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.
McDonald’s UK Swaps Dexter Fletcher Voiceover for Stephen Graham
McDonald’s UK has replaced Dexter Fletcher’s voiceover with actor Stephen Graham for its national advertising campaign. The change is part of a strategic push to resonate more strongly with younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and early‑millennial audiences. Graham’s distinctive, gritty vocal style will feature across TV, digital and social media spots. The brand hopes the fresh tone will modernize its image and drive higher engagement among a demographic that increasingly favors authenticity.
Tom Hardy’s $478M Sci-Fi Alien Movie Is Ruling on Streaming
Tom Hardy’s third Venom installment, *Venom: The Last Dance*, has surged to the sixth‑most‑watched movie on Amazon Prime Video worldwide, according to FlixPatrol data from April 2026. The sci‑fi action film, released in October 2024, grossed roughly $478 million at the global box...
'One of the UK's Most-Watched TV Shows' Death in Paradise Has Future Confirmed at the BBC
BBC has confirmed that the hit crime drama Death in Paradise will return for two additional seasons, plus two Christmas specials. The series wrapped its 15th season and will resume filming in Guadeloupe for season 16. Key cast members, including...
Meta Ads AI Connectors Enable Direct Campaign Management
Running Meta Ads? They just announced their MCP so you can manage via AI tools -> Introducing Meta Ads AI Connectors: Manage Your Meta Ads From the AI Tools You Already Use "Powered by Meta's ads MCP server, the connector provides...
CMS Platforms Are Evolving with Embedded AI in Newsroom Workflows
Newsroom content‑management systems are moving from experimental AI add‑ons to fully embedded intelligence. Vendors such as WoodWing, Eidosmedia and Atex are weaving AI directly into editorial interfaces, eliminating the need for journalists to toggle between separate tools. The shift relies...
The Brut. Channel Arrives on Major Telecom Operators and Connected TVs
Brut. has launched a dedicated 24/7 lifestyle channel after striking a distribution deal with CMA Media Group. The channel rolls out across major telecom operators—including Comcast Xfinity, AT&T TV, and Verizon Fios—and on connected‑TV platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire...
YouTube Dominates Living Rooms, 10M Shorts Channels Daily
And from the earnings call about YouTube (it's a beast): YouTube on TVs: *In the living room, U.S. viewers are watching over 200 million hours of YouTube content daily. And Shorts galore: *As of March, we’ve reached a new milestone with over 10...
Beyond the Prompt: Why the “Sidecar” Is the Secret to Real-Time Agentic Advertising
The IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic Real‑Time Framework (ARTF) introduces an “Agentic Sidecar” architecture that embeds AI agents directly inside DSP or SSP environments. By containerizing agents and using gRPC with Protobuf, the sidecar cuts bid‑request latency up to 80 % and...
Ocean Blue Software Launches ATSC 3.0 Inspector for Smart TVs
Ocean Blue Software has released ATSC 3.0 Inspector, a dedicated analysis tool for Smart TV broadcast streams. The utility provides engineers with visual breakdowns of ATSC 3.0 components, speeding error detection and validation. It targets TV manufacturers, broadcasters, and semiconductor partners seeking faster...
Why Snap Launched Their AI Ad Format With a Credit Bureau
Snap introduced an AI‑powered ad format that embeds branded chat agents directly into its Chat tab, debuting with credit‑bureau Experian. The promoted snaps appear as labeled ads; users tap to ask the Experian bot about scores, loans, or credit‑card options....
Write Press Releases That Generate Real Media
In a Duct Tape Marketing podcast, Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, argues that press releases are far from obsolete, especially for small businesses seeking earned media. He cites that 97% of releases never generate a journalist‑written article, while the successful...
Why the Upfront Is Finally, Actually, Really Broken. (But Still Functions.)
