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.
Ligue 1+: French Football League Losing Hundreds of Millions to Piracy
French football officials report that 59% of fans watched Ligue 1 matches via illegal streams this season, costing the league’s Ligue 1+ platform and partner BeIN Sports hundreds of millions of euros. The loss follows the collapse of the LFP’s domestic media‑rights deal with Dazn after just one year and a steep rights valuation drop from nearly €1 billion to about €150 million (≈$165 million) annually. Over 2 million viewers are now expected to use pirated services, prompting concerns across European leagues. Norway’s Eliteserien has already tightened VPN detection after similar piracy threats.
Roku Announces A Fix To A Major Bug That Made Using Your Antenna For Free ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC...
Roku announced a forthcoming software update to fix a bug that forced Roku TV users to have an active internet connection to access over‑the‑air (OTA) channels via an antenna. Recent OS changes merged OTA broadcasts with streaming listings in the...
Nomono Unveils Audio/Video Sync at SXSW to Expand Into a Full-Stack Creator Workflow
Nomono announced Audio/Video Sync within its Studio Cloud platform, letting creators capture professional‑grade microphone audio and automatically align it with video footage. The cloud‑based tool applies AI‑driven sound enhancement, then exports a distribution‑ready video with studio‑quality audio. Targeting the rapidly...
How to Use Brand Safety Tools to Protect Your Brand’s Reputation
Brand safety has expanded in 2026 from merely protecting paid ads to monitoring organic content, social conversations, influencer activity, and data compliance. The rise of fragmented news sources, generative AI, and platform rule volatility increases reputational risk. Tools such as...
YouTube Viewership Trends From Official Broadcasters, Creators and Fans During the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics generated massive YouTube activity, drawing over 500 million unique viewers who logged more than 20 billion minutes (about 330 million hours) of watchtime. Official broadcasters such as NBCUniversal, Eurosport, CBC, the Japan Consortium and the IOC’s @Olympics channel supplied...
First Shoppable TV Series ‘Bring My Pinterest to Life’ in UK
Pinterest debuted its first shoppable TV series, "Bring My Pinterest to Life," on Roku’s free channel in the UK, US, Canada and Mexico. The six‑episode lifestyle show transforms users' inspiration boards into real‑world makeovers while embedding QR codes that link...
BAFTA TV Awards Sets Host for 2026 Ceremony
Comedian Greg Davies, famed for hosting Taskmaster, has been confirmed as the host of the BAFTA Television Awards on May 10, 2026, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. This marks his first stint leading the ceremony, succeeding Alan Cumming,...
IBEW Calls for Scrutiny of Skydance-CBS Layoffs and Proposed CNN Merger
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has publicly demanded greater transparency after Skydance Media’s merger with CBS triggered a second round of layoffs and the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The union warned that the rapid changes, announced only...
The Atlantic Takes Its Journalism to Sea in Three-Year Cruise Ship Partnership
The Atlantic has struck a three‑year partnership with luxury cruise line Seabourn, embedding its writers, editorial programming, and subscription access aboard the line’s voyages starting this fall. The deal combines advertising, sponsorship, and a subscription enablement model, culminating in a...
The Rise of Made-by-Humans Marketing
The post examines a growing trend where brands publicly emphasize that their content is created by humans rather than AI. Companies like Dove, Le Creuset, and Discover are leveraging "made‑by‑humans" messaging to differentiate themselves as AI‑free and to appeal to...
How to Buy Views and Likes on TikTok
Creators are turning to third‑party services to buy TikTok views and likes, submitting only a video URL to receive a chosen number of engagements. Platforms such as Goread promise gradual delivery that mimics organic growth, helping videos appear active during...
NDTV Alumni's Frammer AI Wins ABS-CBN, Ousts Wildmoka
Frammer AI, founded by former NDTV executives in 2023, has secured a deal with ABS‑CBC, one of Asia's largest media groups. The partnership replaces the long‑standing European platform Wildmoka, consolidating ABS‑CBC's live and edited video workflows under Frammer's AI‑driven system....
