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.
‘Miss Scarlet’ To End After Seven Seasons At Masterpiece
PBS has confirmed that the period‑mystery series *Miss Scarlet* will conclude with a seventh season, marking the end of its run on Masterpiece. Production is currently underway in Serbia, where the final six episodes are being filmed to wrap up the story of Eliza Scarlet, Victorian London’s first female private detective. Creator Rachael New praised the collaborative effort spanning Belgrade, Dublin and the on‑screen talent, highlighting the show’s unique blend of historical intrigue and strong female lead. The cast, led by Kate Phillips, will deliver the series’ concluding arc.
Google Non-Skip Ad Concerns Bleeding Into YouTube
Google has launched its Video Reach Campaign (VRC) Non‑Skip ads globally, targeting connected‑TV screens, while YouTube mobile users are encountering persistent overlay ads that cannot be dismissed. The ads stay visible despite repeated taps on “Dismiss,” prompting Reddit complaints and...
Cosm Reveals ‘Harry Potter’ Release Date And Trailer For “Shared Reality” Run
Cosm will debut a reimagined "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" on May 7 at its Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas shared‑reality venues, with tickets on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT. The experience uses an 87‑foot curved screen capable of over 12K...
‘Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’: Paramount+ Canada & GameTV Comedy About Controversial Canadian Sprinter Gets Trailer & Premiere...
Paramount+ Canada and GameTV are launching the six‑part satirical series “Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story” on March 26, with the first two episodes debuting on GameTV and a day later on Paramount+. The show stars Shamier Anderson as the...
Thailand-Based ‘Send Help’ & ‘White Lotus’ Outfit Indochina Productions Teams With Storyoscopic To Launch BKK Films
Storyoscopic Films and Thailand’s Indochina Productions have formed a Bangkok‑based joint venture called BKK Films. The partnership will produce genre‑driven movies starring Asian protagonists, leveraging Storyoscopic’s development expertise and Indochina’s production infrastructure. Its inaugural slate includes the gangster‑action film “7...
Another Holladay Property Sought, With Waiver Needed
The FCC is poised to modernize its local ownership limits for broadcast stations, prompting a wave of waiver requests from existing licensees. Broadcasters argue they are the only logical buyers for stations in markets where they have already reached current...
Vudoo Announces Partnership with PubMatic to Simplify Activation of Commerce-Enabled Advertising
Vudoo has partnered with PubMatic to embed its commerce‑media technology into PubMatic’s AI‑powered programmatic platform, enabling shoppable ad experiences across verified inventory. The integration lets agencies and brands activate commerce media with a single deal ID, supporting display, video and...
Content Creators Didn’t Kill Publisher Video. They Rebuilt The Ad Model
Creator‑led companies like Donut Media are reshaping digital video advertising by building an integrated, 360‑degree ad stack that spans long‑form YouTube, short‑form social, podcasts and real‑world activations. The firm sells custom‑branded segments, 45‑ to 60‑second host‑read pre‑rolls and official partnership...
Meta's GR2 Leverages LLM Reasoning for Better Ad Ranking
Can LLMs be used for ads ranking? Meta's GR2 architecture utilizes reinforcement learning and LLM world knowledge to improve ad ranking performance through structured reasoning. https://mobiledevmemo.com/can-llms-be-used-for-ads-ranking/
February 2026 Podscribe Rankings Show Continued Dominance at the Top, Breakout Podcast Show Growth, and Major Advertiser Surges
Podscribe’s February 2026 rankings confirm that Crime Junkie, The Daily and The Mel Robbins Podcast remain the three most‑reached shows, collectively pulling roughly 30 million listeners. Breakout performers such as Money Rehab and Kill Tony surged dramatically, reshuffling the top‑ten. Spotify stayed the leading publisher in both audio...
Is There an Oscar Bump? ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Saw Views Triple on Netflix After Its Nomination
Netflix’s documentary "The Perfect Neighbor" has crossed 50 million views since its October 2025 debut and saw streaming numbers more than triple in the two weeks following its Oscar nomination. The film also secured Best Documentary honors at the Independent Spirit Awards...
