Today's Media Pulse
LGBTQ+ Audiences Warm to ‘Heated Rivalry’ While Advertisers Remain Cautious
The HBO Max series “Heated Rivalry,” created by openly gay talent, showed that authentic queer storytelling can attract LGBTQ viewers. Yet advertisers offered only generic public‑service spots and a single auto ad, shying away from targeted buys. A panel noted that 9% of U.S. adults now identify as LGBTQ, up from 3.5% in 2012.
Also developing:
FCC Moves Forward With ‘Audible Crawl Rule’ Update
The Federal Communications Commission’s three voting members unanimously approved a Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the longstanding Audible Crawl Rule. The amendment removes a provision that broadcasters, the National Association of Broadcasters and TV station owners have called technically unworkable. At the same time, the FCC pledged to preserve the audio‑crawl function that delivers emergency information to viewers who are visually impaired. The change aims to streamline compliance while maintaining critical public‑safety alerts.
Isn’t the Host of The Apprentice Supposed to Be Charismatic?
Amazon Prime Video is reportedly evaluating a reboot of the NBC classic *The Apprentice*, with speculation that Donald Trump Jr. could replace his father as host. The idea emerged after Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, prompting internal discussions about the franchise’s next...
Eagles’ Radio Voice Merrill Reese Receives Common Wealth Award
Merrill Reese, the 83‑year‑old voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service in mass communications. The honor comes as he prepares for his 50th season calling Eagles games on...
No, Sony Isn't Forcing Gamers to Connect to the Internet Every 30 Days
A rumor spread that Sony would force PlayStation owners to reconnect their consoles to the internet every 30 days to keep digital games active. After weeks of backlash, Sony clarified that the new requirement is a one‑time online license verification...
World Rugby and IMG Announce Long-Term Media Rights Partnership
World Rugby has entered a long‑term media rights partnership with IMG to accelerate the sport’s growth in the United States ahead of the 2031 men’s and 2033 women’s Rugby World Cups. IMG will advise on U.S. and global media rights,...
Greece, Cyprus and Hungary Worst Offenders on Press Freedoms in EU
Reporters Without Borders has ranked Greece as the EU’s worst offender on press freedoms, with Cyprus and Hungary following closely. The Greek intelligence service’s lingering wiretaps, Cyprus’s Orthodox Church media influence, and Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office targeting independent outlets drive...
Tigo Sports Upgrades Video Infrastructure with Ateme Technology
Tigo Sports, Paraguay’s top sports broadcaster, has overhauled its video infrastructure using Ateme’s TITAN Live encoder, TITAN Mux multiplexing platform, and PILOT Manager orchestration suite, complemented by KYRION CM5000e ingest encoders. The rollout targets live production and broadcast of Paraguayan football,...
Beloved 'Rags to Riches' Period Drama The Hardacres Finally Confirms Season 2 Release Date
The Hardacres season 2 will debut on Channel 5 at 9 pm on May 14, following the release of a new trailer that introduces fresh characters and a new antagonist, Lady Imelda Hansen. Set in 1895, the series continues the family’s ascent from poverty...
Prayan Animation: A Steady Ship in Rough Seas
Prayan Animation, a 14‑year‑old Indian studio, is positioning itself as a reliable partner for international producers amid tighter budgets and faster timelines. The company emphasizes disciplined execution, predictability, and a broad service suite that now includes 2D OTT series, educational...
Meta and Google Ad Revenues Soar Thanks to AI, but Big Picture Is Blurry
Google and Meta posted strong Q1 ad revenue, beating forecasts. Google’s ad revenue rose 15% to $77.25 billion, driven by 19% search growth and 11% YouTube growth. Meta’s ad revenue jumped 33% to $55 billion, sparking talk it could overtake Google. Both...
