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.
WPP Media Hires Global Client President From Publicis
WPP Media announced the appointment of a former Publicis global client president, who will begin her role on 17 March. The executive brings extensive experience managing multinational advertising accounts and overseeing integrated media strategies. Her arrival bolsters WPP's leadership team as the firm seeks to deepen client relationships and capture more media spend. The move also highlights the ongoing talent competition between the world’s largest communications holding groups.
Five Things I've Learned About Politics
Matt Goodwin reflects on the Reform Party’s recent by‑election effort in Gorton and Denton, outlining five key lessons. He highlights how a ten‑person core team, backed by hundreds of volunteers, gathered voting intention data from a third of the constituency,...
Researchers: Newsrooms Gamble with Reputation by Partnering with Betting Platforms
University researchers warn that newsrooms partnering with prediction‑market and betting platforms risk eroding public trust. Recent deals let election, policy and geopolitical odds appear alongside reporting at outlets such as the AP, CNBC, CNN and Dow Jones. Similar financial ties...
IAB Europe Publishes 2026 Readiness Report Highlighting AI, Regulation & Sustainability Challenges in Digital Advertising
IAB Europe released its 2026 State of Readiness – Sustainability in Digital Advertising report, the fourth edition covering both environmental and social dimensions. The study’s double‑materiality analysis finds social issues such as privacy and media plurality outweigh environmental impacts. AI...
Should Adland Follow Publicis and WPP’s Four-Day Office Mandate?
Publicis and WPP have rolled out mandatory four‑day office weeks for their global agency networks, sparking debate across the advertising sector. Agency leaders say the shift hinges on cultivating trust, safeguarding mental wellbeing, and preserving client‑focused outcomes. The move reflects...
JioStar Blocks 420 Piracy Sites During T20 World Cup
JioStar launched a massive anti‑piracy campaign during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, blocking 420 illicit sites and removing 36 illegal IPTV apps that had amassed over 26 million downloads. The Delhi High Court injunction enabled the suspension of 141 piracy...
The New Media Stack & The AI Video Gold Rush
AI video platforms are democratizing content creation, allowing solo creators to produce cinema‑grade shows and brands to generate hundreds of ad variants at scale. Experts say speed and output will increase tenfold, but success will hinge on owning strong intellectual...
AIDC2026: ‘Format / Boring / Predictable’
At AIDC2026, a panel of SBS executives and producers debated the DNA of returnable documentary formats. They agreed that a bankable emotional hook is essential, while the narrative must stay unpredictable. A solid structural framework provides viewers with a familiar...
‘The Conversation Has Shifted’: The CFO Moved Upstream. Now Agencies Have to as Well
CFOs are moving upstream in the marketing process, joining planning discussions before budgets are set and demanding rigorous financial justification. Agencies such as VaynerMedia, Blue Chip, and Brave Bison report that finance teams now scrutinize contribution margin, LTV‑to‑CAC, payback periods,...
How Creator Talent Agencies Are Evolving Into Multi-Platform Operators
Creator talent agencies are abandoning the legacy deal‑brokering model in favor of multi‑platform operations that place creators at the core. Companies like Shorthand Studios and Night Media have demonstrated rapid audience growth and secured sizable funding, such as Night Media’s...
Noem Deflects Criticism, Blames Anonymous Sources, Not Facts
Incredible effort by Noem to blame anonymous sources and the process of journalism without actually denying the factual accuracy of what was reported. https://t.co/NJZUyiPc9m
Independent Journalists Defend Findings, Reject Government Stenography
“But we are independent journalists, not government stenographers, and are confident in the conclusions this reporting brought to light."
RJ Decker: Season One Ratings + Viewer Votes
The ABC crime drama RJ Decker premiered its first season starring Scott Speedman, adapting Carl Hiaasen’s Double Whammy novel. Nielsen’s live‑plus‑same‑day ratings, which include DVR playback, have been posted but show modest numbers compared with network peers. Viewer‑generated votes are...
AI Companies Dominate Tech Sponsorship Landscape
As a technology content creator 99% of the companies that offer sponsorships are AI companies. It's shocking how if you want to talk about tech news on the internet, those are your advertisers barring a few sporadic exceptions.
Chingari’s Operating Scale Declines 53% in FY25
Chingari, the Indian short‑video app turned paid private‑live‑streaming platform, reported a 53% year‑on‑year drop in operating revenue for FY25. Revenue fell to Rs 44 crore, while the company’s loss narrowed to Rs 8.8 crore after cutting expenses by more than half. The pivot shifted...
Doc's Scott Wolf Wants You To Give Dr. Miller A Chance: 'He's All Of Us, In A Sense'
Scott Wolf reprises his role as Dr. Richard Miller on the medical drama *Doc*, returning to Westside Hospital after rejecting a settlement and reclaiming his former position. His comeback is met with palpable skepticism, especially from colleague Amy, who threatens...
‘The Mortuary Assistant’ Streaming on Shudder March 27
The horror film "The Mortuary Assistant" will stream exclusively on Shudder starting March 27, 2026. Adapted from the best‑selling video game, it follows newly certified mortician Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland) as she confronts demonic rituals and personal trauma during a...
