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:
Novosti-26, the Independent Media Outlet Explaining War to Russian Teenagers
Novosti‑26, founded by author Linor Goralik, is an independent media outlet that explains Russia‑Ukraine war news in language Russian teenagers can understand. Launched voluntarily at the start of the 2022 invasion, it now runs a small newsroom, produces explainer videos, and offers a psychologist‑supported help line. The platform reports on teen‑relevant issues—draft, school law, internet shutdowns—and names war atrocities like Bucha without euphemism. After Telegram was blocked, it shifted to an email newsletter, urging readers to delete messages to evade state surveillance.
Seychelles Launches Global Sustainability Campaign Targeting Eco‑Luxury Travelers
Seychelles Tourism unveiled a sustainability‑driven global marketing push on April 16, 2026, partnering with Beautiful Destinations to court high‑value, low‑impact travelers. The initiative expects about 15 million digital impressions and blends social, TV and radio channels with real‑time analytics.
NYT Names Taylor Swift, Jay‑Z, Bad Bunny Among 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters
The New York Times released an unranked list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters, featuring Taylor Swift, Jay‑Z, Bad Bunny and a host of legacy icons. The roster, compiled from hundreds of expert ballots, underscores the cross‑generational impact of these writers on U.S....
Andy Garcia’s Noir ‘Diamond’ Lands International Sales Ahead of Cannes Premiere
Andy Garcia’s self‑written, self‑directed noir ‘Diamond’ has secured international sales through veteran agency The Veterans and North American rights via CAA Media Finance ahead of its Cannes screening. The deal underscores the continued relevance of seasoned sales houses in a...
Arkansas Public Television Budget Bill Wins Final Approval in House
Arkansas public television secured a final House approval with 89 votes, moving the budget bill toward Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk. The network, long known as Arkansas PBS, is in the midst of a contentious split from PBS, a process...
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Sparks Cameo Buzz but Loses 46% of Viewers
Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again season 2 generated excitement with a surprise cameo by Matthew Lillard, but Luminate data shows the show’s audience fell 46% versus season 1. The decline highlights growing challenges for Disney+’s flagship Marvel series as the platform battles subscriber...
Telangana Police Invoke Anti‑Terror Law to Unmask TeluguScribe, Sparking Press‑Freedom Outcry
The Telangana Intelligence Department issued a notice under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to force X to reveal the identity of the @TeluguScribe account. CPJ says the move threatens press freedom, while the outlet calls it a blatant abuse of...
Want a Pop Star Collab? Brands Need to Be Ready to Take Risks
At an ADWEEK House panel during the Possible conference, leaders from Maybelline, Nespresso, creative agency Croing and Latin Grammy‑winner Joaquina discussed how brand‑pop‑star collaborations have evolved. They emphasized that successful partnerships now require genuine artist‑brand alignment, deeper creative involvement, and...
Meta's China Risk Low Despite $21.8B Ad Spend
What is Meta’s China exposure? China has ordered Meta to reverse its Manus acquisition, threatening technology transfers and advertising revenue. It invites an interesting question: what is Meta's exposure to China? Despite an estimated $21.8BN in advertising revenue in the country,...
FCC Accelerates DEI Review of Disney's ABC Licenses, Demands Early Renewal
The Federal Communications Commission has expedited its review of Disney’s eight ABC local broadcast licenses over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) compliance, requiring renewal filings by May 28. Disney asserts its stations meet all FCC rules, while the agency argues...
Twitch Star Amira Virgil's Noir Network Secures $50K in Brand Deals for Black Creators
Brooklyn‑based Twitch streamer Amira Virgil launched the Noir Network in 2021 to give Black creators a dedicated support hub. In its first half‑year the community closed more than $50,000 in brand partnerships, proving that a focused creator collective can turn...
