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.
Victory+ Debuts ‘NWSL Sunday Night Soccer’ Free Ad-Supported Live Streams
Victory+ has launched a free, ad‑supported streaming service called “NWSL Sunday Night Soccer,” delivering live coverage of 99 matches—including 57 national broadcasts—for the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League season. The platform pairs live games with on‑demand replays, creator‑led content, and shoulder programming, and features exclusive alt‑casts hosted by World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara and digital creator Coach Jackie J. Victory+ cites a recent Dallas Stars stream that attracted 342,000 viewers as proof the model can scale across leagues. The service targets Gen Z fans, aiming to turn high interest into regular viewership.
The Most Canadian Of Social Networks
Hey.Cafe, a Canadian‑built social network launched in 2001, has seen a surge in users after a recent “buy Canadian” push, jumping from roughly 5,000 to over 40,000 members in two weeks. Founder Anthony Lee positions the platform as an ad‑free,...
Video: "Straight to Hell" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Netflix announced the upcoming drama series 'Straight to Hell,' a dramatization of Japan’s notorious fortuneteller Kazuko Hosoki. The trailer depicts Hosoki’s harrowing childhood, ascent to Ginza nightlife queen, and eventual downfall, while following ghostwriter Minori Uozumi’s quest to chronicle her...
Miss Netflix’s DVD by Mail? DVD Inbox Is the New DVD by Mail Service You’ve Been Looking For
Netflix ended its DVD‑by‑mail service on September 29, 2023, leaving millions of U.S. movie fans without a physical‑media option. DVD Inbox launched to fill that void, offering a subscription model that mirrors Netflix’s former system, including the ability to import...
Google Is Tightening Political Content Rules for Shopping Ads Starting April 16
Google will tighten political content rules for Shopping ads starting April 16, requiring merchants in nine countries to verify as election advertisers and banning certain political ads in India. The policy expands Google’s election‑integrity efforts from search and display into commerce...
We Need Your Opinions to Shape Tom's Hardware Premium
Tom's Hardware is inviting U.S. and U.K. readers to shape its Premium subscription by completing a 10‑15 minute survey, with a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card (≈$96 for UK participants). The service, launched last year, offers exclusive...
The Rise of the 'Pro-Gamer' Protagonist: Is Esports the New Friday Night Lights?
Esports has transitioned from niche arcade contests to a mainstream cultural force, with professional gamers now cast as the new sports heroes. Counter‑Strike 2 (CS2) anchors the competitive scene, fueling a sophisticated betting ecosystem that mirrors traditional sports wagering. Global audiences...
Canal+ Appears Dramatically Undervalued with Strong Synergies
Help me out here. Doesn't Canal+ $CAN looks pretty mispriced right now. The market is basically valuing MultiChoice (plus all the expected synergies) at less than zero. MultiChoice is already profitable and Canal+ is targeting €400m in annual synergies over the...
AI Guidance for Authors Meets Reader Rejection of AI‑Written Novel
A comprehensive FAQ on AI‑assisted publishing released by legal analyst Jane Friedman outlines U.S. copyright rules, while Hachette withdraws the AI‑generated novel Shy Girl after readers denounce it. The twin developments underscore a clash between legal certainty and market acceptance.
March Madness TV Start Up 5% to Best Since 2011 as Viewers Tune In
Nielsen data shows a 5% jump in viewership for the 2026 NCAA March Madness opening, the best start since 2011. The surge coincides with record betting payouts and a wave of upsets in both men’s and women’s brackets, fueling fan...
Warner’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Due via Premium Digital March 31, on Disc May 5
Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights will hit premium‑digital rental and purchase platforms on March 31, followed by DVD, Blu‑ray and 4K Ultra HD disc releases on May 5 through Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. The film has already amassed $234.4 million worldwide at the box...
