Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions top 2.2 bn, revenue hits $176B
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 for the first time as pay‑TV revenue fell to $170 billion. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit rates in 2026, prompting operators to focus on monetising existing users.
Michelin Delays 2026 Florida Guide to May, Cancels In‑Person Awards Ceremony
Michelin announced that the 2026 Florida Guide will be released on May 28, 2026, instead of the originally scheduled April 14, and that the customary invite‑only awards ceremony has been cancelled. The guide will now be announced via press release and digital channels, marking the first statewide edition and a shift in how the brand celebrates culinary excellence.
OnlyFans Founder Leonid Radvinsky Dies at 43 After Cancer Battle
OnlyFans owner Leonid “Leo” Radvinsky died on March 23 at age 43 after a prolonged battle with cancer. The platform announced his death, noting his $4.7 billion net worth and $23 million charitable contribution to cancer research, underscoring his impact on adult‑content media and...
IBC2026 Accelerator PoCs Explore Agentic Production, Reinventing Transmission Layer on Live Media, and More
IBC has announced nine projects for its 2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, entering a six‑month development phase that will culminate in live Proof‑of‑Concept demos at IBC2026 from September 11‑14. The initiatives span open‑5G network control, AI‑driven content discovery, quantum‑secure live...
Rusk Media Ropes in Performax & DaMENSCH for Battleground S2
Rusk Media announced that Performax and DaMENSCH will serve as special partners for the second season of its reality competition, Battleground, which launches on Amazon MX Player in April 2026. The show brings back creator‑mentor Abhishek Malhan, aka Fukra Insaan,...
CNN’s “Podcast Look” And the Slow Death of Cable News
CNN recently revamped its flagship shows with a casual, podcast‑style set‑up, rolling up sleeves and broadcasting from home offices to mimic the authenticity of popular YouTube and TikTok clips. The experiment aimed to modernize the network’s image but fell flat,...
Is Social Media Addictive? The Science Reveals What’s at Stake
A 2024 survey shows roughly one‑third of American adults habitually doomscroll, with higher rates among Millennials and Gen Z. Experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Stanford argue that while some label excessive use as "problematic Internet use," others see...
'The Real Housewives of Orange County': An Oral History of How Five Unfiltered Women Changed TV
When Scott Dunlop moved to the gated community of Coto de Caza in the late 1980s, he began cataloguing the suburb’s archetypes—tennis‑obsessed wives, boomerang kids, and leisure‑rich husbands. Inspired by early reality hits, he filmed a sizzle reel titled “Behind...
India’s M&E Sector Likely to Grow to INR 3.3 Trillion by 2028: FICCI-EY M&E Report
India's media and entertainment (M&E) industry expanded 9% year‑on‑year to ₹2.78 trillion (≈$33 bn) in 2025, according to the FICCI‑EY report. Digital media became the largest segment, crossing the ₹1 trillion (≈$12 bn) threshold, while digital advertising grew 26% to ₹947 billion (≈$11.4 bn), accounting for...
Limelight’s Adaptive Rules Centre Delivers 4× Auction Success for Performance-Based SSP
Limelight Inc. introduced its Adaptive Rules Centre (ARC) to a performance‑based supply‑side platform (SSP) struggling with empty VAST creatives that bid without delivering impressions. By deploying a single "Add Creative ID to List" rule, the SSP automatically detected and blocked...
Open Media Expands Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home Offering with VIOOH Partnership
Open Media announced a programmatic partnership with VIOOH, linking its premium digital out‑of‑home inventory to the leading global supply‑side platform. The deal adds 42 high‑visibility LED screens to VIOOH’s marketplace, generating over 120 million monthly impressions and representing roughly 1‑2 % of...
Understanding Creator Performance Metrics: A Guide for Influencer Marketing Agencies
Creator performance metrics give influencer agencies a data‑driven framework to move beyond surface‑level likes and views. The guide outlines why trust and adaptability make influencer marketing valuable and presents key direct and indirect impact statistics, such as a $5.78 return...
