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.
Inside Nine’s FUTURE NEWS Plan to Reshape Newsroom Operations
Nine Network has unveiled its "Future News" strategy, a multi‑year overhaul that will collapse roughly 100 existing newsroom job titles into nine core roles and condense more than 120 production and publishing systems onto three unified platforms. The first phase will see about 20 redundancies, offered on a voluntary basis, while on‑air talent remains untouched. The restructure is positioned as a response to shifting audience habits and mounting competition from streaming services, and dovetails with Nine’s broader moves such as premium sport rights acquisitions and debt‑paydown initiatives.
Instagram Updates Algorithm to Benefit Original Creators
Instagram announced a major algorithm update that elevates original photos, carousel posts, and how‑to guides while reducing the reach of aggregator accounts. The change expands the Reels‑focused system introduced in 2024, which previously doubled original Reel views and watch time....
Screen Forever 2026: “The Industry Has Always Been Bad”
The Screen Forever conference, a key gathering for film and TV creators, once again featured the familiar lament about shrinking budgets and a bleak market outlook. While many panels echoed concerns over tightening financing pipelines, a story‑development session shifted tone...
Nura Studios Launches Showcraft AI-Assisted Animation Platform
Nura Studios announced that its AI‑assisted animation platform Showcraft will enter Early Access on May 19. The tool lets game and animation studios transform existing characters, environments, and assets into episodic series or films while preserving the artistic intent of the...
Idaho Legislature Changes Book Ban As Court Challenges Continue
During the 2026 Idaho legislative session, lawmakers advanced House Bill 819 to amend the state’s “harmful to minors” statute after the Ninth Circuit found the earlier HB 710 likely overbroad. HB 819 creates a new “adolescent minors” category (ages 13‑17)...
Amazon Ads Spend Jumps 22% In Q1
Amazon announced that its advertising segment generated $17.2 billion in Q1 2026, a 22% year‑over‑year increase. The surge was powered by AI‑driven tools such as the Rufus chatbot and Creative Agent, which accelerated creative production and attracted more small and medium‑sized businesses....
The FCC Approves Plans to Speed Up Internet From Space
The FCC voted to replace its decades‑old spectrum‑sharing rules with a performance‑based framework that eases power‑flux limits for non‑geostationary (NGSO) satellites. The new regime lets NGSO constellations use adaptive coding, potentially boosting space‑based broadband capacity up to seven times and...
In Q1, YouTube Music and Premium Saw ‘Largest Quarterly Increase’ in Non-Trial Subscribers Since 2018 Launch, Says Alphabet CEO, as...
YouTube’s advertising revenue jumped 11% year‑over‑year to $9.88 billion in Q1 2026, while its subscription business accelerated. The platform reported its largest quarterly increase in non‑trial YouTube Music and Premium subscribers since the service launched in 2018. Alphabet’s total paid subscriptions rose...
YouTube Series Are Hijacking Reality TV. Studios Want In
French YouTuber Squeezie and producer Théodore Bonnet created the high‑budget reality series *Stop the Train* for roughly $1 million, amassing 15 million views since its September launch. Banijay, the global powerhouse behind *Survivor* and *MasterChef*, has secured worldwide distribution rights, marking one...
Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch Europa League on Tv Today
Crystal Palace will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa Conference League semi‑final first leg on Tuesday, broadcast live on TNT Sports 2 at 20:00 UK time. The match is being played in Krakow while Shakhtar operate from a temporary base. Palace...
Tales From the Beat Episode 137: Christopher Barger
In episode 137 of Tales from the Beat, host Ed Garsten talks with communications veteran Christopher Barger about the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and its implications for journalism. Barger outlines four angles the media must cover—security, political violence,...
Podcast Equipment Bundle: 3 Setups (Budget → Pro)
Liam Austin’s post demystifies podcast gear by outlining three practical equipment bundles—budget ($100‑$300), mid‑tier ($500‑$1K), and professional ($2K+). Each tier lists the essential hardware, from USB microphones to broadcast‑grade mixers and acoustic treatment, and explains what audio or video issues...
Distribution Means Networks, Referrals, Media, Not Just Followers
Distribution isn't just a following or email list. Distribution can be: -> A powerful referral network -> A powerful freemium offering -> A network of media properties -> A sales team in multiple regions AND... → Your customers praising your work → Your content...
Survivor 50's Latest Boot Reacts To Monstrous MrBeast Twist And How Game With Cirie Crumbled: 'She Knows How To Manipulate...
Stephenie, the latest boot on Survivor 50, opened up about off‑camera dynamics with longtime rival Cirie Fields, revealing pre‑game phone calls, secret vote‑coordination talks, and a mutual promise of loyalty that never made the final edit. She says rumors that...
ABC Renews Scrubs and Shifting Gears, Leaving R.J. Decker on the Bubble
ABC announced renewals for both the Scrubs revival and the original comedy‑drama Shifting Gears, extending each for a second season. The Scrubs reboot, which debuted in February, will now enter its 11th overall season, while Shifting Gears secures a follow‑up...
