Today's Media Pulse
Online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, overtaking pay‑TV revenue
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, surpassing pay‑TV's $170 billion for the first time. Growth is expected to slow to single‑digit levels in 2026 as operators focus on monetising existing users.
Also developing:
BookTok Fuels 821 Million Book Sales, Turns Authors Into TikTok Creators
BookTok has generated a record‑breaking 821 million book purchases in 2021, with the #BookTok hashtag topping 78.7 million posts. The TikTok sub‑community is reshaping publishing by demanding that authors act as short‑form video creators, a shift that retailers and houses are scrambling to accommodate.
AMC Seeks Hundreds‑Million‑Dollar Deal for ‘The Walking Dead’ Rights, Bids Flood In
AMC announced it is putting the licensing rights to The Walking Dead franchise up for sale, targeting a co‑exclusive deal worth several hundred million dollars. The move has attracted bids from major streaming platforms as the company looks to monetize...
Google Adds Five AI Link Overlays to Search without New Click Metrics, Sparking SEO Concerns
Google rolled out five new AI-generated link overlays in Search this week but did not provide any additional click‑through data for publishers. The move intensifies a year‑long dispute as studies show click rates plunge when AI Overviews appear, while Google...
French Regulator Brands YouTube a ‘Free Rider’ as Tax Gap Widens
France’s audiovisual regulator CNC accused YouTube of being a “free rider” after a 66% tax reduction left the platform paying just over €30 million ($32 million) versus €160 million ($173 million) for other video services and €250 million ($270 million) for TV channels. The claim has...
Disney CEO Unveils AI‑Driven Growth Plan Targeting IP and Streaming
Disney chief executive Josh D'Amaro presented a new three‑pillar growth blueprint that leans on artificial intelligence, deeper exploitation of intellectual property and a revamped streaming focus. The plan follows Disney's first double‑digit streaming revenue growth in Q2 FY26 and aims...
OpenAI Rolls Out Self‑serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT, Adds CPC Bidding
OpenAI has launched a beta self‑serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT in the United States, letting advertisers buy placements directly and introducing cost‑per‑click pricing alongside its existing CPM model. The rollout brings major agency holding groups and tech partners into the...
‘Money Heist’ Renewed at Netflix Ahead of ‘Berlin’ Season 2 With Universe Expansion
Netflix announced that the Money Heist universe will continue beyond the upcoming Berlin Season 2, unveiling the news with a high‑profile river‑bank stunt in Seville. The event highlighted the franchise’s enduring popularity, citing 1.3 billion hours watched (about 160 million views) for the...
Threads Users Request Mutual Indicator, Save Search, Global Messaging
Great to see Threads continuing to iterate and experiment on the product… A few requests for the next round — 1. Some sort of indicator to quickly see if you are mutuals with someone 2. The ability to search your saves 3....
15 Best TV Shows Like Criminal Minds
The article curates a list of 15 television series that appeal to fans of *Criminal Minds*, spanning network dramas, streaming originals, and international productions. It highlights shows that share the procedural format, behavioral‑analysis focus, or team‑dynamic chemistry that define the...
Riley Green Joins ‘The Voice’ As A Coach For Season 30
Country singer Riley Green has been added as the fourth coach for NBC’s The Voice Season 30, joining Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine. The upcoming season will feature four coaches, with a fifth star yet to be announced. Green, who has...
Google Rolls Out Experimental AI-Powered Conversational Search on YouTube
Google has begun testing "Ask YouTube," an AI‑powered conversational search feature for YouTube. The tool, currently limited to U.S. YouTube Premium subscribers 18 and older, lets users type natural‑language questions and receive synthesized overview pages that combine written summaries, curated...
Meta Shuts Down End-to-End Encryption for Instagram DMs, Citing Low Opt-In Rates
Meta announced it will disable end‑to‑end encryption for Instagram direct messages on May 8, citing very low user opt‑in rates. The feature, which prevented anyone—including Meta, governments, and law‑enforcement—from reading messages, never gained traction. Users who still want encrypted chats are...
‘Saturday Night Live UK’ Finally Takes On Nigel Farage With Cold Open Cameo From Well-Known British Comic
Saturday Night Live UK aired a cold‑open where Peter Serafinowicz played Nigel Farage as a 2046 Prime Minister under a fictional “King Trump.” The sketch paired Farage with a caricatured Kemi Badenoch and mocked future deportations, hantavirus and a straight‑pride march. Host Hannah Waddingham opened the...
Cardinals-Padres Series TV Arrangements Annoy MLB Fans
During a four‑game series at Petco Park, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres were broadcast on four different platforms: ESPN, Apple TV+, a Fox regional channel, and each team’s local RSN. The staggered start times—ranging from 1:10 p.m. to...
The Real Reason Most Writers Stay Invisible and Broke Online Has Nothing to Do With Their Writing.
Independent writers often rely solely on publishing content, assuming quality will attract readers. Wes Pearce argues that daily self‑promotion—restacking notes, sharing posts, and engaging in niche conversations—is the real driver of subscriber growth. He backs the claim with his own...