How Brands Block AI Crawlers & Then Pay To Get Seen: The Protection Paradox via @Sejournal, @Billhunt
The article defines the "Protection Paradox": B2B brands lock premium content behind lengthy forms, which removes it from search and AI discovery, then pay third‑party aggregators to surface the same ideas for a fee. This self‑tax leads companies to buy...
‘Subtle Rebuttals’: What the Papers Say About King Charles and Trump
King Charles III addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, a historic diplomatic moment that dominated front pages in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Major U.S. outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post...
California Bill Giving Former Child Influencers the Right to Erase Monetized Content Clears Two Senate Committees
California's Senate Bill 1247, aimed at protecting former child influencers, cleared the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee with unanimous votes, moving it to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation mandates that family...
From Clicks to Customers: How Website Performance Impacts Your Social Media ROI
Businesses pour money into social media ads, but clicks alone don’t guarantee revenue. The article explains that website performance—speed, mobile responsiveness, uptime, and secure checkout—directly determines whether social traffic converts into sales and repeat customers. It positions VPS hosting as...
860 Thoughts About The Rumored SiriusXM/iHeart Deal
SiriusXM and iHeartMedia entered early‑stage talks to combine their radio, satellite and podcast businesses, creating an entity with over $12 billion in revenue and requiring an equity sponsor to absorb iHeart’s roughly $5 billion debt load. Wall Street reacted sharply, with iHeart...
FCC Leaks To Semafor They’re ‘Investigating’ ABC Because A Comedian Told A Joke. Again.
The Federal Communications Commission, led by Trump‑appointed chair Brendan Carr, is reportedly preparing a review of Disney’s ABC broadcast licenses after a Jimmy Kimmel monologue that displeased the president. ABC holds only eight licenses, none of which are due for...
WMP and BBDO Bangkok Urge Women to Stop Giving Violence Another Chance
The Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, in partnership with BBDO Bangkok, launched the "Second Chance" campaign to urge women to stop tolerating violence. The initiative resurrected murdered influencer Gigi Supitcha using deep‑fake technology and a short film, all without...
AI Fuels $56B Ad Boom, Empowering All Marketers
NYT covers the impact to the ad industry based on AI -> A.I. Helps Online Ad Businesses Boom (especially Google and Meta) "In 2022, the year ChatGPT launched, A.I.-related sales totaled $1 billion, but that rose to $35 billion last year,...
Press Gazette Reality Wars Investigation Recognised by Paul Foot Awards
Press Gazette’s investigation, led by journalist Rob Waugh, exposed a network of AI‑generated fake experts that have infiltrated dozens of UK news outlets. The team compiled a dossier of more than 1,000 fabricated stories involving over a dozen invented authorities,...
LinkedIn Introduces Video Recommendation Notifications
A new type of notification is popping up on LinkedIn. It’s recommending similar videos based on what you have watched before.
The Stakes of Trump’s Latest Fight With Disney
The Federal Communications Commission, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, has launched a review of Disney’s ABC broadcast licenses across eight stations, including major markets such as New York and Los Angeles. Although the licenses are not slated for renewal until 2028, the...
A New Standard For Transparency In CTV: What Advertisers Should Expect
The 2026 CTV/OTT advertiser survey shows a decisive shift toward transparency as a non‑negotiable entry requirement. Ninety‑two percent of advertisers say inventory quality and transparency are critical, while 90% demand clear reporting and 88% expect upfront pricing. Advertisers now link transparency directly...
TV Becomes a Growth Channel for Commerce
The Circana report shows TV is shifting from a passive reach channel to an interactive commerce platform as 75% of U.S. households subscribe to ad‑supported streaming services. Connected TV now delivers a 15% higher return on ad spend than linear...
Q1 2026 Ad Fraud Benchmarks Report for EMEA
Pixalate released its Q1 2026 Invalid Traffic (IVT) and ad‑fraud benchmark reports for the EMEA region, focusing on the United Kingdom and Germany across desktop/web, mobile apps, and Connected TV (CTV). The data show IVT rates of 17% (UK) and 14%...
