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.
We Were Liars: Season Two; Six Series Regulars Set for Prime Video Drama Series
Prime Video confirmed that its drama series We Were Liars will return for a second season, adding six new series regulars. The newcomers—Josh Dallas, Costa D’Angelo, Parker Lapaine, Peyton List, Elysia Roorbach and Madison Wolfe—will portray younger versions of key characters set in 1999. Existing cast members such as Mamie Gummer and Candice King continue to anchor the Sinclair family storyline. A premiere date has not yet been disclosed, leaving fans eager for further details.
One Dollar: All That’s Needed To Buy An Eastern Md. AM
A Salisbury, Maryland broadcasting firm has agreed to purchase a Class B AM station serving Easton on the Eastern Shore for a nominal $1, with the legal consideration consisting of exactly 100 pennies. The deal underscores the steep depreciation of many...
What’s New To Streaming: May 8, 2026
Streaming platforms rolled out a mix of classic adaptations and new thrillers on May 8, 2026. Netflix debuted a four‑episode limited series of William Golding’s *Lord of the Flies*, while CBS/Paramount+ launched *Boston Blue*, a spin‑off of *Blue Bloods* set in Boston. Hulu...
ICYMI: Instagram's Return to Long-Form Content (Yes, You Read That Right)
At the Scalable Summit, Instagram’s VP of Product Tessa Lyons revealed the platform is planning a major shift toward supporting long‑form creators, with new features expected within the next one to two years. Instagram is also piloting an “AI creator”...
Amazon Brings Content-To-Commerce Technology Into Publisher Services
Amazon Publisher Services has added Shopsense, an AI‑driven content‑to‑commerce platform, to its Connections Marketplace. Shopsense analyzes images in articles, videos and photos, automatically generating product‑listing ads that link to more than 1,000 retailers. The integration requires no code and promises...
How IAB Sweden Expelled Meta—And Why It Might Not Happen in Other Chapters Anytime Soon
Meta has been expelled from IAB Sweden after a year‑long campaign by Swedish publishers over a surge of fraudulent advertisements on its platforms. The move follows a Reuters investigation that accused Meta of earning billions from scam ads and a...
Lee Habeeb to Kick Off TALKERS 2026 Discussing “The Art of Storytelling”
Lee Habeeb, CEO and host of the syndicated series *Our American Stories*, will deliver the opening keynote at TALKERS 2026 on June 5 at Hofstra University. The two‑minute breakfast address, titled “The Art of Storytelling,” kicks off the 28th annual conference, which...
Oculus Rail Partners With Public Media to Deliver Real-Time Crossing Alerts
Oculus Rail has begun supplying live rail‑crossing blockage data to public‑media stations WHRO and WHRV in Hampton Roads, starting April 27. The stations will broadcast real‑time alerts alongside traditional traffic reports, helping drivers avoid delays caused by stopped trains. This...
Saga Communications’ Q1 Net Revenue Falls 5.6%
Saga Communications reported first‑quarter 2026 net revenue of $22.9 million, a 5.6% decline from the same period a year earlier. The company posted an operating loss of $3.3 million, widening from $2.3 million in Q1 2025, while station operating income fell 62% to $900,000....
Tim Dillon Busts Into Top 20 on Podtrac’s April Podcast Ranker
Podtrac released its U.S. Top Podcasts chart for April 2026, ranking shows by unique monthly audience. The top five slots remain occupied by major news brands, with NPR’s “NPR News Now” at #1 and The Daily at #2. Comedian Tim...
Steve Sanchez Show Adds New Affiliates
Steve Sanchez, a Las Vegas‑based talk radio host, announced the addition of four new affiliate stations: KAAA in Kingman, AZ; KZZZ serving Bullhead City, AZ and Laughlin, NV; KKFT in Reno, NV; and KXEX in Fresno, CA. The Steve Sanchez...
Big Apple Buys A Beantown AM
New York billionaire John Catsimatidis has purchased Boston‑area AM talk station WCRN‑AM. The Class B station, broadcasting a 50 kW directional signal from two daytime towers and three nighttime towers, reaches eastern Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire. Catsimatidis...
