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.
DJ Vlad & Aries Spears Go Back And Forth Online Amid Pay Dispute
DJ Vlad’s YouTube channel VladTV is embroiled in a new pay dispute, this time with comedian‑actor Aries Spears, following a similar controversy with rapper Boosie Badazz. Spears claims he is under‑compensated for his appearances, while Vlad argues his videos generate far less revenue than Boosie’s. The clash unfolded on social media, with Vlad using harsh language and Spears accusing the platform of exploiting Black culture. The standoff raises questions about how interview‑driven media outlets value and remunerate high‑profile guests.
A New BookTok Bestseller List
Media Control and TikTok have introduced the United Kingdom’s first official BookTok bestseller list, merging NielsenIQ BookData sales figures with TikTok engagement metrics. The inaugural March 2026 ranking is topped by Rachel Reid’s *Heated Rivalry*, while Irish romance writer Chloe...
FTC and States Target Alleged Collusion in Digital Ad Agency Market
The Federal Trade Commission, together with a coalition of state attorneys general, filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that major digital‑advertising agencies coordinated pricing, placement and information‑sharing practices. The complaint targets the intermediary ad‑agency layer, expanding enforcement beyond dominant platforms like...
StoriesIG: How Anonymous Instagram Story Viewers Are Reshaping Social Media Privacy in 2026
StoriesIG, a free browser‑based tool, lets users watch public Instagram Stories, Highlights and Reels without logging in, keeping the viewer invisible to the account owner. The service routes requests through a proxy, eliminating the need for Instagram credentials and supporting...
Threads Offers Deeper Local Community Over Global Reach
Early day, post a lot at Twitter/X and it was fun. A lot engagement, global audience. But recently active in Threads. A lot local community , more word per post, I like the algo. So far so good for m....
Life‑stage Moments Drive Purchase Intent More than Age
Interesting new Meta study 👀 The largest behavioral gaps Meta found aren't between generations —they're between lifestages Someone going through a key lifestage (eg graduating, getting married, having a baby) shows up to 26 percentage points higher purchase intent than someone who...
LinkedIn Expands Event Ads Beyond Its Own Platform
LinkedIn has launched Off‑Platform Event Ads, letting marketers promote events with ads that direct users to external webinar, landing page or livestream URLs instead of a native LinkedIn Event page. The format retains LinkedIn’s targeting options while sending clicks to...
What Your Podcast Trailer Is Actually Supposed to Do
Many podcasters simply lift a highlight from an existing episode and label it a trailer, but that approach leaves new listeners clueless about the show’s purpose. Liam Austin argues that a podcast trailer should be a scripted, stand‑alone introduction that...
PSG v Bayern Munich Live Stream, TV Channel – Where to Watch Champions League on Tv Today
Paris Saint‑Germain host Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi‑final first leg on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, with a 20:00 BST kickoff at the Parc des Princes. The match will be streamed live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. PSG arrive after...
NASCAR Family Drama ‘Godspeed’ In Works At Amazon From Joe Pokaski, Scott Stuber & Sugar23; Writers Room Underway
Amazon is developing “Godspeed,” a one‑hour NASCAR family drama created by Underground co‑creator Joe Pokaski and produced by Scott Stuber’s United Artists alongside Michael Sugar’s Sugar23. A writers’ room is already active, and the series could begin principal photography in...
Cyle Zezo Used To Run Unscripted At The CW, Now He Wants Reality Producers To Protect The Climate
Cyle Zezo, former head of unscripted at The CW, founded Reality of Change in 2023 to embed sustainability in reality television. The company has unveiled new climate‑storytelling guidelines and launched the Create the Conditions program to help producers integrate environmental...
Sneak Preview: Creating Lean-In Engagement With Personalized, Next-Gen Sports Streaming Experiences
On May 13, Chris Pfaff moderated a Streaming Media Connect panel titled “Fans Forward: Creating Lean‑In Engagement With Personalized, Next‑Gen Sports Streaming Experiences.” The discussion featured leaders from Tiledmedia, Team Whistle (DAZN), Bulldog DM and Play Anywhere, who examined AI‑driven commentary, multiview...
