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:
Son of a Critch: Season Four — Has the CW TV Series Been Cancelled or Renewed?
Son of a Critch, a coming‑of‑age comedy based on Mark Critch’s memoir, airs on The CW and CBC. Season three delivered a 0.05 rating in the 18‑49 demo with 304,000 live‑plus‑same‑day viewers, a modest rise in demo but an 8% dip in total audience. The series, co‑produced by the U.S. and Canada, was officially renewed for a fourth season in August 2024. The renewal comes as the story wraps Mark’s elementary‑school chapter, suggesting a natural narrative endpoint.
Lemonada Selects Flightpath to Power Forecasting, Sales Optimization, and Scalable Growth
Flightpath, a predictive analytics platform for on‑demand media, has partnered with Lemonada Media, one of the U.S.’s top independent podcast publishers. The deal gives Lemonada’s revenue team centralized traffic management, inventory forecasting and real‑time performance insights. By consolidating inventory across...
'KPop Demon Hunters' Passes 1 Billion Viewing Hours
Netflix’s original film “KPop Demon Hunters” has crossed the 1 billion viewing‑hour threshold, making it the platform’s most‑watched title over any six‑month span. The movie reached peak weekly viewership 11 weeks after launch, defying the typical early‑peak pattern of Netflix releases....
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
FOX Saturday Baseball attracted 2.13 million viewers on May 2, highlighted by the Cardinals’ 3‑2 win over the Dodgers. That figure represents a 9% increase over last year’s full‑season average of 1.96 million. Across the season to date, the broadcast averages 2.16 million viewers,...
Digital Video Ad Spend To Climb 11% To $82B In 2026: IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau projects U.S. digital video ad spending to reach $81.9 billion in 2026, an 11% year‑over‑year increase that outpaces the overall advertising market by 20%. Social‑media video is set to grow 13% to $31.9 billion, overtaking connected TV (CTV)...
Here’s All the Free Content Coming to Tubi This Month
Tubi is rolling out a massive free‑content slate on May 1, 2026, adding dozens of movies and series across action, horror, sci‑fi, romance, and more. The platform also debuts three new originals – a six‑part World Cup docuseries, a Formula 1 alt‑cast...
Fox One Streaming Offering $50,000 to Super Fan to Watch All 104 World Cup Soccer Matches Live From New York...
Fox One, Fox Corp.’s standalone streaming platform, is offering $50,000 to a "super fan" who will watch all 104 FIFA Men’s World Cup matches live from a Times Square studio. The tournament runs June 11‑July 19 across 16 North‑American cities and features a...
Watson: Creator of Cancelled CBS Series Discusses What Would Have Happened in Season Three
CBS drama "Watson" concluded after its second season, and creator Craig Sweeny disclosed the planned storyline for a potential third season. The unproduced arc would have brought Sherlock Holmes into the real world as Watson's physician, while expanding on the...
Dang Ly Joins Operative as Chief Product Officer
Operative, a software provider for media ad management, has hired Dang Ly as chief product officer. Ly, formerly senior vice president and CTO at Universal Destinations & Experiences, will steer product strategy for Operative’s portfolio, including AOS, Operative.One, Adeline AI and STAQ. His mandate covers...
MGM+ Releases First Look at "American Hostage" Starring Emmy Award Winner Jon Hamm
MGM+ unveiled a first‑look trailer for "American Hostage," an eight‑part psychological thriller starring Emmy winner Jon Hamm. The series adapts the acclaimed true‑crime scripted podcast about 1970s Indianapolis reporter Fred Heckman and hostage‑taker Tony Kiritsis. Co‑created by Shawn Ryan and...
Twitch Scraps Low‑usage Monthly Recap Feature
Twitch has shut down the Monthly Recap feature due to low usage. Monthly recaps were a channel-level subscriber perk that showed you your time watched, top emotes used, chats sent, and other data from that stream in the previous month.
