Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, overtaking pay‑TV revenue
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, surpassing pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit levels in 2026 as operators focus on monetising existing users.
Also developing:
All 50 State Broadcasters Associations Call on Congress to Reexamine Sports Broadcasting Act
Fifty state broadcasters associations, together with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, adopted a unanimous resolution urging Congress to revisit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. They argue that the rise of exclusive streaming deals threatens free, over‑the‑air access to live sports for millions of Americans.
From Campaigns to Infrastructure: Jamie Gutfreund on What Brands Still Get Wrong
Jamie Gutfreund, founder of Creator Vision and Forbes contributor, told CreatorIQ’s Earned podcast that creator marketing has moved beyond a fad but most brands still run it like a short‑term campaign. She argues that true growth requires dedicated infrastructure—centralized measurement,...
Taboola Data Reveals 76% Advertisers See Improved Performance From Agentic AI
Taboola’s new research shows 76% of advertisers experience performance gains from agentic AI, mainly on search and social platforms. The study finds 80% would boost open‑web ad spend if comparable AI tools existed, with 86% ready to allocate up to...
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront Was All About Performance
Warner Bros. Discovery used its upfront to unveil two ad‑measurement initiatives. It joined OpenAP’s conversion‑API effort, allowing advertisers to match outcomes data with first‑party data across major TV publishers. The company also launched an Always‑On Measurement & Attribution Dashboard that...
How to Go on a Podcast with Pamela Paul
Courtney Maum recounts a tense appearance on the New York Times Book Review podcast hosted by Pamela Paul, where the interview fixated on the elusive "million‑dollar book deal" despite her modest $7,000 advance. The experience highlighted a mismatch between the...
Publishing for AI Search Is Like SEO in 1999. Here’s What That Means for Your Business.
AI‑driven chat interfaces like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now pull answers from indexed web content, rewarding the most specific, useful sources. The author likens this shift to the 1999 Google SEO boom, where early adopters secured lasting rankings. By publishing...
TikTok Mounts Last-Ditch Bid to Escape EU’s Big Tech Regulations
TikTok’s parent ByteDance has taken its challenge to the EU Court of Justice, seeking to overturn the platform’s designation as a “gatekeeper” under the EU Digital Markets Act. The hearing on May 12 marks the first time the top EU...
The State of Agentic Advertising
The Digiday‑Optable State of the Industry report surveyed 180 agencies, publishers, brands and retailers on agentic advertising. While 89% of advertisers are already using or building AI agents, most publishers remain in early or fragmented stages, with 42% not prioritizing...
Earmax Media Brings Outcome-Based Podcast Advertising Model to UK Market
Australian‑founded Earmax Media has entered the UK podcast advertising market, where 39% of adults listen weekly. The agency’s outcome‑based model evaluates campaigns on business results rather than traditional reach or CPM metrics. Through its sister creative shop Eardrum, Earmax delivers...
Minnesota — and MPR — Kept Everyone’s Attention at the Start of 2026
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) surged to the top of public‑media traffic rankings in early 2026, adding 7 million site visits in January after extensive ICE coverage and attracting 25,000 new members—the most ever in a fiscal year. Similar spikes occurred at...
Peacock to Debut WNBA Games on May 17
Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, will begin live‑streaming WNBA games on May 17, launching a doubleheader featuring the Las Vegas Aces vs Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever vs Seattle Storm. The games will air simultaneously on NBC and Peacock, with star players A’ja...
MarketBeat Slashed Millions of Emails, Dropped Prices and Revenue’s Rising
MarketBeat has dramatically trimmed its email list from a peak of 6.2 million to 3.6 million, prioritizing engaged readers as inbox providers tighten standards. The company cut its annual subscription fee to $249 from $399 amid stagnant premium subscriber numbers and growing...