Noah Kahan's 'The Great Divide' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200
Singer‑songwriter Noah Kahan achieved his first Billboard 200 No. 1 with the fourth album The Great Divide, moving 175,000 copies and posting the year's biggest streaming debut. The surprise deluxe edition placed all 21 tracks on the Hot 100, underscoring the power of...
AMC and AMC+ Debut ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’, Third Season of Horror Anthology
AMC and AMC+ launched the third season of the horror anthology ‘The Terror’ on Thursday, adapting Victor LaValle’s novel ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’. Executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Karyn Kusama, the series stars Dan Stevens as...
TALKERS 2026 to Present “The Big Picture” Panel
The 28th annual TALKERS conference will feature its flagship “The Big Picture” panel on June 5, 2026, at Hofstra University. Moderated by founder Michael Harrison, the 40‑minute rapid‑fire session brings together six high‑profile figures from broadcasting, politics, and on‑air talent. The...
Utah Judge to Rule on Media Cameras in Charlie Kirk Murder Trial
State District Judge Tony Graf will issue a decision on Friday about whether cameras, photos and livestreams are allowed in the murder trial of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson. Media groups, prosecutors and Kirk’s widow...
PubMatic’s Agentic AI Is Going Beyond Direct Deals
PubMatic announced that its AgenticOS platform has run more than 30 fully autonomous, end‑to‑end campaigns and over 1,000 direct publisher deals, signaling a shift from agentic ad tech being limited to direct buys. The AI‑driven product helped lift emerging‑revenue growth...
Cumulus’ WOSH and WNAM Win WBA Awards
Cumulus Media’s Wisconsin stations WOSH (Oshkosh) and WNAM (Neenah‑Menasha) captured four Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards at the 2026 gala. In the Medium Market News & Talk division, WOSH earned first‑place for Best Interview, featuring hosts Steve Edwards and Ron Ross...
Amazon Data Will Be Available on Netflix Inventory in the UK May 18
Amazon’s demand‑side platform will let UK and EMEA advertisers overlay Amazon shopping data onto Netflix’s connected‑TV inventory starting May 18. The feature, first rolled out in the United States on April 13, enables Amazon Audiences to be applied to Netflix campaigns via...
Rohit Sharma Makes His Entertainment Debut on Sony Platforms
World Cup‑winning captain Rohit Sharma is stepping onto Sony Pictures Networks India’s entertainment stage, debuting in a teaser that will run on Sony Entertainment Television and the streaming service Sony LIV. The teaser, released on May 8, showcases Sharma in a non‑cricket...
Google Unlikely to Tailor Spam Policy for EU Advantage
I have a hard time believing that Google will adjust a spam policy for just the EU. That would give news publishers in the EU an unfair advantage. And I highly doubt Google will get rid of the spam policy...
Good News for South Africans Who Watch Rugby on DStv
Canal+ confirmed a multi‑year renewal of its domestic broadcast rights agreement with the South African Rugby Union, keeping SuperSport as the exclusive carrier for all SARU domestic competitions, women’s and junior matches across Sub‑Saharan Africa. The deal is the first...
STARZ Ending Pay-2 Deal with Universal
STARZ announced it will terminate its Pay‑2 licensing agreement with Universal, cutting off access to Universal’s film library after the studio’s Pay‑1 window. The deal, originally slated to run through 2028, is ending because Universal’s four‑month Peacock exclusivity and subsequent...
All 5 George R.R. Martin-Written Twilight Zone Episodes, Ranked
George R.R. Martin penned five episodes for the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone, a little‑known chapter before his Game of Thrones fame. The article ranks the scripts from the brief, under‑developed "Lost and Found" to the richly layered "The...
Day 17: The Unique Collab That Drove 3,000 Subscribers
Sean Devlin of All Healthy added roughly 3,000 new subscribers by teaming up with Gretchen Rubin for her "Move 26 in ’26" challenge. The collaboration hinged on a movement‑themed Bingo card that subscribers could use throughout the year, turning a...