Winners & Losers: Narratives & Nihilism
The article spotlights CBS News’ latest round of layoffs, which cut roughly 6% of its workforce—about 60 to 70 employees—and shuttered its historic radio division. The closure ends the CBS News Feed for approximately 700 affiliated stations, a service that...
Palace Hires Reporter Who Was Supposed to Be Covering Them
Buckingham Palace announced that Sky News veteran royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills will leave journalism to become communications secretary for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Palace insiders praised her intelligence, quick thinking and humor, calling her a "great fit." Outside...
Zuri Berry Tells Us How The Banner, a Nonprofit Startup, Is Reviving Local News in DC’s Maryland Suburbs
Zuri Berry, executive editor of The Banner, discussed the nonprofit digital news startup’s rapid expansion from Baltimore into Montgomery County, Maryland’s suburbs. The four‑year‑old organization fills a local‑news void as larger papers like The Washington Post scale back regional coverage....
AI‑spam Sites Surge, Then Crash Under Google Penalties
Yet another example of "Mt. AI". Site surged like mad, only to crash once Google's webspam team caught on. All AI-generated content. 1.6M urls of it... Now, the dreaded '10 urls site query' indicating a manual action. 100% probability of...
Google Ads Are Showing Identical Website Stats Across Multiple Advertisers
A pattern has emerged where multiple Google Ads display identical website statistics across competing advertisers. The uniform stats, normally unique per site, raise concerns about a possible bug, test, or intentional change in Google’s ad platform. The anomaly was first...
YouTube Tests Highlight Previews to Cut Thumbnail Spam
To overcome thumbnail spamming and exaggerated BS? "The system will essentially choose a highlights package to show to potential viewers" -> YouTube tests video highlights preview feature "After clicking the entry card on your homepage, you’ll see 5-10 previews featuring...
We Seriously Don't Mistrust the Media Enough
In this episode the host examines how even the most media‑savvy individuals are vulnerable to manipulation, breaking down common tactics such as highlighting who benefits from a story, tracing funding sources, and exploiting omission and binary framing. Using recent examples...
MediaWise Launches Teen Creator Network with $300,000 Grant From Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
MediaWise, the Poynter Institute’s media‑literacy arm, announced the Teen Creator Network, a new program for U.S. creators aged 13‑20. Funded by a $300,000 grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the initiative will teach media literacy, journalism ethics, responsible AI use,...
OpenAI to Introduce Ads for All ChatGPT Users
Like I shared the other day, OpenAI now confirms they will roll out ads to ALL users in the coming weeks (for free and Go plans): "OpenAI will begin showing ads to all users of the free and Go versions of...
Veteran VOA Journalists Sue Over Kari Lake Propaganda
NEW: A fresh lawsuit from veteran Voice of America journalists alleges @KariLake put propaganda on the network's broadcasts. My story for NPR: https://t.co/pFLl4Uu0oQ
Why Volumetric 3D Is Finally Ready for Broadcast
Dynamic volumetric 3D has long been hampered by inefficient mesh compression, preventing real‑time broadcast deployment. An ISO‑backed Video‑based Dynamic Mesh Compression (V‑DMC) standard now encodes changing 3D detail as 2D video frames, leveraging existing video codecs and GPU acceleration. The...
Google Ads Tests Animated Clips in Performance Max
Focus on Google Ads? -> Animated Clips Now Appearing in Performance Max Asset Creation "Google Ads is testing a new feature that lets advertisers turn uploaded images into animated clips within Performance Max campaigns using Veo 3." https://t.co/Im0TnVVNWY https://t.co/fXGyBF9eUi
CNN Is Merging With CBS News In A Move That Will Transform Both Companies
Paramount Skydance has agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $77 billion per share, valuing the combined company at roughly $110 billion after debt. The transaction places CNN and CBS News under the same corporate roof for the first time, opening the door to...
What’s The Story With Crookhaven?
BBC Studios Kids & Family has debuted "Crookhaven", an eight‑part drama that reimagines a secret school for young thieves as a family‑friendly adventure. Adapted from J.J. Arcanjo’s five‑book YA series, the show follows pickpocket prodigy Gabriel and rival Penelope as...
