Today's Media Pulse
Nexstar CEO warns big‑tech dominance threatens local broadcasters
Nexstar Media Group’s chief says platforms like YouTube now capture one‑eighth of U.S. TV viewing and TikTok delivers news to a quarter of young adults, eroding local TV audiences. He notes that five digital firms are projected to control 65% of a $260 billion advertising market by 2026, and points to the Nexstar‑TEGNA merger covering over 130 communities as a defensive move.
ESPN & Disney+ Sign New Deal For Banana Ball 2026 Season
Disney and ESPN have sealed a 25‑game exclusive Banana Ball agreement for the 2026 season, more than doubling the 2022‑23 package. Every contest will stream live on the ESPN App and Disney+, with select matchups broadcast on ESPN networks and ABC, including a first‑ever national showcase from Autzen Stadium. The deal also integrates Banana Ball appearances at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and ESPN headquarters, underscoring a broader cross‑platform push. Launching February 28, 2026, the partnership builds on the successful Bananaland series and growing fan demand.
Study: Premium Video Ads Outperform YouTube
A new Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) study, conducted with TVision, finds premium video platforms on connected TV outperform YouTube in key engagement metrics. Across Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max and other services, premium platforms deliver 33% higher co‑viewing, 49% longer session...
LITTLE LUNCH Back with New Grade 5 Crew
Little Lunch returns with a fresh instalment titled Little Lunch: New Class, introducing six new Year 5 students while veteran teacher Mrs Gonsha, played by Heidi Arena, reprises her role. The series is a co‑production between ABC, BBC and the Australian Children’s...
Comcast Advertising Names James Borow GM Of Universal Ads
Comcast Advertising promoted James Borow to general manager of its Universal Ads self‑service platform. Borow, formerly VP of product management and engineering, helped launch the product and will now steer strategy, operations, and execution as the service enters its second...
Emma Lawrence Makes History on TRIPLE M
Triple M announced its 2026 NRL broadcast lineup, appointing Emma Lawrence as the first female play‑by‑play caller in league history. Lawrence, a Triple M veteran since 2017, joins a team that includes former player Luke Keary and returning legend Ryan...
Showrunner Mara Brock Akil Sets Debut Novel ‘The Revelation of Dionne Daphne’
Veteran showrunner Mara Brock Akil is publishing her first novel, “The Revelation of Dionne Daphne,” on June 30, 2026 through Storehouse Voices, a Crown Publishing imprint. The story follows Dionne, a 30‑something NYC beauty editor whose seemingly perfect life unravels...
Film Independent Unveils 6 Recipients of 5th Annual Amplifier Fellowship | Exclusive
Film Independent announced the six recipients of its fifth‑annual Amplifier Fellowship, each awarded a $30,000 unrestricted grant and a 12‑month mentorship program. The cohort—Akil Rashad Anderson, Aurora Brachman, Claire Brooks, A. Sayeeda Moreno, Philip Thompson and Thanh Tran—covers both fiction...
Twitch Introduces Separate Streaming And Chatting Suspensions Under New Enforcement Framework
Twitch is overhauling its suspension system by introducing two distinct penalties—streaming suspensions and chat suspensions—linked directly to the type of policy breach. A streaming suspension blocks live broadcasts and disables the channel’s chat while still allowing the user to watch...
HBO Max Is Removing Live HBO Channels For Some Subscribers
Warner Bros. Discovery has begun stripping live HBO linear channels from its ad‑supported Max bundles, affecting users who access Max through the Disney+ Trio bundle with Hulu. The cuts remove niche channels such as HBO Family and several Cinemax offshoots,...
Griffin Media Introduces Bitcentral Core News At KWTV, KOTV
Griffin Media has deployed Bitcentral’s Core News platform across its flagship stations KWTV in Oklahoma City and KOTV in Tulsa. The rollout, which began on Nov. 2, 2025 at KWTV and Nov. 16 at KOTV, includes Bitcentral’s Precis, Oasis, Create and Fusion Hybrid...
Production Begins on ‘The Saddle Club’ CG Animated Series
Frog Box and Red Monk Studio have launched production on a 26‑episode CG adaptation of Bonnie Bryant’s bestselling The Saddle Club series. The European co‑production, backed by France Télévisions, Rai and ZDF, will be split between France and Italy, with Superprod...