Warner Bros. Discovery Streams Revenue Gains as HBO Max Expands to New Markets in Q1 2026
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its streaming revenue rose in the first quarter of 2026, driven by the rollout of HBO Max into several new international markets. While the company did not disclose the exact dollar amount, executives highlighted the...
Exclusive Clip: ‘Bob’s Burgers – Driving Miss Ragey’
Bob’s Burgers will air a brand‑new episode titled “Driving Miss Ragey” on Sunday, May 10 at 8:31 PM ET/PT on FOX. The episode follows Linda’s sudden road‑rage episode and the kids’ reckless mattress‑down‑the‑stairs adventure, continuing the series’ mix of family‑centric humor and...
AMC Reports Uptick In Streaming Revenue But Slight Decline In Subscribers
AMC Global Media posted a Q1 streaming revenue of $174 million, up 11% year‑over‑year, while its paid subscriber count slipped 1% to 10.1 million. U.S. advertising sales fell 5% to $113 million and content‑licensing revenue dropped 2% to $53 million. The company also recorded...
Observability: The Missing Discipline in Cloud-Native Media Operations
Cloud‑native media architectures such as DMF, TAMS and LPX are now production‑ready, turning media workflows into distributed, containerised services. While the designs are solid, operating these systems exposes a new gap: traditional monitoring can’t explain why transient glitches occur. Observability—linking...
Ease Live Granted US Patent for Interactive Streaming Overlay Technology
Ease Live, an Evertz subsidiary, has been granted U.S. Patent No. 12,556,777 for its interactive streaming overlay technology. The patented method synchronizes graphics such as stats, quizzes, replays, and sponsor ads with the video frame in real time, even when viewers...
UFC and Joe Hand Promotions Launch Championship Rounds Commercial Subscription Package
UFC and its exclusive U.S. commercial distributor Joe Hand Promotions have unveiled "Championship Rounds," a subscription service delivering UFC’s 13 numbered events, 30 Fight Nights, Zuffa Boxing, UFC BJJ and Power Slap to bars, restaurants and other out‑of‑home venues. The package...
Week in Review: CTV and AI Dominate Ad Tech Earnings, Major Distributors Back Microdramas, and Kraft Heinz Ramps Up Ad...
Ad‑tech leaders The Trade Desk, PubMatic and Magnite all highlighted CTV and AI in their Q1 earnings, with mixed market reactions. The Trade Desk’s shares dropped 15% despite 12% revenue growth, while PubMatic and Magnite posted modest revenue gains driven...
NewsCorp CEO: AI Licensing Beyond Transaction, Protect IP
More about AI and publishers -> NewsCorp CEO Robert Thomson touted its recent AI content licensing deal with Meta as greater than “purely transactional,” though he warned of other firms illegally scraping the company’s content “IP powers AI,” he said. “IP is an...
Exclusive Clip: ‘Family Guy - Let the Good Times Walk’
FOX is premiering a brand‑new Family Guy episode titled “Let the Good Times Walk” on May 10 at 8:00‑8:31 PM ET/PT. The storyline follows Joe Griffin as a powerful sleeping‑aid medication lets him walk while asleep, prompting comedic tension when his friends prefer...
Why Broadcasters Are Rethinking Infrastructure One Practical Step at a Time
Broadcasters are moving away from piecemeal, hardware‑heavy setups toward software‑defined, hyperconverged infrastructure. The industry’s focus has expanded from pure reliability to include flexibility, efficiency, and the ability to adapt quickly to new formats or remote production models. By consolidating functions...
Vertical Video Emerges as $50B Rival to Netflix
On this week’s LightShed Live, we sat down with @hernanlopez to talk vertical video, what he sees as a third audiovisual language, distinct from TV and film. The market is already enormous in ways that should stop every media executive...
