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.
Paramount‑Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Hit by Political Backlash
Paramount Global and Skydance have emerged as the leading bidder for Warner Bros. Discovery, but the deal now faces a wave of political criticism. Senator Elizabeth Warren and actress Jane Fonda released a video denouncing the merger as an abuse of power that could raise consumer prices and cut jobs, adding a new hurdle to the regulatory review process.
Netflix Walks Away From Warner Bros. Discovery Studio Deal
Netflix has terminated its pending purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery's studio assets, ending months of negotiations. The withdrawal leaves deal advisors scrambling and could reshape financing activity in the entertainment sector.
TV Ratings (25/3/2026): MAFS’ Danny Delivers Dunce-Like Domestic Drama
Married At First Sight (MAFS) continued to dominate Australian television on March 25, 2026, achieving a total national reach of 2.94 million viewers and an audience of 1.88 million. The episode generated controversy when contestant Danny made a sexist remark about moving...
Airdate: Apex
Netflix's new action‑thriller "Apex" starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton and Eric Bana will debut on the platform on April 24. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur and filmed in New South Wales' Blue Mountains, the movie promises high‑stakes survival drama set against...
Netflix MLB Scorebug Draws Polarizing Reaction
Netflix launched its first Major League Baseball broadcast on Opening Night, featuring an hour‑long pre‑game show and a distinctive bottom‑right scorebug. The graphic combines three‑dimensional team logos, base‑path overlays, and pitch‑clock data, but its microscopic font has drawn sharp criticism...
HBO Unveils First Teaser for New Harry Potter Series
First Teaser for HBO's New 'Harry Potter' Series Starring John Lithgow https://t.co/rQQ44qCj48 #Hogwarts #HarryPotter #RonWeasley #JohnLithgow #Dumbledore #HBOMax https://t.co/XWtQQpenfc
Lisa Kudrow Led the HBO Max Launch Party in London
HBO Max officially launched in the United Kingdom on Thursday, marked by a high‑profile party in London hosted by Lisa Kudrow. The event showcased the service’s flagship titles, including the medical drama The Pitt, the critically acclaimed The Last of Us,...
UK Launches Pilot to Ban Social Media for Children Under 13, Impose Time Limits
The UK government has started a 12‑month pilot that will ban social‑media accounts for children under 13 and enforce daily usage caps and evening curfews. The trial, run in partnership with local authorities and schools, aims to gauge the impact...
TikTok Nurse Exposes Five Shockingly Inappropriate Dad Behaviors in Delivery Rooms
Labor and delivery nurse Kim, known as @nursekimwellness on TikTok, posted a video naming five shocking behaviors by fathers in delivery rooms. The clip quickly went viral, prompting hospitals and parenting groups to discuss how to set clearer expectations for...
Monday TV Ratings: Memory of a Killer, FBI, The Rookie, St. Denis Medical, Wild Cards
Monday TV ratings for March 23, 2026 were posted using Fast Affiliate Numbers, covering new episodes of shows such as Memory of a Killer, FBI, The Rookie, St. Denis Medical and Wild Cards. The report lists percentage changes from the previous original episode for each...
Returning: Living Black, The Point.
Australia’s longest‑running Indigenous current‑affairs series, Living Black, returns on April 20 with 14 new episodes, marking its 23rd year and 33rd season. The program will tackle topics such as police use of commercial DNA databases, music‑therapy rehabilitation for Western Australian...
Hachette Children's Group Secures Two‑Book YA Deal with Tanya Byrne
Hachette Children's Group announced a two‑book deal with author Tanya Byrne, whose debut YA title Afterlove—a lesbian love story set in the afterlife—will arrive next summer. The agreement marks a strategic push into LGBTQ‑focused teen fiction amid fierce competition for...
Walmart Isn’t Just a Retailer Anymore — It’s an Advertising Powerhouse
Walmart’s advertising division, Walmart Connect, has evolved into a major revenue engine, posting $4.4 billion in 2024—a 27% jump from the prior year. The platform capitalizes on Walmart’s massive first‑party shopper data, delivering ads across its e‑commerce site, in‑store screens, and...
Social Media Liability: Meta Ordered to Pay Millions in Total Damages
A federal jury found Meta and Google liable for causing teen mental‑health harm, ordering the companies to pay combined damages in the millions. The verdict stems from a class‑action lawsuit alleging that algorithmic feeds amplified harmful content to minors. Both...
‘Tonight Show’ Warm-Up Act Apologizes to BTS for North Korea Crack at Taping | Report
Seth Herzog, the warm‑up act for The Tonight Show, made a joke implying a BTS member was from North Korea, prompting immediate backlash from the group’s fanbase. Fans flooded social media demanding an apology before the live taping. Herzog later...
Sachin Malik: How First-Party Data Is Redefining Precision Advertising
First‑party data has become a strategic asset as third‑party cookies disappear, reshaping advertising infrastructure. Sachin Malik, Block’s VP of revenue strategy, cites his experience at Uber, Walmart Connect, and Block’s Cash App and Afterpay to illustrate how transaction‑level signals turn...
