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.
Oxford Road Reveals That The Best-Selling Podcasts Are Independent
Oxford Road’s ORBIT rankings, based on over $1.6 billion in campaign data, reveal that independent podcasts dominate performance metrics, accounting for 80% of the top‑ranking shows. The analysis identifies four audience lanes—Build, Align, Unwind, and Fandom—each delivering distinct advertiser value. Independent creators in the Build lane attract listeners eager to act, while Align shows benefit from opinionated content. Unwind podcasts leverage storytelling, and Fandom titles like Critical Role generate community‑driven response rates that outperform network‑backed series.
Movistar Plus+ Launches Free Ad-Supported Tier
Movistar Plus+ has introduced a free, ad‑supported tier that gives users access to a curated slice of its streaming catalogue without a paid subscription. The offering, delivered via the Movistar Plus+ app, includes original series such as "Berto’s Advice Column"...
New Brittin, New BBC?
Matt Brittin, a former senior European Google executive, has been appointed Director‑General of the BBC. Lacking editorial experience, he is expected to run the corporation in a CEO‑style while delegating editorial authority to a separate Editor‑in‑Chief. The appointment comes as...
Independent Agencies Gain Advanced Agentic Media Buying Through New PubMatic and Untapped Growth Collective Partnership
PubMatic and Untapped Growth have partnered to embed independent agencies’ proprietary buyer agents into PubMatic’s AgenticOS platform. The integration gives agencies instant access to billions of premium CTV, mobile and video impressions, over 250 data partners, and GPU‑accelerated infrastructure. Early...
Hong Kong’s TVB Logs US$7.5 Million Profit, Shaking Off 7 Years of Losses
Hong Kong’s leading free‑to‑air broadcaster TVB reported a US$7.5 million profit for 2025, reversing a seven‑year loss streak. Revenue slipped 2% to HK$3.19 billion (≈US$408 million) but costs fell 4.9%, while advertising income rose 15% on its terrestrial channels. Growth was driven by...
VideoAmp and O-N-X Integration to Bring Data-Driven Buying to Local Broadcast TV
VideoAmp announced an integration with O‑N‑X, embedding its nationwide audience‑measurement dataset into the automated transaction platform for local broadcast TV. The partnership enables predictive delivery intelligence and more stable guaranteed‑impression transactions across all 210 U.S. markets. O‑N‑X, already licensed in...
Vince Vaughn Blasts Late‑Night TV’s Political Turn as Viewers Tune Out
Actor Vince Vaughn publicly criticized late‑night talk shows for abandoning comedy in favor of a political agenda, saying the format now feels like a classroom. His comments come as streaming services flood the market with new movies, accelerating audience fragmentation...
New Mexico Jury Orders Meta to Pay $375 Million for Child Safety Violations
A New Mexico jury has ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to pay $375 million after finding the company misled users about platform safety and enabled child sexual exploitation. The verdict, the largest consumer‑protection judgment against a tech firm in the state, could...
Apple Maps to Host Ads as Company Broadens Business Services
Apple announced that advertising will soon appear on Apple Maps, marking the tech giant's latest push to monetize its ecosystem beyond hardware and app store fees. The move aims to tap into location‑based marketing and give advertisers a new channel...
Trade Desk Concerns: Does CTV Brand Attraction Have A Strong Foundation?
The Trade Desk is under scrutiny after Publicis flagged hidden DSP fees, prompting a follow‑up audit by Omnicom. Despite the controversy, CTV remains the engine of growth, accounting for roughly 50% of the company’s revenue. The stock has dropped 10%...
Live and Transmitting: Formula E Brings Every Car Live From the Track with ‘All Cars Live’ Program for 2026
Formula E has launched its “All Cars Live” program for the 2025‑2026 season, enabling live transmission from every car on the grid. Eight of the 22 cars stream four UHD angles each, while the remaining 14 deliver a single HD angle,...
