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.
Amedia Ignored Older Subscribers to Attract Younger Ones
Norway’s largest newspaper publisher, Amedia, discovered that its subscriber base skewed heavily toward readers over 80, outnumbering those under 40. To reverse this, the company concealed 90% of older subscribers in its analytics tools and refocused editorial teams on content that resonates with the under‑40 demographic. The experiment, piloted at the Romerikes Blad newsroom, delivered a 30% rise in young subscribers within nine months while also boosting overall readership. Amedia now positions the new editorial model as a blueprint for sustainable digital growth.
How Disney Plans to Add AI to Nearly Everything Like Vacation Planning, Streaming and Staffing
Disney executives used the latest earnings call to unveil an enterprise‑wide AI roadmap that will touch everything from vacation planning tools to Disney+ recommendations and theme‑park labor forecasting. The company likened AI to past breakthroughs such as synchronized sound, positioning...
What ‘SNL UK’ Is Doing Differently (and What Lorne Michaels Has to Say About It)
Saturday Night Live has launched a British version, SNL UK, streaming on Sky One, NOW and later on Peacock. The eight‑episode first season is six episodes in, featuring a smaller 11‑member cast, live sketches, Weekend Update and musical guests, but with...
David North America Casts Jessica Alba In Luna Bar Campaign
Actress Jessica Alba has been signed as the inaugural ambassador for Luna Bar’s new “Easy to Love” campaign, created by David North America and media‑planned by VaynerMedia. The campaign, Luna Bar’s first major creative push in seven years, features four...
The 10 U.S. Fastest-Growing Instagram Accounts of April 2026
April 2026 saw a diverse set of Instagram accounts posting record follower gains. NASA led with a 5.2 million increase after the Artemis II launch, while its Artemis program account added 2.4 million. Celebrity-driven spikes followed, as Justin and Hailey Bieber each attracted...
Ted Turner, CNN Founder and Cable TV Pioneer, Dies at 87
Ted Turner, the visionary founder of CNN and a pioneer of cable television, died at age 87. Over four decades, he built a media empire that introduced the first 24‑hour news channel, popularized satellite‑distributed cable, and launched landmark brands like...
The FBI Is Reportedly Investigating a Leak to an Atlantic Writer
The FBI is said to have opened a criminal leak investigation focused on Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, who reported on alleged misconduct by FBI Director Kash Patel. The bureau’s spokesperson denied any such probe, calling the claim false. Patel has...
Joy Taylor Joins Urban One for Daily Podcast Feature
Joy Taylor is joining Urban One to launch a short‑form sports commentary series called “The Daily Play with Joy Taylor.” The weekday show will run Monday through Friday, delivering 5‑10 minutes of sharp insight, cultural depth, and headline analysis. Distribution...
AI Labels Were Supposed to Help Users Spot Fakes. Here’s Why They’re Failing
A 22‑year‑old Indian student used Google Gemini to create the AI‑generated influencer “Emily Hart,” amassing millions of views and earning thousands of dollars each month. The case demonstrates how AI tools enable anyone to fabricate convincing personas that can monetize...
“America at Night with McGraw Milhaven” Adds 25 Affiliates
Westwood One announced that its nationally syndicated program "America at Night with McGraw Milhaven" has added 25 new affiliates, bringing the total to 280 stations coast‑to‑coast. The expansion includes major markets such as Minneapolis (WCCO‑AM), St. Louis (KTRS‑AM), Providence (WPRO‑AM)...
Satellite Technology and the Legacy of the Media Pioneer
Media mogul Ted Turner died on May 6, 2026, marking the end of a career that fused broadcasting with satellite communications. In 1976 he uplinked his Atlanta UHF station to Satcom‑1, creating the first super‑station and proving that orbital capacity could replace...