WorldCast Partners With BSW on New Kybio Option
WorldCast Systems has launched a new Kybio cloud‑monitoring service in partnership with Broadcast Supply Worldwide. The subscription‑based solution lets radio stations track up to 25 devices—including transmitters, STL links and environmental sensors—through a secure dashboard. Real‑time alerts and performance insights...
HBO Max Inks Content Deal With Former Movistar+ Executive Domingo Corral
HBO Max has signed a first‑look content agreement with former Movistar+ chief Domingo Corral to produce original Spanish series, beginning with the in‑production drama “El Nani.” The partnership is part of HBO Max’s accelerated push into Europe, following recent launches...
The Pitt Season 2 Casts Mary McCormack And Sara Wyle — Exclusive First Look
Mary McCormack joins HBO Max’s Emmy‑winning drama The Pitt for Season 2, guest‑starring in Episode 13 as neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Conley. The episode also features Noah Wyle’s real‑life wife, Sara Wyle, playing ER patient Ashley Davis. The episode streams Thursday, April 2, and...
3 New Gemini Features Are Coming to Google TV
Google is adding three Gemini-powered features to Google TV: richer visual answers, interactive deep‑dive learning modules, and concise sports briefs. The updates deliver live scorecards, video tutorials, narrated educational walkthroughs, and quick league highlights directly on the big screen. Rollout...
New French Rom-Com ‘Promets-Moi’ In Production at Netflix: Everything We Know
Netflix France has begun filming the romantic comedy "Promets‑Moi" in Lyon, with principal photography starting March 3. The story follows Nina, a piano prodigy battling an autoimmune disease, who finds hope through Gabriel, a medical intern. Directed by Nicolas Cuche, known...
Podcast Audience Development Executive
London‑based The Podcast Guys are hiring an Audience Development Executive to drive growth for client podcasts and expand the agency’s own brand. The entry‑mid level role blends strategy implementation with hands‑on execution across YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and dynamic ad...
MLB Local Media To Keynote Regional Sports Production Summit, June 29-30, Denver
The Sports Video Group’s 2026 Regional Sports Production Summit in Denver will feature a keynote from MLB Local Media, highlighting how Major League Baseball has built a local‑broadcast operation for 14 clubs. Executives Doug Johnson and Kendall Burgess will discuss...
TV’s New Love Affair with Flag Football
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will debut on FOX, positioning flag football as a prime television property. By pairing current and former NFL players with celebrity host Kevin Hart, the event blends sport and entertainment to attract both hardcore fans...
Avoid AI‑driven Copycats; Create Authentic, Original Content
creators: if u take the advice of all the ai social tools now and all you do is use ai to analyze and copy competitors hooks and posts, sorry you’re ngmi copying vs your own real art u might get the...
Spotify Launches Beta to Protect Artists' Profiles
given it's one of the most requested features i hear from artists, i'm *so* excited we're launching the beta for artist profile protection today. when turned on, it adds a new step for artists in @spotifyforartists, where they review new releases...
YouTube’s Creator Partnerships Platform BrandConnect Is Getting Completely Revamped
YouTube is overhauling its creator‑marketing service, rebranding BrandConnect as YouTube Creator Partnerships and embedding it across YouTube Studio, Google Ads and Display & Video 360. The revamped platform leverages Google’s Gemini AI to sift through more than three million Partner Program creators, matching...
Just 6k to 100k—Help Me Hit Goal This Week
I am 6k away from hitting 100k across three platforms. Can we make it happen before the end of this week? Maybe….
Bruce Beresford’s Australian Drama ‘The Travellers’ Heading to Netflix US in April
Australian drama "The Travellers," directed by Oscar‑nominee Bruce Beresford, will debut on Netflix US in April 2026. The film, which opened theatrically in October 2025 and stars Luke Bracey, Bryan Brown, and Susie Porter, is part of Sony Pictures' “Pay‑1”...
