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:
Can We Talk About Whether Ad Agencies Waste Time?
Campaign’s latest commentary argues that advertising agencies still waste significant time on manual processes, even as AI and sophisticated timesheet tools become available. The piece highlights that up to 30% of agency hours are spent on non‑billable tasks such as repetitive brief handling and data entry. It suggests that adopting modern workflow platforms and AI‑driven automation could unlock creative capacity and improve client turnaround. The author calls for a cultural shift toward efficiency‑first thinking across the industry.
CNN Film "Why We Dream" To Premiere Memorial Day at 8PM ET/PT
CNN Films is debuting the documentary “Why We Dream” on Memorial Day, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The film follows a group of World II centenarians as they return to Normandy for the 80th D‑Day anniversary, featuring a score by Christian...
Netflix Awards India Media Mandate to Omnicom Media Group
Netflix has transferred its India media planning and buying mandate from Wavemaker to Omnicom Media Group after a multi‑agency pitch. The new contract covers both traditional and digital media channels, reflecting Netflix’s broader strategic overhaul of its Indian market approach....
News Corp Holds Steady on Results Day, Index Rises
News Corp reported a 9% year‑over‑year revenue increase and an 18% rise in EBITDA, both surpassing market forecasts. The stock barely edged higher, up 0.10%, after a day of mixed performance on the Unmade Index. The company highlighted its transition...
10 Podcast Monetization Strategies for 2026
Podcasters are moving from single‑tactic ad sales to a multi‑layer monetization stack that blends sponsorships, programmatic buys, dynamic ad insertion, subscriptions, and strategic guest placements. Host‑read sponsorships command premium rates by leveraging the host’s credibility, while programmatic platforms provide scale...
Gray Media Revenue Slips in Q1 as Political Ad Sales Surge
Gray Media posted Q1 2026 revenue of $768 million, a 2% decline year‑over‑year, while its net loss widened to $20 million. Core advertising rose 2% to $352 million, and political ad sales jumped 131% to $30 million, hitting the top of guidance. Retransmission consent...
Fox's Rupert Murdoch Lobbied Trump to Act over NFL Streaming Deals / Jersey Shore Will Live on, Creator Predicts /...
Rupert Murdoch met with President Trump in February to warn that allowing streaming services to acquire more NFL game rights could undermine traditional broadcast networks. Murdoch argued that a shift toward digital platforms would erode Fox's advertising revenue and audience...
Scripps Narrows Q1 Loss as Local TV Revenue Offsets Decline at National Networks
The E.W. Scripps Company reported a narrower first‑quarter loss of $18 million, or 20 cents per share, compared with $18.8 million a year earlier. Total revenue slipped 1.4% to $516.9 million, but local‑media revenue rose 5% to $341.6 million, cushioning an 11.1% drop in its...
"Forever" Season 2 Starts Production in Los Angeles
Netflix has begun filming season 2 of its drama series “Forever” in Los Angeles. The eight‑episode season introduces three new regulars—Malaika Guttoh, Avery Wills Jr., and Tre McBride—while retaining the original core cast. Grammy‑winning Khris Riddick‑Tynes joins as executive music producer, with Kier Lehman returning as...
This Journalist Turned the Strait of Hormuz Crisis Into a Newsgame because Articles Don't Cut It
Polish journalist‑artist Jakub Gornicki released BOTTLENECK, a free browser game, in April 2026 that puts players in charge of maritime traffic during the Strait of Hormuz shutdown. The game simulates three transit slots for roughly 2,000 ships over a ten‑day...
Why Relevance Matters More than Visibility in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s market is evolving from a translation‑focused approach to a transformation‑driven one, demanding culturally grounded insights and integrated execution. Global brands that rely on superficial localization miss the sophisticated, expressive digital audience that shapes content. Clients now expect strategies...