Challenge Any Public Statement, Regardless of Who Published It or When, with Aron D'Souza of Objection AI
Aron D'Souza, co‑founder of Objection AI, announced a platform that can challenge any public statement, regardless of source or timing, by leveraging the latest advances in artificial intelligence. The concept dates to a prototype he built two decades ago for...
Human Experience Beats AI in Search Rankings
Google recently reminded everyone that "non-commodity content" is what wins in search, meaning content with a unique perspective, real E-E-A-T, and genuine lived experience. (BTW, this is an extension of what Google has been promoting in its quality guidelines for...
Splendid Communications Wins Cadbury Ice Cream Social Media Account
Splendid Communications has been awarded the Cadbury Ice Cream social‑media account after a tightly contested pitch. The agency will now lead digital strategy, content creation, and community management for the frozen‑dessert brand. The win adds a high‑profile FMCG client to...
Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch Europa League on Tv Today
Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa in the Europa League semi‑final first leg on 30 April 2026, kicking off at 20:00 BST. The match will be broadcast in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Both clubs boast historic European pedigrees, making this...
Canzano: Pac-12 Aims to Bring Games to Fans
The Pac‑12 is preparing a direct‑to‑consumer streaming platform to launch in 2026, marking its fourth and final media‑rights arrangement. The conference has not yet promoted the service or opened subscriptions, despite a July 1 relaunch and upcoming competition schedule. A new...
Innovid Adds Measurement Capabilities
Innovid has introduced new measurement capabilities aimed at strengthening lower‑funnel outcomes and providing deeper attribution visibility. The suite adds purchase‑impact data, tracks both online and offline conversions, and uses control groups to calculate incremental lift. It also offers granular performance...
‘Flat Earth’ TV Series in the Works at Vice Studios From Debut Novelist Anika Jade Levy (EXCLUSIVE)
Vice Studios is developing a TV series adaptation of Anika Jade Levy’s debut novel “Flat Earth,” with Levy serving as co‑creator. The novel, published by Catapult Books in the U.S. and Little, Brown in the U.K. in November 2025, earned critical praise...
Three Models for Building Community for Your Podcast
Substack is positioning itself as a one‑stop hub for podcasters, offering email delivery, native recording, Chat, live video, and the short‑form Notes feed. The platform outlines three community‑building models—a lightweight companion newsletter, a paid‑bonus tier, and a full multimedia hub—each...
Netflix Launches TikTok‑style Clips Feed Worldwide
TikTok-like feed. It's called Clips -> Netflix rolls out a vertical video feed in its own Clips tab in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, the UK, and the US “You’ll see short clips from series, films...
YouTube's Mobile Test May Crop Your Thumbnails
YouTube is running an experiment on mobile devices that changes thumbnail and video sizes in the home feed. This may result in your thumbnails appearing cropped.
SAG-AFTRA Launches The “I Am An Actor: A SAG-AFTRA Podcast”
SAG-AFTRA has launched “I Am An Actor,” a weekly podcast that extends its celebrated Actor Awards tradition into the audio space. Hosted by showrunner Jon Brockett and actress Jamie Chung, each 40‑60 minute episode features a single guest who shares their...
Name the Authority in Your Byline when Appealing
If you're going to make an appeal to authority, shouldn't the name of the authority be in the byline?
AI Marketing to Reach $82 B by 2030
By 2030, the AI marketing industry is expected to grow to $82 billion in annual revenue versus $20B in 2024; +25% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. https://t.co/rF7FdLlNze
How News Organizations Can Ethically Use AI, According to an Auditor Offering Ethical AI Certification
The Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) has introduced a free ethical AI certification for its member news publishers, aiming to assure advertisers and readers that AI is used responsibly. The certification requires documented policies, clear disclosures, human oversight, rights clearance,...
Hollywood's Vertical Video Push Misses Bigger Mobile Opportunity
Honey, We Shrunk the Screen: Hollywood's Vertical Video Strategy Is Dead Wrong We believe the strategy behind almost all of these [new vertical video] products, including Netflix, is dead wrong and misses the far larger opportunity in mobile vertical video...
Kayce's Sacrifice Sparks Questions: When Does Episode 10 Air?
Last week, Kayce risked everything to save one of his own. But when does Marshals: A Yellowstone Story episode 10 hit CBS and Paramount+? https://t.co/LiGtevf3aR
Shifting Gears Renewed For Season 3 At ABC
ABC has officially renewed the half‑hour sitcom “Shifting Gears” for the 2026‑27 television season, extending the Tim Allen‑Kat Dennings father‑daughter comedy into a third season. The series, which debuted in January 2025, follows widowed classic‑car shop owner Matt Parker as his...