2026 NAB Show Opening Session Celebrates 50 Seasons of “Survivor” With Spirit of Broadcasting Award, Showcases Mega-Producer Jesse Collins
The National Association of Broadcasters will open its 2026 NAB Show by honoring the reality series “Survivor” as it reaches its 50th season, presenting the Spirit of Broadcasting Award. The ceremony features a live remote interview with host Jeff Probst...
Celebrating Year One, Previewing Upstarts Media’s Next Chapter
Tomorrow is our 1st birthday at Upstarts 🎉 I wrote about our first year in operation, my gratitude for the startup ecosystem, and what to expect from @upstartsmediaco in Year 2. https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/upstarts-turns-1-heres-whats-next-e6a
The Creator Economy’s Growing Impact: Building the Modern Production Studio With Second Rodeo Productions’ CEO Scott Brown
Second Rodeo Productions, led by CEO Scott Brown, is pioneering a new production model that focuses on digitally native scripted formats such as micro‑dramas—short, one‑minute chapters monetized per episode. Drawing on collaborations with megastars like MrBeast, The Rock and Kevin...
The Boiler Room Reckoning: Why Scapegoating Won’t Fix Live Music’s Funding Problem
Boiler Room’s 2025 sale to Superstruct and the departure of founder‑CEO Blaise Bellville sparked a fan backlash that highlighted a deeper funding dilemma in live music. The controversy coincided with growing awareness that four corporations—Live Nation, Superstruct, AEG and CTS...
Haley Baylee to Host Netflix’s Shopping‑Strategy Show Win The Mall
Haley Baylee is the latest creator making the jump to Netflix 🎬 She’s set to host Win The Mall, a new reality competition that blends shopping with strategy. Netflix describes the show as part shopping spree, part social game, where contestants live...
The Countdown Is On! Prep for Vegas with SVG’s SportsTech@NABShow Blog
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2026 will take place April 18‑22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, featuring a packed lineup on the creator economy, AI, streaming and broadcast technology. Among the highlights, Telestream introduced UP, a cloud‑native...
What Does Agentifying AdCOM Really Mean?
The IAB Tech Lab’s AAMP initiative deepens the Agentic Ad Objects layer, leveraging the Advertising Common Object Model (AdCOM) enumerations to create a shared language for automated buying and selling. While AdCOM’s object model never eclipsed OpenRTB 2.x, its extensible enums...
Disney+ Renews Marvel’s Wonder Man for Second Season
Disney+ has officially renewed Marvel Studios' series Wonder Man for a second season, following its January premiere. Lead actors Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II and Ben Kingsley will return, with creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest continuing as showrunner and director. The renewal...
New 'Bold and the Beautiful' Streaming Service Launching
Paramount Skydance has launched BBTV, a dedicated streaming service for the long‑running soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The platform debuts with over 9,000 episodes covering the first 37 seasons, with additional seasons slated for later addition. Subscriptions are...
AppLovin Deploys AI Video Creatives for In-Game Ads
AppLovin launches AI-enabled video creative generation AppLovin is launching AI-enabled video generation to optimize eCommerce ads for in-game environments. By repurposing assets through generative models, the platform addresses the performance gap between social media creatives and full-screen mobile placements. This rollout...
WWO: Local Business Uses AM/FM to Create Unaided Awareness
Bug‑a‑Way Pest Control, a Joplin, Missouri pest‑control firm, moved from zero unaided brand awareness to 20 percent after launching an AM/FM radio jingle. The campaign, orchestrated by Westwood One’s Audio Active Group, demonstrated that a simple audio hook can generate significant...
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Directors Land $10M Deal After The Film’s Breakout Success
Netflix’s animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” became the platform’s most‑watched film, earned an Oscar and launched a massive merchandising line. After the breakout, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans secured an exclusive five‑year agreement worth roughly $10 million per year, plus...
Contests, Fellowships & Labs List - 2026 Update
The author updates a 2024 list of screenwriting contests, fellowships, and labs, now presented in a detailed Google Sheet. They highlight the extremely low odds—about 1 in 100,000—of winning or placing in these competitions. Proactive outreach after a placement is...