Ads of the Week: 12 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From Adidas to Canva
The weekly roundup from Cannes Lions spotlights twelve standout ads, ranging from Adidas’ Timothée Chalamet‑led World Cup narrative to Canva’s absurdist squirrel stunt in Brooklyn. Brands leaned heavily on humor, unexpected casting, and unscripted moments, with Lewis Hamilton’s dinner chat for S.Pellegrino and Liquid Death’s...
Roku Delivers Upfront Dinners With A Side Of Full-Funnel
Roku has replaced traditional TV upfront presentations with a series of intimate client dinners, gathering about 70 marketers per event. The company uses the gatherings to promote its full‑funnel advertising proposition, emphasizing programmatic options, custom brand integrations, and measurable performance....
Airdate: Two Years Later
Two Years Later, a new eight‑episode romantic drama starring Phoebe Tonkin and Brenton Thwaites, premieres on Paramount+ on June 4, 2026. Produced by Brisbane‑based Hoodlum Entertainment, the series follows post‑pandemic thirty‑somethings navigating love, identity and career upheavals. The project received major investment...
Law & Order: Season 26; NBC Police Drama Getting Renewed for 2026-27
NBC has officially renewed Law & Order for a 26th season slated for the 2026‑27 broadcast year. The 25th season, concluding next Thursday, posted a 0.24 rating in the 18‑49 demographic and attracted 3.66 million viewers, marking a 20% dip in...
Meta Challenges UK Regulator Over Online Safety Fees, Fines
Meta is contesting Ofcom’s method of calculating Online Safety Act fees and fines, arguing that using worldwide revenue inflates potential penalties. The UK regulator can levy fines up to 10% of a platform’s global earnings, a figure Meta says is...
Other Views Are Available
The author curates three Substack essays that explore UK legal and political issues. Adam Wagner revisits the 1936 Public Order Act, highlighting its hurried passage. Colin Yeo critiques the government’s plan for a new independent immigration appeals body, arguing existing...
For All Mankind Fizzles, Joins Walking Dead’s End
“For All Mankind” is ready for its end. It’s fizzled out the same way as “The walking Dead.”
Doireann Garrihy Has Many Strengths. Byelection Analysis Is Not One of Them
RTÉ’s music station 2FM has launched a fresh schedule after a wave of high‑profile departures in 2024, continuing a pattern of annual line‑up overhauls. The revamp brings new presenters while retaining veteran Doireann Garrihy, whose on‑air charisma remains a draw....
News Australia’s Let Them Be Kids Campaign Wins Top INMA Honours
News Corp Australia’s “Let Them Be Kids” campaign won two first‑place INMA Global Media Awards in Berlin, recognized for Best Public Relations/Community Service Campaign and Best Use of Print. The investigative series helped drive Australia’s historic law banning social‑media access...
Is Google Quietly Losing? YouTube “Stations” Impact? 3 Big Questions for Google | Behind the Numbers
In this episode, senior forecasting analyst Drew Spink and newsletter analyst Marissa Jones dissect Google’s Q1 2026 results, focusing on three big questions: whether Google will introduce ads to its Gemini chatbot, how the company’s massive AI spending is being...
WTF Is a Unified Ad Platform?
Unified Advertising Platforms (UAP) are emerging as end‑to‑end ad‑tech solutions that combine demand‑side and supply‑side capabilities in a single system. The concept, coined by analyst Karsten Weide, promises 100 % data‑match rates by sharing a common data layer between buyers and publishers....
‘Conflict Entrepreneurs’ Are Driving Disinformation and Shaping Public Opinion
The article highlights a new class of influencers—dubbed “conflict entrepreneurs”—who deliberately stir controversy to capture attention and monetize polarized discourse. These actors thrive in environments where brand messaging is fragmented by user‑generated content and declining trust, often pulling brands into...
‘Being Human Helps’: Despite Rise of AI Is There Still Hope for Europe’s Translators?