Warner's Potential Final Upfront Showcases Ted Turner Speech
Warner opens what may be its last upfront ever with footage of a speech by Ted Turner https://t.co/R0zE95v6Wh
WGN, Chicago Anchor Honored with Chicago Headline Club Award
Sylvia Snowden, a WGN Chicago anchor, received the Peter Lisagor Award for Best Investigative Reporting from the Chicago Headline Club. Her award‑winning series exposed a Chicago Public Schools employee who organized a massive TikTok‑promoted West Side party despite police warnings....
Data, Experts and Early Access: What Journalists Want in 2026
Cision’s 2026 State of the Media Report, based on interviews with more than 1,800 reporters worldwide, shows that accuracy and combating misinformation remain the biggest challenges, with half of journalists citing them. Resource constraints have intensified, as 49% now flag...
Flightpath Introduces Revenue Optimizer, Giving Publishers Greater Control Over Revenue, Inventory, and Campaign Performance
Flightpath announced Revenue Optimizer, a managed traffic service for podcast and digital‑audio publishers that builds on its predictive forecasting and flight‑simulator technology. The solution is designed to increase revenue, improve campaign delivery and give operations teams greater flexibility, with an...
Magellan AI Partners with Signal Hill Insights to Deliver Full-Funnel Podcast Measurement
Magellan AI announced a partnership with Signal Hill Insights to combine podcast ad exposure data with brand‑lift research. The integration feeds Magellan’s dynamic and baked‑in ad metrics into Signal Hill’s studies, improving audience matching and control‑group reliability. Advertisers will receive...
Texas Attorney General Sues Netflix Over Alleged Unauthorized User Tracking
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming service illegally harvests user data and employs addictive autoplay features. The complaint seeks injunctions and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation under the state's...
MrBeast Unveils AI‑Driven Creator Marketplace, Pushing Programmatic Ads to Influencers
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson announced that Beast Industries is launching an AI‑powered creator marketplace that connects vetted micro‑creators with Global 1000 advertisers. The platform, built around the Vyro distribution engine and a new intelligence layer, aims to make creator inventory as...
Forget Dances. TikTok Wants People To Shop
TikTok is accelerating its shift from a short‑form video app to a full‑stack ecommerce platform. In March it unveiled TikTok GO, letting users book travel and activities directly in the feed, and introduced Branded Buzz and Search Hubs to scale creator‑driven...
As Advertisers Chase Outcomes, Smart TV OEMs Gain Ground
Smart TV OEMs are rapidly becoming a key channel for advertisers as outcomes drive media buying. iSpot's 2026 survey shows 45.5% of marketers prioritize business outcomes, and ad spend through OEMs rose from 25% in 2025 to 55% in 2026....
Google Hands Discover Profile Control to 54 Publishers
Is Discover important for you? -> Google quietly gave 54 publishers control over their Discover profiles. Here’s what they did with it https://t.co/unwhQQr2SD via @AndellDam https://t.co/k1lheKnZC6
Top 10 Hidden Fire TV App Every Fire TV Owner Should Try In 2026
The article spotlights ten lesser‑known Fire TV apps that broaden streaming options in 2026, ranging from free movie libraries like FilmRise to live‑news aggregators such as Haystack News. It highlights Xumo Play’s 350+ live channels, library‑driven services hoopla and Kanopy,...
OAREX & FirstPartyFinance Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand Digital Media Companies’ Access to Capital
OAREX and FirstPartyFinance have formed a strategic partnership to broaden non‑dilutive financing for companies in the digital advertising space. OAREX will extend working‑capital loans to FirstPartyCapital’s portfolio and its broader network, complementing the growth‑equity investments that FirstPartyFinance provides. The collaboration...
4 Takeaways for Local News Leaders From a Study on News Consumption by U.S. Teens and Adults
The Media Insight Project released a nationally representative study of 1,092 adults and 1,009 teens that maps how U.S. news consumers across five age groups find, trust, and pay for news. Influencers dominate teen news diets (81% of 13‑17‑year‑olds), while...