Broadcasts and Promotions Related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup
FIFA has issued strict intellectual‑property guidelines for the 2026 World Cup, demanding that broadcasters obtain licenses for any use of official marks, mascots or slogans. Unlicensed references risk ambush‑marketing lawsuits, while only generic descriptors like “soccer in Canada” are permitted...
Lotus Seattle Seeks Account Executive
Lotus Communications is hiring an Account Executive for its Seattle station group, which includes all‑news KNWN‑AM/FM, talk outlet KVI, and country station KPLZ. The role focuses on generating advertising revenue, meeting monthly sales targets, and crafting cross‑platform campaigns that blend...
Traitors Fans Already Think They've Worked Out Who the Traitors Are, and Brand One "Diabolical"
The BBC has announced a star‑studded 21‑celebrity lineup for the second season of Celebrity Traitors, which will film in Scotland and offer a £100,000 prize (about $125,000) for the winner’s chosen charity. Host Claudia Winkleman returns to guide the contestants...
The Four Seasons: Season Two Trailer and Poster Released for Netflix Comedy Series
Netflix has released the trailer and poster for season two of its comedy series The Four Seasons, which premieres on May 28. The eight‑episode season brings back the ensemble cast—including Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney‑Silver, Marco Calvani, Erika Henningsen,...
Yesterday’s Top News/Talk Media Stories (5/4)
Talkers' daily roundup for May 4, 2026 identified the five stories that generated the most conversation on news‑talk radio. The list ranged from the Iran‑Russia war and a U.S. naval escort plan to a Secret Service gun‑fire incident near the White House,...
YouTube TV Keeps Weather Channel in New Deal with Allen Media Group
YouTube TV has signed a new multi‑year carriage agreement with Allen Media Group, preserving The Weather Channel and several AMG‑owned networks—including Local Now, JusticeCentral.TV, Comedy.TV and Recipe.TV—on its streaming lineup. The deal was announced with minimal public wrangling, a stark...
Think Small. (Agencies, that Is).
Craig Crawford, a former Leo Burnett creative, launched the boutique agency Black Noise in 2024 and this week placed paid open letters in trade publications and on LinkedIn aimed at CMOs in automotive, travel and quick‑service restaurant sectors. The letters...
Is the Pitching Process a Fair Reflection of the Client-Agency Working Relationship?
Campaign Middle East’s May 2026 forum surveyed regional experts on whether the current pitching process mirrors the client‑agency relationship that follows. The overwhelming consensus was “no”: procurement‑driven, price‑centric pitches often sideline strategic fit and create misaligned expectations. A few voices noted...
From Stats to First‑Principles: Understanding User Intent
"Instead of just looking at statistical patterns of what types of people engage with what content, for the first time we're going to be able to develop a first-principles understanding of what you care about and what each piece of...
The Night Agent: Season Four Will End Netflix Spy Series
Netflix confirmed that The Night Agent will conclude with a fourth season, with production already underway in Los Angeles. Creator Shawn Ryan emphasized his commitment to delivering a definitive, thrilling ending for protagonist Peter Sutherland. The ensemble cast, featuring Gabriel...
Turn Facebook Emoji Reactions Into New Followers
Author friends… need to encourage more people who’ve interacted with your posts on FB to follow you? On your business suite you can find this little button here and select which emoji they pushed that you want to send invites...
US Revokes Visas of Costa Rican Press Board Members
Meanwhile quite a kicker in this news report yesterday on the U.S. State Department / Trump administration revoking visas for five of seven board members leading a newspaper scrutinizing the govt of Costa Rica... Fits a pattern. Hold the...
Brianna Doe on the One Thing CMOs Should Change About Creator Marketing Right Now
Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, argues that CMOs must stop treating influencer marketing as a siloed paid‑media tactic and instead embed creators within broader brand programs. She highlights the creator economy’s rapid growth, the flood of AI‑generated content, and the...