European translators are confronting a rapid AI surge that threatens both volume and pay. Surveys show 79% of translators fear replacement, while post‑editing jobs now pay as low as €0.60 per line (≈$0.66), a fraction of traditional rates. Literary translation...
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Kim Raver Says Goodbye Again: ‘It’s Been an Incredible Run’
Kim Raver says goodbye to Grey’s Anatomy after 11 seasons playing cardiothoracic surgeon Teddy Altman. The Season 22 finale, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” sees Teddy lead a hospital response to a bridge collapse, reconcile with ex‑husband Owen Hunt, and accept a...
Bestads Best TV / Film of the Week: Flipkart’s ‘SASA LELE 2.0’ via Kinnect India
Flipkart’s summer‑sale film “SASA LELE 2.0,” produced by Kinnect India, was crowned Bestads Best TV/Film of the Week. The spot, judged by Freddie Coltart, Creative Director at McCann New Zealand, builds on last year’s viral campaign with a “sale‑on‑sale” concept, doubling the hype and offers....
TV Ratings (7/5/2026): Nine’s Tipping Point Edges Out The NRL
Nine’s prime‑time game show *Tipping Point* drew 1.5 million national viewers and an average audience of 783,000, outpacing the network’s own NRL broadcast. The NRL match between the Canterbury‑Bankstown Bulldogs and the Dolphins attracted 1.4 million viewers with a 601,000 average, placing...
IMAA’s Pitch-Chella 2026 Opens Entries for Australia’s Next Generation of Media Talent
Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) has opened applications for its 2026 Pitch‑Chella program, the third edition of the talent‑development initiative for indie agency professionals. The competition invites teams with five years or less experience to create a strategic brief for...
Oasis Reunion Documentary Coming to Cinemas and Disney+
Disney, Magna Studios and Sony Music Vision are releasing an untitled Oasis documentary that will debut in select IMAX cinemas on September 11 before moving to Disney+ later in 2025. The film, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace and written...
Sky Italia Seeks Damages From DAZN-TIM Soccer Deal
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit in Milan seeking up to €1.9 billion in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streamer DAZN, alleging their 2021 partnership violated Italian antitrust law. The dispute stems from DAZN’s €2.5 billion (≈$2.9 billion) acquisition of Serie...
Success Requires Quality, Strategy, and Proper Presentation
A hard author truth… Everybody wants the “secret” to selling books, but many don’t want or like the truth: You cannot throw a random cover on a book that doesn’t fit your genre (or have quality) and expect readers to buy...
Video Futures Collective & Omnicom Launch Research Initiative As Ad Industry Hits ‘Inflection Point’
The Video Futures Collective (VFC) has teamed with Omnicom Media Australia to launch a research initiative that will modernise streaming‑video ad planning, measurement and optimisation in Australia. The first phase will focus on establishing evidence‑based frequency guidance that aligns with...
WOOH Board Member Warns Of Advertising Ban ‘Domino Effect’
World Out of Home Organization (WOOH) board member Dr. Kai‑Marcus Thäsler warned that a cascade of advertising bans is spreading globally, likening it to a domino effect. He cited recent moves such as Berlin’s proposed total outdoor‑ad ban, new gambling‑ad...
Game of Thrones Spinoff 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Pulls 36 Million Global Viewers per Episode
HBO Max’s newest Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is averaging 36 million viewers worldwide per episode, according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The record‑breaking performance validates the franchise’s continued pull on global streaming audiences and...
HBO Confirms Second Season of Harry Potter Series, Filming to Start Autumn
HBO has green‑lit a second season of its Harry Potter television adaptation, slated to begin filming this autumn. Writer Jon Brown is promoted to co‑showrunner alongside Francesca Gardiner as the network pushes forward with its decade‑long plan to adapt all...
Netflix Pulls Plug on 'The Night Agent' After Ratings Plunge
Netflix announced the cancellation of 'The Night Agent' after its third‑season debut in February lagged behind new releases like a 'Top Model' documentary and 'Bridgerton.' The series, which topped the platform’s viewership charts in 2023, now faces an uncertain future...