Disney+ Taps Daniel Burman as Latin America Original Content Head
Disney+ has appointed Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman as head of original content for Latin America, starting March 25. Burman will lead creative development, talent cultivation, and integrate Latin American storytelling into Disney’s global portfolio. He brings experience from founding Oficina...
CBS Sports Reaches Agreement for Paramount+ to Become Exclusive U.S. English-Language Home of All CONCACAF Women’s Competitions Through 2030
CBS Sports has secured exclusive English‑language U.S. rights to all CONCACAF women’s competitions through the 2029‑30 season, delivering more than 250 matches via Paramount+ and select broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and Golazo. The agreement covers the W Qualifiers and...
Politico Expands to Australia With ‘Playbook’ Newsletter
Politico announced it will launch a Canberra‑based edition of its flagship “Playbook” newsletter in the third quarter of 2026, marking the outlet’s first foray into the Australian market. The company rehired Ryan Heath as Australia Launch Editor to lead the effort...
‘The View’ Hosts ‘Take Offense’ to BAFTAs Editing Out ‘Free Palestine’ But Not the N-Word: ‘Should’ve Been a Knee-Jerk Reaction’
The View’s panel condemned BAFTA and the BBC for allowing an audible N‑word slur, uttered by a Tourette’s audience member, to remain in the live broadcast while a pro‑Palestine speech was edited out. The hosts argued that an immediate apology...
How to Write User-Facing Platform Policies
The article outlines best practices for crafting user‑facing platform policies, emphasizing clarity, legal alignment, and iterative improvement. It argues that transparent policies boost trust while reducing compliance risk for platforms. Practical guidance includes language simplicity, consistent structure, and real‑world examples....
Salem Announces New Podcast with Author Danielle Gill
Salem Media’s Podcast Network has launched a new show hosted by conservative author Danielle Gill. The series will explore culture, politics, and Christianity, extending Gill’s existing conversations about faith and conviction. Salem’s senior vice‑president of content, Phil Boyce, framed the...
YouTube Adds More Features to the Premium Lite Plan
YouTube announced that its Premium Lite tier now includes Background Play and video Downloads, features previously exclusive to the full Premium plan. The affordable $7.99‑per‑month subscription, launched in the U.S. in March 2025, continues to offer mostly ad‑free viewing but still...
Stingray Launches FAST Channels on Whale TV+
Stingray has launched a suite of free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channels on Whale TV+, the free streaming platform operated by Singapore‑based Whale TV. The new lineup includes eight video channels—covering nature, wellness, art and ambience—and four audio channels ranging from...
Salem’s Tom Tradup to Attend SOTU From Visitors’ Gallery
Salem Radio Network vice president Tom Tradup will attend the State of the Union address from the House Visitors’ Gallery, thanks to an invitation from Rep. Josh Brecheen (R‑OK). Tradup, a veteran political reporter, says this will be his first...
MS Confirms NPR Report After Independent Forensic Investigation
MS Now also confirmed NPR’s report. And that stemmed from another independent journalist doing forensics. A free and plural press is likely all over this now. https://t.co/1VmPhN1wiv
Bruin Capital Appoints MD to Target Fan and Media Opportunities
NEWS: Bruin Capital Hires Managing Director to Focus on Fan, Media Opportunities 👇https://t.co/PF2Kr0t9a4 via @sportico @LuisaRBeltran
Bruin Hires Managing Director to Focus on Fan, Media Opportunities
Bruin Capital announced the hiring of Adam Hasiba as its first Managing Director, tasking him with expanding the firm’s sports, media and fan‑engagement platform. Hasiba leaves consumer‑focused private‑equity giant L Catterton after more than a decade, bringing deep experience scaling media‑centric...
DD Free Dish E-Auction Revenue Dips to Rs 642 Crore as Slot Sales Fall
Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish completed its 8th e‑auction, collecting Rs 642 crore for FY26‑27, down from Rs 780 crore the prior year. Only 55 MPEG‑2 slots were sold, compared with 61 previously, reflecting a slimmer inventory and a revamped auction framework. The new...