X Announces a Rebuilt Ad Platform Powered by AI
Elon Musk’s X has begun a phased rollout of a completely rebuilt advertising platform powered by artificial intelligence. The new stack introduces modern retrieval and ranking systems designed to give marketers tighter targeting and easier campaign creation. Industry forecasts from...
Will Donald Trump Jr. Host ‘The Apprentice Jr.’?
Amazon is reportedly weighing a reboot of the reality competition series The Apprentice, with Donald Trump Jr. floated as a potential host. The idea is still in the early discussion phase, and the company has not yet reached out to...
What if YouTube Opened Up Its Ad Inventory?
YouTube’s ad inventory is currently locked behind Google’s DV360 exchange, a restriction that dates back to Google’s 2015 shutdown of third‑party platforms like TubeMogul. The Department of Justice’s recent antitrust ruling against Google has revived speculation that the company could...
Cumulus Expands Local Market Research for Sales Teams
Cumulus Media announced partnerships with The Media Audit and TOMA.Solutions to add consumer lifestyle and brand‑awareness data to its sales toolkit. The new intelligence layer will let account executives frame advertiser conversations around category demand, targeting and competitive positioning instead...
US Publishers Back Amazon in AI Agent Access Dispute with Perplexity
Major U.S. digital news publishers have filed an amicus brief supporting Amazon in its lawsuit against AI start‑up Perplexity, which allegedly accessed Amazon’s shopping site and user accounts via its Comet AI agent without permission. A California judge issued a...
Scholastic and BlushCrunch Studio Announce Dandy’s World Book Partnership | Exclusive
Roblox creator BlushCrunch Studio has teamed with Scholastic to turn its hit horror game Dandy’s World into a series of books. A guidebook and novel are slated for spring 2027, followed by a graphic novel in fall 2027, with Scholastic...
X Revamps Its Ads Manager, Folding in New AI Performance Tools
X has overhauled its Ads Manager, embedding AI-driven contextual and semantic signals to improve ad targeting and delivery. The company touts the update as its most ambitious platform revamp in two decades. New tools automate campaign creation, audience segmentation, and...
New Meta‑Higgsfield Loop Sparks Ad Volatility
Both Meta and Higgsfield MCP's launched this week. Meta -> Claude -> Higgsfield -> Claude -> Meta is now suuuuuper easy 😅😬 Great for both automations and for one-shotting new ads. I think advertisers are about to see a ton of volatility, especially...
Thunder Road: AMC Greenlights NASCAR Drama Series Starring Dennis Quaid
AMC has greenlit "Thunder Road," a NASCAR‑themed drama starring Dennis Quaid as racing legend Duane Whitlock. The series follows the multi‑generational Whitlock family, whose roots trace back to moonshine runs and dirt‑track origins. Production is set to begin in summer...
Lovesick: Netflix Gives Claire Danes Drama a Straight-to-Series Order
Netflix has given a straight‑to‑series order for "Lovesick," a drama created by Sarah Treem and starring Claire Danes as a breast‑cancer surgeon who receives her own diagnosis. The series will explore intertwined lives of a surgeon and a rising politician,...
Why I (Eventually) Turned Down Polymarket
The author of House of Strauss turned down a $20,000 advertising deal with Polymarket, a prediction‑market platform partnered with Substack. While the offer was financially appealing, the decision was driven by concerns that the partnership would restrict discussion of sports‑related...
US Drops 7 Spots in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Report
The United States slipped to 64th place in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, dropping seven spots from the previous year. The decline is attributed to President Donald Trump’s systematic attacks on journalists, including defunding public broadcasters, influencing...
X Kicks Off Global Overhaul of Ad Platform
X, the rebranded Twitter platform, announced a worldwide redesign of its advertising infrastructure. The overhaul aims to simplify campaign creation, improve targeting accuracy, and restore trust after a year of strained relationships with major brands. X will roll out new...
