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.
Richard Jefferson Out with an Illness for Knicks-76ers Game 4 on ABC
ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson was sidelined by illness for Game 4 of the Knicks‑76ers Eastern Conference semifinals, leaving Mike Breen and Tim Legler to call the matchup alone. The change came as the network’s newly formed trio—Breen, Legler and Jefferson—enters its first season together after Legler replaced Doris Burke as the No. 1 analyst. The Knicks lead the series 3‑0, so the broadcast impact is muted, but the incident underscores ESPN’s reliance on the three‑person booth ahead of the NBA Finals. Jefferson’s absence also highlights the league’s health‑first approach for on‑air talent.
Kevin Hart’s Live Netflix Roast Is Tonight: Start Time and How to Watch
Netflix is streaming a live "Roast of Kevin Hart" tonight, kicking off at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and expected to run about three hours. Hosted by Shane Gillis with Jeff Ross as executive producer, the event features roasters from Saturday Night...
SKY NEWS Locks in Major Political Lineup for Budget 2026
Sky News Australia announced a comprehensive, rolling broadcast of the 2026 Federal Budget, beginning Tuesday May 12 at 5:00 pm. High‑profile hosts Chris Kenny, Peta Credlin and Paul Murray will anchor separate segments that preview, analyze and dissect Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget...
25 of the Most Memorable TV and Movie Moms
The Wrap curates a list of 25 iconic TV and movie mothers, ranging from sitcom staples like Clair Huxtable to fantasy figures such as Daenerys Targaryen. Each profile highlights how the character reshapes traditional maternal tropes, whether through humor, resilience,...
Don Lemon's Lemon Media Hits 10M, Expands Team
NEW: Don Lemon is expanding Lemon Media Network, his independent media co, which he says has surpassed 10 million followers across all social platforms… • McKinsey alum Douglas Robins is joining as Director of Operations. • Spectrum News alum Daniel Grimes is...
Can TROPFEST Reclaim Its Place in Australian Film?
Tropfest, Australia’s flagship short‑film festival, returns after a six‑year hiatus, highlighted in an ABC Australian Story episode titled “The Hustler.” The documentary follows founder John Polson, whose troubled youth was redirected by acting, and charts the festival’s rise from a Sydney...
HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? Lands UK Star Olga Koch
British‑born comedian Olga Koch makes her Australian TV debut on Network 10’s quiz show “Have You Been Paying Attention?” airing tonight at 8.40 pm. She joins regulars Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee alongside guests Melanie Bracewell and Ray O’Leary. Koch is known...
'The Punisher: One Last Kill' Has My Attention
Marvel is releasing a one‑off special titled "The Punisher: One Last Kill" on Disney+ on May 12, 2026. The film brings Jon Bernthal back as Frank Castle and even credits him as a writer, promising a deeper psychological look at...
Screen Forever 2026: Meet the Book Scout
Philippa Donovan, an Australian‑born literary scout, bridges the gap between publishing and film/TV production. At Screen Forever 2026 she explained how she translates publishing terminology into production‑ready concepts for studios across the US, UK and Australia. Donovan is pioneering “reverse...
Week 19 in TV Ratings
Week 19 TV ratings in Australia showed a strong rebound for Network 10, as the return of "Have You Been Paying Attention?" attracted 820,000 viewers, positioning the show as the likely leader in its timeslot for the season. Seven’s long‑running drama...
Michael Johnson Jr. Takes Talk PD Helm at iHeart Hartford
iHeartMedia has appointed Michael Johnson Jr. as Program Director for its sports and talk stations in the Hartford and New Haven cluster. He will oversee programming for Fox Sports 97.9, NewsRadio 1410, 960 WELI‑AM and Fox Sports 1300. Johnson comes from Townsquare Media Albany, most...
New Yorker Dodges Brinks Facts to Protect Its Own
Even in discussing a supposedly fictionalized account, the New Yorker cannot bring itself to properly lay out the facts of the 1981 Brinks robbery, because the perpetrators were from the same milieu as New Yorker readers and writers. The passive...
Ad Stack Rebuilt Around Generative Retrieval
Fantastic new (from April) paper from Kuaishou on GR4AD (Generative Recommendation for ADvertising). Kuaishou has made several important recent contributions to generative recommendation systems, particularly with its OneRec architecture. But GR4AD advances a more radical proposition: that the modern advertising...
Announcing the Launch of New Volkov Law TV
Volkov Law has launched a new YouTube channel, Volkov Law TV, to deliver video‑based compliance insights. The platform builds on the firm’s webinars, podcasts, and speaking engagements, offering regular updates on DOJ and SEC enforcement, sanctions, AI‑related risks, healthcare fraud...
Start with Low-Ticket Products Before Chasing High-Ticket Offerings
6 digital products to take you to $1,000,000 as a writer: 1. Low-low ticket standalone ($49–$99) 2. Low-ticket digital product ($99–$350) 3. Cohort-based experience ($350–$999) 4. Community ($99/month, ongoing) 5. High-ticket group coaching ($3k–$10k) 6. Mastermind ($10k–$100k) Most writers skip to 5 or 6 and wonder why...