Trusted Content Classification Fuels Advertiser Spend on News
Advertisers are wary of new brand‑suitability tools that label large swaths of news as “low risk,” because a DoubleVerify survey shows 92% of respondents consider that content unsuitable. The misalignment between tool classifications and advertiser expectations threatens trust and revenue...
What Are All the Defunct US Distributors of the Last Twenty-Five Years?
Over the past 25 years, more than 45 U.S. theatrical distributors have folded, from Great Point Media’s 2024 liquidation to the 2019 Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The wave of closures reflects a confluence of dot‑com bust, the 2008...
Emmy Award-Winning "Baby Reindeer" Creator Richard Gadd Stars Alongside Jamie Bell in the New Limited Series "Half Man," Premiering April...
Emmy‑winning creator Richard Gadd teams with Jamie Bell for the HBO Max limited series "Half Man," debuting on April 23. The drama marks Gadd’s first major on‑screen role after his acclaimed "Baby Reindeer" sketch show. HBO Max promoted the launch...
ESPN Announces MLB Game of the Day Schedule Through May
ESPN unveiled its 2026 MLB Game of the Day lineup for March through May, delivering out‑of‑market broadcasts of every major‑league team via the ESPN App. The schedule, exclusive to ESPN Unlimited subscribers, includes marquee opening‑day matchups such as the Texas...
Tina Feys First Ever SNL UK Monologue Features some Big Surprise Guests
Tina Fey hosted the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live UK, delivering a monologue that addressed audience skepticism about an American leading the British version. The show featured surprise appearances by Michael Cera and Graham Norton, who joined Fey onstage...
LinkedIn Outperforms All B2B Ad Platforms: Dreamdata
Dreamdata’s 2026 LinkedIn Benchmarks Report reveals LinkedIn is the only B2B advertising platform delivering a positive return on ad spend, posting a 121% ROAS. The platform now commands 41% of B2B paid‑social budgets, outpacing Google Search (67% ROAS) and Meta...
Google Folds Gemini Deeper Into DV360 to Automate Media Planning and Buying
Google is embedding its Gemini AI model as the core operating layer of Display & Video 360, turning the DSP into an automated media buyer. Marketers can now upload a media plan and have Gemini generate a complete campaign setup, streamlining...
Survival Icon Bear Grylls Takes Eight Celebrities on the Journey of a Lifetime on "Bear Grylls Is Running Wild"
Survival veteran Bear Grylls returns with "Bear Grylls Is Running Wild," debuting April 21 on Fox and streaming on Hulu the following night. The eight‑episode series thrusts celebrities Elizabeth Banks, Rhys Darby, Colman Domingo, Tiffany Haddish, Matthew McConaughey, MGK, Michelle Monaghan...
YouTube Launches Gemini-Powered Creator Partnerships With AI Matching
YouTube has rebranded its BrandConnect tool as Creator Partnerships and infused it with Google’s Gemini AI to automate brand‑creator matchmaking. The service is now embedded in YouTube Studio, Google Ads and the DV360 demand‑side platform, letting advertisers use natural‑language queries...
Call for Listings in Campaign’s Saudi Report 2026
Campaign Middle East has opened listings for its sixth Saudi Report, slated for publication in May 2026. The directory will feature free basic listings and paid half‑page, full‑page, or double‑page options, with submission deadlines of April 7 for basic entries and...
GoWit & Futura DDB Form Exclusive Retail Media Partnership in the Adriatic
GoWit and Futura DDB have announced an exclusive retail‑media partnership covering Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia. The deal combines GoWit’s AI‑first omnichannel commerce platform with Futura DDB’s regional creative and market expertise, delivering a unified dashboard for multi‑market campaign...
TV’s Training Offerings for Agencies Are “Outdated for the Modern Market” – Buy-Side View with Anything Is Possible’s Matt Towle
Matt Towle, head of broadcast at Anything is Possible, argues that traditional TV training programs are outdated and can’t keep pace with the modern CTV ecosystem. He notes that CTV is democratizing video advertising, allowing brands with budgets as low...