I Turned My Side Hustles Into a 7-Figure Career. Here Are the 14 Tools that Made It Possible.
Andrew Yeung, a former Google and Meta employee, turned his side hustles into a seven‑figure enterprise by leveraging a curated stack of 14 AI‑driven tools. The suite includes Claude Code as an LLM operating system, cloud‑based Zo Computer, low‑code Lovable,...
‘Lonesome Dove,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and the Power of the Book Review in the Age Before Algorithms
The New York Times essay highlights how The Washington Post’s now‑defunct Book World once acted as a cultural engine, catapulting authors like Larry McMurtry and Annie Proulx into mainstream success. By delivering thoughtful, serendipitous criticism, the section shaped literary reputations long before algorithmic feeds...
In the AI Era, Transparency Is the New Currency on Social Media
AI‑generated content is reshaping social media, offering brands cost efficiency but risking synthetic, disengaging feeds. As users grow skeptical, trust becomes fragile, turning interactions more transactional. Brands that disclose AI usage protect credibility, while those treating AI as a volume...
AI and Publishing: FAQ for Writers
The article provides a comprehensive FAQ for writers on how U.S. copyright law treats AI‑assisted and AI‑generated works, outlining when authors can claim copyright and when they cannot. It explains recent court decisions on AI training fair use, highlighting split...
How Streaming Has Transformed NBA Audience Insights
The NBA’s audience has shifted dramatically from traditional TV to a fragmented mix of streaming services, mobile devices, and consoles, with over a quarter of viewership now coming from virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPD). This migration forces the league...
Digest: Partners Complain About Slow Ads Rollout on ChatGPT; Musk Liable in Twitter Fraud Case; Broadcasters Push EU for Tougher...
OpenAI’s pilot of ads inside ChatGPT has attracted major agency groups, but partners complain the rollout is slower than promised, even as some allocate up to $250,000 per test. A San Francisco jury found Elon Musk liable for misleading statements about...
Samsung TV Plus Powers the Next Era of FAST, Showcasing Live Events, Creator-Led Content, Exclusive Offerings, and Interactive Features Accelerating...
Samsung Ads unveiled a full‑funnel performance platform at IAB NewFronts 2026, pairing AI‑driven targeting with shoppable ad formats on Samsung TV Plus. The platform integrates Amazon’s Interactive Video Ad technology, enabling viewers to add Amazon items to cart directly from their...
Unilever's Food Business Picks Global Influencer Agency
Unilever has engaged global influencer agency SAMY to run its foods division’s influencer strategy, covering brands like Hellmann’s and Knorr across 13 markets. The partnership will leverage SAMY’s proprietary Maia platform, which connects Unilever to more than 120 million creators and...
Turning Readers Into Paying Subscribers: 5 Tips for Converting via Newsletters
At the Publisher Newsletter Summit, leaders from Bloomberg, Hearst UK and Mill Media outlined five tactics for turning free newsletter readers into paying subscribers. Their advice centers on building personal relationships, delivering high‑quality niche content, leveraging analytics for audience insight,...
10 Brings Perth Weekend Bulletin Home with NARELDA JACOBS
Network 10 announced that veteran journalist Narelda Jacobs will return to Perth to anchor a reinstated local weekend bulletin, replacing Georgie Tunny. The bulletin, launching on 18 April at 5 pm AWST, will be presented from Perth while sport and weather segments...
Want to Expand Your Media Diet? Here's Our Guide to the Indie Media Landscape
Australia’s media market remains one of the world’s most concentrated, with a handful of legacy owners dominating headlines. Decades of dwindling government support have weakened public broadcasters ABC and SBS, creating space for a burgeoning indie sector. The guide maps...
Why Ad-Blocking Browser Brave Introduced Its Own Ads
Brave, the privacy‑focused browser that launched in 2016, has shifted from pure ad‑blocking to running its own ad inventory through search results and new‑tab takeover ads. The ads are delivered without third‑party cookies, using only the user’s search query and...