How World Athletics and HBS Are Telling the Story of the World Athletics Indoor Championships
World Athletics’ indoor championships leveraged advanced audio capture, using boom microphones and strategically placed sensors under sand pits and pole‑vault bars to record coach‑athlete exchanges. Host Broadcast Services (HBS) paired this sound design with a 38‑camera setup, including a new...
Augmented Upgrade: AR Graphics Enhanced with AI Bring Formula E’s 2025-2026 Season New Detail as Well as Challenges
On 21 March 2026 Formula E launched its Madrid debut at Circuito de Madrid Jarama‑RACE, showcasing AI‑enhanced augmented‑reality graphics for the first time. The series switched from its legacy Ncam‑Vizrt setup to Vizrt’s Arena engine, allowing on‑site optical tracking and remote operation from the...
A Shift Philly to NY For NBC Local ND Duties
Ana Hernandez has been appointed News Director for NBC’s WNBC‑TV and Telemundo’s WNJU‑TV in New York, effective April 20. She currently leads WWSI “Telemundo 62” in Philadelphia and coordinates weather planning for WCAU “NBC 10.” The promotion moves her from a decade‑long tenure...
Four Ways Publishers Are Forcing AI to Pay
Publishers are moving from legislative hopes to self‑driven solutions to ensure AI systems pay for using their content. In the UK, major outlets formed the SPUR coalition, while the UK‑based Publishers’ Licensing Services launched a collective licensing scheme for smaller...
Build a Content Loop: Start Small, Grow Continuously
The content and access loop 🔂 all of you could be executing to help you make content, then connect with your audience and then use that connection to make more content … listen carefully to the e steps that help...
Global Agency Secures Sales in Over 70 Countries for Vendetta
Global Agency announced that the Turkish drama "Vendetta (Kan Çiçekleri)" has been sold to broadcasters in more than 70 countries, expanding its international footprint. The three‑season, 645‑episode series, originally aired on Turkey’s Kanal 7, is now topping prime‑time slots in markets...
Edit Entire Videos with a Single Sentence Using AI
🚨 HOT TAKE: You can now edit a full video just by typing one sentence. Riverside Co-Creator is an AI that edits your videos the same way you'd text a friend No timeline scrubbing. No cut/trim/export loops. This is the future of video...
Empathetic Portrait Reveals Epstein-Linked Macher’s Self-Condemnation
Rather too empathetic a profile of a macher in the Epstein Class from The Times: ‘I’m Tainted. I’m in the Files.’ https://t.co/BP2OwpOmYn
Catherine Tyldesley's Exit From Popular British Cosy Crime Series Will Play Out in New Season
British cosy‑crime drama The Good Ship Murder will see Catherine Tyldesley depart after four seasons, with her character Kate Woods exiting in the season‑four premiere. The series returns for a five‑part fourth season, bringing back lead Shayne Ward as Jack...
Monarch Season 2 Episode 5 Premiere Date Announced
Here's when the fifth episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 will debut on Apple TV. https://t.co/6AxrrWemPT
Vlog for Under $100: Affordable Gear Guide
Looking for a super cheap vlogging setup to get started? I've looked through Amazon to find the perfect tech for under $100. https://t.co/VkPuzAu4ce
At Salon Du Livre Africain De Paris, Uniting Around ‘Cultural Richness’
Paris’s Salon du Livre Africain (SLAP) celebrated its fifth edition, drawing 400 authors and 150 publishers from 20 nations. The fair, which began in 2021 with 150 authors, now serves as the year’s biggest market for many independent African publishers,...
The Televisa Playbook: The Art of Failing Upwards
In 2022 Televisa purchased a 45% stake in Univision, creating TelevisaUnivision. The ownership change coincided with a noticeable shift in Univision's coverage, moving from a hard‑line critic of Donald Trump to a more Trump‑friendly tone ahead of the 2024 election....
Riding the Rocketship: Creating a Retail Media Mindset
Retail media is rapidly evolving into a multi‑billion‑dollar growth engine, posting double‑digit expansion in key markets. The sector has shifted from a startup focus on formats and measurement to a scale‑up model demanding strategic alignment. Colin Lewis proposes that success...
