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.
Convening with Care
The March Need to Know special edition spotlights Jesikah Maria Ross’s Care Collaboratory, a News Futures‑backed initiative that brings journalists, artists, designers and scholars together to embed care into civic storytelling. After a decade of coaching public‑media newsrooms, Ross argues that care‑centered convening can rebuild the frayed social fabric by fostering genuine community connection and trust. The series has already hosted five conversation sessions in 2024, featuring figures like Sam Ragland and Erik Fermín, and offers concrete tools for newsrooms. The article invites media leaders to adopt these practices to transform how they engage audiences.
Key FCC and Broadband Policy Moves Unveiled
Policyband Headlines ■ @FCC Merger Approval a Breeze for Charter-Cox ■ How Far Can @BrendanCarrFCC Go to Keep @NFL on Free TV? ■ @FSFthinktank's Long Calls for New Cable Rules if 39% Cap Goes ■ Malone Seeks @FCC Approval to Take Control of...
A Cauldron of Ideas to Fight Misinformation
Entrepreneur Nessa Kiani has launched Culldron, a blockchain‑enabled app that rewards users with tiny crypto payments for sharing and verifying real‑time information from Ukraine’s war zones. The platform blends peer‑review, AI‑generated content, and a dynamic credibility score to surface accurate...
“The Darker Side of Water”: Behind the Scenes of Channel 4’s “The Fountain of Filth”
Channel 4 commissioned a provocative bronze sculpture titled “The fountain of filth” to promote its investigative series “Dirty Business.” The piece, built by 4Creative, Glue Society and Biscuit Filmworks, depicts men, boys, paddles and surfboards spewing water from their mouths. Campaign’s...
Ventum Tech Partners with Pixotope to Expand Virtual Production Capabilities Across the GCC
Ventum Tech announced a strategic partnership with Oslo‑based Pixotope to become the regional integration and deployment partner for the company’s real‑time graphics and virtual‑production platform across the GCC and Lebanon. The collaboration combines Pixotope’s real‑time rendering and camera‑tracking technology with...
Taboola Names Krishan Bhatia as Chief Business Officer; Amazon Ads & NBCUniversal Veteran to Lead Global Sales & Partnerships
Taboola announced Krishan Bhatia as its first chief business officer, tasked with leading global sales and partnerships. Bhatia previously built Amazon’s global video‑advertising business and led NBCUniversal’s digital advertising division. He will oversee the Realize performance‑advertising platform, CTV, generative‑AI products...
NBC Sports Selected Imaginary Forces to Create Cinematic Main Title Sequence for “Primetime In Milan”
NBC Sports tapped Imaginary Forces to craft the main title sequence for the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics primetime show, "Primetime in Milan," which aired nightly from Feb. 6‑22 on NBC and Peacock. The cinematic opening blends animated Italian winter landscapes with...
888 and William Hill Owner Appoints Search Agency
The parent company of online gambling operators 888 and William Hill has engaged a specialist search agency to lead a senior‑leadership recruitment drive. The move follows a closed internal review of the business’s strategic direction. The appointment signals a focus...
As Hispanic Ad Gap Persists, Radio Delivers the Audience
Hispanic consumers now make up roughly a quarter of U.S. adults under 30 and wield $2.6‑$2.7 trillion in buying power, driving over 70% of the nation’s population growth between 2022‑2023. Despite this scale, they receive only about four cents of every...
Structuring Problem-Solution Commercials
Jeffrey Hedquist outlines a proven framework for problem‑solution radio commercials, emphasizing that credibility begins with a believable problem. He advises sequencing the ad: present the problem, tell an emotional solution story, then, if needed, reveal price after trust and value...
PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports Extend Media Rights Agreement Through 2033
The PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports have renewed their media‑rights agreement through 2033. The extension secures broadcast of the Ryder Cup, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and PGA Professional Championship on NBC, Peacock, USA Network...