Traditional Publishers Ink Multiple Deals with Self‑Published Romance Stars
Atria, Blackstone, Putnam and Baker Publishing Group have signed a wave of contracts with self‑published romance authors, reissuing titles and launching new imprints. The moves tap established fan bases, from 120,000‑strong newsletters to Walmart shelf space, and signal a strategic...
Television Academy Endorses Post-Production Tax Credit Bill as Assemblyman Nick Schultz Rallies Support in Burbank: ‘We Should Have Done This...
The Television Academy has officially endorsed Assemblyman Nick Schultz’s AB 2319, a bill that would create a 35%‑50% tax credit for post‑production work done in California, even when the principal shoot occurs elsewhere. The legislation aims to reverse a loss of...
Starz Posts $211M OTT Revenue, Boosts Margin Outlook Amid Pricing Push
Starz announced OTT revenue of $211 million for Q1 2026, a sequential rise from $210 million, as pricing discipline and a $11.99 price increase lifted ARPU. The company also cut content spend, exited its Pay‑Two deal and reaffirmed guidance for continued margin expansion.
DoubleVerify Flags 140% Jump in AI‑driven CTV Fraud, Warning Advertisers of Rising Risk
DoubleVerify’s 2026 Global Insights report reveals AI‑powered fraud schemes on connected TV grew 140% in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025. The surge spans bot and data‑center attacks, hits both direct and programmatic buys, and underscores the need for verification tools...
Where to Watch ‘Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft’: Is the Concert Movie Streaming?
Billie Eilish’s third concert film, “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” debuts on May 8, 2026 as a theatrical‑only event. Co‑directed by the pop star and James Cameron, the 3D feature showcases her Manchester shows from the 2025...
Netflix Secures Shawn Levy’s ‘Somewhere Out There’ in Bidding War, Expands Sci‑Fi Slate
Netflix has acquired the spec script ‘Somewhere Out There,’ written by Max Taxe and set to be directed by Shawn Levy, after a heated bidding war. The deal adds a high‑profile emotional sci‑fi project to Netflix’s premium scripted slate, underscoring...
How Maury Povich Outlasted the Daytime TV Wars Using This 1 Business Framework
Maury Povich’s daytime talk show survived three decades by building a verification‑first production model that never aired a fabricated guest story. While Jerry Springer leaned on spectacle, Povich treated his set like a newsroom, vetting every participant before they went...
Why Cindy Crawford's First Year As Host Of MTV's House Of Style Was Unpaid
MTV’s “House of Style” debuted in 1989 as a fashion‑news pioneer on the music‑video network. Supermodel Cindy Crawford agreed to host the entire first season without pay after a direct pitch, despite her agents’ objections. The show was originally slated...
Devil in Silver
The horror anthology series "Devil in Silver" returns in 2026 with Dan Stevens starring as Peter “Pepper” Coffin, a New York mover mistakenly confined to a rundown mental hospital after a bar‑room brawl. The first episode, now streaming on Australian...
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Teaser
HBO Max has dropped a teaser for the upcoming sketch comedy series "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness," starring Larry David and co‑executively produced by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The show, written and...
Eric Kripke Reacts To ‘The Boys’ Accidentally Predicting Trump’s Gold Statue: “Seriously What The F*ck?”
Eric Kripke highlighted an uncanny parallel when a gold statue of Homelander appeared in the latest episode of *The Boys* just days after a gold Donald Trump statue was unveiled at the Cadillac Championship. The creator posted side‑by‑side images on...
Your Fire TV Collects More than Just Watch History, Here’s How to Stop It
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max gathers more than viewing history, logging app interactions, usage duration, crashes, and even voice commands when Alexa is enabled. The article walks readers through the privacy menu to disable Device Usage Data, App Usage Data, and interest‑based...
JioHotstar Launches TADKA to Tap Growing Demand for Short-Form Mobile Entertainment
JioHotstar introduced TADKA, a mobile‑first short‑form entertainment tab featuring 60‑second to two‑minute episodes designed for vertical scrolling. At launch the service offers more than 100 original micro‑show titles and plans to expand to over 1,000 by year‑end. The initiative has...
‘Blindspot’ Leaving Netflix US After Just One Year
Blindspot, the NBC crime drama, entered Netflix US on June 7, 2025 and will depart exactly one year later on June 7, 2026. During its tenure the series logged 349.3 million viewing hours, equivalent to about 23.5 million views, and spent 29 days in Netflix’s Top 10...
Star Power and ABC Boost WNBA Viewership Surge
If you want an early line on WNBA viewership, as my guys @AustinKarp and @paulsen_smw will attest, watch out for the @IndianaFever-@DallasWings viewership number when it comes out next week. Caitlin Clark is back healthy. Paige Bueckers is a TV...
Are AI‑narrated, AI‑written Audiobooks Truly Reading?
Do audiobooks read by AI count as reading? What if it was written by AI too?