YouTube's First Video Upload Is in the V&A Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has acquired a reconstructed YouTube watch page featuring the platform’s inaugural upload, “Me at the zoo,” dated December 8, 2006. The exhibit, now on display, underscores the museum’s broader effort to preserve digital...
Amazon MX Player Rolls Out Free Micro-Drama Platform Fatafat
Amazon MX Player has launched Fatafat, a free micro‑drama platform delivering short, serialised episodes for mobile‑first audiences in India. The service spans romance, thriller, drama and youth‑focused stories, differentiating itself by offering content at no cost. A high‑profile campaign starring...
Love Returns to the Lake: Prime Video's "Every Year After" Reveals First Look at a Story of Second Chances
Prime Video unveiled its upcoming original series "Every Year After," adapting Carley Fortune's bestseller *Every Summer After*. The eight‑episode romance will drop all at once on June 10, streaming in more than 240 countries. The novel, a 16‑week New York Times bestseller,...
Tech Giants Cough up as ASA Seeks Funding Overhaul
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is overhauling its funding model after decades of reliance on legacy media agencies. A new taskforce, backed by Google and Meta, will design a sustainable financing framework to match the digital‑first ad market that...
Inside the Crisis Facing Local TV News: Layoffs, Consolidation and Shrinking Ratings
Local TV news is in crisis as Nexstar Media Group slashes staff, including longtime KTLA anchors, amid plummeting ratings. Streaming now captures more than 40% of U.S. viewing, pulling ad dollars away from traditional broadcasts. The industry is turning to...
How Channel Surfer Turns YouTube Into a Classic Linear TV Experience
London developer Steven Irby launched ChannelSurfer.tv, a web‑based electronic programme guide that repackages YouTube feeds into a classic linear TV experience. The static Next.js site runs on Cloudflare, uses PartyKit and daily GitHub Actions to refresh a curated list of...
Analysis: HBO Max Is Most Widely Bundled Streaming Service
Ampere Analysis reports that HBO Max holds the largest bundling footprint among streaming services in 20 major markets, partnering with 60 unique providers and appearing in 303 packages. The service’s bundling strength is especially pronounced in Central and South America...
The More Nigerians Stream, the Less Their Favourite Artists Earn From Spotify
Nigerian artists have earned over ₦143 billion ($105 million) from Spotify since 2023, reaching ₦60 billion in 2025. While total revenue rose sharply in 2024, growth stalled to just 3.45% year‑over‑year in 2025 as streams shifted toward the domestic market. Local consumption jumped...
Prime Video Announces April 16 Premiere Date and Releases Key Art for "Jerry West: The Logo"
Prime Video announced that the feature‑length documentary "Jerry West: The Logo" will debut on April 16, streaming exclusively in more than 240 countries and territories. The film, directed by Kenya Barris in his documentary debut, chronicles the NBA legend’s on‑court...
Azerion Promotes ‘Leading DOOH Specialist’ Rebecca Callaghan to Head of Out-of-Home
Azerion has created a new Head of Out‑of‑Home role and promoted Rebecca Callaghan, a recognized DOOH specialist, to lead it. Callaghan brings more than a decade of experience across traditional and programmatic OOH, including prior stints at Yahoo, JCDecaux and...
Movistar’s Anti-Piracy Measures Blocking Legit Streams
Spain’s anti‑piracy crackdown, led by LaLiga, relies on IP‑blocking to stop illegal football streams. Movistar’s implementation on March 22 blocked about 145 IP addresses, including those of major cloud providers, causing widespread service outages that persisted into the following morning. The...
Microdramas Clock $300 Mn Revenue in a Year; RMG Users Shift to Offshore Betting Apps
India’s interactive media market, now worth $13.8 billion, is being reshaped by microdramas, which generated $300 million in revenue, 450 million downloads and 100 million monthly active users in their first year. The format is projected to expand to a $4.5 billion market by 2030,...