Netflix Picks Up NBC Medical Sitcom ‘St. Denis Medical’ for April 2026 Release
Netflix will add NBC’s mockumentary sitcom *St. Denis Medical* to its U.S. library on April 1, 2026, coinciding with the ongoing broadcast of season 2 and a confirmed renewal for season 3. The acquisition follows the earlier addition of *Happy’s Place*, highlighting Netflix’s strategy...
Creator Agency NewGen Signs Streamer xQc for Social Publishing Deal
London‑based creator agency NewGen has signed Twitch star xQc to a social publishing services agreement, brokered with Evolved Agency. The partnership will repurpose xQc’s live streams and YouTube videos for distribution on additional platforms, aiming to broaden his audience and...
TikTok Shop Scales Workforce Amid Push to Cement Discovery Commerce Model in Global Markets
TikTok Shop is aggressively expanding its creator commerce workforce across North America, Europe, and Asia‑Pacific, posting dozens of full‑time and internship roles in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Düsseldorf, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo and Jakarta. The hiring push...
Fixated Acquires Creator Monetization Platform Elevate to Expand Subscription, Community Infrastructure
Fixated, a creator management firm, has acquired Elevate, a subscription‑focused monetization platform, to broaden its community and revenue infrastructure. The deal follows a $50 million Eldridge Industries investment earmarked for M&A, marking Fixated’s second acquisition this year after buying gaming‑centric Ellify....
Promoting The Super Bowl: All Year Round?
Walt Disney is turning the Super Bowl from a single‑day spectacle into a year‑long media franchise called “The Year of the Super Bowl.” The move leverages the $800 million advertising haul from one game to launch continuous ESPN features such as...
The Survival of the Scarcest: Why AI Favours the Premium Publisher
AI is reshaping digital publishing by replacing the traditional search‑driven model with an answer‑focused economy. Premium publishers stand to gain as users shift from utility‑mode queries to trust‑mode consumption, where source credibility matters. The emergence of agentic media buying will...
Audible Unveils Nonfiction Podcast Slate Incorporating Wondery Productions, Featuring OnlyFans Investigative Series, New Seasons of ‘Dr. Death’ and ‘Over My...
Audible announced a new nonfiction podcast slate that merges Wondery’s investigative series with its own offerings, featuring season 5 of “Dr. Death,” season 5 of “Over My Dead Body,” and the upcoming “OnlyFantasy” series on OnlyFans. The rollout follows Amazon’s...
Graza Olive Oil Enters New Category with Largest Paid Campaign to Date
Graza, the fifth‑largest U.S. olive‑oil brand, has unveiled its largest paid marketing effort, the “Seriously Serious” campaign, to launch a new line of olive‑oil mayonnaise. The campaign features absurdist TV and streaming spots, a $250,000 Grand‑Prize sponsorship of Bravo’s Top Chef,...
Editor’s Letter: You Can Support The Revealer’s Work
Editor Brett Krutzsch invites readers to support The Revealer, a NYU‑published religion and media magazine, by offering five practical actions. He highlights a tax‑deductible donation to the Center for Religion and Media, podcast ratings, social sharing, free email subscription, and...
Reba McEntire’s Sitcom ‘Happy’s Place’ Is Officially Coming to Netflix
Netflix has secured U.S. streaming rights to the freshman NBC sitcom *Happy’s Place*, slated to debut on the platform on April 1, 2026. The series, created by Kevin Abbott and headlined by country star Reba McEntire, follows Bobbie inheriting a...
Programmatic Account Executive
AdTonos is hiring a Programmatic Account Executive to manage high‑value partnerships and drive revenue across its product portfolio. The role targets candidates with three to five years of experience in programmatic sales or account management and reports directly to the...
New Audible Feature Supports the Immersion Reading Trend
Audible introduced the Read & Listen feature, letting users see synchronized text while listening to audiobooks within the Audible app. The tool differs from Whispersync by keeping both formats in a single interface, though users must purchase both the ebook and audiobook....