Farewell to Labor: A Generation of Reporters Departs
Truly the end of an era. The Labor team launched the same month I joined Politico & I have watched so many great reporters go thru it, from early stalwarts @marianne_levine & Brian Mahoney to @tedhesson @CoganSchneier @IanKullgren @Eleanor_Mueller @RebeccaARainey...
Facebook May Be Fading, but It’s Still the Leading Platform for Older Audiences and Local News
Despite a steady decline in overall users, Facebook remains the dominant social network for older demographics and local news publishers. Statista data shows 62% of users are aged 18‑44, with a notable 24% aged 55 and above. Local news outlets...
Low‑Res TVs Amplified Facial Expressions, 4K Dampens Them
I think it's due to video resolution When Jim Carrey got famous in the 1990s, the average TV was 720×480 (480i) Now 4K is the standard, which is 3840×2160 If you exaggerate your facial features on a blurry small low resolution TV, you...
Fin TV Prioritizes Authority over Viewer Interests
Unfortunately Fin TV is about promoting people as authorities and/or gaining access to managements. It has never appeared, to me, to be solely about the viewers.
Netflix Reportedly Snags 2 Additional NFL Games
Netflix is set to double its NFL portfolio from two to four games for the 2026‑27 season, adding the league’s first international contest in Australia and a new Thanksgiving Eve matchup. The Australia game features the Los Angeles Rams versus...
Wendy's First Agency Switch in 18 Years Coming Soon
Wendy's media agency change was the first time the company did that in 18 years. The change will be evident at the second half of the year. $WEN
Save Now: MLB.TV Gets a Mid-Season Price Cut on ESPN
ESPN has cut the price of its MLB.TV seasonal packages, lowering the cost to $139.99 for new subscribers and $124.99 for existing ESPN Unlimited members, down from $149.99 and $134.99 respectively. The discount applies to the remainder of the 2026...
Join Our API Local News Summit on Measuring Impact for Civic Discourse
The American Press Institute is hosting the API Local News Summit on June 23‑24 in Pittsburgh, gathering about 70 local‑media leaders to discuss how to measure and communicate impact on civic discourse. The invitation‑only, highly participatory event will explore innovative metrics...
"Unfailingly Gripping" Psychological Thriller Gets New UK Streaming Home in Time for the Weekend
The psychological thriller *The Patient* has arrived on UK streaming platforms ITVX and Disney+, offering all ten episodes of the 2022 FX limited series. The show follows therapist Dr. Alan Strauss, played by Steve Carell, who is held captive by...
Covering Sudan/Covering Up Sudan
The Substack-hosted live event "Covering Sudan/Covering Up Sudan" spotlights the chronic under‑reporting of Sudan’s four‑year‑old war, now the world’s deadliest conflict. Featuring veteran Sudanese journalist Isma’il Kushkush and media‑tech specialist Raghdan Orsud, the discussion will examine why the crisis has...
Radio Asharq with Bloomberg Launches ‘The Finfluencer’ Campaign for Financial Literacy
Radio Asharq with Bloomberg has launched “The Finfluencer,” a campaign that uses a driver‑radio scenario to weave simplified economic insights into daily life. The initiative reflects a broader shift from merely delivering breaking financial news to providing contextual interpretation for...
The Deepfake Era Has Arrived and PR Is the Front Line
AI‑generated deepfake videos have moved from theoretical risk to active weapon in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, exemplified by the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s fabricated ad of Texas candidate James Talarico. Similar attacks have hit Europe, with the Bank of...
Maura Higgins Will Not Be Returning to Fiji This Year
Maura Higgins announced she will not be returning to Fiji in 2026, opting to focus on fashion weeks, red‑carpet events, and broader media engagements. She reflects on the importance of longevity in reality TV, emphasizing that authenticity has kept her...
Stephen Lambert Knows a Hit When He Sees It
Stephen Lambert, the veteran producer behind hits like The Circle and Squid Game: The Challenge, predicted The Traitors would succeed before its premiere and proved him right as the show earned back‑to‑back Emmy wins and strong ratings on Peacock and...