Five Local News Organizations Receive API-Knight Grants to Deepen Youth Engagement
The American Press Institute, backed by the Knight Foundation, awarded a total of $20,000 in API‑Knight Youth Engagement grants to five local news organizations. Each grantee received up to $4,000 to pilot projects that embed youth perspectives into reporting, community...
Ireland Investigates Meta for Breaching the DSA – a Year on From Our Complaint
Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator, Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM), announced a formal investigation into Meta’s use of potentially deceptive "dark pattern" interfaces that limit users’ ability to select non‑profiling recommender feeds. The probe follows a joint complaint filed in April 2025 by...
Ahead of Paramount Mega-Merger, WBD Bets on Agentic Ads
Warner Bros. Discovery introduced a suite of AI‑driven ad products at its May upfront, including shoppable ads that appear when viewers pause programming and a Kerv.ai partnership that aligns ads with specific scenes. The company also upgraded its dynamic creative tools, linking...
The Era of the Microdrama Is Here
Microdrama apps like ReelShort and DramaBox have become the most‑downloaded video‑streaming platforms worldwide, eclipsing Netflix, as mobile‑first, two‑minute episodes capture post‑pandemic scrolling habits. The U.S. market generated $819 million in 2024 and is projected to reach $3.8 billion by 2030, driven by...
Beijing International Book Fair Marks 40th Anniversary with AI, Licensing and Global Expansion
The Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) will host 1,700 exhibitors from 82 countries June 17-21, celebrating its 40th anniversary while spotlighting AI innovation, a new IP licensing zone and the United Arab Emirates as Country of Honor. Organizers say the...
Netflix Secures Exclusive NFL Honors Rights and Three Games for 2026 Season
Netflix has clinched exclusive streaming rights to the NFL Honors ceremony and three additional games for the 2026 season, including a Week 1 showcase in Australia and a Thanksgiving Eve matchup. The deal marks the streamer’s biggest live‑sports acquisition yet and...
How Taiwan’s United Daily News Group Uses Data and AI to Reclaim Advertising Revenue
United Daily News Group (UDN) in Taiwan has turned artificial intelligence into a commercial engine, using AI‑driven advertising to boost performance and reclaim revenue. Targeted campaigns generated click‑through rates more than 230% higher than standard placements, while thousands of ads...
The Onion’s Pending Takeover of Infowars Stirs Disinformation Debate
The satirical news site The Onion has won a bankruptcy bid for Alex Jones’s Infowars but faces court stays that postpone final approval. CEO Ben Collins says the deal aims to redirect profits to Sandy Hook families and curb harmful disinformation,...
BuzzFeed Shares Surge 113% as Allen Family Digital Takes Majority Stake for $120 Million
BuzzFeed’s stock jumped 113% after Allen Family Digital agreed to purchase a 52% controlling stake for $120 million, appointing media entrepreneur Byron Allen as chairman and CEO while founder Jonah Peretti moves to lead BuzzFeed AI. The deal, structured with $20 million...
Viant DSP Posts 25% Revenue Surge in Q1 2026, Driven by CTV Boom
Viant Technology (DSP) announced first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $88.5 million, a 25% year‑over‑year increase that beat guidance by 3%. The growth was powered by record CTV spend, a five‑fold rise in IRIS ID usage, and the recent TVision acquisition, lifting the...
Why This Hollywood Director Thinks AI Can Save L.A. Film Jobs
Director Jon Erwin used generative AI to produce the biblical miniseries “The Old Stories: Moses” entirely on a Los Angeles soundstage in just one week, employing a crew of 100. By integrating AI‑generated environments, crowds, and visual effects into a...
Netflix Launches Report on Economic & Cultural Impact of Its Productions
Netflix unveiled "The Netflix Effect," a decade‑spanning report quantifying its economic, cultural and social influence. The streaming giant says it has poured more than $135 billion into film and series production, generating over $325 billion for the global economy and creating 425,000+...
D.C. on the Docket: What’s Coming for Hispanic Radio at HRC
Frank Montero, managing partner at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, warned that the FCC’s likely July vote to relax radio multiple‑ownership limits could reshape the Hispanic broadcasting landscape. The FCC has already begun issuing market waivers, signaling a shift toward greater...