Fanatics Flag Football Classic Draws Underwhelming TV Audience
The NFL’s flag‑football push culminated in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, a star‑laden showcase that was abruptly moved from Riyadh to Los Angeles amid geopolitical tensions. Despite Tom Brady’s comeback hype and heavy promotion on Fox, the broadcast averaged only 650,000 viewers,...
Media Roundtable
The Media Roundtable preview episode introduces a new season focused on dissecting premium podcasts and their creators, promising weekly deep‑dives into show DNA to help listeners decide where to invest their time and money. It acknowledges current global turbulence—COVID‑19’s Delta...
#ThisWeek on MarkLives MEDIA: Being Bruce Whitfield • #NextWeek: Real-World Brand Experiences Return
Veteran broadcaster Bruce Whitfield is launching a new News24 business series that will interview South Africa’s economic leaders and explore growth sectors. The program aims to provide in‑depth analysis and elevate public discourse on the country’s post‑pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, KLA’s...
Podcasting Strategy Simplified
In this launch episode of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, host Jason Sircone explains the rebrand from Let’s Blow This Up and outlines the show’s new focus on actionable podcast strategy, including topics like podcast SEO, discoverability, and the importance of a...
Newsom Serves Liberal Donors, Not Public Interest
Gavin Newsom isn’t standing up to me or for any legitimate interest. He’s simply doing the bidding of his liberal Hollywood donors—the billionaires in media who have no interest in the FCC holding them accountable to their statutory public interest obligations. They...
Good Morning
OpenAI abruptly shut down its Sora video‑generation app, terminating a three‑month, $1 billion equity partnership with Disney that licensed 200 iconic characters. The move underscores a pattern where AI firms invoke fair‑use defenses for training data, then abandon high‑profile brand deals...
The New Broadcast Is a Great Ad
The article argues that linear TV advertising is losing relevance with Gen Z, who now consume content primarily on creator‑driven platforms like YouTube. Jordan Schwarzenberger’s Sidemen collective reaches roughly 70% of UK Gen Z, dwarfing traditional TV audiences. Creators are...
Guns & Rosslyn
Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner is set to announce the next editor‑in‑chief of Politico within days, a move that marks a watershed moment for the 20‑year‑old outlet. The appointment underscores Springer’s broader strategy to build a transatlantic media empire that...
Gillian Anderson Endorses Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ Reboot Amid Fan Speculation: ‘Give It a Chance’
Gillian Anderson publicly backed Ryan Coogler’s upcoming reboot of "The X‑Files," praising the pilot script and urging fans to keep an open mind. Coogler, known for "Black Panther," will write and direct the pilot, aiming to restore the series’ classic...
Katie Couric Live with Scott MacFarlane, Pamela Brown, and Rep. Jamie Raskin Part 1
In this episode, Katie Couric talks with former CBS journalist Scott MacFarlane about his recent move to the independent Midas Touch Network and the broader shift away from traditional broadcast news. They discuss how digital, conversational formats are resonating with...
Casting News: A Different World Revival Adds More Alumni, Bridgerton Star's Amazon Cop Drama, And More
Netflix is reviving the 1990s sitcom *A Different World* with a fresh freshman protagonist, Deborah Wayne, while bringing back original alumni Glynn Turman and Dawnn Lewis as guest stars. The revival also retains veteran cast members Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy,...
Men’s College Lacrosse Game of the Year Finally Finds a Broadcasting Home
Notre Dame (6‑0) and Richmond (8‑0) entered their April 4 showdown as the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 men’s lacrosse programs, a matchup that typically commands national TV attention. The Big Ten Network held venue rights but declined to carry the game...
‘Don’t Get High’ Comedy Pilot Not Going Forward At Hulu
Hulu has decided not to move forward with the comedy pilot *Don’t Get High*, starring Tony Hale and created by Megan Ganz. The show, about a high‑school anti‑drug club, was part of Hulu’s broader effort to expand its young‑adult (YA)...
Invincible Season 4 Taps A Beloved Hollywood Legend To Voice Satan
Invincible Season 4 introduces Bruce Campbell as the voice of Satan, expanding the series' star‑studded voice roster. Campbell first appeared in a post‑credits cameo in Season 3, but Episode 4 of Season 4 reveals his character’s full name and a dramatic power shift. The...
Netflix Sets ‘City Hunter 2’ in Japan, With Ryohei Suzuki Returning as Lead
Netflix announced a sequel, City Hunter 2, slated for a 2027 global launch, bringing back Ryohei Suzuki as the titular Ryo Saeba. The original 2024 live‑action adaptation topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 non‑English films and entered the top 10 in 32 countries, sparking...
Brooks Nader Defends Her ‘Baywatch’ Influencer Casting: “Times Are Different”
Brooks Nader, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model and Instagram star, has been cast as a series regular in Fox’s reboot of Baywatch. She defended the decision, saying today’s multi‑hyphenate culture lets influencers transition into acting roles. Nader’s character, lifeguard...