Monte-Carlo TV Festival To Open With ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Season 3; Ester Expósito & Matthew Broome Set For...
The 65th Monte‑Carlo TV Festival will open with the first two episodes of season 3 of AMC’s *The Walking Dead: Dead City*. Spanish actress Ester Expósito and British actor Matthew Broome will receive the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent. The event also...
‘The House of the Spirits’ Returns a Beloved Book to Its Origins
Amazon Prime Video is debuting "The House of the Spirits," the first Spanish-language screen adaptation of Isabel Allende’s 1982 novel. The series, shot entirely in Chile, stars Mexican actor Alfonso Herrera alongside Nicole Wallace and Dolores Fonzi, with Allende serving...
FCC Orders Early Renewals for ABC TV Licenses Following Scrutiny Over Kimmel Joke
The Federal Communications Commission ordered eight ABC‑owned and operated TV stations to file broadcast‑license renewals by May 28, 2026, two years ahead of the 2028 deadline. The move coincides with a year‑long FCC probe into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices...
Free TV Networks Strikes Fourth Deal Under Versant, Expands FAST Distribution Push
Free TV Networks (FTV), a Versant division, sealed its fourth free‑ad‑supported streaming (FAST) distribution agreement of 2024, adding its channels 365BLK, Outlaw and Pam Grier’s Soul Flix to Philo’s platform. The partnership expands FTV’s reach to Philo’s millions of viewers...
NAB Show 2026: AI, Vertical and BPS Dominate Broadcasters’ Discussions
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, roughly 58,000 attendees—half of them first‑timers—convened to discuss AI, vertical video, and next‑generation broadcast technologies. Major vendors unveiled AI‑driven tools such as AWS Elemental Inference for automatic 9:16 cuts and TVU Networks’...
Trump’s Authoritarian War on Comedy Just Hit a Dangerous New Phase — and He's Getting the FCC Involved
The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly preparing a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses after President Donald Trump publicly demanded that ABC fire late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel for a joke about the first lady. FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that corporate...
Sometimes the Truth Is Not What You Want It to Be
NewsGuard’s Reality Check newsletter published a commentary by co‑CEO Steven Brill, arguing that truth is increasingly rejected in a polarized media environment. The piece cites a subscriber’s complaint about a report labeling a White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting claim as "baseless,"...
KEET PBS Deploys PMVG TechBundle Services To Modernize Operations
KEET PBS in Eureka, California has adopted two components of the Public Media Venture Group TechBundle—PMM Cloud and Transmission Services Group’s managed transmission and monitoring. The cloud‑based master‑control platform lets the station shift from multiple on‑premises racks to a streamlined,...
Relatable Reels Linked to Lower Mood and Motivation, Says Iraa Paul
Iraa Paul argues that the surge of relatable reels on social platforms is quietly eroding users' mood and drive, as detailed in a April 28, 2026 IndiaTimes piece. The analysis ties algorithmic loops and emotional exaggeration to heightened anxiety, urging...
‘Death by Lightning,’ ‘Big Mistakes,’ Rachel Sennott Lead 2026 Gotham Television Awards Nominations
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced the 2026 Gotham Television Awards nominations, covering twelve competitive categories. Netflix’s “Big Mistakes” and “Death by Lightning” lead with four nominations each, while HBO/HBO Max tops network totals with 23 nods. Rachel Sennott earned...
Seth MacFarlane Says Ted Season 3 or Film Hinges on Peacock’s Deep Pockets
Seth MacFarlane told a Deadline Contenders panel that a third season of the live‑action‑comedy series Ted—or a new movie—will only move forward if Peacock invests its “vast amounts of big Scrooge McDuck money.” The plea follows Season 2’s record‑breaking streaming minutes, which topped...
