Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, overtaking pay‑TV revenue
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, surpassing pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit levels in 2026 as operators focus on monetising existing users.
Also developing:
Savannah Chrisley and Hilaria Baldwin Are Taking an Accountability Retreat
Prime Video is debuting a new reality series tentatively titled "Reality Retreat," gathering twelve reality‑TV personalities, including Savannah Chrisley and Hilaria Baldwin, in a tropical setting. The show pairs wellness‑focused activities with competitive challenges designed to test participants' public personas against their private selves. Executive producer Rick Edwards serves as concierge while Ashley Edelman directs the accountability‑driven program. The format blends traditional reality drama with a self‑help retreat narrative, aiming to attract both celebrity‑gossip fans and wellness‑seeking viewers.
A Lesson in Audiobooks
Jeff’s Substack post promotes a live Zoom session on May 12, 2026, where he, audiobook pioneer Cory Verner, and business model expert Jared Kuritz will dissect the current state of the audiobook market. The 45‑minute presentation, followed by a 15‑minute Q&A, will...
Doc Emrick Recalls Barry Melrose as ‘Least Predictable’ Broadcast Partner
Doc Emrick appeared on the Awful Announcing podcast and described Barry Melrose as the least predictable broadcast partner of his 50‑year career. He recalled Melrose’s off‑the‑cuff humor, lore‑laden anecdotes, and coaching insights during ABC’s NHL coverage in the late 1990s....
Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Lands Season 3 Premiere Date On Prime Video — Get A First Look
Prime Video announced that *Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power* returns for Season 3 on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The new season will jump several years ahead, focusing on the War of the Elves and Sauron as the Dark Lord...
Giant Clap: Emotive Brings STI Monsters To Life In Blockbuster AI Campaign
Emotive and AiCandy used generative‑AI to produce a short film for Four Seasons Naked Condoms that pits a giant baby against STI monsters, delivering Hollywood‑level visuals at a fraction of traditional costs. The horror‑comedy spot targets Gen Z on Snapchat, YouTube...
Megyn Kelly Rips Bari Weiss’ CBS for Protecting Netanyahu by Editing ‘Anti-American’ Comments on ’60 Minutes’ | Video
Megyn Kelly accused CBS and editor Bari Weiss of deliberately cutting portions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "60 Minutes" interview, including remarks that labeled skeptical Americans as anti‑American and claims about foreign bot farms shaping U.S. opinion. CBS aired...
Prime Video Greenlights Two Original Series, Brett Goldstein Comedy ‘Escorted,’ and Drama ‘Rose Hill’
Prime Video announced the greenlight of two original series: the eight‑episode comedy "Escorted," created and co‑showrun by Emmy‑winner Brett Goldstein, and the romance‑drama "Rose Hill," adapted from Elsie Silver’s bestselling novels. "Escorted" is produced by Warner Bros. Television with Brian Gallivan,...
Amazon Delays LOTR Season 3 to November, Plays Safe
#AmazonMGM got traumatised so much by competing with #HouseOfTheDragon & #Andor they are not taking any risks this time around. With a first look, Amazon unveiled that #TheLordOfTheRings: #TheRingsOfPower' Season 3 will debut on #PrimeVideo only on NOV 11, leaving behind...
Include Instrumentals with Full Songs to Boost Sync Approval
Most of the sync licensing briefs I get are for instrumentals. If you’re pitching full songs (good sync fees), supply instrumental versions too. Also, make sure the music production is solid 👌🏽 The more useful versions you give them, the easier it is to...
Amazon Flexes Its Reach With Star-Packed Upfront
Amazon held its third annual upfront on May 11 at New York’s Beacon Theatre, drawing hundreds of ad executives, agency reps, and brand marketers. The 90‑minute, star‑studded event featured DJ Diplo, Kacey Musgraves, Oprah Winfrey, NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger,...
‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’ Season 3 to Premiere in November
Amazon announced that the third season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will premiere on Prime Video on November 11. The fantasy epic, set before Tolkien’s classic novels, has become one of Prime Video’s biggest draws,...
Tenth Circuit Affirms Fair Use of Archival Footage in Tiger King Copyright Dispute
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for Netflix in Whyte Monkee Productions v. Netflix, ruling that the 66‑second funeral clip used in the documentary series "Tiger King" qualifies as fair use. The court held that all...
Sarah Wynn-Williams and Virginia Giuffre Jointly Win Freedom to Publish Prize at British Book Awards
Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn‑Williams and the late Virginia Giuffre jointly received the Freedom to Publish prize at the 2026 British Book Awards, marking the award's first shared presentation. Wynn‑Williams was honored for her memoir "Careless People," which alleges misconduct at...
‘Beast Games’ Season 3 Agrees to IATSE Deal After Non-Union Start to Production
Beast Industry Studios, the company behind Jimmy "Mr. Beast" Donaldson's reality series "Beast Games," has reached a collective bargaining agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) after initially starting season three with non‑union crew. The deal retroactively...