Netflix Creates UK Commissioning Team Focused On Live Programming & Brings In ‘Masked Singer UK’ Exec
Netflix UK has assembled a dedicated commissioning team for live unscripted programming, headed by longtime Netflix executive Daisy Lilley. The unit added Claire Horton, known for The Masked Singer UK, on a fixed‑term contract and will oversee upcoming live events...
‘The People Vs VBS’: Watch Trailer For Wild Story Of South African Bank That Collapsed Under The Weight Of Financial...
South Africa’s VBS Mutual Bank, once a flagship black‑owned lender, was declared insolvent in 2018 after billions of rand were siphoned through a massive fraud orchestrated by senior executives. The scandal, which implicated politicians, auditors and even a former president,...
Digest: Paramount to Take Over Warner Bros as Netflix Drops Bid; Dentsu Names New Global CEO
Netflix withdrew its $82 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the way for Paramount‑Skydance’s revised $111 billion offer. The deal would give Paramount control of Warner’s film studio and TV networks, reshaping the media landscape. Meanwhile, Dentsu named Takeshi Sano global CEO...
Signals, Silos and Standardisation: Unpacking the Knowledge Gaps in CTV Trading
IAB Europe’s first Attitudes to Digital Advertising report shows programmatic CTV adoption rising but fragmented, with 21% of respondents handling over 81% of their CTV inventory programmatically while 18% cannot gauge their own activity. The survey highlights opaque supply paths,...
Business Exchange
Clear Channel Outdoor’s Airports Division has locked in a 10‑year contract, with a five‑year renewal option, to continue its advertising partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority at Reagan National and Dulles, a relationship that has nearly doubled revenue since...
AI Can Now Fabricate Reality, Eroding Visual Trust
I had to look twice at this image. It looks like a secret AI founder summit in a messy dorm room. Famous faces. Cheap lamp. Pizza box on the floor. Impressive. Except it never happened. The entire scene is AI generated. That’s what makes this different. We...
Chupa Chups Wraps up "Hardest to Open Lollipop Yet"
Chupa Chups partnered with ad agency BBH to launch a social campaign featuring a lollipop engineered to be the "hardest to open". The confection is encased in a carbon‑composite shell, coated with silicon carbide, wrapped in aramid fibres, and finally dipped...
Why Binary Audience Decisions Aren’t Fit For The Agentic Era
The article argues that traditional Boolean audience segments have become a bottleneck in the era of AI‑driven, millisecond‑level ad decisioning. As publishers, measurement firms, and first‑party data sources flood the bid stream with real‑time signals, the combinatorial possibilities outpace any...
Left Ignoring Data Privacy as AI Surveillance Bills Loom
Yes but effectively NO ONE on the left is talking about data privacy & the House is abt to go into markup on a package of 19 “child safety” bills that would enact unprecedented levels of mass AI surveillance/fully remove...
BiotechTV Welcomes New Contributor Wassim Laroussi
BiotechTV is growing today. I’m happy to welcome @WassimLaroussi3 as our newest contributor. I’ve been impressed with his own videos, and he is going to do some very cool stuff for @BiotechTV. https://t.co/LUcm1sTqGz
‘Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver On Paramount Buying Warner Bros. Discovery: “Not Great News”
John Oliver mocked Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that outbid Netflix after the streaming giant raised its offer to $31 per share. The merger creates a media powerhouse combining Paramount’s film and TV assets with Warner’s extensive library...
David Fincher's First TV Work Was Nearly The Pilot For This Short-Lived Crime Series
David Fincher almost directed the pilot for FX’s 2010 crime‑drama Terriers before opting for Aaron Sorkin’s script that became The Social Network. The series, starring Donal Logue and Michael Raymond‑James, received strong critical praise but suffered low ratings and was...
‘The Pitt’s Noah Wyle Says Season 3 Will Touch On Medicare Cuts After Winning Actor Award
Noah Wyle, fresh from winning the Actor Award, announced that Season 3 of HBO Max’s drama “The Pitt” will confront the looming Medicare crisis. The series, already known for exploring AI‑driven medical tools and remote interpreting, will now dramatize the impact of...