Vacancy: Three-Week Summer Journalism Internship at Carbon Brief
Carbon Brief announced a three‑week summer journalism internship running July 13‑31, offering the London Living Wage (about $19 per hour) plus a $128 travel stipend. Interns will shadow reporters and visual specialists, research climate topics, and publish a by‑line article promoted...
New Funding Fuels Modern Marketplace for Niche Communities
I have followed this company from its very beginning and they are on to something. As someone who is into lot of niche hobbies, each with their own unique community profile, this new model makes a lot of sense. It...
SES and ARD Announce Decade-Long Satellite Distribution Extension
SES and Germany’s public broadcaster ARD have renewed their satellite distribution partnership through 2039, extending the use of SES’s Astra 19.2° East orbital slot for high‑definition TV. The deal guarantees uninterrupted Direct‑to‑Home service for millions of German households and reinforces ARD’s...
Webby Livestream Creator Award Misattributed to Bieber
The Webby Award for Best Livestream Creator went to... Justin Bieber. However, Bieber didn't actually win as he's nowhere on the list of credits. Instead, Twitch and Stagepilot received the award.
The Young & The Restless Spoilers (May 6, 2026): Michael Does Damage Control, Lily’s Attempts Are Thwarted, While Claire Makes...
The May 6, 2026 episode of The Young & the Restless sees Michael bail out Phyllis and launch a damage‑control plan to mitigate the fallout from her arrest. Lily’s effort to secure a transplant for Malcolm is derailed when Cane is detained for allegedly seizing Newman Enterprises....
‘Factory of Lies’: What Will Péter Magyar Do About Hungary’s State Media?
Hungary’s new prime minister Péter Magyar has pledged to suspend the state‑run media network that functioned as a propaganda “factory of lies” under Viktor Orbán’s 16‑year rule. The Tisza party’s super‑majority win opens a window to overhaul a system where...
(Podcast) The Rebound 597: Jeeves As A Butler
The Rebound episode 597, titled “Jeeves As A Butler,” drops on Six Colors and moves from a sluggish opening into sharp, humor‑laden rants about modern advertising, the state of artificial intelligence, and the outsized influence of venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. The...
YouTube Faces Inevitable Consolidation Amid Ad Reach Pressures
𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, and since #YouTube is self-proclaimed 📺 “Television”*, consolidation might also be coming to the world’s most-consumed “TV network” (as per data from #Nielsen’s The Gauge) — including but not limited to the following two structural...
Soman Chainani Debuts 'Young World' Novel and TV Series After Fairy‑Tale Success
Soman Chainani, the author of the hit 'School for Good and Evil' series, released his debut political thriller 'Young World' on Tuesday and confirmed a television adaptation. The move signals a strategic pivot from fantasy to geopolitics, leveraging his recent...
Valve Says Steam Controller Sold Out Faster Than Expected, Restock Planned
Valve announced that its newly launched $99 Steam Controller sold out in minutes, far exceeding demand forecasts. The company pledged to increase production and provide a timeline, while scalpers have already listed the device for $200 or more on resale...
Meta Optimizes Only What You Tell It: Feed Quality Signals
Too many advertisers give Meta weak signals, so it optimizes poorly. When Meta optimizes poorly, advertisers trust it less. Give Meta better signals, it optimizes better, you trust it more. Giving Meta the right signals is hard. The advertisers who trust Meta most are...
Report Highlights Aggressive Assault on Free Press
Deeply concerning report. And that’s before noting another recent report of NYT reporter investigated and WashPost reporter having her devices seized. These aggressive violations of a free and plural press were expected at some point under this leadership. Unfortunately....
Adobe and OpenAI Integrate ChatGPT Ads Into GenStudio for Performance Marketing
Adobe and OpenAI announced that Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing now integrates ChatGPT ads, letting marketers create brand‑approved copy and assets and launch them in ChatGPT with a single click. The workflow pulls assets from Adobe Experience Manager or third‑party...