JioStar Unlocks India’s Billion-Strong Consumer Base for Southeast Asia Brands via Live Sports
JioStar is positioning its live‑sports platform as a gateway for Southeast Asian brands to reach India’s billion‑strong consumer market. The upcoming TATA IPL 2026 will be broadcast across linear TV, CTV and mobile, building on the 2025 edition’s 537 million TV...
Amid Competition for Sponsors, Top Sports Clubs Are Investing in Social Media Operations
Top sports clubs are pouring capital into owned media operations to make their sponsorship assets more attractive. The LA Chargers built a $250 million studio complex, while European giants like Inter Milan expanded to 90 million social followers, driving profit and sponsor...
TikTok Courts CMOs with First-Ever Collective, as It Targets Bigger Budgets
TikTok staged its inaugural CMO Collective in England, gathering about 65 senior marketers from Europe and Israel to deepen advertiser relationships. The event highlighted the platform’s ease of content creation using a phone and CapCut, while showcasing TikTok Shop integrations...
How Sakal Is Using AI to Turn Print Ads Into Revenue Data
Sakal Media Group has deployed an OCR‑driven AI platform that scans every print advertisement in its newspapers and converts the images into searchable, structured datasets. The system automatically tags brands, categories, placement and size, turning daily print data into real‑time...
TikTok Video of LAX Baggage Handler Tossing Guitar Cases Fuels Outcry Over Fragile‑Item Handling
A TikTok video of a Los Angeles International Airport baggage handler throwing guitar cases has amassed 3.8 million views and 15,000 comments, prompting travelers and industry observers to question how fragile instruments are handled. The incident spotlights gaps between federal guidelines,...
Gracie Awards Honor Rhea Seehorn, Rachel Sennott, Abby Phillip and More at Beverly Hills Gala
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation unveiled the 51st Gracie Awards winners, spotlighting Rhea Seehorn, Rachel Sennott and Abby Phillip among a slate of TV and streaming honorees. The ceremony on May 19 in Beverly Hills celebrates women’s impact...
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Drops on Disney+ March 24
Disney+ and Hulu will launch the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Tuesday, March 24, streaming at 3 a.m. ET. The hour‑long event stars Miley Cyrus, includes surprise guests like Selena Gomez, and offers fans never‑seen footage and a live musical...
Paramount+ Drops First Trailer for Yellowstone Spinoff "Dutton Ranch" And Announces May 15 Premiere
Paramount+ unveiled the inaugural trailer for the Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch, confirming a worldwide launch on May 15, 2026. The nine‑episode series returns Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, now battling new rivals in South...
What’s Coming From Grass Valley at NAB Show 2026
Grass Valley will showcase its new Grass Valley Media Universe (GVMU) at NAB Show 2026, featuring Dynamic Media Facilities powered by AMPP OS and hybrid workflows. The lineup includes the LDX 110 Series with triple‑speed capture, the LDX 180 Series...
For Athletes Unlimited, The Technical Vision Expands For Live Sports
Athletes Unlimited’s professional women’s basketball season returned to Nashville with GameTime Productions delivering an 18‑camera live broadcast, streamed on ESPN+ and the WNBA App. The company introduced a custom scorebug and real‑time data dashboard to reflect the league’s unique points‑based...
A Validation of ZoneCasting Performance Arrives From India
GeoBroadcast Solutions' Geo Global unit announced that an independent study by India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has validated the performance of its MaxxCasting and ZoneCasting technologies. The research, conducted at All India Radio’s FM station in Bengaluru, demonstrated enhanced Single...
Democracy Docket Offers Unbiased Court Updates for Democracy
I founded Democracy Docket in 2020 because I wanted everyone to have access to what was really happening to democracy in court. No corporate overlord or both-sides nonsense. Just unvarnished pro-democracy news, information and analysis. Sign up now. https://bit.ly/4r9A45t
Daredevil S2 Returns to Hell’s Kitchen, Darker Than Ever
Hell’s Kitchen is exactly where you launch DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN S2. I’ve always loved Marvel’s ground-level NYC stories — darker, more ruthless, higher stakes. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is an all-timer Marvel villain, and Charlie Cox pushes Matt Murdock into new...