Automate Video Creation to Save 10 Hours Weekly
The best AI builders set up systems to help them ship faster. Here's @moritzkremb's system to create short videos that saves him 10 hours a week: 1. Cron jobs scrape ideas from X and YouTube 2. AI generates rough notes for the script 3....
Atlanta Dream Partners with Victory+ to Stream All Locally Broadcast Games for Free
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory+, a free ad‑supported streaming platform, to broadcast every locally televised game live and on‑demand. The service complements the team’s existing deal with Atlanta News First, giving fans the option to watch via connected...
Trump's Transportation Secretary Launches Reality TV Show Just as Horrific Airport Tragedy Strikes
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promoted his family‑focused reality series “The Great American Road Trip” on Fox News on Friday. Hours later, a trespasser was killed when Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 struck him on a Denver International Airport runway during takeoff....
Nashville SC None Too Pleased After Pickleball Bumps Club to FS2
Nashville SC’s Saturday night MLS match was shifted from Fox Sports 1 to Fox Sports 2 after the Professional Pickleball Association Tour Finals ran over schedule. FS2’s reach—about 49 million homes versus FS1’s 68 million—means a smaller audience saw the game on...
Go Spiritual Teams Up with ‘Keval Saat Din’ as Official Spiritual Partner
Go Spiritual has signed on as the official spiritual partner for the upcoming inspirational film ‘Keval Saat Din’, produced by Junifilms and streamed on Shortfundly OTT. The alliance aims to blend emotional drama with teachings from Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa...
International Booker 2026 Shortlist Unveiled: Six Translated Novels Redefine Global Lit
The International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist, announced on May 9, brings together six translated novels from five continents, including the first Taiwanese title ever shortlisted and the sole Asian entry. The list sets the stage for the May 19 award...
Peacock Brings Back MLB Sunday Leadoff for 2026 Season
Peacock will air a new slate of MLB Sunday Leadoff games throughout the 2026 season, delivering one exclusive midday matchup every Sunday from May through August. The move returns Major League Baseball to the streaming service for the first time...
FTC Drops Three‑Year Probe of Media Matters After Legal Pushback
The Federal Trade Commission announced on Tuesday that it has closed its civil investigative demand into Media Matters for America, ending a probe that began in May 2025. The settlement follows a series of lawsuits in which Media Matters successfully...
Twitch IRL Takeover Offers Exclusive Chat Badge This Week
Twitch is running an IRL takeover of the site from May 11 to May 17. You can unlock an IRL chat badge by watching IRL takeover content.
Netflix's New Crime Thriller Does Revenge Better Than 'Reacher' -- and Denzel
Netflix’s limited series "Man on Fire" has quickly become a breakout hit, logging 11 million views in its first four days. The adaptation shifts the story from the 2004 film’s Mexico City backdrop to Brazil, using Rio’s favelas and urban landscapes...
Donald Trump Claims NFL Fans Are Paying ‘$1,000 a Game’ to Watch Football
The U.S. Department of Justice opened an antitrust investigation into the NFL’s growing reliance on streaming‑only game packages, questioning whether the league’s exemption under the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act still applies. President Donald Trump, appearing on Full Measure, mistakenly claimed...
Here Is Everything Coming to and Leaving Plex in May 2026
Plex is bolstering its free, ad‑supported catalog in May 2026 with more than 80 new titles, ranging from indie darlings like *First Cow* and *Tangerine* to mainstream hits such as *Past Lives* and *Hereditary*. The platform continues its A24‑style curation,...
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: May 4, 2026 to May 8, 2026
The FCC’s Media Bureau is facing a petition from Disney/ABC that challenges the agency’s recent equal‑opportunity guidance for “The View,” arguing the program remains a bona‑fide news interview exempt from equal‑time rules. Commissioner Jessica Gomez has called for a comprehensive review...
Scale Ads Wisely: Track These Crucial KPIs
Writing Most businesses don’t fail because of bad products. They fail because they scale ads without understanding the numbers behind growth. If you’re running Meta or Google Ads, here are the KPIs that actually matter: • CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)...
How Costume Designer Amanda Cárcamo Helped Bring Netflix’s ‘Man on Fire’ To Life
Netflix’s action thriller *Man on Fire* enlisted Mexican costume designer Amanda Cárcamo to recreate Rio de Janeiro within Mexico City. She immersed herself in Brazilian fashion, music and visual references—from classic films like *City of God* to local Instagram feeds—to dress characters...
Laura Rutledge, Ryan Clark Reveal ‘NFL Live’ No Longer Does Production Meetings
ESPN’s daily studio program NFL Live has stopped holding traditional production meetings, according to co‑host Ryan Clark on The Pivot podcast. The cast—Laura Rutledge, Dan Orlovsky, Mina Kimes, Marcus Spears, Peter Schrager and Clark—now relies on their strong off‑air rapport...