The Day of the Jackal Season 2 Casts Emmy Nominee as Villain in Peacock Show
The Day of the Jackal’s second season on Peacock adds Emmy‑nominated actor Matt Bomer as a new villain. The thriller, led by Eddie Redmayne, debuted in the U.S. Top 5 streaming dramas and attracted 4.6 million viewers in the U.K. during its...
Bomani Jones: Criticism of ‘First Take’ Often Becomes Criticism of Its Audience
Bomani Jones defended ESPN's *First Take* after Skip Bayless returned, arguing that criticism of the show often morphs into criticism of its largely Black daytime audience. He noted that while the program draws ire for its confrontational style, it remains...
Spanish Broadcasting System Formally Files for Bankruptcy
Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), the largest U.S. Hispanic‑focused radio group, filed a pre‑packaged Chapter 11 petition in Delaware to streamline its balance sheet. The plan swaps existing debt for all common stock and up to $70 million of new secured notes at...
Marvel Midnight Universe Details Revealed and Include Horror Reimaginings of X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four
Marvel announced the Marvel Midnight Universe, a horror‑focused imprint separate from its main continuity. The line will debut three titles—Midnight X‑Men, Midnight Fantastic Four, and Midnight Spider‑Man—each reimagining classic heroes in dark, supernatural scenarios. Veteran creators Jonathan Hickman, Benjamin Percy,...
Anticipated ABC Spin-Off Show Scores Series Pickup, Crossovers Planned
ABC has green‑lit a 10‑episode spin‑off titled “The Rookie: North” for its 2026‑27 midseason slate. The series stars Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, who joins the Pierce County Police after a traumatic home invasion. Production will begin soon and the...
Disney Orders “The Rookie: North” To A Series
Disney announced that its spinoff “The Rookie: North” has been picked up for a full ten‑episode season ahead of its Upfront event. The series follows Alex Holland, a mid‑life rookie police officer in the Pacific Northwest, and stars Jay Ellis...
Tony Danza's Longest Dramatic Role Was In This Forgotten Law Series
Tony Danza’s longest dramatic television role was as left‑wing attorney Joe Celano on CBS’s legal drama Family Law. He joined in the second season and appeared in 44 episodes from 2000 to 2002, outlasting his sitcom characters in episode count....
Byron Allen Is Buying BuzzFeed, Will Become CEO
Media entrepreneur Byron Allen is acquiring a majority stake in BuzzFeed for $120 million, giving him roughly 52% ownership and the role of chairman and CEO. Founder Jonah Peretti will step down as CEO and assume a new position as president...
Figuring Out How to Watch NBA Playoff Games Has Been a Struggle. And — Sorry, Sports Fans — It’s only...
The NBA’s 2026 playoffs are scattered across a growing list of broadcasters, from Amazon Prime and Peacock to ESPN, ABC and NBA TV. Fans must often juggle two or more subscriptions just to follow a single game, turning a simple viewing experience...
Netflix's New "Excellent" Drama That's a "Must-See" Climbs up Trending Chart
Netflix's drama "Remarkably Bright Creatures" has quickly risen to the top of the platform's trending charts, ranking third in the UK and fourth worldwide. The film, adapted from Shelby Van Pelt's 2022 novel, stars Sally Field as an elderly cleaner who...
IndieWire Earns Six SoCal Journalism Award Nominations, Including Best Website and TV Critic
IndieWire has secured six nominations at the 2026 SoCal Journalism Awards, including Best Website and Best TV Criticism for critic Ben Travers. The nods span entertainment reporting, podcast work, lifestyle features, and independent journalism, reflecting the outlet’s breadth of coverage...
“Last Train To North America” Coming Soon To ESPN
Disney announced ESPN’s new nine‑episode documentary “Last Train to North America,” premiering May 12, 2026. Hosted by veteran journalist Martin Ainstein, the series follows a rail journey through the United States, Mexico and Canada as the three nations gear up...
Pinterest Recommendation Engine Update Aims For Enhanced Ad Relevance
Pinterest unveiled a Contextual Sequential Two‑Tower Model that injects real‑time browsing signals into its ad candidate generator, delivering a 3‑10× lift in per‑user ad relevance and boosting median relevance by roughly 275‑300%. The upgrade addresses a prior shortfall where less...
FOX & NBC Expand NFL Packages While League Faces Antitrust Scrutiny
Fox and NBC are expanding their NFL coverage for the 2026‑27 seasons. Fox will add two more regular‑season games in 2026, including the high‑profile Week 10 Munich matchup and a Week 15 Saturday game. NBC’s Peacock platform will receive an additional exclusive...
YouTube Powers Hollywood’s New Creator-Driven Startup Economy
At last week’s @MilkenInstitute’s Global Summit, I joined a panel about the future of the entertainment industry with moderator @JBoorstin. We talked about how @youtube has a unique seat at the intersection of technology, the creative industries, and the largest creator...
DOJ Probe Unrelated to Streaming Gripes and NFL Schedule Shifts
I’m sure that there is no correlation between the DOJ probe into Sports Broadcasting Act and grumbling about putting too many games on streamers and today’s NFL news that Fox, NBC got more games and CBS got to move an...