Why the Next Era of Commerce Media Is a Human Challenge
The article argues that commerce media’s biggest obstacle has shifted from technology to organizational dysfunction. Brands remain trapped in siloed structures where brand, media, e‑commerce and commerce teams operate with separate budgets and KPIs, leading to duplicated effort and lost...
Back‑button Hijacking Triggers Manual Action, Separate Teams
Yep, the teams are separate. So your AdSense ads could lead to a manual action if you are hijacking the back button :) -> From Google: "Our back button hijacking policy applies to all publishers who interfere with a user's...
Awaiting Decision on Breaking up Google's Adtech Monopoly
Last time he had to self surrender in EDVA for frivolous charges, we were in the same building in the middle of a trial to determine if Google needed to have its adtech monopolies broken up. We still await that...
How Publishers Rebuild Audience Ties as Search Falls
Publishers are feeling a sharp drop in organic search traffic after Google’s AI Overviews, with Business Insider down 55% and the sector losing over 600 million visits in a year. The traditional model of creating content to earn search rankings is...
Marshals Season 2 Confirmed; Grimes Likely Signs New Deal
Marshals season 2 has already been confirmed, but I've got a hunch that star Luke Grimes' 'new contract' won't just be for the Yellowstone spinoff. https://t.co/cU8O8eUJ20
Freepik Rebrands as Magnific, Serving Millions Worldwide
Freepik just changed its name to @magnific. Here are some big numbers: • Over 1 million people pay for it. • Over 100 million people visit every month. • Over 175 million images and videos get made each month.
Out of the Restaurant and Into the Kitchen: Why Brands Are Rejecting Ad Agencies Serving "Overbaked" Ideas
Brands are increasingly rejecting ad agencies that serve generic, "overbaked" ideas, opting instead for deeper collaboration and chemistry with creative teams. The shift moves agencies from pure problem‑solvers to strategic partners handling broader remit, from storytelling to data‑driven execution. Authentic,...
CW Partners with ESPN, Opts for Bundling over Solo Streaming
The CW will stream its 800 hours of sports content on ESPN's broadband service, a sign that bundling may be a more attractive prospect for some TV outlets than launching yet another stand alone streaming option.... https://t.co/EBd41pyqp6
Popular BBC Crime Drama That's "Well-Loved" By Audience Gets Promising Return Update
BBC’s cult crime drama *Hustle*—which ran eight seasons and ended 14 years ago—has been spotlighted by lead actor Adrian Lester on BBC Breakfast. Lester hinted that internal conversations about bringing the series back are ongoing. The show, created by Tony...
Episode 2.4 - Checka Propper
In this episode of Almost Reckless, host Amy Smilovic chats with Cheka Proper, head of television at Color Force, about her unconventional path to becoming a TV producer—from early TV‑obsessed kid to internships at Conan O'Brien’s show and a talent...
Sadhguru Calls for Deep Spiritual Practice, Warns Against Treating It as Entertainment
Sadhguru posted a widely shared Instagram video insisting that spirituality is a path of transformation, not a form of entertainment. He also highlighted how the first five minutes after waking can set the tone for the entire day, urging followers...
Tet Launches Latvian-Only TV Channel
Latvian tech and entertainment firm Tet has launched Tet+ Classic, the first TV channel in Latvia to air a schedule composed entirely of domestic programming. The lineup blends Tet’s original series such as "Kīlnieki" and "Nelūgtie viesi" with classic Latvian...
More Immigration Data Is Available than Ever. Journalists Should Proceed with Caution.
Immigration reporting now has a flood of new data tools, from the long‑standing TRAC database to private dashboards like Relevant Research’s Immigration Enforcement Dashboard, the Deportation Data Project, ICE Flight Monitor, and 287(g) agreement maps. Many of these sites pull...