Jacqueline Loch Joins BetaKit as General Manager
BetaKit announced Jacqueline Loch as its new General Manager, bringing extensive media leadership experience from Azure Media, Rogers, and SJC Media. Loch will oversee business operations, product development, and partnership strategy to deepen BetaKit's reach within Canada’s tech ecosystem. The...
Savannah Guthrie Discusses Mother's Disappearance Before Today Return
Before Savannah Guthrie returns to 'Today,' she will be part of what has become one of its biggest stories, taking part in a two part interview with Hoda Kotb about the ordeal she and her family have been through since...
YouTube Exec Counters Netflix Rivalry Talk, Highlighting Platform’s Global Reach and $100 Billion in Creator Economy Payout
YouTube’s managing director for France and South Europe, Justine Ryst, highlighted that the platform paid out more than $100 billion to creators between 2021 and 2025, surpassing Netflix’s $79.5 billion content spend in the same period. She emphasized YouTube’s ad‑supported model, which...
Morning Joe Hosts Locked in At
They may have given up an hour on air, but they ain't going anywhere....Morning Joe duo of Scarborough, Brzezinski will stick with MS NOW through 2029 https://t.co/rHjU8VxMB5 via @variety
YouTube Shows Are Closing in on Traditional TV — Fast
Spotter, an Amazon‑backed startup, reports that roughly 6,600 U.S. creator‑driven “TV” channels—defined by 22‑minute‑plus episodes, regular schedules and sizable audiences—produced an estimated 26 billion viewing hours in 2025, with over half watched on connected TVs. These creator shows match traditional TV...
Algorithm “Improvement” Was Just One User’s Six‑week Absence
I thought the X algorithm had improved but really it was just this guy logging off for six weeks https://t.co/Bp44utH0rD
xpln.ai Supports WPP Media & AXA in Driving More Sustainable Advertising Attention
xpln.ai teamed with WPP Media to help AXA launch a multi‑market campaign in the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Thailand that puts sustainability at its core. Using proprietary eye‑tracking technology, the firm measured advertising attention for each impression and paired...
When Covering a Protest Leads to Arrest, What Protections Do Journalists Really Have?
In April 2024, Fox 7 photojournalist Carlos Sanchez was arrested while covering a pro‑Palestine protest at the University of Texas at Austin, facing assault and trespassing charges despite identifying as press. Similar arrests have occurred, including Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort and...
Streaming Spend Stagnates at $69; 68% Choose Ad‑supported Tiers
U.S. Household Spending on Streaming Video Services Remains Flat at $69 per Month, as 68% Now Take Ad-Supported Tiers https://t.co/7kimYXpfe6
Aeronaut Is an Actual Mac App for Bluesky
Aeronaut is a native macOS client that brings the Bluesky social network to a dedicated desktop window, echoing the experience once offered by Twitter for Mac. The app condenses timelines, supports both Following and algorithmic Discover feeds, and allows users...
Israel’s Censor Unit Revs Up
Israel’s Military Censor, a unit of the IDF Intelligence Corps, has dramatically tightened its control over media reporting following the March 3 Israeli‑Iran strikes. The censor now blocks or modifies coverage of interceptor launch sites, Iranian missile impact locations, and a...
OpenAI Shuts Down Sora & United Wants More Premium Seating
In this episode, hosts Neil Freiman and Toby Howell discuss OpenAI's abrupt shutdown of its AI video generation tool Sora and United Airlines' aggressive push toward premium seating, including new flat‑bed configurations and the "Relax Row" concept. They explain how...
Grass Valley Delivers Win with French National Lottery UHD Upgrade
Grass Valley has expanded its partnership with ImSoPROD, the production arm of France’s national lottery, by supplying LDX C98 compact UHD cameras for an 80 m² studio upgrade. The new system, installed in under two months, supports up to 14 cameras,...