Audacy to Local Ad Buyers: Think FAST
Audacy’s digital chief Jenny Sutton warns that local advertisers are overlooking free ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST) despite its rapid growth. FAST viewership is projected to surpass 125 million by 2026, yet most local media budgets remain tied to premium subscription services....
Newsroom Profile: Mirror Indy
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom in Indianapolis, operates on a $5.4 million annual budget funded 65% by foundations, 28% by individual donors and a growing mix of corporate sponsorships. In its third year, the outlet reports 42,000 newsletter subscribers, 78,000 monthly...
TikTok Builds for the AI Future, Welcoming Third-Party Agents for Ads
TikTok announced at TikTok World that it will open its ad platform to third‑party AI agents, allowing advertisers to automate campaign creation and management. The initiative is powered by a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that functions like an API, letting...
Rakuten TV Hopes Other Streaming Companies Follow in Joining Barb
Rakuten TV announced it will be measured by Barb, the UK broadcaster‑owned TV measurement Joint Industry Committee, positioning itself as one of the first hybrid streaming platforms to adopt the standard. Senior Director Chris Edwards explained the move aims to...
Spain: Movistar Plus+ Launches €4.99 Streaming Plan
Movistar Plus+ has introduced a low‑cost tier called Plan Libre Cine y Series, priced at €4.99 per month (about $5.44). The plan gives unlimited access to the full library of films, series, documentaries and more than 70 TV channels, but...
US TV Giants Form Cross-Publisher Initiative with OpenAP
A coalition of U.S. TV giants—including A+E, AMC, Fox, Hallmark, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Scripps, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros Discovery—has partnered with OpenAP to launch a cross‑publisher initiative that standardizes the connection of first‑party outcome data to campaign exposure. The effort introduces a unified...
Bestads Best TV / Film of the Week: Hornbach’s ‘A Stupid, Useless Board’ via HeimatTBWA, Berlin
Hornbach, the European home‑improvement retailer, teamed with its agency HeimatTBWA to launch the spring campaign “A Stupid, Useless Board.” The film, judged by TBWA’s Laura Paikkari, uses a discarded piece of wood to illustrate limitless DIY possibilities. It blends humor...
Forecast: Social Media Ad Revenue at $640bn by 2030
Omdia forecasts social media advertising to reach $640 billion by 2030, growing at a 12% CAGR over the next five years. The sector’s share of total online ads is expected to rise from 33% to 44%, outpacing most digital categories. Video...
Future of TV Briefing: Inside Warner Bros. Discovery’s Programmatic Upfront Pitch
Warner Bros. Discovery says more than half of its programmatic ad demand now comes through the upfront, marking a pivotal shift toward automated buying. The company has opened live‑sports inventory—including March Madness and the upcoming French Open—to programmatic deals, requiring...
Upfront Focus: Linear Unchanged, Shift To Social Video, CTV
The latest iSpot survey of over 200 brand and agency executives shows that 45.5% of marketers now prioritize business outcomes above all else when allocating TV upfront spend. While 47.5% expect budgets to stay flat year‑over‑year, the composition is shifting...
YouTube’s Brandcast Puts Creators Front‑And‑Center, Pitching Them as the New TV Stars
YouTube’s Brandcast upfront highlighted a creator‑first strategy, treating its top video makers as a de‑facto television lineup. The platform showcased new long‑form series and announced tools that lift brand conversion on Shorts by roughly 30%, signaling a shift in how...
Legacy TV and Tech Titans Clash Over Ad Dollars at 2026 Upfronts
NBCUniversal, Fox and Amazon used the 2026 upfronts to pitch sports‑centric inventory, AI‑driven ad tools and performance‑based measurement, each hoping to lock in a larger slice of advertisers’ budgets. Amazon highlighted a $68 billion ad business and live‑sports portfolio, while NBCU...