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.
Tony Dungy Reportedly ‘Out’ at NBC as Network Revamps ‘Football Night in America’
Tony Dungy is likely to exit NBC’s ‘Football Night in America’ after 17 years as the network prepares a major revamp of its NFL pre‑game show. The Athletic reports that NBC may drop Dungy’s regular analyst slot amid criticism of the current split‑studio format, which many viewers find fragmented. Contracts for most of the ten‑person cast have expired, opening the door for a slimmer, possibly fully on‑the‑road production. An emeritus role, similar to Bob Costas’s, remains a speculative option.
PMK Names Leah Sparkes VP, Ulisses Rivera Joins as Senior Account Director
PMK Entertainment announced two senior hires: Leah Sparkes as Vice President of Television, Film and Premium Content, and Ulisses Rivera as Senior Account Director in its Strategic Communications Group. Sparkes arrives with more than two decades of high‑profile publicity experience...
Public Radio Engineering Conference Schedule Announced
The Association of Public Radio Engineers announced the schedule for its 26th Public Radio Engineering Conference, set for April 16‑17, 2026 in Las Vegas. The two‑day program, themed “what’s next,” features sessions on audio processing, AM radio relevance, transmission troubleshooting, FM...
Casting News: Jake Johnson Plays P.I. For NBC, Emma Roberts' Bride Wars, And More
Jake Johnson has been cast as Mickey, a down‑on‑his‑luck private investigator, in an untitled NBC comedy pilot created by Brooklyn Nine‑Nine writers Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. The half‑hour series continues the Los Angeles private‑eye tradition and received a pilot...
Trump Officials Seek to Break Editorial ‘Firewall’ at U.S.-Funded News Agencies
The Trump administration is pushing a draft funding agreement that would let its political appointees veto hires for editors‑in‑chief, CEOs, and board members at two U.S.-funded overseas broadcasters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The proposal...
TikTok Releases Its 2026 Discover List
TikTok unveiled its 2026 Discover List, highlighting 50 creators across five categories—Educators, Foodies, Icons, Innovators, and Originators. Selections were based on video volume, account growth, engagement, and social impact. The program adds extra training and direct TikTok support for the...
Brendan Carr Blasts ‘Out of Touch’ Media, Declares ‘This Isn’t Reagan’s FCC’
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr used a Semafor media summit to defend his leadership, labeling mainstream news outlets as "drastically out of touch" with the American public. He rejected comparisons to Ronald Reagan’s FCC, insisting his approach is a...
CEO Remains Bullish as Shares Plunge 70%
"The best days of @TheTradeDesk are ahead of us. I want to thank our employees, our clients, and our Partners for their trust and support throughout 2025. I am as confident as I have ever been in the opportunity in...
Washington Post Editor Confronts ‘Human Cost’ of Layoffs, Says Jeff Bezos Is Committed to Paper
Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray acknowledged the "human cost" of this month’s layoffs, which saw more than 300 staffers cut, but framed the reductions as essential to stabilize finances and return the paper to break‑even. He emphasized owner Jeff...
Hollywood Actor Cast in "Iconic Role" For New Drama That's 'Reimagining of a 1960s Classic'
Hollywood is reviving the 1960 western *The Magnificent Seven* as an eight‑episode drama for MGM+, the Amazon‑owned streaming service. Veteran actor Matt Dillon has been cast as lead Chris Adams, bringing depth to the iconic role. The series, written and...
IMAX Sets 2025 Record, Eyes 1.4B in 2026
#IMAX execs in party mode: ALL TIME RECORD 1.28B grossed in IMAX screens at Global #BoxOffice in 2025, beating 2019’s previous 1.1B record, and up +40% from 2024. Top #IMAX 2025 grossers: 1 #NeZha2 2 #AvatarFireAndAsh 3 #F1 4 #DemonSlayerInfinityCastle What’s more: 2026 is expected to be...