Adobe Ramps up Firefly AI Campaign to Win Creators, Eyes Premium Tier
Adobe unveiled a new Firefly AI campaign starring YouTubers Kinigra Deon and Airrack, showcasing the tool’s audio, video and mood‑board capabilities. The push promotes a free tier, a $10‑per‑month plan with 2,000 credits and a $200‑per‑month premium tier offering 50,000...
The 2026 Gotham TV Award (GOTHAM) Nominations
The Gotham Film & Media Institute unveiled its 2026 Television Awards nominations, covering twelve competitive categories and introducing a new Limited or Anthology Series segment. Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV, and other streaming services dominate the slate, with titles like...
Pinterest Teams with tvScientific to Tap High‑intent CTV Audiences
Pinterest has joined forces with tvScientific to deliver high‑intent, purchase‑ready audiences to connected‑TV (CTV) devices. The partnership extends Pinterest's ad inventory beyond its traditional web and mobile properties, giving advertisers a new channel to reach shoppers as they stream video....
The 10 TV Shows We’re Watching in May 2026
Esquire’s editors highlight ten new series debuting in May 2026 across major streaming platforms, from Netflix’s literary adaptation *Lord of the Flies* to HBO Max’s samurai drama *Song of the Samurai*. The lineup spans genres—classic literature, period crime, sci‑fi, travel,...
Why the Best Creator Marketing AI Is Built on the Best Data
CreatorIQ argues that AI’s value in creator marketing hinges on the quality of its underlying data. Its proprietary Creator Graph ingests 250 million social posts each day and draws on more than a decade of aggregated creator, content, and performance signals....
FCC License Threats Signal Government Retaliation Against Critics
Monday: Trump demands ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel. Tuesday: The FCC orders Disney to file early license renewals, two years ahead of schedule. That’s not a coincidence. That’s retaliation. The First Amendment only works if the government can’t threaten your license for content they...
American Idol: Unexpected Merle Haggard Cover Changes Everything!
Hannah Harper, a 25‑year‑old mother from Missouri, delivered a standout cover of Merle Haggard’s “That’s the Way Love Goes” on American Idol’s Season 24. The rendition earned unanimous praise from judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, with Underwood promising to...
False Balance
The post explains false balance, a rhetorical flaw where opposing views are presented as equally credible despite unequal evidence. It illustrates the problem with examples such as journalists giving a layperson’s baseless opinion the same weight as a scientific expert’s...
FTC Says $2.1 Billion Lost to Social‑Media Scams in 2025, Facebook Leads the Way
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission disclosed that Americans lost $2.1 billion to social‑media scams in 2025, an eightfold jump since 2020. Facebook alone was linked to $794 million of those losses, while investment, shopping and romance scams drove the bulk of the...
Cracking Apple TV: The Shows It Wants Now
Apple TV’s acquisition strategy is now laser‑focused on premium, populist content that features recognizable movie or TV stars, a shift driven by the post‑WGA‑deal environment where buyers only green‑light projects with clear production paths. The streamer celebrated a record Emmy...
Dispelling Media Myths: Size, Uniqueness, and Print Still Matter
Myths That Can Hurt Your Business – I need to own a “big” business to get the media’s attention. – I need a unique theory or insight. – Small publications don’t matter. – I don’t need print publicity now that I have profiles on...
FCC Summons Disney for Early License Renewal, Cites Public Interest
FLASH: The FCC is officially calling in Disney's broadcast licenses for early renewal, citing the public interest standard and "the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination."
Former FCC Staffers Agree: Brendan Carr Needs to Be Stopped
Former FCC commissioners and staffers from both parties have filed a petition urging the D.C. Circuit Court to compel the commission to vote on repealing the News Distortion Policy, a rule dating back to 1949. Chairman Brendan Carr has revived...
How to Embed HBO Max or Netflix Into Frames
Awesome. Now, how can I plug in @hbomax or @netflix into one of those frames?