HBO Max Launches 16‑hour Harry Potter Film Recap Podcast
HBO Max to Release ‘Harry Potter’ Podcast Revisiting All 8 Original Films — Running a Total of 16 Hours https://t.co/sy48cAXPvP
Bing Hits 1B MAU; Google Ads, ChatGPT Updates
It's New 5/5 - @mordyoberstein covers Bing’s 1 billion human MAU, @TheMarketingAnu on Google Ads ata retention changes, @gregfinn on ChatGPT Ads CTR and Google Web Bot Auth (37 months ago news today) https://t.co/zZwsXXyzKI
The Creator Economy’s Regulatory Grace Period Is Over
Governments worldwide are ending the creator economy’s regulatory grace period. Australia has banned users under 16 from major social platforms, and the UK launched a consultation that could impose age limits, scrolling caps, and AI‑chatbot duties. Simultaneously, Meta is defending...
First Amendment Abuses Threaten Press Freedom, Says Stelter
Grateful for the work of Brian Stelter at CNN/Reliable Sources putting this under lights. Hopefully everyone is doing the same. This is where 1st amendment abuses impact press freedom, chill sources and creep into biz interests for a free and...
Andie Biancone Poised to Replace Donna Brothers at NBC
SPORTS MEDIA NEWS: Who will replace Donna Brothers as NBC's horse racing reporter? Andie Biancone could be in line for NBC reporting duties The story from @SBJ: https://t.co/f6oiBLIgsb
What Does Declining Traffic Mean for the Future of Search?
The article warns that AI‑driven, zero‑click searches are reshaping how brands are discovered, turning traffic declines into signs of content authority rather than failure. Large language models now pull answers directly from authoritative guides, leaving no click trace in analytics....
Meta Draws Bipartisan Senate Fire for Pulling Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ads
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding an explanation for the company’s removal of lawyer‑recruitment ads that promote social‑media‑addiction lawsuits. Meta pulled more than a dozen Facebook and Instagram ads after New Mexico...
China’s May Day Box Office Rebounds, Led by Thriller ‘Vanishing Point’
Zhonghe Qiancheng’s suspense thriller ‘Vanishing Point’ captured the top spot at China’s May 1‑3 box office, earning $24.2 million. The holiday weekend lifted total grosses to $74.5 million, a four‑fold jump from the previous week and signaling a tentative recovery for the...
B2B Influencer Marketing: What Practitioners Are Actually Doing in 2026
B2B influencer marketing has moved from a niche experiment to a multi‑million‑dollar channel, with enterprise software firms paying creators five‑ to six‑figure fees for LinkedIn posts. Buyers now start their purchase journeys by trusting individual voices rather than reading analyst...
Laura Zigman’s Satirical Novel “The Author Weekend” Skewers Publishing Industry
Laura Zigman has published “The Author Weekend,” a mystery set at a writers’ retreat that satirizes the publishing industry. The novel, inspired by a social‑media post about an author weekend, blends revenge, fandom and catharsis, and is poised to ignite...
Amazon Hires Jenn Levy to Drive Youth‑Focused Unscripted Content
Amazon has installed Jenn Levy as Head of Nonfiction Series, tasking her with building unscripted formats that resonate with younger audiences. Levy says the streamer will prioritize “holy sh*t” reality concepts and move away from traditional game‑show blocks.
Optmyzr Report Shows Google Ads CTR Up 21% as Conversions Slip
Optmyzr’s Q1 2026 benchmark, covering more than 21,000 Google Ads accounts, reveals click‑through rates climbing 21.31% to 2.22% year‑over‑year. At the same time, conversion rates fell 0.96%, cost‑per‑acquisition rose 4.41% and impressions dropped roughly 11%, suggesting a trade‑off between reach...
Subscriptions Only $5/Month. Ends Today.
State of the Day is offering a limited‑time promotion that reduces the first month’s subscription fee from $10 to $5, ending at midnight on Cinco de Mayo. The discounted plan grants full access to more than 15 posts per week,...