News: Versant, Bob Costas, David Ross and More
Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said the company will pursue new sports‑rights opportunities as NFL contracts are renegotiated, positioning USA Sports to fill gaps left by larger networks. NBC’s Bob Costas revealed that the Sunday Night Baseball pre‑game will be trimmed...
Will Trent's Iantha Richardson Talks Directing Ormewood's Death Row Race — And What Lies Ahead For Faith
Iantha Richardson pulled double duty on "Will Trent" Season 4, Episode 9, serving as both actor and director. She helmed the emotionally intense Ormewood death‑row storyline while also staging a whimsical silent‑disco sequence for the Will‑Ava subplot. Richardson credited her long‑term familiarity...
Friday TV Ratings: Boston Blue, Stumble, 20/20, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, NBA Basketball
Friday, February 27, 2026, TV ratings show a busy lineup with new episodes of 20/20, Sheriff Country, Fire Country, Boston Blue, Happy’s Place, Stumble and Dateline NBC, alongside an NBA matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. Reruns of The Greatest American, Masters of...
Dateline NBC: Season 34 Ratings
Dateline NBC’s 34th‑season ratings were released on March 4 2026, posting a 0.20 rating in the 18‑49 demographic and 2.21 million total viewers. The long‑running primetime newsmagazine remains a Friday‑night staple on the Peacock Network. NBC has not yet announced a renewal or...
Ukraine Doc ‘Timestamp’ Due on DVD March 10 From MVD
The documentary "Timestamp," chronicling a generation of Ukrainians growing up during the war, will be released on DVD on March 10 through MVD Entertainment Group and Kimstim. Directed by Kateryna Gornostai, the film was shot over several years, capturing life before...
Television’s Value Is Not Decided In The Ad Break
The television industry is moving from an advertising‑centric view of value to an upstream focus on intellectual property (IP) as a capital asset. While ad yield still matters, executives are now assessing financing structures, rights ownership, and extension potential before...
Trade Desk Faces Growing Threat From Amazon
If Trade Desk has not felt rising competition yet, just wait. $TTD $AMZN The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 303. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/CI8LQ71sUY
Agentic Flocks To Healthcare Industry
LiveRamp announced the integration of Newton Research and SemantIQ agents into its data‑collaboration platform, allowing autonomous AI to handle audience creation, cross‑media measurement and spend optimization for health and life‑science marketers. Simultaneously, Doceree launched RepTwin and the Site LLM, a...
Pinterest Creators Now Link Direct Amazon Storefronts
🚨 NEW 🚨 Pinterest and Amazon Influencers have teamed up on a new integration that allows select Pinterest creators to link their Amazon Storefronts to their profiles. By connecting their accounts, creators can: 🔗 Feature a Storefront link on their Pinterest profile 🏷️...
AI in Practice: SISO CEO Summit to Explore What’s Actually Happening
The SISO CEO Summit convenes March 9‑12 at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, under the theme “Innovation in Action,” shifting focus from AI hype to concrete implementation. Attendees—C‑level leaders from trade shows, media groups, and suppliers—will explore evolving KPIs, AI‑driven M&A...
News Corp, Meta Strike AI Content Licensing Deal
News Corp has inked a three‑year AI content licensing agreement with Meta, granting the social‑media giant access to the publisher’s U.S. and U.K. news assets for model training and user consumption. The deal could net Meta up to $50 million per...
Billboard’s Music Industry Events Calendar
Billboard Pro has introduced a new music industry events calendar, aggregating major national and international conferences, festivals, earnings calls, and networking mixers. The calendar lists over 200 events spanning March through December 2026, from SXSW and Coachella to regional summits...
USA Today Is Buying Up Local News Papers & Now Owns Over 200
USA Today Co., formerly Gannett, has expanded its newspaper holdings to more than 200 titles, including the recent purchase of The Detroit News, which joins the Detroit Free Press under a shared corporate umbrella. The acquisitions target financially distressed local...
Why a College Basketball Game Organizer Is Fighting With Photo Services
A dispute over credential policies forced the Associated Press, Getty Images, and Thomson Reuters' Imagn to boycott a high‑profile Duke‑Michigan neutral‑site game organized by The Gazelle Group. The organizer required photographers to grant the company free, unrestricted use of any...
As Broadcast Slowly Dies, Niche-Casting Is on the Rise
Broadcast morning shows have lost roughly half their audience over the past fifteen years, prompting a shift toward livestreaming. Creators like Malcolm Harris, Warner Bailey, and TBPN are launching niche‑focused shows for logistics, Hollywood, and tech professionals on platforms such...
CRS Names ’26 Scholarship Recipients Ahead of Honors Program
Country Radio Seminar (CRS) announced its 2026 scholarship recipients and mentees ahead of the March 18 CRS Honors ceremony. The Rusty Walker Scholarship will fund three rising professionals from iHeartMedia and Cumulus stations, while the Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship supports...
Canada to Shut Down Its VHF Weather Radio Service
Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that its Weatheradio Canada VHF service will cease operations on March 16, ending a network of roughly 225 transmitters that have broadcast weather alerts since 1976. The shutdown coincides with the discontinuation of the...