The blog argues that the traditional Nielsen‑driven measurement system that anchored the TV Upfront is disappearing, replaced by a patchwork of competing metrics. This fragmentation creates multiple “currencies,” higher operational costs for sellers, and a pricing reset that erodes differentiation....
Disney's Late‑Night TV Under Scrutiny Amid Leadership Test
“It will be very interesting to see how Josh [D’Amaro] navigates this — does he show a willingness to confront some really tough decisions,” said Rich Greenfield, a founder of LightShed Partners... “I hope this catalyzes deeper discussions about what...
Digital Ads Hit $294 Billion While Everyone Pretends This Is Normal
U.S. internet advertising revenue surged 13.9% in 2025, reaching a record $294.6 billion, according to the IAB/PwC report. The growth underscores digital’s dominance despite industry chatter that ad budgets remain under pressure. Mobile video and programmatic buying were the primary engines...
Instagram Cracks Down on Content Aggregators
Instagram announced that accounts that regularly repost others’ photos or carousel posts will no longer appear in the platform’s recommendation streams. The rule, which previously applied only to Reels, now extends to static images and swipeable carousels, aiming to reward...
NBC Races Into 100th Anniversary With Kentucky Derby-Bound Promo
NBC is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a 30‑second "Summer on NBC" promo aired during the Kentucky Derby on May 2. The spot highlights the network’s live, appointment‑viewing summer lineup, including America’s Got Talent, MLB, American Ninja Warrior, Macy’s fireworks and...
Pixalate’s Q1 2026 Connected TV (CTV) Device Market Share Report
Pixalate’s Q1 2026 Connected TV device market share report, based on analysis of more than 18 billion open programmatic ad transactions, shows Roku leading the Western Hemisphere with 36% share of voice (SOV) in North America and 42% in LATAM, while Samsung...
Every Meeting You Have Is Already Generating Content (Here’s How to Capture It)
The author discovered that meeting transcripts are only the starting point; the real value lies in extracting stories, insights, and moments that can be repurposed as content. By using AI notetakers like Otter or Fireflies and adding a secondary prompt,...
Magellan AI and iHeart Expand to Broadcast Radio Attribution
Magellan AI has upgraded its standalone Broadcast Radio Attribution product by integrating iHeartMedia’s simulcast data. The new capability maps radio listeners to measurable outcomes such as web visits, form fills, leads, and purchases, allowing advertisers to assess performance across audio...
DC’s Lanterns Reveals August Premiere Date on HBO Max
DC Studios announced that the live‑action series *Lanterns* will debut on HBO Max on August 16. The show stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, marking the first on‑screen appearance of the fan‑favorite John Stewart. Created...
Atomfall Is Getting A TV Show
British studio Rebellion Developments announced that its post‑apocalyptic survival game Atomfall will be adapted into a live‑action television series produced by Two Brothers Pictures. The game, which launched in March 2025, earned the 2026 BAFTA award for Best British Game,...
South Korea Invests $49M in AI Research to Transform Broadcasting Industry
South Korea’s Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is committing $49.3 million over the next four years to AI‑driven research aimed at modernising its broadcasting and media sector. Eight new projects have already secured $5.36 million to develop core technologies for intelligent media production,...
NAB Skirts Key Names, Focuses on Licensing Process
D.C. Memo: @nabtweets Allegedly ‘Lambasts’ @BrendanCarrFCC in Statement That Failed to Mention Carr, @Disney, ABC, or @JimmyKimmel by Name; NAB’s statement said a lot about TV station licensing process but nothing about Jimmy Kimmel’s rude commentary on...
Google's Ad Revenue Climbs 15.5%, Overall up 22%
Google Ad revenue up 15.5% with overall revenue up 22% - big numbers but obviously not as big as last quarter https://t.co/VBLBlBx5y4 https://t.co/4rW4iHYivI
An Unlikely Ally Warns the FCC Is Going Too Far in the Jimmy Kimmel Fight
The FCC announced a review of all ABC broadcast licenses after Jimmy Kimmel’s on‑air joke about First Lady Melania Trump, a move spurred by the Trump family’s public calls for his firing. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz publicly rebuked the agency,...