Milei Reopens Casa Rosada Press Room Amid New Security Limits
President Javier Milei ordered the Casa Rosada press room to reopen on Monday, ending a week‑long blockade that had barred credentialed journalists. While roughly 60 reporters regained entry, new security measures still exclude two major TV networks, sparking fresh criticism from...
Inside WBD’s New Pitch to Advertisers Amid Paramount Shakeup
Warner Bros. Discovery is staging a May 13 upfront to reassure advertisers as it navigates a pending $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance. Ad‑sales chiefs Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio highlighted the breadth of WBD’s portfolio—from news and sports to streaming and...
Surfshark Launches Native VPN App for Amazon Fire TV’s Vega OS, Restoring Streaming Privacy
Surfshark has released a native application for Amazon’s Vega OS, the Linux‑based platform that powers the newest Fire TV devices. The move restores VPN functionality that vanished when Amazon shifted away from Android‑based Fire OS in late 2025, giving users...
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is First Movie to Reach 1 Billion Viewing Hours
Netflix’s children’s film “KPop Demon Hunters” has become the platform’s most‑watched movie, surpassing 1 billion cumulative viewing hours. The title outperformed the 2023 blockbuster “Red Notice” and topped all subscription‑streaming films in 2025. Ampere Analysis notes the movie peaked in its...
Why Friends Recast Ross' Ex-Wife Carol After Just One Episode
When "Friends" premiered in 1994, Anita Barone played Ross’s ex‑wife Carol for a single episode. After Barone left to pursue a longer‑term role, Jane Sibbett was recast and turned Carol into a recurring character across more than a dozen episodes....
Fallout Co‑Creator Tim Cain Warns Influencers Are Shaping Gamer Opinions
Tim Cain, co‑creator of Fallout, told his YouTube audience that many players now turn to streamers and YouTubers for prescribed opinions rather than forming their own judgments. The veteran developer warned that this shift is influencing how studios design games,...
Paramount+ Adds 700,000 Subscribers in Q1
Paramount+ added 700,000 new subscribers in Q1 2026, falling short of analysts’ 1 million‑plus forecast despite the recent UFC content rollout. Direct‑to‑consumer revenue rose 11% year‑over‑year to $2.4 billion, underscoring stronger monetization per user. The company announced that Pluto TV will be...
HUYA Posts $242 M Q4 2025 Revenue, Driven by Ad and Virtual Gifting Surge
HUYA Inc. announced Q4 2025 net revenue of RMB 1.74 bn (≈ $242 m), a 16% year‑over‑year rise, propelled by a 59% jump in advertising and game‑related services. The results highlight the growing role of ad‑driven and virtual‑gift monetisation in Asian live‑streaming, while margins...
Wearable Data Shows 4.2% Co‑
A new @Nielsen study using wearables showed a 4.2% co-viewing viewership lift to big February TV events like the @SuperBowl, @DAYTONA 500, @Olympics Opening & Closing Ceremony, @NBAAllStar https://t.co/0XnkscGBjE
Nielsen: Co-Viewing Pilot Delivers +4% Average Increase in Total Viewers
Nielsen released data from a February co‑viewing pilot that recorded an average 4.19% increase in total viewers across major live events, including the Super Bowl and the State of the Union. The pilot used advanced wearable devices to more precisely...
The Approach That Pays You to Attract a Lucrative Audience
The post argues that the once‑free audience‑first model now requires paid advertising to acquire a minimum viable audience, especially for high‑ticket service providers. It shows how rising Facebook and Google ad costs have eroded self‑liquidating offers, making direct client acquisition...
Google's Ad Revenue Hits $300 B After One Year
Approaching a full year, I wonder how this is coming along… Google now at $300 billion of ads market.
‘The One Piece’ Is Coming to Netflix in February 2027
Netflix announced that its live‑action remake of the blockbuster manga *One Piece* will debut in February 2027. The first release consists of seven episodes covering roughly 50 chapters, ending with the Baratie Arc, and will be available for binge‑watching in a...