DreamWorks Sequel ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Sets Netflix US Release Date Following Peacock Stint
DreamWorks’ sequel *The Bad Guys 2* will debut on Netflix US on March 21, 2026 after a brief exclusive run on Peacock. The film will enjoy a ten‑month exclusive streaming window before reverting to Peacock in early 2027. This release is part of Universal’s...
People Mistakenly Think Politico Mirrors Complex's Publishing Schedule
The fact that people honestly believe POLITICO coordinates their editorial calendar based off Complex’s web publishing schedule. I worry for our nation
Roy Wood Jr. Poised to Rival CNN’s Top Anchors
Roy Wood Jr. doesn’t sound like Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper or Erin Burnett. And yet, his importance to CNN could start approaching that of those popular anchors as CNN keeps digging into comedy programming as much as it does the...
Arch Platform Technologies, Wacom Integrate Wacom Bridge For Virtual Workflows’
Arch Platform Technologies and Wacom have integrated Wacom Bridge into Arch’s cloud GPU workstation platform, enabling artists to use Wacom pen displays with full driver support and reduced latency. The joint solution, launched on Feb. 24, offers a "local‑like" feel...
Wowza Appoints Jon Corley Chief Technology Officer
Wowza announced Jon Corley as its new chief technology officer, tasked with steering the company’s AI‑driven streaming strategy. Corley will shape the technology vision, engineering roadmap, and product‑innovation agenda to embed artificial intelligence throughout Wowza’s platform. The move aligns with...
The Trade Desk Launches ‘Ventura Ecosystem’ to Further Optimize CTV Advertising
The Trade Desk unveiled the Ventura Ecosystem, a collaborative framework linking global TV operating systems and streaming platforms to streamline connected‑TV (CTV) advertising. The initiative offers participants access to The Trade Desk’s ad‑tech suite—including OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0/EUID, OpenAds, and upcoming...
How Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Used XR to Bring the Peaks of the Dolomites Into View
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports faced a visual gap when studio cameras cut off the snow‑capped Dolomite peaks visible from its Cortina studio. Director of Graphics Alex Dinnin solved it with extended reality, stitching live PTZ footage into a virtual scene that restores...
BBC Shrinks IBC Footprint as Remote Production Takes Center Stage
The BBC is scaling back its on‑site IBC presence for the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Games, opting for a leaner, remote‑production model anchored in Cortina, Livigno and its Salford headquarters. By consolidating editorial decisions in Salford and trimming infrastructure in Milan,...
Returning Near-Perfect BBC Thriller that Grips Fans Confirms Release Date with Action-Packed Trailer
BBC’s thriller *The Capture* returns for a third season on 8 March, with Holliday Grainger reprising Rachel Carey as Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command. The extended trailer reveals a London shooting whose footage has been altered by the covert “Correction”...
YouTube Joins TV Giants, Yet Critics Dismiss Competition
State of the Union Tonight airing on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, Fox News, MS Now & YouTube and yet people still say YouTube does not compete with TV...
Radio Workflow Expands Its Platform
Radio Workflow has upgraded its cloud‑native broadcast platform, unifying sales, production, traffic and management for small‑to‑mid‑market stations. The expansion introduces Broadcast Buddy, an AI‑driven assistant that handles meeting prep, email summarization, contract drafting and system navigation. New sales tools let...
Vernon Kay Reveals Who Should Replace Wife Tess Daly on Strictly Come Dancing
Vernon Kay has publicly endorsed Alex Jones as the ideal replacement for his wife Tess Daly on BBC One’s flagship dance show *Strictly Come Dancing*. Daly and co‑host Claudia Winkleman stepped down after a combined 21‑year run, prompting a shortlist that also includes...
Grab Attention: Proven Thumbnails That Drive Clicks
Thumbnails that made us stop 👀 Tiger chaos, a “cheating?” reveal, and pure Red Bull adrenaline. Get our free YT Thumbnails Hack Pack with 100 more top thumbnails: https://t.co/H5zQZBPsBe https://t.co/fNTUlQxN3l
Sony Pictures Boss Says He Has “No Regrets” Selling ‘KPop: Demon Hunters’ to Netflix
Sony Pictures Animation’s “KPop: Demon Hunters,” released on Netflix in June 2025, became the streaming platform’s most‑watched original title, pulling in hundreds of millions of views. Although critics called the sale a financial misstep because Sony gave up theatrical, franchise,...