Time Out Names Picos De Europa Top Spot in 2026 Beauty Ranking, UK Makes Three of Top 20
Time Out unveiled its 2026 list of the world’s most beautiful places, placing Spain’s Picos de Europa at number one and featuring three UK locations in the top‑20. Travel editors responded with a set of budget‑friendly “holiday swaps” that offer...
Eckhart Tolle Now Launches Live Teaching Platform with Official AI
Eckhart Tolle and Sounds True unveiled Eckhart Tolle Now, a subscription‑based OTT platform that adds live teachings and the only official Eckhart AI. The service, built on Uscreen’s streaming tech and Delphi’s multilingual AI, aims to deepen engagement for a...
Why Haley Baylee’s Netflix Debut Is a Milestone for Influencers on Streaming
Influencer Haley Baylee is set to host Netflix’s new reality series Win The Mall, marking a notable shift as streaming platforms tap social‑media talent for mainstream programming. The show, scheduled for an autumn 2026 release, leverages Baylee’s high‑energy, digital‑first persona...
Hachette Pulls Horror Novel "Shy Girl" Over AI‑Generated Text Claims
Hachette Book Group has cancelled the US publication and discontinued the UK edition of Mia Ballard’s horror novel "Shy Girl" after AI‑detection tools flagged the majority of its prose as machine‑generated. The move marks the first known instance of a major...
Paramount Pulls Plug on 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' After Weak Ratings
Paramount announced the cancellation of 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' after the show failed to meet rating expectations, ending the series before a second season. The move underscores growing pressure on legacy IPs to deliver strong numbers on streaming platforms.
Walmart, Vizio Unveil Integrated TV Platform Merging Streaming and Shopping
Walmart and its newly acquired Vizio have rolled out a joint platform that lets users log into Vizio smart TVs with a single Walmart account, delivering premium streaming content alongside shoppable product placements. The move positions Vizio TVs as a...
Mada Media Offers Investment Opportunity for 21 Digital Unipoles in Dubai
Mada Media has issued tender MM/COM/26-0010 for 21 premium digital unipole billboards along Sheikh Zayed Road in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Licensed out‑of‑home advertisers must submit technical proposals by 16 April 2026 and financial proposals by 23 April 2026. The assets target high‑traffic commuters, offering...
6 Types of AI Content Moderation and How They Work
AI-powered content moderation is reshaping how platforms manage user‑generated material, moving from manual review to a blend of automated and human processes. Six moderation models—pre‑moderation, post‑moderation, reactive, distributed, user‑only, and hybrid—define where and how AI intervenes, from blocking offensive posts...
Jeep Rolls Out Raunchy Iliza Shlesinger Ad to Reboot Grand Wagoneer Sales
Jeep unveiled a new, sexually‑tinged commercial featuring comedian Iliza Shlesinger, set to air during the NCAA March Madness tournament. The campaign is intended to clarify the Grand Wagoneer’s identity and spark conversation, a strategy its marketers say could translate into...
Xbox Gets New CEO Asha Sharma, Eyes Cheaper Game Pass and Netflix Bundle
Microsoft has installed Asha Sharma as the new head of Xbox, replacing longtime leader Phil Spencer. Sharma’s first moves include scrubbing the controversial "This Is An Xbox" campaign and exploring lower‑priced Game Pass tiers and a potential Netflix bundle, signaling...
OpenAI Pulls the Plug on Sora, Ending $1 Billion Disney Pact
OpenAI announced today that it is shutting down Sora, its AI video‑generation product, and terminating a $1 billion partnership with Disney. The move reflects mounting compute expenses and a strategic pivot toward enterprise and developer‑focused AI offerings.
Orange in Advanced Talks to Sell Globecast to Verdoso, Deal Targeted for 2026 Close
Orange SA has entered advanced talks with Verdoso to sell its Globecast media services business, with the transaction expected to close by the end of 2026. The move could reshape Orange’s B2B portfolio and free capital for core network investments,...