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:
Atresmedia Sales: The Recipe for Success with Innovative Ingredients
Atresmedia Sales, the international distribution arm of Spain’s leading media group, presented an expansive slate at LA Screenings 2026, highlighting recent scripted hits and a growing true‑crime catalog. The company is rolling out three exclusive series—Ágata y Lola, A la Deriva and Trazos Ocultos—on its SVOD platform Atresplayer and free‑to‑air channel Antena 3, while also preparing second seasons of popular titles. In addition to scripted drama, Atresmedia continues to blend original formats with licensed adaptations, invests heavily in short‑form and vertical content, and leverages award‑winning productions to cement its global brand. This multi‑genre strategy underscores its aim to stay ahead of evolving consumption habits and expand its footprint beyond Spain.
Truthset Integrates with Unified ID 2.0
Truthset has integrated its Data Rated Audiences with Unified ID 2.0, the privacy‑first identifier created by The Trade Desk. The integration enables a one‑to‑one match between validated demographic segments and UID2 IDs, allowing advertisers to activate audiences across CTV, mobile and...
CNN Was Ted Turner’s Brainchild. It Faces a Precarious Future | Margaret Sullivan
CNN, launched by Ted Turner in 1980 as the first 24‑hour news channel, now faces an uncertain future. Recent ownership changes—including Paramount Global’s 30% stake and a strategic partnership with Skydance Media—have sparked internal turmoil. Declining cable subscriptions and fierce...
Staying Solo Keeps Creative Control and Authentic Content
One thing I see is the moment YouTubers built big teams and stop doing things themselves things go wrong fast It's better to just DIY and solo it and keep control of your narrative, I like how PewDiePie always did that I...
The Psychology of Beauty Retouching: Why Perfect Images Influence Buyers
The article explains that consumers form trust judgments about a brand within 100 milliseconds of seeing an image, making visual polish a decisive factor before any copy or price is considered. Research from Princeton shows facial cues drive perceived trustworthiness,...
Flood at the Gate: AI Slop, Streaming Fraud, and the Collapse of the “39-Step” Mechanical Royalty at the CRB
AI‑generated music now dominates streaming uploads, with Deezer reporting 44 % of new tracks created by generative models and 85 % of their streams flagged as fraudulent. This flood threatens the royalty pool that funds human songwriters, as bots and synthetic engagement...
After Years of Cuts, Lee Is Adding Reporters, Says New Chairman and Billionaire David Hoffmann
Lee Enterprises, long plagued by declining print revenue, posted a $36 million loss in 2025 and a $1.7 million loss in the latest quarter. Billionaire David Hoffmann injected $50 million, took board control in February 2026, and secured a five‑year, 5 % debt rate,...
Why Signal Quality Is Shaping the Future of Streaming Media Performance
Streaming has become a premier digital‑advertising venue, with Disney reporting a 5% rise in ad revenue in Q2 2026 as budgets shift to video and connected TV. However, the explosion of data signals—metadata, audience segments, and third‑party classifications—often creates overlap and...
When It Comes to TV, Instagram and TikTok Are Headed in Opposite Directions
Instagram is expanding its Reels short‑form video onto connected‑TV (CTV) with a dedicated app launched in December 2025, while TikTok says a TV app is not on its roadmap. New IAB data shows U.S. social‑video ad spend will surpass $80 billion...
EndemolShine Boomdog Presents First-Ever 24/7 Live MasterChef in Mexico
EndemolShine Boomdog, part of Banijay Americas, is debuting MasterChef Mexico 24/7 on May 17, streaming live around the clock via Disney+ and airing six days a week on TV Azteca. The format places contestants, mentors and judges in a purpose‑built house where they live,...
Why Chasing Vanity Metrics Is Killing Your Social Strategy
Viral Nation EVP Richelle Batuigas argues that likes, views and impressions are poor indicators of marketing success. She unveils the Cultural Relevance Score, a framework that measures awareness, affinity and velocity to tie social activity directly to business outcomes. The...
NPR's Code Switch Unpacks Race's Role in Parenting Decisions
NPR's Code Switch released the episode "The minefields of parenting and race," bringing together five leading scholars and a child psychiatrist to discuss how race influences everyday parenting decisions. The program highlights the high‑stakes dilemmas families face—from neighborhood selection to...
Amazon MGM Studios Rolls Out Mexican Action Blockbuster “Vengeance” With Global Theatrical Window
Amazon MGM Studios released "Vengeance," the first Mexican original to receive an exclusive theatrical window before streaming, and the film quickly claimed the No. 1 spot on Prime Video in markets from Nigeria to Italy. Producer Pablo Cruz says the success...
Seven BBC Radio 3 Programmes to Mark Miles Davis Centenary
BBC Radio 3 is dedicating a week‑long series of seven programmes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, running from May 23 to May 29. The schedule includes in‑depth analysis on “Composer of the Week,” listener‑driven “Jazz...
Why Content Protection Must Evolve for IP and Cloud-Based Workflows
Broadcast workflows have moved from isolated, hardware‑centric chains to distributed IP and cloud environments, exposing content at every stage from ingest to delivery. This expanded surface has helped piracy grow, with industry losses projected to hit $125 billion by 2028, up...