Starz Q1 Loss Widens to $165 M as Streaming and Linear Revenues Slip
Starz reported a $165 million net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as total revenue fell 7% to $307 million and streaming and linear earnings declined. The company also announced it is ending its Pay‑2 film licensing deal with Universal, moving...
Advertising’s First Female CEO Isn’t Afraid to Fail
Cindy Rose, the first female chief executive of advertising giant WPP, is steering the company toward an AI‑driven model while slashing expenses and easing internal rivalries. After lavish Cannes Lions spending—$23 million on a private‑yacht‑based client experience—Rose is refocusing resources on...
Law & Order to Be Renewed by NBC for Season 26 After Finding Itself on the Bubble
NBC announced a renewal of the flagship procedural drama Law & Order for a 26th season, slated for the 2026‑27 broadcast year. The series, which has hovered on the renewal "bubble" amid modest ratings, secured the order after internal negotiations...
Sorry Millennials, Gen Z Isn’t Reading All that Copy
Brands are increasingly tailoring marketing copy to the distinct communication styles of Millennials and Gen Z, a trend amplified on social media. Millennials favor longer, polished storytelling, while Gen Z responds to brief, emoji‑laden, lowercase captions that convey a “vibe” tone. Companies...
Law & Order Renewed For Season 26 At NBC (Report)
NBC is reportedly renewing Dick Wolf's flagship procedural Law & Order for a 26th season, according to Deadline. Season 25 wraps on May 14, featuring the addition of David Ajala as Det. Theo Walker. The renewal slots the series alongside...
Hacks Recap: A Nerd Being a Loser
The latest "Hacks" episode follows the chaotic renovation of The Diva, a comedy venue facing a $20 million construction bill driven by a costly HVAC overhaul and a controversial statue of host Deborah. To offset expenses, Marcus suggests booking a high‑profile...
Uncertain Updates: May 2026
Eliezer Yudkowsky announced that his new book *Fundamental Uncertainty* will be available in print and ebook on May 15, with pre‑orders already open. The release features a freshly designed cover, replacing the earlier AI‑generated version. An audiobook is in production...
Advocacy Groups Demand Records on Alleged CNN Compromise
Scoop: Two press advocacy organizations that hold Paramount stock have sent a letter to the company's chief legal officer demanding to inspect records over concerns the Ellisons have agreed to compromise CNN to secure approval of its WBD merger.
MAGA’s ‘Grassroots’ Movement Just Got Exposed as a Coordinated Influencer Machine
Former Turning Point USA brand ambassador Ashley St. Clair alleges that right‑wing influencers operated as paid mercenaries for the Trump administration, receiving coordinated talking points and direct deposits. She claims group chats like “Fight, Fight, Fight” were used to funnel...
TikTok's AI Overviews Probably Thinks This Story Is a Blueberry
TikTok paused its AI Overviews test after the feature produced wildly inaccurate video captions, including describing Charli D’Amelio as a bowl of blueberries. The company said the revised tool will only identify products shown in a video rather than generate full‑sentence...
NFL Likely Hands Three Games to Netflix This Season
If you're having trouble following the final NFL TV rights assignments this year, here's my understanding: The NFL has 12 games left throughout the season to divvy up on top of pre-existing commitments. Five are expected to go streamers/broadcasters, while the...
NBC Renews Law & Order for 26th Season.
#NBC has renewed #LawAndOrder for a 26th season. The network's upfront presentation is Monday. #CMCSA
Predicting Meta's Friday Performance for U.S. Investors
The perks of being in the future is I can safely predict how Meta performance will be for Americans here on Friday.
Rupert And
It's Rupert vs Roger over the NFL and the future of broadcast TV. W/@andrewlbeaton, @jdawsey1 & @DanaMattioli https://t.co/2dtCo2quDG via @WSJ