Ashley Mady On Why Safe Social and Consumer Products Strategy Are Converging In The Kids Creator Economy
Zigazoo, a safe‑social platform for Gen Alpha, has grown to over 10 million users and more than 1,000 kid creators, positioning itself as both a moderated community and a brand activation hub. President Ashley Mady emphasizes a “trifecta” strategy that merges product,...
WBD Pauses, Reviews Paramount Bid; Netflix May Renegotiate
After months of noisy fighting in public, these talks are once again quiet. WBD will take some time to assess the latest Paramount bid and Netflix will have a chance to amend its current agreement (if necessary).
BBC Studios’ Ghosts Lands Czech Adaptation
BBC Studios announced a Czech version of its hit scripted comedy Ghosts, joining six other territories that have adapted the series. The format, praised for its ability to embed local heritage into a house‑mate sitcom, will be produced by TV...
Amy Westervelt’s Drilled Joins the Pushkin Podcast Network
Pushkin Industries announced it will distribute the investigative climate‑change podcast *Drilled*, joining a roster that includes Malcolm Gladwell’s *Revisionist History* and Dr. Laurie Santos’s *The Happiness Lab*. The series, hosted by award‑winning journalist Amy Westervelt, has produced 14 seasons since...
Opinion: Enough Is Enough—Broadcasters Don’t Own the Airwaves
Michael Petricone argues that legacy broadcasters are receiving an outsized public subsidy by retaining exclusive rights to underused spectrum, even as fewer than 9% of Americans watch over‑the‑air TV. He cites the $95.8 billion annual economic value of unlicensed spectrum and...
JAR Expands Youtube-First Practice as Branded Podcasting Reaches a Video Reckoning
JAR Podcast Solutions announced the expansion of a dedicated YouTube‑first video podcast practice, creating a specialist team to produce video‑optimized branded podcasts. The agency emphasizes platform‑specific strategy, treating YouTube as a discovery engine rather than a simple upload destination. JAR’s...
Epidemic Sound Launches API To Embed AI-Powered Music Licensing Into Third-Party Platforms
Epidemic Sound has unveiled a developer API that lets third‑party platforms embed its extensive catalog of over 50,000 original tracks and 200,000 sound effects. The API is AI‑enhanced, offering text‑prompt, video‑prompt, SoundMatch, semantic search and an audio reference tool to...
What BodyArmor’s NCAA Deal Means for Coca-Cola’s Hydration Portfolio
BodyArmor has reclaimed the official NCAA sports‑drink title for the 2026 March Madness tournament, supplanting Powerade and rolling out a refreshed “Choose Better” campaign featuring athletes like Flau’jae Johnson and Jalen Brunson. The brand will be the exclusive hydration provider on‑court,...
Olaplex Links with ‘SNL’ Star to Blend Science, Style and Humor in New Ads
Olaplex has launched a new multichannel campaign titled “Science Never Looked So Good,” featuring Saturday Night Live star Chloe Fineman as the brand’s Chief Hair Officer. The 45‑second hero spot introduces the No. 3Plus bond‑repair treatment, which claims three‑minute application repairs three...
New York Bill Would 'Shackle' Media Firms, 'Washington Post' Editorial Board Argues
New York lawmakers are advancing a bill that would compel media companies to disclose any artificial‑intelligence tools used in their operations, a move the Washington Post editorial board warns could stifle innovation. At the same time, veteran CBS correspondent David...
QYOU Media Earns TikTok Agency Partner Badge, Expanding Creator Marketing Capabilities
QYOU Media has earned TikTok Agency Partner status, joining a select group of trusted advertising partners. The badge gives the Toronto‑Los Angeles agency direct access to TikTok’s premium tools, analytics, and support for both organic and paid campaigns. QYOU already...
Morning Joe Turns Into Moral Panic O’Clock
Good morning, kids. What time is it? It's Moral Panic O'Clock again on Morning Joe. https://t.co/KVOhRj4T80