Superadio Amplifies ‘Essential Ebro’ in Distribution Deal
Superadio Networks' Amplified Voices has signed a digital distribution agreement with Dad Life LLC to launch “The Essential Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show,” a daily series of curated clips from the trio’s commentary. The partnership gives Amplified Voices exclusive rights to...
Chinese AI Studios Produce Full TV Series with Seedance 2
Chinese AI studios are now creating full TV show series using Seedance 2. #AIstudio #TVshow #AIart️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #AIvideo #AI #AIshow #movies #AImovies #tech #artificialintelligence @lexfridman @KirkDBorne @Ronald_vanLoon @erikbryn @antgrasso @sallyeaves @Nicochan33 @HaroldSinnott @mvollmer1 @marcusborba @CatherineAdenle @vinod1975 @YuHelenYu @ingliguori @fogoros @ylecun @TerenceLeungSF @SourabhSKatoch...
National Black Radio Hall of Fame Reveals 2026 Class
The National Black Radio Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class, honoring 19 inductees from 19 states across a range of categories. The ceremony will be held on September 19 in Charlotte, featuring awards such as the Talented Sisters and Brothers...
TV Ratings (23/3/2026): Gia Kicks Up A Stink About The State Of Scott’s Waterside Home
Nine’s reality hit Married At First Sight pulled a total TV reach of 2.78 million, with an average audience of 1.78 million and nearly 600 000 BVOD viewers. During the homestay segment, contestant Gia publicly criticized Scott’s waterfront home, sparking a social‑media stir despite...
Planet America Strong in Late Slot
ABC’s decision to shift Planet America into the former Q+A 9:30 pm slot delivered 570,000 viewers on Monday, more than double the 320,000 average Q+A audience before its removal. The political program’s performance rivals several prime‑time entertainment titles, though it still...
International Rights Group Decries Attack on Ecuador Journalist
Ecuadorian journalist José Vinces, founder of Vinces TV, was shot ten times while investigating a fabricated tip about abandoned human remains in Huaquillas cemetery. The attack, confirmed by police as a set‑up, left Vinces hospitalized but he was discharged after...
TikTok Bans AI Black Influencers Promoting Explicit Content
TikTok has banned 20 accounts after the BBC highlighted the use of Al-generated black female influencers to drive users to sites promoting sexually explicit content. They are part of a growing trend of accounts on Instagram and TikTok that has been...
News: NBC Sports, NFL Network, Scripps and More
NBC Sports is testing the placement of analysts inside MLB dugouts for its Sunday Leadoff games, mirroring its NBA "On the Bench" format, while still finalizing play‑by‑play talent. The ESPN‑owned NFL Network will continue its own NFL Draft presentation, keeping...
New Seasons Arrive: For All Mankind, Daredevil, Stranger Things
Folks, we have For All Mankind and Daredevil here soon and Stranger Things Tales from ‘85 in a month. There is reason to rejoice.
CNN to Cut Jobs, Shift Toward Digital Future
Scoop: CNN is expected to lay off some staffers this week as network chief Mark Thompson works to push the network away from linear television and into the digital future.
US Kills Cubans with Impunity, Media Distracts with Hotel
The headline and framing on this story from the MSM has been insane as @NathanJRobinson’s great thread points out. America is killing Cubans with impunity and they’re trying to make the story about what hotel a media figure was required...
Court Compels Meta to Submit Updated Exhibit D
Bam. Court orders Meta to file revised Exhibit D in massive copyright lawsuit playing out against it. This may well be a very revealing email. Here is the context. /1 https://t.co/9h7cRX7PGy
Fans Seek Air Date for The Pitt S2E12
Last week's episode was by far the most difficult to stomach. But when is The Pitt season 2 episode 12 airing on HBO Max? https://t.co/0E5419ayJf
Pentagon Shifts Media to Annex After Court Loss
This administration has never met a law that it didn’t feel comfortable grabbing by the genitalia with the greatest lack of respect. Pentagon moves media to external ‘annex’ after press policy court defeat - The Washington Post https://t.co/4hTc1vE9mD