology that imprisons criminals in their own nightmares. Co-star Lee Yoo-mi portrays Jang Gyu-eun,...
Australia’s Creative and Media Sectors Unite at Parliament House to Make the Case for Licensing in the Age of AI
Australia’s creative and media industries convened at Parliament House to press for a licensing‑based approach to AI training data, reaffirming the government’s decision to reject a broad Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception. Speakers from Universal Music Group, The Guardian,...
AFL Behind the Scenes on Seven: “After Boring Goal – Shot of Triple M.”
The AFL broadcast on Seven relies on a 75‑person crew to deliver 4.5 hours of live TV, using 25 cameras—including drones, 4K ultra‑zoom and Steadicam units—to capture every angle. Production is tightly linked to commercial imperatives, with six ads per quarter...
Polymarket Bets in Google News Are Hidden Ads
Why are Polymarket bets showing up in Google News This is not news lol This is an undisclosed ad
Inside the Stream – Deloitte Streaming Data, CTV Commerce, Disney-OpenAI Ends
Deloitte’s latest Digital Media Trends report shows 68% of streamers are prioritizing ad‑supported SVOD plans while 61% say they would cancel a service if monthly fees rose by $5. Disney has scrapped its $1 billion investment in OpenAI after the AI...
Spotify Creator Loses Key Scheduling Features, Misleads Users
Ok do I know anyone who's on the product team for @spotifycreator? The product has regressed: 1. No way to copy a scheduled episode link (there was an copy button that was removed) 2. After I schedule an episode, it sends me...
Shield Insurance Broker and VML Thailand Turn Hard Sell Into Binge-Worthy Micro Drama
Shield Insurance Broker, together with VML Thailand, launched an innovative social‑media campaign for its After Shit Happens Service, turning a traditionally hard‑sell insurance proposition into a binge‑worthy micro‑drama series. The series delivers every feature and benefit through fast‑paced, cliff‑hanger storytelling...
King YouTube: Who’s Coming for the Crown—And How | Behind the Numbers
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, hosts Marcus, Ethan Kramer, and analyst Marissa Jones dissect YouTube’s ascent to the top of the media hierarchy, noting its $62 billion revenue haul that now eclipses Disney’s media business. They explore why YouTube’s...
Genius Sports Opens up Real-Time Live Sports Targeting to Brands
Genius Sports unveiled its Moment Engine, a real‑time targeting platform that matches live‑sports data—such as player stats and scorelines—to addressable CTV, display and upcoming social inventory. Partnering with major ad exchanges, the tool lets brands trigger ads during high‑engagement moments...
‘The Processes Are Continuing Forward’: Advertising’s Dealmakers Press on with M&A Despite Iran Uncertainty
Advertising M&A remains active despite the Iran‑related geopolitical shock, with advisors reporting no immediate slowdown in deal flow. Executives note that while negotiations are proceeding, larger transactions are being approached more cautiously due to heightened risk perception. Private‑equity firms are...
Inside The Daily Mail’s Creator-Led Content Playbook
DMG Media has hired more than two dozen creators to run its creator‑led social channels, producing ten to twenty original videos daily across topics from football to youth issues. The in‑house model generates 250,000‑350,000 views per video, outpacing the Daily...
Social Media Advertising Examples: 12 Ideas to Inspire You in 2026
The article catalogs twelve standout social‑media ads across Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit and Facebook, breaking down the tactics that made each piece effective. It highlights how brands like Apple, Notion and Google use pain‑point framing, user‑generated hashtags, bold dollar values and...
TikTok Boasts Of Joint Venture And Improvements For Advertisers
TikTok unveiled a new News Front showcase highlighting its two‑month‑old joint venture with USDS, promising richer storytelling formats and a more secure, creative advertising platform. The partnership is positioned to give advertisers advanced tools and stronger data protection. Meanwhile, Tennessee lawmakers...
Twitch Tests New “Gift Turbo” Button on Usercards
Twitch is running an experiment where they add a "Gift Turbo" button to a persons usercard.