Seeking Creators Pro ID Verification and Child‑Safety Censorship
Are there any content creators out there who you’ve seen defending Discord’s ID verification, criticizing Section 230 or boosting these “child safety” censorship efforts?? I’m looking to talk to creators who are pro ID verification/KOSA
Jake Johnson to Lead NBC's P.I. Comedy Pilot / Emma Roberts to Star in Bride Wars Peacock TV Adaptation /...
Jake Johnson is set to star in NBC’s untitled private‑investigator comedy pilot, a single‑camera project from Brooklyn Nine‑Nine veterans Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. Peacock announced a new adaptation of the 2009 rom‑com Bride Wars with Emma Roberts in the...
Substack Co‑founder Calls Polymarket Attribution False
Interesting to see Semafor reporter ask co-founder of Substack a question about a statement Polymarket falsely attributed to Substack over Twitter…according to Substack co-founder (Hamish McKenzie). Live at their event. ps not a healthy information flow…sourcing Polymarket. https://t.co/cw1a8YKFIS
Paramount+ Gains 1 Million Subscribers, Reaches 78.9 M
Paramount+ subscribers rose 1 million to 78.9 mil in the 3 months ended Dec 31, '25. the parent, Paramount Skydance is set to have its earnings call shortly
RAIN Notes: February 25
Google announced the acquisition of ProducerAI, the former Riffusion, to boost its AI‑driven music generation suite. The platform, already integrated with Google’s Lyria 3 model and Gemini AI, will let Google Labs users create full songs and lyrics from text prompts...
Mega‑Corp Era Ends: Companies Must Downsize First
The difficult thing is managing the reality that all these companies need to become much smaller to reflect new reality + sell-offs need to happen before expansion. But self-fulfilling profit wheel that allowed for mega co's isn't coming back to...
Sinclair Q4 Core Ad Revenue Jumps 14%
Sinclair Inc. posted fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue of $836 million, a 17% decline year‑over‑year, driven by weaker political advertising after the 2024 election cycle. Core advertising revenue, however, jumped 14% to $354 million, underscoring demand for live sports and resilient local ad inventory....
Buying News By Metric
The author proposes redesigning news economics by tying payments to measurable outcomes such as readership volume, enjoyment ratings, predictive value for future trends, and factual accuracy. Each metric would generate a financial incentive for providers to produce content that aligns...
Hawaii’s New West Broadcasting Integrates Tieline Solutions
New West Broadcasting, operating six stations on Hawaii’s Big Island, has upgraded its transmission and remote broadcast infrastructure with Tieline’s suite of IP codecs and management tools. The company now uses Bridge‑IT, Gateway, ViA, and MPX codecs, complemented by a...
Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie Shows Off His Many Accents In SNL Promo — Watch
Connor Storrie, known for his role in HBO Max’s "Heated Rivalry," will make his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live this week. A new SNL promo features Storrie and cast members Marcello Hernández and Ashley Padilla praising his Russian accent,...
KOSA and SCREEN Act Will Worsen Situation
This is going to get so so much worse if KOSA, SCREEN Act etc pass
2026 Ambies Winners, Podcasts Top Spoken Word Share of Ear, & More
The 2026 Ambies crowned Wisecrack as Podcast of the Year while industry data showed podcasts overtaking AM/FM radio for the first time, capturing 40% of U.S. spoken‑word listening. Research from Triton Digital and Cumulus Media reveals 80% of monthly listeners...
F1 CEO Defends Apple Leap: ‘Bigger’ Reach With ‘Other People’
Formula One has shifted its U.S. broadcast rights from ESPN to Apple, securing a $140 million per‑year deal that eclipses ESPN’s $80‑90 million payments. CEO Stefano Domenicali argues the Apple partnership will ultimately reach a larger audience, especially among cord‑never viewers, by...
Mayra Berenice Joins Lotus’ 980 La Mera Mera for Afternoon Drive
Mayra Berenice has been hired to host the afternoon drive slot on Lotus Communications' 980 La Mera Mera in Los Angeles. The move is part of Lotus's broader effort to staff every major daypart with live, local on‑air talent. The station also added...