Shelby Van Pelt Joins Netflix as Exec Producer for ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ Adaptation
Shelby Van Pelt, author of the 2022 bestseller Remarkably Bright Creatures, is credited as executive producer on the Netflix series that launched May 8, 2026. The adaptation arrives after the novel sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and has drawn...
Apple’s AI Ads Downgrade From Clever to Condescending
Even the Apple Intelligence ads that didn’t do vapourware were bad. Apple went from “bicycle for the mind” to “our users are morons” with this one for the office place. https://t.co/ROyHttXRGw
Every Press Interview Deserves Full Online Publication
There is absolutely no good reason that every press interview — whether for newspaper, magazine, TV show, documentary, blog, whatever — isn’t published online, in its entirety, every single time.
Grey’s Anatomy Enters Season 23 Amid Showrunner Shift and Major Cast Departures
Grey’s Anatomy moves into its 23rd season as longtime leads Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver exit in the Season 22 finale. Showrunner Meg Marinis hints at additional cast changes, signaling a pivotal creative transition for the flagship drama.
OpenAI Skips Agency-First Mistake, Learns From Google
OpenAI Read the Google Playbook. The Question Is Whether Marketers Did Too. Misunderstood Marketing - : Every Ad Platform That Went Agency-First Had to Walk It Back. OpenAI Didn't Wait. https://t.co/4yvevGcvYH
Top Tweets Prioritize Speed Over Accuracy, Study Shows
💯. there was actually a study about that by @dkroy and @sinanaral in Science in 2018: fake news travels faster than true news.
PubMatic Expands Agentic AI to Indirect Programmatic Deals, Sparking 80% YoY Revenue Surge
PubMatic announced that its AgenticAI platform will now handle end‑to‑end programmatic deals beyond direct publisher contracts. The move helped the company post an 80% year‑over‑year rise in its AI‑driven revenue segment, lifting total Q1 revenue to $62.6 million. Executives say the...
AI Deduces Personal Traits From Ad Exposure Alone
AI can infer personal traits from ad exposure patterns alone, turning everyday advertising streams into detailed profiles without direct access to private data https://t.co/2QKj8k2XtP
Show Declined After Producer’s Departure
The Shawn Ryan show went downhill the exact same moment his navy ship driver producer left. I said what I said.
Broadcasters Ask Congress to Rewrite 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act as Streaming Paywalls Rise
The National Association of Broadcasters and major TV networks have pressed Congress to revisit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, citing the shift of games to subscription streaming services. A letter from Rep. Tony Wied and a poll showing 72% of...
Art the Clown Takes Over NYE Live From Andy Cohen
Just got word that Art the Clown will be replacing Andy Cohen for New Year’s Eve Live.
Media
TV Ratings Revolt: Big Media hopes this year's upfront is filled with drama that connect commercials to making advertisers' cash registers ring and puts a lid on being judged by Nielsen's count of viewers' eyeballs.... https://t.co/4qqfRnDXGf
Ellison’s CBS Pushes Out 60 Minutes Star Over Trump Reporting
CBS, now under the control of billionaire Larry Ellison’s Skydance, has chosen not to renew the contract of 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi after her critical report on Trump’s El Salvador prison. The decision, driven by new editor Bari Weiss, exemplifies...
Treat Your YouTube Channel as a Business, Define Your Why
Treat your YouTube channel like a business from day one. 👀 Not a hobby. Not a side project. A business. Because your why shapes everything. Know your reason for starting. It's what keeps you going when it gets hard. 🎯 https://t.co/yVK0NH1UeH
Networks and Streamers Bring Plenty to Upfronts, Yet Need More
As Networks and Streamers Head to the Upfronts, They Have Plenty to Tout — And Just As Many Needs https://t.co/5wC7R4ltVC via @variety
Teads Posts 7% YoY Revenue Dip as Video‑ad Market Tightens
Teads announced Q1 2026 revenue of €266 million, a 7% year‑over‑year drop, as the programmatic video marketplace feels pressure. The company offset the decline with 5% growth in gross profit, a 50% surge in CTV revenue, and a 20% cut in...
Kellerman’s Ethics Claim Masks Real Benefits for Russini
Granted this is not the man point of Kellerman’s comments (using “journalistic ethics” as a guise to publish salacious material), but I strongly disagree with his point that Russini derived no real practical benefit from the relationship. https://t.co/D60d5CuvcT
Whistleblowing Today: Secrets Spread Instantly Online
Plenty to be unhappy about with the internet, but watching The Insider and if this happened today the tobacco company story would be out so fast. Jeff Wigand would have started a Substack. Or maybe Lowell or Mike Wallace would...
Best of Show: American Amplifier Technologies EmPower Controller VNA
American Amplifier Technologies’ EmPower Controller VNA captured the Radio World Best of Show award at the 2026 NAB Show. The unit blends SNMP‑based remote monitoring, site automation, and an integrated vector network analyzer into a single chassis. It delivers continuous,...