18‑Year‑Old Creates Git‑Style JSON Workflow for Video Editing
git, but for video editing. this guy literally decomposed a DaVinci timeline into isolated JSON format to keep editors, colorists, and sound designers entirely out of each other's files 🤯 fun fact: he's only 18. https://t.co/DkPcxLim5Z
Virgin TV Offers Free UHD Boost This Easter
Virgin Media O2 is giving all Virgin TV customers free access to its Ultra HD channel (228 and 999) from March 28 through April 12, covering the Easter half‑term break. The promotion features a curated slate of movies, documentaries and live‑music performances, including titles...
Eli Lake Unpacks a Riveting The FP Story
Icing on cake: @EliLake discusses this fascinating @TheFP story with author @FPJaySolomon on special ep of the always excellent @BreakingHistPod https://t.co/GKGr1a3juI
Senator Ron Wyden Stands Alone in Targeting Big Tech
Ron Wyden is the only lawmaker in congress who is actually interested in cracking down on big tech it seems
Colebourn Named BBC News Regional Director for Europe
Richard Colebourn has been named Regional Director for Europe for BBC News and the World Service, becoming the corporation’s most senior representative across Europe and Central Asia. He will oversee editorial and operational duties, including BBC News Russian, Ukrainian, and...
Non‑tech Editors Erode Credibility of Tech Journalism
A BA in Philosophy and zero tech experience is who they pick to be the Editorial Director at Wired - a (former) tech publication. This is why most tech journalism has lost all credibility. They pick the theatre kids to...
Tuesday TV Ratings 3/24/26: Best Medicine and Doc Decline, NCIS Leads Scripted Programming, RJ Decker Continues to Narrowly Trail NCIS:...
Tuesday’s March 24, 2026 ratings show CBS’s NCIS leading scripted programming with a 0.35 rating and 5.55 million viewers. ABC’s RJ Decker trailed closely, drawing 3.11 million viewers, while the new NCIS: Sydney posted 2.63 million. Fox’s Best Medicine and Doc both slipped, registering 0.20 and 0.15...
Wikipedia Bans AI-Generated Content
On March 20, Wikipedia’s volunteer community voted 40‑2 to adopt a policy banning the use of large language models (LLMs) for creating or rewriting encyclopedia articles. The rule permits LLMs only for minor copy‑editing suggestions on an editor’s own text,...
Indie Distributor Execs Depart Amid Cash Crunch, Future Uncertain
Will the new indie distributor make it to CinemaCon? hard to say. @thewrap @elmayimbe reports that the two top execs Megan Colligan and Ben Carlson have left amid reports of a cash crunch. https://t.co/nKEXo2sOCd https://t.co/jw7X7RJqK1
2025-26 Season Ratings for New TV Shows (Week 26)
The 2025‑26 TV season reached week 26, revealing early live‑plus‑same‑day ratings for dozens of new network series. Networks such as ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC listed their fresh titles, but advertisers focus on demo ratings that capture younger,...
HBO Sets Christmas 2026 Premiere for Harry Potter Series, Unveils Cast and Decade-Long Plan
HBO confirmed that its Harry Potter adaptation will debut on December 25, 2026, and will span a decade‑long, eight‑episode‑per‑season run covering each book. The streamer revealed an all‑new cast, writer Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod, while also sparking...
Los Angeles Jury Orders $6 Million From Meta and Google Over Addictive Design
A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a teen, ordering $6 million in total damages—$3 million compensatory and $3 million punitive, with Meta bearing 70% of the liability. The verdict is being hailed as...
Carr Defends $6.2B Nexstar‑Tegna Merger as Newsom Calls FCC Decision a Disgrace
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defended the $6.2 billion Nexstar‑Tegna merger, granting a waiver of the 39% national ownership cap. Governor Gavin Newsom and a coalition of state attorneys general have launched a political and legal offensive, calling the approval an outrage.