What To Watch Wednesday: Matthew Rhys In Widow's Bay, Imperfect Women Finale, And More
Apple TV launches the Matthew Rhys‑led drama "Widow's Bay" with its first three episodes, while its original series "Imperfect Women" concludes its season one run. Netflix rolls out the two‑episode season‑2 finale of "Million Dollar Secret," and CBS brings back...
AI-Generated Manuscripts Spark Publishing Crisis as Hachette Cancels Book
Hachette has cancelled the U.S. release of Mia Ballard’s horror novel “Shy Girl” after a New York Times investigation found extensive AI involvement. The move adds to a string of recent allegations—from Sarah Hall’s “human‑written” sticker to agents warning of AI‑laden submissions—fueling a...
Sony PAL to Air Sankat Mochan Hanuman From May 4 at 9 PM
Sony PAL will revive the mythological drama *Sankat Mochan Hanuman* on May 4 at 9 PM, featuring Nirbhay Wadhwa as Hanuman and a cast that includes Gagan Malik as Lord Ram. The series taps into India’s appetite for devotional storytelling, blending high‑production visuals...
"Jaw-Dropping" New Katie Price Documentary From Louis Theroux's Production Company Gets First Look
Sky is set to launch a four‑part documentary series, "Katie Price: Nothing to Hide," this summer. Produced by Louis Theroux’s BAFTA‑winning Mindhouse and directed by Emmy‑winner Paddy Wivell, the series delves into Price’s modelling career, high‑profile relationships and the scandals...
GUEST COLUMN: Why Film Libraries & IPs Are the New Engines of Growth
The Indian media landscape is moving from a box‑office‑centric model to a lifecycle‑driven approach where film libraries and intellectual properties (IPs) generate long‑term revenue. Legacy titles are being repackaged for YouTube, OTT services, FAST channels and international syndication, extending their...
Australia Proposes 2.25% Tax on Meta, Google and TikTok to Fund Local Newsrooms
The Albanese government has unveiled a draft Media Bargaining Incentive that would levy a 2.25% tax on the Australian revenue of Meta, Google and TikTok, generating $200‑$250 million for newsrooms. Tech firms have blasted the plan as a government‑mandated wealth transfer,...
Beyond Transition—An Update on ST 2110
Nearly a decade after its 2017 debut, SMPTE ST 2110 has become the operational backbone of modern IP‑based media facilities, replacing legacy SDI in live productions and hybrid environments. Its stability has shortened deployment cycles, cut integration complexity, and enabled...
Animmoov Partners with PubMatic for APAC Digital Advertising Push
Animmoov has teamed up with PubMatic to expand its AI‑driven creative suite across the Asia‑Pacific digital advertising ecosystem. The partnership integrates Animmoov’s interactive rich‑media, dynamic creative optimisation and measurement tools with PubMatic’s premium inventory on CTV, OTT, mobile and desktop....
Is Beef Season 2 the Netflix Show's Last Chapter?
Netflix’s dark comedy *Beef* returned with season 2 on April 6, moving the story to a luxury country club and introducing a Gen Z couple alongside the original leads. Creator Lee Sung Jin told *The Hollywood Reporter* he would be “perfectly happy” if the series...
Paramount Seeks FCC Waiver to Allow $24 Bn Foreign Investment in Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
Paramount Skydance has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to exceed the 25% foreign‑ownership ceiling so it can incorporate $24 bn from Saudi, Abu Dhabi and Qatari sovereign‑wealth funds into its $81 bn takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The move,...
Advertisers Set to Double Down on Audio Spend
A new Campaign research survey of 1,000 European agencies and advertisers reveals that audio advertising spend is set to rise sharply in the coming year. Respondents indicated plans to increase budgets for podcasts, streaming platforms, and digital radio, with many...
The Daily Show Calls Out Trumps Exorbitant $400 Million Ballroom
The Daily Show lampooned President Donald Trump’s plan to spend $400 million on a new White House ballroom, highlighting the extravagance amid a war‑driven inflation surge and a national affordability crisis. Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, are advancing legislation...