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin Says Union Leadership Is “Working Very Hard” On New AMPTP Deal At Actor Awards
At the 32nd Annual Actor Awards, SAG‑AFTRA President Sean Astin announced that union leaders have returned to negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) after a brief hiatus. The talks, which began on February 9, focus primarily...
Judge Salas Defends Democracy on 60 Minutes
Pls share. This is Judge Salas, speaking truth, defending democracy, to 60 Minutes audience which still is approx 10mm Americans across every minute of segment. I think people forget nothing else approaches that on any other media format especially here....
Why An iZombie Revival Is Unlikely, According To Star Rose McIver
iZombie, The CW’s zombie‑detective drama based on the DC comic, concluded after five seasons with a tidy ten‑year time‑skip finale. Star Rose McIver expressed willingness to return but indicated a revival is unlikely, noting the show’s respectable but modest ratings. She...
Federal Judge Calls Out AG for Dangerous Rhetoric
Let the work speak for itself. 60 Minutes was strong tonight. Pelley had a fast turn on Iran. But watch 2nd segment, at least this 110s where a federal Judge speaks truth to power calling out AG and DepAG for...
Bunnings’ Justine Mills & CommBank’s Jo Boundy Talk Retail Media’s Transformative Business Effects
Bunnings’ marketing chief Justine Mills and CommBank’s Jo Boundy discussed the disruptive potential of retail media during B&T’s CMO Power List interview. They highlighted how Hammer Media reshapes supplier‑to‑consumer engagement and how Bunnings is now acting as a publisher, leveraging...
Marshalls: Season One Ratings + Viewer Votes
CBS debuted *Marshals*, a neo‑Western spin‑off of *Yellowstone*, starring Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. The show’s first‑season Nielsen ratings—live, same‑day and DVR—are being tracked to gauge its renewal prospects. Viewer‑generated votes currently average 9.30 from six participants, reflecting early fan...
SAG-AFTRA Chief Says Union Will Render Verdict on Warner Bros. Sale to Paramount ‘When the Time Is Right’ | Video
SAG-AFTRA executive director Duncan Crabtree‑Ireland told TheWrap the union is still evaluating Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and will issue a formal verdict when the timing is right. The union’s media and labor‑economics team has been crunching data on each offer...
Ticker Launches Latest Show BROKER BUSINESS for Mortgage Professionals
Ticker News has launched Broker Business, a new finance‑focused series aimed at Australia’s more than 20,000 mortgage and finance brokers. Hosted by Rex Afrasiabi, founder of New Chapter Legal, the weekly program delivers practical, broker‑to‑broker conversations on client acquisition, scaling...
AI Catches My Tangents, Keeps Presentations On Track
I'm speaking to LIV Sotheby’s International Realty this week and ran my talk track through Claude I asked it to point out anywhere I went off on a tangent or lost the flow (probably the most common mistake I make) Maybe...
Claudia Winkleman Addresses Rumour 'Strictly Scandals' Were Reason for Leaving Show
Claudia Winkleman has refuted rumours that backstage scandals prompted her departure from Strictly Come Dancing, confirming the decision was made well before the October announcement. She and co‑host Tess Daly left after more than a decade, having planned the exit...
Instagram Opens up Content Scheduling to All Users
Instagram is rolling out its creator‑focused tools to all public accounts, removing the previous requirement to switch to Professional Mode. The update adds the insights dashboard, content scheduling, and trending audio features for every user. More advanced options, such as...
An Iconic Addams Family Star Has An Incredible Marvel Television Connection
Ted Cassidy, best known as Lurch on “The Addams Family,” also provided the Hulk’s guttural voice and iconic opening narration for the 1977 live‑action series “The Incredible Hulk.” He voiced the creature for the first two seasons until his death...