IdahoPTV’s Jeff Tucker Gets APTS Patrick Butler National Advocacy Award
Jeff Tucker, general manager of Idaho Public Television, was honored with the 2026 APTS Patrick Butler National Advocacy Award at the Public Media Summit. The award celebrates his success in securing federal and state support for IdahoPTV’s educational and community...
Call the Midwife Star Reveals Why Show "Won’t Be the Same" After Season 15 Finale
Helen George, a lead actress on BBC’s Call the Midwife, warned that the series will feel different when it returns for season 16 after a two‑year hiatus. The show concluded season 15 on 8 March and will pause until 2027, skipping the traditional Christmas...
Everything to Know About Brax and Ricky’s HOME AND AWAY Return
Home and Away will film its first ever scenes in Western Australia, marking a historic production milestone. Stephen Peacocke and Bonnie Sveen reprise their roles as Brax and Ricky, returning to the series after their 2016 exit. The new arc...
Leo Kiper Jr. Returns to Appleton’s Score in Midday Overhaul
Woodward Community Media’s 95.3/99.1 The Score in Appleton, WI, has overhauled its weekday midday programming, introducing "The Show with Tony G and Leo" hosted by Leo Kiper Jr. and sales executive Tony Giordano. The departure of longtime host Eric "Balky" Balkman paved...
Audio and Podcasts Best Venues for Consumer Engagement in Sports (Audacy)
Audacy’s new "State of Audio: Sports Fandom" report reveals that the most avid sports fans are younger, more diverse, and increasingly reachable through audio channels. The study shows a 40% lift in purchase and usage among the fandom cohort when...
JCDecaux Launches Nurture for Country to Support First Nations Businesses
JCDecaux has introduced Nurture for Country, a new Reconciliation Action Plan initiative that gives First Nations‑owned businesses access to its national Out‑of‑Home network with matched media spend and strategic support. The program builds on a 2025 pilot with the KARI...
The End of Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia
ARN Media announced that Jacqueline Henderson, known as Jackie O, has given notice and will no longer co‑host the KIIS Breakfast show with Kyle Sandilands. The decision follows a February 20 on‑air incident where Sandilands sprayed Henderson, which ARN labeled serious misconduct. ARN...
Murph Dawg and Phathead Get ‘Fresh’ Syndication Via JVC
JVC Broadcasting has launched Country Fresh Radio, a syndicated show that highlights brand‑new country releases from established stars and emerging artists. Hosted by veteran programmers Murph Dawg and Phathead, the program airs on JVC’s Florida and New York stations and...
From Zero to $10K: Readers Choose Next Steps
My Commercial Fiction Club newsletter, where I'm documenting the journey from $0 as a new fiction author, is about to hit $10,000/year. This isn't bad, but I'm still figuring out what readers want most from me. Drop a comment—what do you want...
Republicans Prioritize Trump, Democrats
We mapped all midterm ad airings between Jan 1 2025 and Feb 18 2026 using @adimpact data. Key takeaways: -For Republicans, Trump has proven a more formidable message than the economy -Health care big issue for Dems, but not like 2018 -Ads barely...
Indispensable and Essential: Broadcasters Peacock At NAB Affair
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convened its annual State Leadership Conference at the Salamander in Washington, D.C., gathering 570 broadcast executives and policymakers. NAB President Curtis LeGeyt called for modernizing antiquated regulations that hinder local stations against global tech...
Paramount/WBD Deal Likely Survives, Lawsuit Threat Looms
Antitrust experts don't see Paramount/WBD deal getting blocked by DOJ or abroad, but any lengthy probes abroad could buy state AGs time to assemble a lawsuit — Will they have a legit enough antitrust case to win in court? Uphill battle. @axios https://t.co/czZPajmweE
Axios Media Trends Returns with Key Media and Politics Updates
@Axios Media Trends is back after a brief break 👶🍼 Today's edition: — 🍿Scoop: Sarandos never met w Trump or any WH officials last week — ⚖️Paramount regulatory next steps — 📢Midterm messaging mapped — 📺Jeff Zucker intv. on his next big bet Subscribe: https://t.co/d8VFQJHDMm
Remake of Beloved Classic Treasure Island Confirms All-Star Cast for Iconic Characters
MGM+ and Paramount+ are launching a new Treasure Island series, a modern reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure. The all‑star cast includes David Oyelowo as Long John Silver, Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins, Jack Huston, Tomer Capone and Tom...
NFL Boosts Rights Revenue Without Dropping Current Partners
The NFL will generate more money from its rights, without replacing existing partners. $FOXA $PSKY $DIS $CMCSA $AMZN The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 303. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/87a3KpxJEZ
HPA Tech Retreat Honors First Class Of Expanded Awards Program Winners
The Hollywood Professional Association concluded its 2026 Tech Retreat in Los Angeles, drawing over 800 industry leaders for more than 40 curated sessions. At the gathering HPA launched an expanded Innovation & Technology awards program, honoring winners across five categories—from...