The White Lotus Season 4 Cast Adds Ben Kingsley, Clayface Star, & More
HBO confirmed that The White Lotus Season 4 will film on the French Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival, and the cast has been expanded with veteran actor Ben Kingsley and Max Minghella, who also appears in the upcoming Clayface movie. Additional talent...
NFL Prioritizes Standalone Broadcast Windows for Media Partners
The #NFL is clearly focused on creating more standalone windows for its media partners. I discussed the logic behind this decision some weeks ago on #PathwayToThePodium. #NFLSchedule https://t.co/tSlqrzhbh3
Seinfeld Satirizes Extreme Hockey Fan Devotion
📺😈 May 11, 1995: On NBC’s “Seinfeld”, Jerry, Kramer and Elaine were alarmed and weirded out by Elaine’s boyfriend Puddy (Patrick Warburton) when they all attended the Rangers-Devils hockey playoff game and Puddy’s face was painted to match the Devils’...
Arena Group Revenue Plummets as Traffic Declines
The Arena Group posted a steep Q1 revenue decline, dropping 37% to $20 million as traffic fell. Digital advertising revenue nearly halved to $11.3 million, while print ad sales modestly rose 26% to $260 k. Gross margin contracted to 34.8% and adjusted EBITDA...
CBS Adds National NFL Primetime Slot in Week 15
CBS going to be adding an incremental national NFL window this season, taking a matchup that would have been folded into the regional window and putting that in primetime in Week 15 (Dec. 19 at 8pm ET)
NFL Prioritizes More Stand‑Alone Games in New CBS, Fox Deals
The NFL is also creating more stand alone games with these new deals w CBS and Fox. More stand alone games is a top priority at league.
Paramount+ Launches Yellowstone Spinoff “Dutton Ranch” As Franchise Expands Streaming Slate
Paramount+ premiered the Yellowstone spinoff “Dutton Ranch” on May 15, featuring Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Annette Bening and Ed Harris as Beth and Rip Dutton start a new life in Texas. The launch adds a high‑profile title to the platform’s...
CBS Upgrades Regional Game to Prime‑time, Boosting Its Value
To be clear, CBS is getting to make a regional afternoon game into a prime time Saturday game. More value for them.
Repeat Your Message; Not Everyone Sees Every Video
Most people won’t see every video you post… don’t be afraid to say the same thing twice.
BBC Shakes up Weekly Schedule for Eurovision - but Which Shows Are Impacted?
The BBC is reshuffling its prime‑time lineup to accommodate the live Eurovision Song Contest semi‑finals and grand final from Vienna. flagship shows such as MasterChef, Interior Design Masters and Race Across the World have been moved to BBC Two or...
NFL Treats Networks Like Oprah: Extra Games for All
The NFL is playing Oprah with the broadcast networks: “you get an extra game and you get an extra game.” https://t.co/OXEuwvyr9g
Digg Introduces Full Participation Icons for Every Story Interaction
today at @digg, we added full chain of participation icons for each person touching a story (post/repost/quote post), @thinkymachines just flew up to the top w/ this announcement: https://t.co/e8A8HKtWr1
You Don’t Know Where Anything Comes From
A recent New York Times investigation reveals that the U.S. Mint has been buying gold sourced from Colombian drug cartels, despite legal requirements to purchase only domestically mined metal. The scheme exploits licensed cartel miners, middlemen, and U.S. refineries that fail to...
Seeking All‑In‑One Manager for New Book Launch
Attn: book publishing ninjas... ...looking for someone to handle web design, marketing, Amazon, fulfillment, etc. for my new book Precepts (already fully designed and edited). Details here: https://t.co/Ad15Ayudzv
MLB's Multi‑Platform Expansion Could Trigger FCC Scrutiny
Derek Jeter at Fox upfront says MLB on more platforms than ever. Grist for the FCC probe?
Fox Predicts 150M Total, Overseas Will Eclipse US Viewership
Michael Strahan at Fox upfront says Fox expecting 15 mil viewers per US game in world cup, and 150 mil across the whole event. Obviously overseas figures will dwarf that.
Baywatch: From One-Season Cancellation to Syndication Icon
Did not know Baywatch was cancelled after its first season on NBC 1989-1990 Went onto to become biggest syndicated series of all-time Now being rebooted onto Fox $FOXA https://t.co/GzxQajJ48A
Amazon Owns Full‑Funnel Advertising with Proprietary Data
Two upfronts in… Both highlighted “Full Funnel” advertising and we are not yet at Amazon that owns the phrase leveraging a wealth of proprietary outcome data Here is how Amazon explains Full Funnel advertising https://t.co/QZkAa6yZ05
Washington Commanders' 2025‑26 Games Stay on Free TV
Hang on, @crupicrupicrupi Every Washington @Commanders game in 2025-26 was on free broadcast TV in the local market. That's not to deny that @NFL games are migrating to @PrimeVideo and @netflix https://t.co/PbxZlIvPd9
NBCU, Fox Hinder Press Access at Upfront, Animal House Style
Both NBCU and Fox subtly and not so subtly make it more challenging for press to work crowds at upfront. Kind of like this Animal House scene. https://t.co/GjlpRaF7Nc