Watson: Season Two Ratings + Viewer Votes
CBS’s medical‑mystery drama *Watson* completed its second season after moving from a post‑AFC championship slot to Monday nights. Season 2 posted a 0.37 rating in the coveted 18‑49 demographic, matching its first‑season average of 5.16 million viewers. Fan‑submitted votes totalled 278, yielding...
Instagram Introduces Thumbnail Post Editing for Grids
Instagram has added a new profile‑grid customization feature that allows users to edit the thumbnail images displayed on their profile grid. The update follows a January 2025 preview and coincides with the platform’s shift to larger, Reels‑compatible thumbnails. While casual users...
Martin Compston Details Gruelling Prep for Line of Duty's New Season
Martin Compston revealed he’s on a Whole30 organic diet to slip back into DI Steve Arnott’s iconic waistcoat ahead of Line of Duty’s seventh season. Filming is slated to begin in Belfast this spring 2026, reuniting him with co‑stars Vicky McClure...
Roku Adds a New Feature to Roku TVs & Roku Players That Roku Owners Have Been Asking For
Roku has added a dedicated search section to its Live Guide, positioned on the left‑hand sidebar of Roku TVs and players. The feature lets users type or speak channel names, genres, or keywords to jump directly to content, cutting out...
CASTING | Think You Can Beat the Banker on DEAL OR NO DEAL?
Network 10 has officially renewed Deal or No Deal Australia for a third season, commissioning 195 additional episodes to air weeknights at 6:30 pm. Hosted by Grant Denyer, the revived format returned in early 2024 and has settled into a stable...
The Final Scene Tom Selleck Shot For Blue Bloods
CBS announced that the long‑running police drama *Blue Bloods* will end with its 14th season in 2024, concluding a 15‑year run. Tom Selleck’s final shoot took place during the iconic family dinner, after which he recited a poem by Edna...
Is DELTA GOODREM the Safe Choice for EUROVISION 2026?
SBS has announced that Delta Goodrem will represent Australia at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, marking a shift back to a familiar pop star after recent experimental entries. Goodrem will perform her new arena‑ready single “Eclipse,” co‑written with...
NITV Unites Sport Slate with WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPORT NIGHT
National Indigenous Television (NITV) is launching a new weekly banner called Wednesday Night Sport Night, consolidating its flagship sports shows into a single midweek block. The lineup begins March 4 with PBR 2026 at 8:30 pm, followed by the 10th season...
JURY DUTY Returns with Fresh Corporate Chaos
Prime Video has released the first trailer for the new season of Jury Duty, titled Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat. The documentary‑style comedy follows temporary worker Anthony at a staged corporate offsite at a family‑owned hot sauce company, where a...
The Role of AI Transcription in the Future of Video Searches and Discovery
AI transcription is turning spoken video into searchable, time‑stamped text, addressing the long‑standing difficulty of locating specific information within video libraries. Modern speech‑recognition models now handle diverse accents and technical vocabularies with high accuracy, enabling instant transcript generation. By converting...
61 Years Ago Today: A Milestone in Mayberry – The 150th Episode of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Aired
On March 1, 1965 the sitcom *The Andy Griffith Show* aired its 150th episode, “TV or Not TV,” during its fifth season. The plot follows three city crooks posing as TV producers to scout Mayberry for a bank heist, only...
No Role Modelz
No Role Modelz is now the 3rd most streamed 2014 song on Spotify. The song has became more and more valuable over time. It’s the type of song that catalog investors would love to own.
Sar
Ted Sarandos to @Lucas_Shaw: "Once it was clear that we weren’t in the CNN business, it was a lot less interesting. He didn’t care that much more about our deal." https://t.co/0CAfEi37Ws
Netflix Quit Warner Bid After Paramount's Final Offer
Ted Sarandos says Netflix knew it would pull out of the Warner Bros bidding as soon as it saw the final Paramount offer. We spent 40 minutes on Saturday discussing why Netflix didn’t match and what the Paramount deal means...