Balaji Questioned About Roots of His Media Animosity
"Balaji, I feel like you've got this animosity for mainstream media. Where did it come from?" - Taylor
John Oliver Condemns Greedy Tech CEOs, Backs Gary Marcus
John Oliver @LastWeekTonight slays a pile of greedy tech CEOs, gives props to @GaryMarcus 😻 The tides are changing, and other folks like @wendyweeww are speaking out in support. https://t.co/ZNhBSkfFmT
Chicago Public Media Doubles Support for Statehouse Reporting Collaborative
Chicago Public Media (CPM) has doubled its annual contribution to the Illinois Statehouse Reporting Collaboration, raising its funding from $50,000 to about $101,000 and now covering half of the program’s total cost. The partnership, which serves ten public radio stations...
FCC Chair Calls NAB's ABC Objection Unprecedented, Notes Division
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, about NAB's statement objecting to the ABC license review "nearly unprecedented," said, “NAB’s gonna say what the NAB’s gonna say, I get it… I guess Disney’s a member of NAB. But broadcasters are not all with...
ABC Renews Shifting Gears, Scrubs Revivals Under Disney
#ABC has renewed comedy series #ShiftingGears for a third season and the #Scrubs revival for a second season. Both produced by #Disney’s 20th TV. $DIS
Action-Packed Police Thriller Branded 'for Line of Duty Fans' Is Now Streaming in the UK
The British police thriller *Prisoner* is now available in the UK on NOW and Sky Atlantic. The six‑episode series stars Izuka Hoyle as prison officer Amber Todd and Tahar Rahim as inmate‑turned‑witness Tibor Stone, who are forced to cooperate after...
Too Many Ads Could Crash Today's Digital Landscape
"I go back to the year 2000, at some point, some advertiser jammed one too many banner ads on the internet and it was over... that's going to happen here." Dan Nathan talks dot-com comps on the latest MRKT Call https://t.co/HMlLAFThg2
SAG‑AFTRA Debuts ‘I Am An Actor’ Podcast Featuring Top Stars
SAG-AFTRA Launches ‘I Am An Actor’ Podcast; First Guests Include Quinta Brunson, Kate Hudson, Mariska Hargitay, Kerry Washington (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/bHYAqMJlqN via @variety
Cord Cutting Today: Comcast and Spectrum Merger Talks Grow as Streaming and 5G Surge Past Cable
Comcast and Charter (Spectrum) are intensifying talks to merge, potentially creating a cable giant worth over $150 billion. The talks come as streaming services have surged 12% year‑over‑year, accelerating cord‑cutting trends. Simultaneously, 5G home‑internet and fiber deployments added more than 1 million...
CEOs Urged to Defend First Amendment, Disney Praised
.@AGomezFCC speaks to CEOs running parent companies of broadcasters: "We need the corporate parents of these broadcasters to stand up for our First Amendment and to push back" -- she praised Disney for pushing back against FCC
Chairman Controls FCC Agenda Over News Distortion Calls
.@AGomezFCC says while she thinks @FCC *should* act on News Distortion petition and opposition to NXSTR request for review, Chairman sets the agenda.
UC3 Names Preferred Bidders for UEFA Club Rights in 19 Markets
UC3, the UEFA‑Club commercial joint venture, named preferred bidders for the 2027‑31 men’s club competition media rights in 19 territories. The shortlist blends incumbent broadcasters such as Sky and Canal+ with streaming giants Disney+, Paramount+, ESPN and DAZN, reflecting a...
FCC's Localism Claim Fails; Fight Needed
As @AGomezFCC notes, the @FCC claims to support localism, but approved Nexstar. But assaults on public interest and First Amendment have failed and will fail. "This Administration will keep coming back. The only answer is to fight."
Generative AI Fuels Ad Revenue Surge as Marketers Grapple with Trust and Adoption
Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon disclosed that generative AI tools are driving double‑digit gains in ad conversion rates and AI service revenue, while executives warn that trust, regulatory scrutiny and infrastructure costs could curb adoption.
5 Themes That Defined Possible 2026
Possible 2026 conference in Miami Beach showcased a more polished, self‑assured event. Attendance rose 38% to about 7,500 participants, reflecting growing industry interest. The festival expanded beyond the Fontainebleau into neighboring Eden Roc and Nobu hotels and added branded yachts...
Sticker Mule Sues Google over Mislabelled Political Ads in Ads Transparency Center
Sticker Mule has sent a legal letter to Google demanding the removal of "Paid for by Constantino for Congress" labels that were attached to its business ads in the Ads Transparency Center. The company says the tags are erroneous, could...
UK Press Freedom: RSF Index Reveals Global Crisis and Rising Risks at Home
The 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders places the United Kingdom at 18th out of 180 nations, slipping from 20th in 2025. The report reveals a historic low in global press freedom, with more than half...
Meta Posts $56.3B Q1 Revenue, CFO Susan Li Flags AI‑Driven Cost Surge
Meta announced Q1 2026 revenue of $56.3 billion, up 33% year‑over‑year, as CFO Susan Li highlighted a 35% rise in expenses driven by AI talent and data‑center spending. The company guided Q2 revenue of $58‑61 billion and lifted its 2026 cap‑ex outlook...