Tubi Launches Scene Sense Contextual Targeting and Exclusive Amazon DSP Package at NewFronts
Tubi unveiled Scene Sense, a scene‑level contextual targeting engine that analyzes visual cues, tone and sentiment to serve relevant display ads when viewers pause content, alongside new carousel, trivia and poll pause‑ad formats. It also introduced Tubi Priority Access, an...
Urban One Selects Its ‘Latino’ PD In D.C.
Urban One has rebranded Praise 104.1 to Latino 104.1, a Spanish‑language format aimed at the rapidly growing Hispanic audience in the Washington, D.C., region. The change includes a simulcast on 87.7 MHz and marks the company’s first dedicated Latino station in the market....
Sora Is Dead: What Does That Mean for Disney? Plus, ‘The Bachelorette’ Scandal.
The episode examines the abrupt shutdown of OpenAI's video‑generation app Sora and its fallout for Disney, which had invested $1 billion and secured rights to 200 of its characters. Host Matt Bellany and tech reporter Alex Heath discuss why OpenAI reprioritized...
ChatGPT Botched My Game File Article Attempt
I wan't planning to publish an edition of Game File today. Then I had an idea. But I didn't have the bandwidth to do this idea. A thought: Was this the moment ChatGPT could help me commit some journalism? So...
Twister Marks DVD’s First Featured Film Release
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 25, 1996. The movie Twister becomes the first featured film put on DVD. #NewProducts #NewTechnology https://t.co/qIKidn9eq1
PSA: T-Mobile Customers Have a Week to Sign up for a Free Year of MLB.TV
T‑Mobile is offering its customers a free one‑year subscription to MLB.TV, a service normally priced at $150, to coincide with the start of the 2026 baseball season. Customers must claim the offer through the T Life app by March 31, 4:59 AM ET, after...
How to Remove Unnecessary AI Watermarks From Images
While it's good to be able to differentiate AI-created photographs from real photos, there are many images that don't need the AI mark. Here's how to remove it, as needed, and how it all works behind the scenes: https://t.co/m8yBJd6f5V #ai...
Jury Finds Meta and YouTube Negligent in Landmark Case
Meta and YouTube just lost a landmark social media case in which a jury found them negligent. Now the question is how, if at all, these platforms change? https://t.co/JAjzgzH2NM
Counterpart: Why Starz Canceled The J. K. Simmons Series
Starz cancelled the critically acclaimed sci‑fi drama *Counterpart* after two seasons, despite both seasons holding a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, starring Oscar‑winner J.K. Simmons, follows a low‑level U.N. employee who discovers a parallel‑universe cold war. Starz...
Download Classic Films and TV From Internet Archive
The Internet Archive contains millions of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and much more. And you can download most of it for your own enjoyment. Here's how to find classic films and TV series to save locally: https://t.co/kz0L0KYJzl #film #movies #tvshows...
Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social Media Trial
In this WSJ "What's News" episode, Alex Oselev reports on a landmark California jury verdict finding Meta and YouTube negligent for designs that harm children, ordering $6 million in damages and highlighting the potential erosion of Section 230 protections. The show also...
Verdict Spurs Censorship, Threatening Small Platforms
This verdict will lead to "a lot more heavy-handed censorship and privacy invasions by platforms to comply with junk science-based jury verdicts and looming legislative threats. Biggest tech players have the ability to weather the storm. Mid- and small-sized platforms...
If I Had to Start Over, Here’s Exactly How I’d Grow to 16,000 Subscribers and $100K in Revenue
The author outlines a three‑step framework that took his Substack from zero to over 16,000 subscribers and $100,000 in revenue. First, he stresses crafting a clear audience‑centric strategy before publishing any post. Second, he leverages Substack Notes as a daily...
Analyzing Strategic Risks in the Strait of Hormuz
My appearance today @OnPointRadio with @MeghnaWBUR talking about the Strait of Hormuz. On Point: https://t.co/X1Zkk3Qebt Spotify: https://t.co/ZpzVC27zml Apple: https://t.co/4ahkNZRGed
Meta and YouTube Fined $3 Million for Harming Mental Health
A California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for harming a young woman's mental health, ordering $3 million in compensatory damages. The verdict follows a similar New Mexico case that imposed $375 million on Meta. Both companies plan to appeal, and the rulings...
Pentagon Press Association Backs NYT to Block Interim Media Policy
The Pentagon Press Association filed an amicus brief supporting the N.Y. Times's motion to strike down the Pentagon's interim media policy, alleging it violates Judge Friedman's order. https://t.co/7B2H05fqFp https://t.co/bDLCe723yt
Crimson Desert Studio Pearl Abyss's Share Prices Stabilize as Sales Top 3 Million
Ziff Davis has partnered with European media group eMense to operate IGN France, adding the French edition to its growing portfolio that already includes IGN Benelux, Nordic and Germany. The existing editorial team, led by Erwan Lafleuriel, will remain in...
The Harry Potter TV Show Trailer Is Muggleslop
HBO released the first teaser for its limited‑series adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, echoing the original film’s iconic sets but rendered in a muted, gray palette. The trailer showcases a recast of key roles, with Nick Frost,...