How Nestlé Turns Creator Content Into Brand-Suitable Ads at Scale
Nestlé has launched an integration between CreatorIQ and CreativeX that uses AI to grade influencer content for paid‑media suitability. The system streams creator submissions from CreatorIQ to CreativeX, scores them against Nestlé’s branding, storytelling and effectiveness criteria, and feeds the...
Ad Intelligence Powers Quality, Multi‑Channel Media Outcomes
Advertising Intelligence, Outcomes, and Better Media @RemcoWestermann the CEO of Verve joins @JeremyBloomHere and @sam_khoury1 from Marketecture Media at @PossibleEvent to share how Verve is using advertising intelligence, intent signals, and deeper partnerships to help make media...
Everything You Need to Know About If Starz Has a Free Trial & How to Watch It Online at No...
Starz no longer offers its own standalone free trial, but viewers can still watch the premium network at no cost by leveraging the introductory periods of partner services. DirecTV Stream, Hulu, Fubo and Amazon Prime Video each provide a short‑term...
Audacy Taps DAZN, Soros Fund Execs for Board of Directors
Audacy announced the addition of Walker Jacobs, DAZN USA's Global CRO, and Gabriel Brotman of Soros Fund Management to its Board of Directors. Jacobs previously led sports advertising at Amazon Ads and Twitch, while Brotman brings experience from Axel Springer’s...
GenAI Is Rebuilding Search, And Google Is Still Winning (Q1 2026 Search Revenue Up 19% YoY)
Alphabet’s Q1 2026 earnings show Google Search revenue climbing to $60.4 billion, a 19% year‑over‑year increase and contributing to a record $109.9 billion total for the quarter. While headlines predict AI will kill search and advertising, Google is embedding ads and shopping signals...
Amid a Worldwide Surge of Authoritarianism, the U.S. Falls Again in Press-Freedom Rankings
The 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders places the United States at 64th out of 180 nations, slipping behind Botswana and ahead of Panama. The decline is attributed to concentrated media ownership, a collapsing local‑news ecosystem,...
Viewers Are Satisfied with Streaming, but There’s Room to Improve the Ad Experience
FreeWheel’s "Voice of the Viewer" report shows roughly 80% of consumers are satisfied with their overall streaming experience, citing content choice, value for money and ad‑supported tiers as key strengths. However, the study also uncovers persistent frustrations around ad relevance,...
Grubhub Centers Value in Monthlong Loyalty Push with Anomaly
Grubhub launched a month‑long "Gold Digging Season" promotion, offering its premium Grubhub+ subscription for $0.99 instead of the usual $9.99. The deal provides exclusive discounts at major restaurants, $50 off $100 grocery orders via Instacart, and special Blue Apron meal‑kit...
Locality Adds Sales Leaders to Scale National Access to Local TV Advertising Through Collective Ahead of Upfronts
Locality announced the hiring of Steve Fish and Adam Quinn as vice presidents of sales to accelerate adoption of its Collective platform, a data‑driven solution that lets national advertisers plan and activate local TV inventory at scale. The appointments come...
Roblox, Social Media, and the Future of AI Integration
Social media giants are pouring billions into generative AI, from Meta’s satellite‑solar server project and Instagram video edits to Snap’s AI‑driven interactive ads and X’s Grok integration. While these add flashy layers, overreliance risks eroding feed authenticity and user trust....
Here’s What’s Worth Streaming in May 2026 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and More
The May 2026 streaming guide highlights a leaner slate of prestige shows as budget cuts and consolidation bite, prompting consumers to trim subscriptions and adopt “strategic churning” to stay under a $50 monthly budget. Apple TV earns a Play rating...
Sheriff Country: Grammy Winner Maren Morris Set To Guest-Star Ahead Of Finale — Get Exclusive First Look
Grammy‑winning country star Maren Morris will appear as Hazel in the penultimate Season 1 episode of Sheriff Country, slated for May 15 at 8/7c on CBS. The episode also features her original song “Parachute,” which she wrote for the series. The storyline...