Microsoft Adds Conversion, Spend Data to PMax URL Report
Microsoft Advertising has added conversion and spend metrics to the PMax Website Publisher URL report https://t.co/HJjYZCHwB1 via @MSFTAdsBuddy https://t.co/sf1APIZwY9
Subway Commuters Abandon Books for Phones, Ads Go Floor
Late yesterday on #subway was looking around & realized it was the first time I could remember on a crowded train that no-one had anything they were looking at other than their phones. No book, newspaper etc. Maybe ads should...
Review of the Week: Airwallex Takes a Shot at Football Storytelling
Airwallex has unveiled a new advertising campaign that tells a football‑centric story, produced by Uncommon Creative Studio. The spot positions the fintech’s cross‑border payment platform as a team effort, using iconic match‑day imagery to simplify complex financial concepts. Launched alongside...
DCN’s Media Industry Must Reads: Week of April 30, 2026
Digital Content Next (DCN) curated a weekly roundup of the most compelling media‑industry stories for the week of April 30, 2026. The list highlights former FCC officials urging a halt to Chairman Brendan Carr’s agenda, streaming platforms’ experiments with vertical video, a...
Interview: Anna-Sophia Lumpe • President, German Voice Over Artists’ Association (VDS) - “I Have the Feeling that We Find Ourselves...
German voice‑over artists, led by the Verband Deutscher Sprecher:innen (VDS), have staged a boycott of Netflix after the streaming giant added an AI‑training clause to its contracts in early 2026. The clause would allow Netflix to use recorded voices for...
Google Ads Tests Ability to Select Partner Networks
Google Ads testing the option to choose the partner networks to advertise with https://t.co/BuONWXY17S via @Adriaan_PPC https://t.co/mfeXakEe3O
ROI Research and Partnerships Feature at Tuning In North 2026
Radiocentre’s Tuning In North event in Manchester highlighted audio’s expanding role for advertisers, with the North West seeing a 24% audience rise to 4.7 million weekly listeners. Partnerships such as B&M, Cash for Kids and Bauer have raised roughly $127 million for...
Let Me Be Your Mirror: On Fear and Filmmaking
Victoria Miller, a New York‑based commercial producer, uses a Substack takeover to explore how fear shapes every stage of a filmmaking career. She breaks down five common fears—equipment, uncertain career paths, being seen, operational oversights, and the industry’s future—and shows...
Editorial Board Decries Judicial Overreach, Media Skews Racist Lens
Even after its editorial board called the decision "a mind-boggling piece of judicial overreach," with this headline, the #BrokenTimes news desk insists on covering modern Jim Crow from the perspective of the racist right. https://t.co/6aUyoLZ8jt
Conmebol and Offline Sports Begin Filming Conmebol Libertadores 2026: La Gloria Eterna
Conmebol and production firm Offline Sports have begun filming "Conmebol Libertadores 2026: La gloria eterna," an 11‑episode documentary series that will be the first official on‑screen chronicle of South America’s premier club competition. The series will follow all 32 qualified...
How to Automate a Newsletter With AI (Anyone Can Do It)
A new guide demonstrates how to automate a news‑style newsletter using a single AI prompt, eliminating the need for complex n8n workflows or multiple APIs. By leveraging grounded web search from You.com’s Research API inside Claude and ChatGPT, the solution...
Netflix Breaks New Sports Streaming Record with Supernova: Genesis
Netflix’s Supernova: Genesis live stream attracted a peak of over 6.5 million viewers worldwide and retained more than 5.5 million viewers for its four‑hour broadcast. The event became the second‑largest Netflix live offering in Mexico, overtaking the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson...
Join Us
Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) announced a new $65 annual membership to mark its 65th anniversary, aiming to fund its nonprofit newsroom and daily digital output. Editor‑in‑chief Betsy Morais highlighted the urgent climate for journalism—declining public trust, political attacks, AI disruption,...
