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.
Hearst Networks Unveils H2 Factual Slate
Hearst Networks announced its second‑half 2026 factual programming slate for Sky History, Crime+Investigation and BLAZE. The lineup mixes new original series, returning franchises and talent‑led formats featuring Dolph Lundgren, Bradley Walsh, Rob Rinder, Jim Belushi, Sean Bean and Laurence Fishburne. Highlights include History’s Greatest Machines, 102 Minutes Inside The Towers, Original Gangsters and new seasons of The Curse of Oak Island and Ancient Aliens. Heather Jones, Hearst’s EMEA chief creative officer, said the slate underscores the company’s push for standout factual storytelling in a crowded market.
Chess.com Surpassed 250 Million Users And Is Launching a New Advertising Gambit
Chess.com announced it has surpassed 250 million registered users, a landmark for the freemium platform. The company, which generates $150 million in annual revenue, said advertising now accounts for about 10% of that total and is being positioned for rapid expansion. With...
Best of Show: Broadcast Bionics VoiceGPIO
Broadcast Bionics’ VoiceGPIO captured the Radio World Best of Show award at the 2026 NAB Show. The software lets broadcasters issue voice commands to control faders, routing, calls, video sources and custom GPIO/UDP messages through existing AoIP talkback systems. Designed...
EXCLUSIVE: FRIENDS CAST FURIOUS AFTER LISA KUDROW REVEALS HOW MUCH THEY STILL MAKE — “SHE PUT A TARGET ON ALL...
Lisa Kudrow publicly disclosed that she and her former Friends co‑stars each receive roughly $20 million a year in residuals, a figure that has shocked the cast after two decades of silence. Insiders say the revelation violated an unwritten rule against discussing...
Adthena Launches Free “AdBridge” Tool Letting Advertisers Migrate Google Ads Campaigns Into ChatGPT Ads
Adthena, a paid‑search intelligence firm, introduced AdBridge, a free tool that migrates Google Ads campaigns into the emerging ChatGPT Ads format. The platform automatically generates keyword lists, negative keywords and competitive insights ready for use on ChatGPT’s ad service. Several...
Kyle Brandt on His ESPN Draft Reunion with Peter Schrager: ‘It Was Like Andy and Red on the Beach’
Kyle Brandt, former NFL Network morning‑show co‑host, leveraged the NFL Network‑ESPN merger to secure a Day 3 spot on ESPN’s 2026 draft coverage. He and Peter Schrager reunited on‑air for an unscripted interview with Rams coach Sean McVay, who explained his muted...
Grey's Anatomy Brings Back Station 19's Maya Bishop — With A Potentially Tragic Twist (Exclusive First Look)
Grey's Anatomy will feature a dramatic guest appearance by Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, the former Station 19 firefighter, who is rushed to Grey Sloan after sustaining second‑ and third‑degree burns in a three‑alarm house fire. The episode also unveils...
Believe and TuneCore Are Blocking Distribution of Generative AI Tracks Made on ‘Pirate Studios’ Like Suno – While Inking New...
Believe announced a major update to its generative‑AI policy, automatically blocking distribution of tracks created on unlicensed platforms such as Suno. The company says its detection system can identify the AI model with 99 % accuracy, preventing illegal content from reaching...
Google Expands ‘Preferred Sources’ to Everyone so You Actually See Your Favorite Sites
Google has expanded its “Preferred Sources” feature from a limited rollout to a global offering, now available to all Search users in every supported language. The tool lets readers designate the news sites they trust, ensuring those outlets appear more...
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...
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...
Outlander S8E9 Delayed, New Air Date Announced
If you're excited for Outlander season 8 episode 9 airing this week. Hold your horses... the latest installment of the hit Starz series has a new release date. https://t.co/cZaplL6GuH
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...
Secrets Behind All Healthy’s 52% Open Rate
All Healthy has 1.3 million subscribers and a 52% open rate. In this episode, Sean Devlin shares how he's running it, plus: - Making your audience addicted to your emails - The right approach to sponsorships - Tips for newsletter design Search "Nathan Barry...
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
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...
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
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...
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
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,...
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
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,...
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...