Emerald’s MJBizCon’s Evolution Amid Industry Overhaul
Emerald Holding acquired MJBiz, the premier cannabis B2B event, for $120 million in 2022, betting on a booming market. Since the purchase, exhibitor numbers have slumped from roughly 1,400 to 557 and attendance data has become opaque, reflecting a broader industry...
How Brooks Brothers Is Refreshing the Oldest Apparel Brand in the US
Brooks Brothers, the United States' oldest continuously operating apparel brand, launched the "Make It Yours" campaign to reposition itself for a new generation of shoppers. The initiative emphasizes individuality while honoring the label's heritage, showcasing classic items such as Oxford...
ARD and ZDF to Close Linear TV Channels Under Reform Treaty
German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will overhaul their linear TV portfolio under a reformed national broadcast treaty, shutting down ARD alpha, tagesschau24 and ONE by December 31 2026. The restructure consolidates remaining services into three jointly‑operated channels—phoenix for news, neo for...
How Ukrainian Media Are Surviving the 2025/2026 Winter Energy Crisis
Ukrainian newsrooms are battling a severe winter energy crisis after Russian attacks crippled roughly half of the country’s power infrastructure, dropping generation capacity to 14 GW. Outages of up to 20 hours a day forced outlets like Cukr and Babel to invest...
What Online Master’s Programs Reveal About the Convergence of Digital Publishing and Journalism
Online master’s programs are becoming a barometer for the merging of journalism and digital publishing. Approximately one‑quarter of graduate media students now enroll exclusively online, reflecting broader digital adoption in higher education. These programs combine traditional reporting with multimedia storytelling,...
The New York Times Takes the Pentagon to Court
The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, challenging new credentialing rules that replace independent journalists with pro‑Trump outlets. The policy, introduced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, bars mainstream media from routine newsgathering and grants the...
Tokenized Shareholder Rewards – What It Means for Financial Journalism
Tokenized shareholder rewards let companies issue blockchain tokens tied to equity stakes, offering programmable access to content, voting and future yields. The model leverages crypto‑exchange infrastructure, turning tokens into tradable incentives that align investor engagement with media consumption. Financial journalism...
Ziggo Sport Retains Dutch Uefa Champions League Rights Until 2031
Ziggo Sport has secured a four‑year extension of its Dutch broadcast rights to UEFA’s flagship club competitions, keeping the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League through the 2030/31 season. The package will be delivered across six linear channels, 20...
Beloved Period Drama that Draws Downton Abbey Comparisons Gets Exciting New-Season Cast Update
HBO’s period drama *The Gilded Age* announced its fourth‑season lineup, promoting Kelley Curran, Jordan Donica and Ashlie Atkinson to series regulars. The show also added high‑profile guest stars, including Jim Gaffigan as President Grover Cleveland and Elizabeth Marvel as nurse...
AI Threatens Output Firms; Murdoch Positions as Input Provider
Murdoch media's Thomson: “We’re essentially an input company...The great threat in the age of AI is going to be to what you might call output companies. We’re an input in the way that semiconductors are an input, in the way...
Investigative Power Exposed: 53 FBI Pages Withheld
1- outstanding interview, shows what 18m can do. 2- last minute - "we have power in showing our work...documenting the documents, how we found things and how we got it...to regain trust in institutions as well." is entire topic on...
Cheaper Audible for Podcast-Lovers
The episode highlights Audible's new $8.99 standard plan, which offers unlimited access to Audible originals, nearly 200 former Wondery+ shows, and one audiobook per month, with a limited-time $5.99 introductory rate. It also covers Apple Podcasts' debut speaking slot at...
Wall Street View: NFL Media Deals Unpacked by Guggenheim
New pod: Guggenheim's Michael Morris breaks down the NFL's upcoming media deals from a Wall St. perspective. https://t.co/0ipMqZmiL8
OSINT Credibility Suffers when Aggregators Hide Original Sources
One of the biggest problems with OSINT is when aggregator accounts don't link to their original source. Multiple accounts will then often copy the same video and repost it, which makes it difficult to determine the credibility of the information.