Less Tools, More Visibility: TAG Video Systems at NAB 2026
TAG Video Systems announced a suite of new capabilities for its IP‑native Realtime Media Platform at NAB 2026, aimed at consolidating broadcast monitoring tools into a single interface. The rollout includes the Lens visual‑service health analyzer, expanded QC Station colour and...
Nexstar Lays Off Local TV Journalists Including KTLA's Glen Walker and Lu Parker
Nexstar Media Group announced layoffs of longtime KTLA anchors Glen Walker and Lu Parker, along with veteran meteorologist Mark Kriski, as part of a company‑wide cost‑reduction drive. The cuts extend to other major‑market stations such as Chicago’s WGN and New York’s WPIX, reflecting...
Samsung Taps Gracenote for AI-Powered Discovery
Samsung has partnered with Gracenote, Nielsen’s content‑data unit, to embed its extensive entertainment metadata into Samsung Smart TV’s AI stack. The collaboration will power large‑language‑model (LLM) driven search, enabling conversational queries that surface TV shows, movies and sports more intuitively....
Post-Game Libraries Unlock ROI Amid Rising Sports Costs
Audiences love sports, but the cost of sports rights are getting out of control. How can streaming platforms ever hope to generate an ROI? By building the perfect post-game library funnel. My latest for @observer https://t.co/UNOXVWp3wA
The Channel Store Integrates FAST Channels on Prime Video in Spain
The Channel Store has become the first technology provider to launch four free‑ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Prime Video in Spain. The channels—Anime Visión, Anime Visión Classics, Cines Verdi TV and Cine Feel Good Verdi TV—were technically integrated in...
Jim Lyke Back at SBS for a Breath of Fresh AIRE
Jim Lyke re‑joins Spanish Broadcasting System as Executive Vice President of Network Radio and National Digital Sales for AIRE Radio Networks, co‑leading the division with EVP Carolina Patiño. Lyke previously left SBS in March 2025 for Nueva Network and has...
Avid's New CPO Discusses AI, NAB Show and Newsroom Tech
Avid has appointed Kenna Hilburn as chief product officer and is rolling out Avid Content Core, a cloud‑native platform that links existing broadcast and digital tools for hybrid media teams. The company is embedding AI selectively to automate transcription, search...
AdApt Enhances AI-Driven Media Sales Platform With BIA Data
AdApt Media Sales has entered a strategic partnership with BIA Advisory Services to embed BIA’s local market revenue forecasts and category analysis into its AI‑enabled sales platform. The integration will give broadcasters and other local media organizations access to market‑level...
IHeart Adds Flag Football to Emerging Sports Partner Portfolio
iHeartMedia has been named the official media partner of the International Flag League (iFlag), the world’s largest flag football tournament operator. The partnership will use iHeart’s AM/FM radio stations, podcasts and digital platforms to promote youth competitions, athlete stories and...
HBO Renews ‘Industry’ for a Final Season
HBO has renewed the drama series Industry for a fifth and final season, concluding the show after five years. The fourth season wraps up on March 1, 2024, featuring Harper and Yasmin entangled in high‑stakes fintech intrigue in London. Showrunners Mickey...
Legendary Alum Deborah Kaufmann Joins Sipur
Deborah Kaufmann, a former senior vice president of literary affairs at Legendary, has been appointed chief of global content at Sipur Studios. The newly created role tasks her with steering worldwide content development and creative leadership. During her decade at...
Bruce McAvaney Leads SEVEN’s Tongue in Cheek 2026 AFL Launch Campaign
Seven Network unveiled a tongue‑in‑cheek promo for the 2026 AFL season, starring veteran commentator Bruce McAvaney as the network’s fictional “Head of Sport.” The spot gathers Seven’s top football voices—including Brian Taylor, Kane Cornes, and Nick Riewoldt—alongside current players and...