Ryan Reynolds’ Beloved Show & More Hulu Releases This Week
Hulu’s May 11‑17 slate rolls out a mix of new seasons, specials, and full‑series drops, highlighted by the two‑episode debut of Welcome to Wrexham Season 5 on May 14. The platform also launches Lisa Ann Walter’s first stand‑up special, It Was An Accident,...
With Netflix New Ad-Free Standard Plan at $20, Streaming's Tipping Point Into Old TV Is Getting Closer
Netflix raised its standard ad‑free plan to $19.99, underscoring a shift toward hybrid subscription‑and‑advertising revenue. The company’s data shows that an ad‑supported subscriber who watches 41 hours a month can generate roughly $25, surpassing the premium price. Ad‑supported tiers now...
Test, Iterate, and Spam: Real Data Refines Messaging
A hill I will die on as a messaging strategist: your message improves the most when you put it out there. IT doesn't change in a silo. It's been through testing, iterating using DATA where I get my message to perform...
Instagram Stories Ads Now Block Tap-to-Skip Functionality
Why can’t you tap to skip ads on IG stories anymore?? I tap and the entire website pops up and then I can’t exit out of it unless I close the entire app.
New Yellowstone Series & More Paramount+ Releases This Week
Paramount+ is expanding the Yellowstone franchise with Dutton Ranch, a nine‑episode sequel premiering May 15 that follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they relocate to a Texas ranch. The platform also revives Tyler Perry’s Zatima for Season 4B on May 12,...
Cancelled or Renewed? Status of NBC TV Shows
NBC maintains a publicly accessible spreadsheet that lists the renewal or cancellation status of its recent, current, and upcoming primetime series, including episode counts and airing progress. The resource links each show to its ratings, allowing quick performance checks. Because...
West Ham v Arsenal Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch Football on Tv Today
Arsenal travel to London Stadium on 10 May 2026, kicking off at 16:30 BST, to bolster their Premier League title push after a strong win over Fulham and a Champions League semi‑final triumph. West Ham, fighting relegation, seek a vital three points following...
Threads Elevates Substance Over Slick LinkedIn Personas
Two weeks into this Threads experiment. Followers up. DMs from legal ops circles up. White paper waitlist crossed 200. Surprising me: the speakers who reach out aren't the ones with the slickest LinkedIn. They're the ones replying with substance in the comments. Threads...
1961 Sports Broadcasting Act Shields only Free TV, Not Streaming
To add, the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 (which Trump is referring to) only exempts from antitrust scrutiny national TV deals broadcast via sponsored telecasting, meaning free, over-the-air. It does nothing for streaming, cable TV or paid satellite TV. https://t.co/K0g9K4Trkx....
Build a Claude Code Personal OS Step by Step in 40 Minutes | Moritz Kremb
Moritz Kremb demonstrated how to build a personal operating system on Anthropic’s Claude Code platform in a 40‑minute walkthrough. He detailed a four‑layer architecture—folder with memory, tools, skills, and routines—that lets Claude manage email, content creation, and even grocery orders....
Elon Urged to Fulfill X's Promised Truth Claim
hey @elonmusk, if you really care about making X a source of truth as you used to claim, take note:
Variety Gives You a Head Start on TV Upfronts
TV's annual 'upfront' market kicks off tomorrow, but if you've been reading @Variety you are already weeks ahead of the news cycle.... https://t.co/gUUOL1UmlS
5 Ideas For The Interested This Week
The newsletter tackles the growing fear of sounding like AI, then delivers five actionable resources for creators—including a copywriting swipe file, workspace‑cleaning guide, AI‑chatbot tutorial, system‑building framework, and a prompt‑engineering video. It adds personal notebook reflections on podcast speed, identity,...
YouTube's $62B 2025 Forecast Proves It's Thriving
Is YouTube dying? $62 billion in revenue in 2025. That's not a platform that's dying. That's one that's just getting started. 👑 YouTube isn't just a video platform. It's the new king of media. 🔥 https://t.co/hoDMm5a8jX
ADA Implications Loom Over Paramount‑Warner Merger
This is an interesting piece on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Paramount-Warner merger. https://t.co/PnoQm3eVuk
Devil May Cry Showrunner Isn't Convinced By Video Game Adaptation Boom
Showrunner Adi Shankar warned that the current wave of video‑game adaptations is likely to produce more cringe than hits, citing the lack of involvement from original developers. He argues that corporate brand managers treat games as logos, leading to generic...
Advertisers Prioritize Sports in Annual TV Upfronts
What do TV advertisers want most during the sector's annual 'upfront' sales market? 1. Sports 2. Streaming 3. Spectacles 4. Not Much Else https://t.co/gUUOL1UmlS
X Should Add Share Counts Like Instagram
If X posts show both views and bookmarks, why not include shares like IG? 🤔 @elonmusk @nikitabier
YouTube Leads Upfronts, Spotlighting Creator‑Growth Professionals
As the media world descends on New York this week for Upfronts, YouTube will anchor the festivities with Brandcast on Wednesday night. There’s a class of people who make their living working with the most popular creators on the platform to...