People Inc. Boosts Digital Revenue as Google Traffic Falls 63%
People Inc., the rebranded IAC publishing arm, posted an 8% year‑over‑year increase in Q1 digital revenue to $253 million despite a 63% collapse in Google‑referenced traffic. The growth stems from off‑platform audience expansion, AI licensing deals and a new contextual ad...
Editors Guild Protests Exclusion of Journalists From Ruto Event in Naivasha
Kenya Editors Guild condemned the exclusion of Standard Media Group and Mediamax journalists from President William Ruto’s education conference in Naivasha. Guild president Zubeidah Kananu called the ban and derogatory remarks a hostile attack on press freedom, occurring just days...
Forgy Draws the Line: Saga Is Customer-First, Not Digital-First
Saga CEO Chris Forgy used the Q1 earnings release to stress that the company is "customer‑first, not digital‑first," positioning its simple, blended radio offering against a crowded digital advertising landscape. Digital‑only blended revenue surged 103% year‑over‑year, and interactive digital revenue...
Google Disables Back‑button Trigger for Vignette Ads
And there you go! I knew they would just remove the back button trigger for vignette ads. Great move by Google. A win for all users. :) "Google explained that the back button trigger will no longer work after June...
VTuber Ironmouse Ends Sponsorship with Perfect World’s ‘Neverness to Everness’ Over AI Use
Twitch star Ironmouse announced she is terminating her sponsorship of Perfect World’s open‑world gacha title Neverness to Everness after the developer Hotta Studio allegedly misled her about the game’s use of generative AI. The move has prompted other creators to...
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro Unveils AI‑Driven $25.2B Growth Plan
Disney reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $25.2 billion, up 7%, and introduced a three‑pillar growth plan centered on AI, original IP and global consumer reach. CEO Josh D'Amaro said the strategy will drive streaming growth, new content creation and operational efficiencies.
Study Finds 59% of Gen Z Cancel Streaming Subscriptions Over Single Shows
Dentsu and IGN Entertainment’s 2026 Generations In Play report reveals that 59% of Gen Z users cancel and renew streaming subscriptions to chase a single title, while 62% refuse to pay full price for video games. The findings signal a...
Help Us Keep Lawfare’s Extended Universe Alive
Lawfare’s managing editor Tyler McBrien issued a fundraising appeal urging readers to become Material Supporters with a minimum $10 monthly contribution. The nonprofit legal‑policy outlet emphasizes that its analysis remains free and independent, relying entirely on audience donations. McBrien highlights...
A Community Radio Sale For KICO
KICO, a Class A noncommercial FM station licensed to Rico, Colorado, is being sold to a new owner. The station serves a sparsely populated area southwest of the Telluride ski resort, providing local news, music, and public service programming. The...
EXCLUSIVE: The Trade Desk’s Chief Strategy Officer Samantha Jacobson Is Heading to OpenAI
Samantha Jacobson, the chief strategy officer of programmatic ad leader The Trade Desk, is departing to become OpenAI’s vice‑president of Partnerships (Monetization). She will lead the AI firm’s efforts to monetize its models through advertising, distribution and platform collaborations. Jacobson...
Why Artemis II Chose Threads for Growth
In today’s newsletter I interviewed the Artemis Digital Lead about the Artemis II social media strategy. I asked her about the decision to join Threads.
Netflix Tests Its Own AI-Powered Voice Search
Netflix has begun beta testing an AI‑powered native voice search, letting users press the remote’s Netflix button and speak natural‑language requests for recommendations. The feature offers preset prompts such as “I need a good cry” and an “Ask” option that...
IHeartMedia Maps New Partnership To Give Audio More Car Time
MapQuest and iHeartRadio have launched a partnership that embeds live iHeartRadio stations directly into the MapQuest.com navigation interface. Desktop users see a “Live Radio” button, while mobile web users get a music‑note icon, allowing them to stream stations alongside turn‑by‑turn...
Players Era Unveils ESPN Rev-Share Partnership, 24 (Not 32) Teams in ’26
Players Era, the Las Vegas‑based college basketball multi‑team event, announced a multiyear revenue‑share partnership with ESPN, giving the broadcaster operational control and a stake in tournament earnings. The 2026 slate will feature 24 men’s teams split across two November tournaments, a...
E.l.f. Spotlights Competitive Dance with New Sponsorship
e.l.f. Cosmetics has signed a founding partnership with the International Dance League (IDL) for its 2026 season, creating a joint content studio and serving as the league’s livestream partner. The deal includes on‑site makeup services focused on Power Grip Primer...
Entertainment Contracts Drag on, Leaving Writers Financially Vulnerable
I have experienced this with options/development and it is aggravating AF (although to be fair to Hollywood, it's not just them who do this, I've had publishing deals that have taken the better part of a year to get fully...
DRM Publishes Updated Handbook
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) has launched version 6 of its DRM Handbook, an 83‑page guide released in English and Chinese during the DRM General Assembly in Indonesia. The updated manual expands technical specifications, adds richer trial listings, and deepens coverage of...