Spotify's Verified Badge Distinguishes Humans, Not AI‑Free Music
To address the flood of AI-generated artists on the platform, Spotify is rolling out a “Verified by Spotify” badge to help listeners more easily identify authentic human artists. This will become increasingly commonplace across platforms. That said just because the artists...
Netflix's Man on Fire Reboot Shines with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Netflix Reboots ‘Man on Fire’ With a Thrilling Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Performance: TV Review https://t.co/GTLkglxa80 via @variety
L’Oréal Romania Taps SAMY to Manage Creator Marketing Across All 21 Group Brands
L’Oréal Romania announced a partnership with global social‑first agency SAMY to run influencer marketing for its entire portfolio of 21 brands, starting in June 2026. SAMY already handles L’Oréal’s creator relationships in Italy, Spain, the UK, the Nordics, Latin America...
New Geopolitical Cousins Episode Recorded at Twilight
The new episode of Geopolitical Cousins has just dropped... Cousin @JacobShap and I recorded this one in the twilight hour. https://t.co/sLrtsjAaVt
Roku's New Home Screen Boosts Ads and Subscriptions
Roku’s content forward home screen will drive ads and subscriptions $ROKU The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 311. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/IzuCFFHsaP
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Taps LTK for Social Commerce Push
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has partnered with LTK to launch its first creator‑driven social commerce channel. An official LTK profile will let fans discover and purchase items featured in editorial content, talent spotlights, and live runway coverage. LTK will also enable...
YouTube: The Untapped B2B Education Powerhouse
The most underrated distribution channel in B2B right now is YouTube. Long form. Tutorial driven. Talking heads. Educational. Searchable forever. Few B2B brands owns it yet. That is wild to me. We are going to fix that.
TTD Slowdown Misread; Fundamentals Remain Solid
$TTD slowdown is misunderstood - Dominant independent DSP for open internet ads - Growth slowed in '25, stock crushed - Amazon/AI fears overblown - Advertisers still need independent DSP platforms - No scaled comps ~$10B mkt cap, $1.3B net cash, ~$1B FCF Pitch by Saga Partners https://t.co/EyIxIZoKfB
POSSIBLE 2026: Can AI Help Agencies Finally Break Down Those Silos?
At POSSIBLE 2026, Horizon Media’s chief product and data officer Domenic Venuto explained how the agency is using artificial intelligence to fuse audience planning, targeting, measurement and strategy into a single platform. The AI‑driven hub eliminates the lag between client questions and...
Netflix Adds Vertical Feed, Still Forces Landscape Playback
Netflix’s New Mobile App Has a Vertical Video Feed, but You Still Have to Watch TV Shows and Movies in Landscape Mode https://t.co/nGacEzfXWy via @variety
Netflix Adopts TikTok‑style Tactics, Stays Distinct
Netflix is trying to take a page from TikTok - without becoming TikTok. A top exec explains: https://t.co/ut0xElf6xR
Changing the Narrative for 3 May, World Press Freedom Day
On World Press Freedom Day, WAN‑IFRA highlighted its global advocacy, noting the tragic killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and calling for transparent investigations. The organization underscored a $8 million annual budget to protect independent media, reporting membership growth, AI‑focused accelerator...
Live at 11 Am ET: RiskReversal YouTube with Adami, Thomas
We're streaming LIVE at 11am ET over on the RiskReversal YouTube page with Dan, @GuyAdami & @LizThomasStrat 📺 WATCH: https://t.co/JpEdnwKikE https://t.co/mkCLCYLFIR
Yahoo Launches Sports‑finance Hub with Top Industry Partners
Some sports media news here below as Yahoo Sports goes big in a space that has always had more readers than legacy media realized. Anyone wishing to pay me $60 million over four years can sign me exclusively. I will...
How I Cracked 8M Views on a New Channel
Here’s the story of how I got 8,000,000 views on one video on a new channel: https://t.co/Qqr1ObErIM