Ted Turner Pioneered 24‑hour News, Shattering Curated Media
Ted Turner created the very idea of 24 hour news, for better or for worse. Before him, all news, whether in papers, magazines, and broadcast TV all tightly curated their programs for space. CNN broke the dam.
Ted Turner: Media Maverick Who Revolutionized TV and Sports
Ted Turner was one of one. His impact on the American media landscape and US sports cannot be overstated. A brilliant entrepreneurial mind, he was at the forefront of so many innovations. In the definitive history of television, he deserves...
US Cancels Visas for Board of Costa Rica Newspaper Critical of Trump Ally
The U.S. State Department cancelled tourist visas for five of the seven board members of Costa Rica’s leading newspaper La Nación, citing security concerns. The move follows President Rodrigo Chaves’s close alignment with former President Donald Trump and his public attacks on the...
Viewers Question Local TV Promos and State News
TV Q&A: Why does @KDKA have a source praising a reporter in a promo? Why don’t local stations cover state news out of Harrisburg? Will #PioneerWoman ever return with new episodes? Via @TribLIVE https://t.co/bSMXduOE1F https://t.co/oYns8KCMwc
Ted Turner, CNN Founder and 24-Hour News Pioneer, Dies
Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87 https://t.co/6JfTuc5Lm3 via @NYTimes
How I Engineer Substack Titles that Pull 84+ Subscribers (in Under 20 Minutes)
The post reveals that Substack writers lose growth because they craft titles after the article, a practice the author calls writing titles backwards. By engineering headlines first—using a 20‑minute systematic process—writers can boost subscriber acquisition, with examples showing 84+ new...
NYT Leverages Strong Earnings to Target Video Market
NYT earnings impressive: Cutting Through the Noise: Why NYT Sees Video as Its Next Battleground
Disney Yet to Initiate NFL Talks on MN
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston says they "haven't yet engaged" with the NFL on early renewal conversations surrounding ESPN's "Monday Night Football" deal ESPN has the longest running deal among partners, going through 2030 season (others through 2029 season)
New York Startup GLORION MEDIA Enters Podcast, Influencer Space With Social Listening-Powered Model
GLORION MEDIA, a New York‑based startup launched in March 2026, offers podcast production, influencer talent management, and performance‑driven digital advertising. The company’s core differentiator is a social‑listening intelligence platform that captures real‑time audience signals to inform campaign targeting. Its flagship...
Entravision Q1 2026 Revenue Jumps 204% in Advertising Tech Segment as Media Grows 4%
Entravision Communications posted a 204% jump in its Advertising and Technology Services revenue for Q1 2026, while overall media revenue rose 4% year‑over‑year. The growth was driven by AI‑enhanced platform upgrades and higher monthly active advertisers, offset by a dip...
Disney+ Finds Monsters Under the Bed in Latest VCCP Spot
Disney+ continues to lean on nostalgia as a growth engine, and its latest VCCP‑produced spot epitomizes that tactic. The two‑minute film stitches together iconic moments—from Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. to the eerie tone of The Sixth Sense and the gritty world...
Teads & Lumen Research Bring Proven Attention Science to CTV for Omnichannel Impact
Teads announced an expanded partnership with Lumen Research to embed attention‑measurement technology into its connected‑TV (CTV) HomeScreen inventory. Lumen’s eye‑tracking models generate an industry‑first attention prediction for CTV, giving advertisers a quantifiable view of how viewers engage with ads across...
Mavis Launches Mavis Studio iPad For Media Production
Mavis has introduced Mavis Studio, an iPad‑based live‑production app that combines multi‑camera switching, graphics, audio mixing, recording and streaming in a single interface. The app supports up to four NDI inputs, ProRes codecs, RTMP/SRT streaming and a 16‑channel audio desk,...
Disney+ to Evolve Into Immersive Interactive Digital Hub
Disney+ Will Become ‘Immersive, Interactive Digital Centerpiece’ of the Company, CEO Josh D’Amaro Says https://t.co/9NWmCGWdHm via @variety
Co-Viewing For The Big Screen: How Big A Deal Is This Now?