Exhibitor Viewpoint: ElevenLabs at the 2026 NAB Show
ElevenLabs, a leader in generative AI for voice, speech, music and video, is gearing up for the 2026 NAB Show where it will demo its latest offerings. The company highlights breakthroughs in controllability and consistency that move AI from experimental...
ESPN's Women's Sports Sundays Expose Legacy Media's Limits
ESPN’s ‘Women’s Sports Sundays’ Show the Limits of Legacy Media - Guest OpEd from @HaleyRosen 👇 https://t.co/aqNy6s6WqT via @sportico
Creative Studio 3 Chillies Launches with Nick Bell as Co-Founder
Creative studio 3 Chillies has officially launched, appointing Nick Bell as co‑founder. The venture also secured former Dark Horses CEO Melissa Robertson as a non‑executive director. 3 Chillies aims to deliver end‑to‑end brand storytelling, blending creative production with data‑driven insights....
WPP's Jon Cook on Designing the Company Around How a “Consumer Consumes a Brand”
WPP Creative chief executive Jon Cook announced that the agency will redesign its operating model around how consumers actually experience a brand. He emphasized that customers no longer view media and creative as separate entities, prompting a unified, consumer‑first approach....
Zoom Appoints Global Media Agency of Record
Zoom has appointed independent agency PMG as its global media agency of record. PMG will set up a cross‑functional team to handle Zoom’s media planning, buying, and analytics across markets. The partnership is intended to strengthen Zoom’s brand positioning as...
Thinkbox Strategy Chief Urges Industry to Switch “Acronym Soup” For “Total TV”
Elliot Millard, chief strategy officer at Thinkbox, warned that the advertising industry’s reliance on a maze of acronyms—CTV, OTT, AVOD and the like—obscures a clear view of television consumption. He advocated replacing this "acronym soup" with a single, unified metric...
CH Media Adds RTL+ to Oneplus in Swiss Streaming Partnership
Swiss media group CH Media will embed German streaming service RTL+ into its oneplus platform on 23 March 2026, creating a bundled offering that also includes Paramount+ and a slate of Swiss originals. The integration delivers selected RTL+ titles—reality, drama and family...
Research: 85% of European Viewers Use Streaming Ad Tiers
FreeWheel’s Voice of the Viewer study shows that 85% of European streaming users watch ad‑supported tiers, with 83% satisfied overall. Content choice drives satisfaction, cited by 73% of respondents, while 47% exclusively use ad‑supported plans and 49% deliberately chose them....
Access Does Not Equal Change: Why Diversity Schemes Are Failing Minority Ethnic Journalists
A new report by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity reveals that UK television newsrooms’ diversity schemes are falling short of delivering real change. While 63% of surveyed journalists say they have faced racism and 70% cite limited...
Covering a Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty
Officer Brian Elliott of Beech Grove was fatally shot on Feb. 16 while responding to a domestic disturbance, prompting a wave of local media coverage. Within a week, television stations, the IndyStar and other outlets produced over 20 stories each, focusing...
Lifetime Expands Roster of Powerhouse Creatives with New Movie Projects Helmed By Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson
Lifetime announced new original‑movie agreements with Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment and Taraji P. Henson’s TPH Entertainment. Latifah will executive‑produce three Lifetime films, while Henson will helm two projects in partnership with FOX Entertainment Studios. Both deals reinforce Lifetime’s focus on bold, female‑driven storytelling and...
Handball-Bundesliga Selects Dyn Media to Upgrade International Streaming Service
The Handball-Bundesliga has appointed Dyn Media to take over the technical development of its international streaming service, HBL TV, starting summer 2026. The league’s OTT platform, already available in over 80 countries, will expand to more than 100 markets where...
Digest: Meta Trials AI Shopping Tool; Google to Fill 150 Tech Roles in Singapore; eBay Cuts 800 Jobs
Meta Platforms is piloting an AI‑powered shopping assistant within its Meta AI chatbot, offering product recommendations with images, pricing and merchant links. The tool, currently limited to select U.S. users, tailors suggestions using location and inferred gender data but does not...