Sam Worthington Must Break Out of Prison in 'I Will Find You' Teaser
Netflix unveiled the first‑look teaser for "I Will Find You," a new family thriller set to debut on June 18, 2026. The series adapts Harlan Coben’s 2023 novel and follows an innocent father, played by Sam Worthington, who must escape...
ANA Town Hall: 'How About Nothing -- Is Nothing Good For You?'
At the ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference, executives highlighted that media now represents roughly 80% of agency service costs, shifting the compensation debate from traditional fees to principal media buying. In this model, agencies purchase media outright and resell it...
What Publishers Can Learn From Penguin Random House’s $1 Million In-House Media Experiment
Penguin Random House invested $1 million in an in‑house media unit inside its Crown Publishing imprint, launching the food‑focused brand Taste. With just one full‑time employee, Taste’s newsletter and podcast are projected to exceed $1 million in revenue by 2027. The experiment...
Planet Propaganda Taps Monarko To Build Media Practice
Planet Propaganda announced the hiring of Dan Monarko as its Chief Media & Growth Officer to launch a new media practice tailored for an AI‑driven marketplace. Monarko brings senior media experience from BarkleyOKRP, where he oversaw campaigns for Premier Protein,...
PBS Teams With Indie Film Producer ITVS for Independent Lens Creator Lab, Inaugural Lineup Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)
PBS and independent film co‑producer ITVS have unveiled the inaugural Independent Lens Creator Lab, a six‑month accelerator that offers up to $36,000 in production funding per participant. The program will guide six creators as they produce up to 12 vertical‑format...
‘Temptation Island’ Might Be the Most Emotionally Mature Reality Series on TV
Temptation Island, now in its 25th year, has shifted from pure drama to a more emotionally mature reality format. Host Mark L. Walberg uses bonfire debriefs and therapeutic language to guide couples toward self‑reflection, supported by an on‑set licensed therapist....
Google Adds AI-Powered Bidding and Demand-Led Budgeting to Search and Shopping
Google is extending its AI automation suite to Search, Shopping and Performance Max with Journey‑aware Bidding, Smart Bidding Exploration, and demand‑led budget pacing. The new tools let the algorithm ingest full‑funnel signals, target incremental queries and shift spend in real...
New AI-Powered Bidding and Budgeting Innovations in Search and Shopping
Google announced a suite of AI‑driven tools for Search and Shopping ads, including journey‑aware bidding, Smart Bidding Exploration, and demand‑led pacing. Journey‑aware bidding feeds the algorithm with the full lead‑to‑sale funnel, while Smart Bidding Exploration expands reach by targeting less...
Scene-Level Targeting Unlocks CTV Performance, Cuts Waste
How much is your CTV strategy leaving on the table by sticking with broad audience targeting? In the first episode of our From Show to Scene series, sponsored by @wurlctv , @LJayNYC of @KERV_ai joins us to challenge legacy...
Turner Leveraged Finance to Build Real Media Empires
Turner was a financial operator, but he used finance to build real things, like TNT and CNN. He emerged in the transition stage to pure financial dominance, but before it had taken over everything.
The Creator Economy Keeps Adding Tools – The Influencer Marketing Factory Keeps Finding the Same Gap
The Influencer Marketing Factory (IMF) has evolved from a $1,500 startup into a full‑service creator‑economy agency handling organic, paid amplification, and TikTok Shop for brands like Google and Hyundai. Over the past three years, about 90% of its clients now...
Answer Calls to Boost Your Quoting Opportunities
This is a common misunderstanding. We don’t/can’t quote everyone we talk to. You can stop returning calls, but that basically guarantees you’ll never be quoted
Match Demand: Answer, Teach, Review to Gain Views
The real reason you're not getting views? Low demand. 👀 It doesn't matter how good your video is if nobody's searching for it. Stick to three formats: answer questions, teach skills, review products. Serve the demand. 🎯 https://t.co/QpjDZ9U1Ps
Matthew Hartley Launches Harmonic Wave, a New Platform for AI-Powered Media Experiences
Matthew Hartley, a Sarasota‑based creator and developer, launched Harmonic Wave, an AI‑powered platform that reimagines media delivery as structured, story‑driven journeys. Unlike traditional streaming, the service lets creators dictate the sequence of music, video, images, and text, while AI agents...
Non‑conference Broadcasters Threaten Conference Media Leverage
College games by provider that is not who the conference has its media deal. Will it weaken their conference leverage? Does the conference get anything from these “special” deals? More ahead like with the Michigan game?
Players Era Secures ESPN Rev‑Share, 24 Teams for 2026
Players Era Unveils ESPN Rev-Share Partnership, 24 (Not 32) Teams in ’26 https://t.co/tMVGnWHCgg via @sportico @DanielLibit
Seeking Top Video Editor for Fun 2‑Minute Marketing Clip
Hi All - who is the most incredible video editor you know? I’m looking for someone who can take some raw footage about a new keynote and turn it into a super fun and compelling 2-minute social media marketing video. Reply...
Seeking a Fresh Term for Multi‑Platform Engagement
We need a new word for clicks here but multiplatform engagement doesn't exactly roll off the tongue