Yash's 'Toxic' Delayed Again for Wider Global Release After CinemaCon Buzz
Yash’s pan‑India film “Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown‑Ups” has been postponed from its June 4, 2026 opening to an unspecified later date. Producers KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations cite a powerful response at CinemaCon that opened opportunities for a broader, globally...
Byron Writers Festival Unveils 2026 Line‑up as Sahar Rabah Wins $10,000 Calibre Essay Prize
The Byron Writers Festival revealed its initial 2026 author lineup, and the Australian Book Review announced Palestinian writer Sahar Rabah as the $10,000 Calibre Essay Prize winner. Rabah’s essay “Between Reality and Dreams” was selected from 564 entries across 29...
Amazon Mulls ‘Apprentice’ Reboot with Donald Trump Jr. As Host
Amazon is reportedly exploring a reboot of the reality‑competition series The Apprentice, with Donald Trump Jr. floated as a possible host. Internal discussions are preliminary, and the company has not yet approached the Trump family, prompting both strategic optimism and...
FCC Orders Early Review of Disney’s ABC Licenses After Trump’s Kimmel Critique
The Federal Communications Commission directed Disney’s eight ABC‑owned TV stations to submit broadcast‑license renewal applications by May 28, 2026—more than two years ahead of the scheduled 2028‑2031 window. The move follows President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s public...
Posterscope India and iProspect India Roll Out OOH Campaign for The Mummy
Warner Bros. Discovery enlisted Posterscope India and iProspect India to launch an OOH campaign for the horror film *The Mummy* across Mumbai and Chennai. The activation ran from April 10 to 17, 2026, featuring a roaming mummy figure and themed billboards...
YTN Journalists Strike Over Chaebol Shareholder Dispute, Demand Regulator Ruling
The YTN branch of the National Union of Media Workers began its eighth strike, demanding that the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission revoke Eugene Group’s status as the broadcaster’s largest shareholder. The walkout, set to last five days, underscores a...
FixEd Podcast: The News SEO Playbook with Clara Soteras
In a FixEd podcast, Clara Soteras explains how AI is reshaping SEO for news publishers. She highlights that Google’s AI‑generated Overviews are siphoning traffic from niche and evergreen articles, especially tech sites. Soteras argues traditional metrics like page views are...
Boldly Going
Cinematographer Tommy Maddox Upshaw shapes the visual identity of Paramount+’s new sci‑fi series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. He chose the Sony Venice 2 8.6K camera paired with Panavision Ultra Panatar 2 anamorphic lenses and co‑created custom LUTs with colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld. Extensive three‑month lens testing and...
Can We Talk About the Value of Comms Planning?
Campaign has launched a Media Planning Group aimed at elevating the practice of media and communications planning. The initiative promises structured training, data‑driven tools, and guidance on building profitable business models for planners. By centralising expertise, it seeks to professionalise...
Viaplay Extends Exclusive UEFA Rights Contracts in Denmark, Norway and Finland
Viaplay Group has renewed its exclusive UEFA Champions League rights in Denmark and its Europa and Conference League rights in Norway and Finland for a four‑year term ending in 2031, preserving a partnership that dates back to 1992. The extension...
Supreme Court Victory Counters Murdoch‑Backed Racist Media
The Journal is the Murdochs' and the oligarchy's racist, white nationalist bully pulpit. A Victory for Voting Rights at the Supreme Court https://t.co/O5BWkBb0C6
Meta Q1 2026 Beats Revenue Forecast, Highlights AI Push, Reality Labs Loss
Meta reported first‑quarter revenue of $56.3 bn, a 33% jump year‑over‑year, and earnings of $10.44 per share, surpassing analysts’ expectations. The earnings call spotlighted rapid AI adoption across its family of apps and disclosed a loss at the Reality Labs division,...