Popular, Not Famous: How Tiltify’s $100M Fundraising Year Redefines Creator Philanthropy
Tiltify reported that creators donated more than $100 million in 2025, roughly double its 2024 total, cementing creator‑led philanthropy as a major growth engine. The platform’s tools—especially creator‑designed incentives, auctions and matching challenges—accounted for 40% of the funds raised, up from...
For All Mankind to End with Season 6
Apple TV+ confirmed that the alternate‑history space‑race drama "For All Mankind" will conclude with a sixth season, following the May 29 return of Season 5 told from a Soviet perspective. The renewal secures a final narrative arc, likely slated for 2026,...
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LLM Ghost Citations: Why Your Content Is Working and Your Brand Isn't
The article introduces “ghost citations,” where large language models (LLMs) cite a brand’s content but omit the brand name from recommendations. Seer’s analysis of 541,213 LLM responses shows citation rates jump from 10.6% to 53.1% when a brand is mentioned,...
What Happens When March Madness Turns Its Biggest Promoters Into Cartoonists?
The NCAA’s $8.8 billion CBS/TNT rights deal bars member schools from posting in‑game March Madness highlights on TikTok, X and Snapchat, limiting Facebook and Instagram to two 30‑second clips. To work around the ban, schools like Duke, Nebraska and Virginia have...
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Verimatrix’s Juan Martinez on Safeguarding Live Sports Content
Verimatrix, a security firm with over 400 customers and 200 engineers, is positioning itself as a global leader in anti‑piracy technology for live sports. In a new SVG Sponsor Spotlight, VP of Product Management Juan Martinez explains that the time‑sensitive...
Headliner Launches Video Templates for Podcasters and Creators
Headliner has introduced Video Templates, a new feature that lets podcasters and other creators brand, caption, and publish video clips or full‑length episodes in minutes without design expertise. The tool integrates into Headliner’s clipping wizard, offering a four‑step workflow that...
New TikTok Logo Takeover High-Impact Ad Solutions
TikTok unveiled three premium ad products at the IAB NewFronts: Logo Takeover, Prime Time, and TopReach. Logo Takeover places a co‑branded screen the moment users open the app, delivering an uninterrupted first impression. Warner Bros. used the format for the Supergirl...
Ofcom to Investigate Complaints of Climate Change Denial for First Time Since 2017
Ofcom has reversed its earlier stance and will reopen climate‑change denial complaints against TalkTV and TalkRadio, marking the regulator’s first climate‑misinformation investigation since a 2017 breach. The decision follows a Good Law Project letter that prompted Ofcom to reconsider more...
March 24: Weekly Notes Boost Community
The article announces the launch of Substack’s 2026 Weekly Notes Boost Community, a paid‑subscriber‑only network aimed at accelerating writer growth. Participation is restricted to paying members, with a direct sign‑in link provided for easy access. The community will run weekly...
11.6K Views Earned $205—Scale YouTube Income Consistently
I show you how much YouTube paid me with one video that got 11,600 views and generated $205 in revenue. I break down the watch time, subscriber growth, and explain how these earnings can scale if you multiply the views....
Inside a Microdrama Set Amid Exploding Production Demands
New: We visit the set of a microdrama to find out how this fast-moving production machine 📽️ works. Don't miss this inside glimpse by @tessspatton on @thewrap PRO: Inside a Microdrama Set as Production and Talent Demands Explode https://t.co/cyMVGzFK9N
UK Politicians Continue to Miss the Point in Latest Social Media Ban Proposal
The UK Parliament is debating a new amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would give the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology authority to block social‑media access for anyone under 18, replace the earlier Lords‑proposed...
PR Firm Linked to Gates-Backed AGRA Edited Wikipedia to Remove Criticism
An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed that Portland Communications, a London‑based PR firm, orchestrated a network of 26 sock‑puppet Wikipedia accounts to delete criticism of the Gates Foundation‑backed Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The...