Media Timing Limits: Print Delays, TV Edits Explained
Going to leave this here for the uninitiated and performatively naive, since there's been some especially dumb conspiratorial thinking on this platform of late: +Print newspapers can't include late events of previous evening. +Television interviews are always edited for time.
‘Running Point’ Is ‘The Office’ Meets the Lakers
Netflix’s comedy "Running Point" returns for a second season, starring Kate Hudson as a fictional team president modeled on Lakers executive Jeanie Buss. Created by Mindy Kaling and others, the series mirrors Buss’s real‑life family power struggle after the Lakers’...
Journalists Legally Entitled to Prompt Pay, No Late Fees
PSA for my fellow journalists — you’re entitled by law to timely payment and it's illegal in many states for you to be penalized for invoicing with a late fee. https://t.co/Gmtjt77QdV
Paid Campaign Amplifies Manosphere Influencer’s Controversial Videos
New: Manosphere influencer Clavicular is everywhere, and that’s not an accident. A paid marketing campaign is spreading video clips of his controversial antics across social media. https://t.co/OcCDvGVASn
Spotify Posts Record Operating Income, Adds 3 Million Quarterly Subs to 293 Million, Stock Tumbles
Spotify reported a record operating income of €715 million ($837 million) in Q1 2026, adding 3 million paid subscribers to reach 293 million worldwide. Monthly active users rose to 761 million, a 12% year‑over‑year increase. Subscription revenue grew 10% to €4.15 billion ($4.86 billion), while ad‑supported revenue...
When Authentic Writing Gets Mistaken for AI
RT @VoxOptima My op-ed was flagged as AI. It wasn’t. What happens when good writing is called AI? ~ Jennifer Farr | https://t.co/oqLK6bbZtZ @prdaily "As AI tools become more popular, the expectation to avoid publishing content written by AI has increased...
Ted Lasso Season 4 Debuts Aug 5 on Apple TV
Season 4 of #TedLasso will premiere on #AppleTV on Wednesday, August 5. Subsequent episodes will drop weekly. #Apple #streaming $AAPL $CMCSA $WBD
Book Review – How To AI: Cut Through The Hype. Master The Basics. Transform Your Work.
Christopher Mims’s 2026 book *How to AI* offers a no‑fluff guide for non‑technical professionals seeking to harness artificial intelligence. Drawing on his Wall Street Journal reporting, Mims demystifies core concepts, introduces the term “simulated intelligence,” and explains why AI hallucinations...
FCC Probes Bridge News for Unauthorized License Control Transfer
Isn't it clearer than that @brianstelter? @FCC Media Bureau said it was investigating Bridge News "for possible violations of the @FCC’s prohibition on unauthorized transfers of control of the station licenses." https://t.co/G9yDWJxuX7
Hungarian State Media Pivots to Impartiality Post‑Orbán
Curious to see what happens to the Hungarian media landscape following the end of Orbán’s regime. So far, employees with state media orgs have fired prominent staff; expressed a desire to host guests opposing Orbán; and demanded editorial impartiality. https://t.co/csOfvJb62s...
Newcomer Media Podcast Tackles ICE, DEI, Twitter Chaos
FRESH on the @NewcomerMedia podcast @KatieS Whoop for your poop, speaking out against ICE, DEI in the Trump era, Twitter the cockroach, and much more https://t.co/H1kFzXg00e
FCC Moves to Challenge ABC Licenses After Kimmel Monologue
FCC plans to challenge ABC’s broadcast licenses after Kimmel monologue, sources tell me & @rogoswami https://t.co/HAi0WLFXfZ
China’s Crackdown Targets Journalists Exposing Overseas Intimidation
Journalists reporting on China should be aware of ways the authorities may respond to their work. Here's what happened to @ICIJorg and its network following a 2025 exposé on Beijing’s tactics to threaten, coerce and intimidate regime critics overseas. https://t.co/kGXs8PegQC