Nielsen’s latest co‑viewing pilot, using wearable devices, recorded a 4.2% lift in total viewers for February—a month packed with marquee live TV events such as the Super Bowl, Olympics ceremonies, and the NBA All‑Star Game. The wearables provide a more...
Social Media Bans: Boom or Bust?
Australia’s new law banning under‑16s from social media took effect in December 2025. Early compliance data shows roughly 70% of children still use the biggest platforms, with little change in app‑store rankings. Enforcement is hampered by unreliable age‑verification tech, privacy concerns,...
How to Use AI to Write Better Meta Ad Copy Without Losing the Human Touch
In this episode, SmartMarketer’s senior paid performance specialist Dominique Noble walks listeners through a repeatable, AI‑driven process for crafting Meta ad copy that retains human insight and brand voice. She emphasizes three core rules: feed AI detailed brand context, be...
Pixalate Releases Global Q1 2026 Rankings For Connected TV Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) Bundle IDs With Highest IVT Rates: ‘Sling...
Pixalate released its Q1 2026 rankings of Free Ad‑Supported TV (FAST) bundle IDs with the highest invalid‑traffic (IVT) rates across Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Amazon Fire TV. The study examined over 4 billion global impressions from more than 7,000 CTV apps. Sling TV led Roku...
StackAdapt Announces AI-Powered Marketing Capabilities Through Ads in ChatGPT Pilot
StackAdapt announced it will serve ads within OpenAI's ChatGPT as part of a pilot program. The AI‑powered placement lets marketers reach users while they research and compare products, with ads clearly labeled and context‑driven. StackAdapt adds vertical expertise, cross‑channel orchestration,...
Google Ads Adds Automatic Site Visits Metric
Running Google Ads? -> Google Officially Introduces Site Visits Asset "Site visits is an automated asset that shows how many times your website has been visited. This non-clickable text appears directly in your ads, giving potential customers a clear...
World’s Most Powerful Are Suing Media Outlets Before Stories Are Even Published, Says Editor
Powerful individuals are increasingly threatening lawsuits before stories go live, a tactic WSJ editor Emma Tucker described as “lawfare.” Tucker cited Donald Trump’s pre‑emptive suit over the paper’s reporting on his alleged connection to Jeffrey Epstein as a prime example....
Lamar Launches $2M Ronald McDonald House DOOH Partnership
Lamar Advertising has pledged more than $2 million in donated digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) inventory for a year‑long partnership with Ronald McDonald House, launching on May 15 for International Family Day. The initiative will run across Lamar’s 5,500 digital billboards nationwide, aiming to raise awareness,...
WBITVP Spain and Atresmedia Present New Season of The Wheel
Warner Bros. International Television Production Spain and Atresmedia have started filming a new season of the game‑show format The Wheel, returning to Spain three years after its debut as El círculo de los famosos. The revived series will be hosted...
Beta Film Announces Sales to Spain and Portugal for Empathy, Plus Negotiations in Latam
Beta Film has secured broadcast deals for the Canadian‑French series Empathy in Spain and Portugal, adding to recent premieres in Australia and Greece. The Crave and Canal+ original has already logged more than 10 million views on Canal+ France and collected...
5 Reasons a Strong Book Proposal Matters
Nonfiction publishing hinges on the book proposal, which acts as the primary sales tool for agents, editors, and marketers. A well‑crafted proposal proves market insight, author credibility, and writing skill, while also serving as a long‑term roadmap for the manuscript...
Coming Soon ... Stateside with Kai and Carter
On World Press Freedom Day, The Guardian launched a fundraising drive aiming for 60,000 U.S. readers to donate $5 or more to keep its independent, pay‑wall‑free journalism alive. The appeal follows a watchdog report that U.S. press freedom has slipped...