Matt Murray Opens Town Hall Applauding Natanson’s Lawyers
tidbit: I’m told The Washington Post town hall with Matt Murray and Jeff D’onofrio is underway. Per source, Matt kicked it off with a shoutout to the lawyers representing Hannah Natanson, leading the room in applause
The Creator Economy Builds Its Own Lot
The Lighthouse, a creator‑economy co‑working campus, opened in a renovated Venice post office and a larger Brooklyn location, offering podcast studios, edit bays, and communal spaces. With a $6,000 annual membership, it caps membership at 500 and provides credits for...
Melissa McCarthy Sitcom ‘Mike & Molly’ Netflix Release Delayed To March 2026
Netflix confirmed that the complete series of *Mike & Molly* will debut in the United States on March 26, 2026, pushing back the original February 20 launch. All six seasons, totaling 127 episodes, are arriving after a brief hiatus following their removal from...
Mark Ruffalo Drama That's "Poised to Break Hearts" With "Perfect" Cast Lands New UK Streaming Home
Hal & Harper, the Mark Ruffalo‑led drama that premiered on Australia’s Stan platform, is arriving in the UK on ITVX on 23 March. The series follows two siblings confronting childhood trauma while navigating adult life, and features Lili Reinhart, Cooper Raiff,...
Axel Springer CEO Meets White House Chief of Staff
scooplet: Mathias Dopfner, C.E.O. of Axel Springer (Politico, Business Insider, Welt) met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles earlier today. Source says it was an introductory, get-to-know-you meeting.
Stan Acquires Buzzy George Kay Thriller Series GONE for Australia
Australian streaming service Stan has acquired the exclusive rights to the six‑part psychological thriller *Gone* for the Australian market. The series, created by George Kay – known for *Hijack* and *Lupin* – follows elite headmaster Michael Polly, played by David...
BCNEXXT Adds HLG-Based HDR To Vipe Platform
BCNEXXT has integrated live HLG‑based HDR playout into its cloud‑native Vipe platform, supporting UHD 2160p BT.2100 HLG ingest and output. The solution lets broadcasters run HDR and SDR streams side‑by‑side, especially for live sports, while minimizing cross‑conversion steps. Vipe’s architecture...
Digital Revenue for Events Companies: Must-Have or Distraction?
Questex now derives roughly 30% of its earnings from digital media extensions such as product catalogs, RFID lead tools and post‑show webinars. Industry leaders are split: some, like Events Venture Group’s Marco Giberti, argue digital revenue must climb to 10‑25%...
Publication Closures, AI and Funding and Budget Cuts Top Concerns for Arts PR’s in 2026
Mobius Industries’ 2026 arts PR survey reveals publication closures (65%), AI concerns (55%) and budget cuts (52%) as the sector’s top worries. Respondents are split on AI, with half fearing misuse while the other half sees efficiency gains if regulated....
BBC Faces Backlash After Bafta Racial Slur – The Latest
The BBC issued a public apology after a presenter used a racial slur during the BAFTA awards ceremony, prompting a wave of criticism across social media and industry circles. The broadcaster’s mistake triggered calls for accountability from civil rights groups...
The Baltimore Beat Experiments with Pay-What-You-Can Ads
Baltimore Beat, a nonprofit news outlet, is introducing pay‑what‑you‑can advertising options. The tiered pricing lets mom‑and‑pop shops pay $50, brick‑and‑mortar stores $150, and larger investors $300 per ad. The paper, which distributes 20,000 free print copies twice a month and...
🎧 Paramount Vs. Netflix: Your Big Questions Answered
Paramount has renewed its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery with a $31‑per‑share bid, reigniting a high‑stakes acquisition battle. Netflix, led by co‑CEO Ted Sarandos, is simultaneously courting investors and studios, arguing its own offer—already accepted in December—outperforms Paramount’s. The two...
Viewers Continue To 'Struggle' With Sports Program Discovery
A recent Reviews.org survey reveals that nearly half of U.S. sports fans struggle to locate the right channel or streaming service for a specific game, and 53% have missed games because of subscription gaps. The study, based on 882 active...