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.
The Live Revenge: Sports Are Taking Back Power in the Age of Infinite Content
Live sports have become the scarcest, highest‑value asset as AI turns scripted content into a commodity. Record‑breaking viewership—Super Bowl LIX’s 127.7 million audience and Netflix’s 65 million NFL stream—show live events command attention like no on‑demand format. In Latin America, 76% of World Cup 2026 rights are moving to streaming, yet pay‑TV still dominates and women now represent up to 35% of viewers. Broadcasters are re‑engineering rights into platforms that extend revenue beyond the final whistle through real‑time ads, AI highlights, and commerce integrations.
‘Everybody Gets It’: Inside the Brand Partnerships Powering ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
The sequel to *The Devil Wears Prada* is set to open May 1 with a projected $66 million box‑office debut, prompting a wave of brand partnerships. More than 15 major advertisers—including Smartwater, TRESemmé, Zillow, Samsung and Walmart—have signed co‑marketing deals that blend...
The FTC Says Americans Lost at Least $2.1 Billion to Social Media Scams in 2025
The Federal Trade Commission reported that Americans lost at least $2.1 billion to social‑media scams in 2025, an eightfold increase since 2020. Investment‑related fraud accounted for $1.1 billion of that total, while over 40 percent of victims blamed shopping ads that led to...
Laura Dern Reteams with Mike White on The White Lotus Season 4
Oscar‑winner Laura Dern is returning to HBO’s hit anthology series The White Lotus, stepping in for Helena Bonham Carter in the upcoming Season 4. Creator Mike White, who helmed the first three installments, confirmed Dern’s casting as part of a broader reshuffle announced...
Troy Carter on Why Suno Changes Everything
Troy Carter, former Spotify executive and early backer of Uber and Dropbox, praised Suno as the most consequential music technology ever, even surpassing radio and the phonograph. He argued that generative AI platforms like Suno equalize the playing field by...
Streaming Is Starting to Look a Lot Like Broadcast TV
Streaming platforms are abandoning the serialized prestige dramas that defined the Peak TV era and are instead embracing procedural formats that echo 1990s‑2000s broadcast TV. Luminate data shows serialized drama premieres dropped from over 250 in 2022 to fewer than...
Thursday TV Ratings: Going Dutch, Elsbeth, Scrabble, Law & Order, 9-1-1
The latest Thursday TV ratings, compiled using Fast Affiliate Numbers, show viewership performance for new episodes of shows such as Going Dutch, Law & Order, and Scrabble, alongside the NFL Draft Round 1 sports broadcast. Percent changes reflect each program’s audience...
Jeremy Scott Trades ‘ATC’ For ‘Morning Edition’ In Pittsburgh
Jeremy Scott is transitioning from hosting NPR’s All Things Considered to the Morning Edition slot at Pittsburgh’s 90.5 WESA. The move leaves the All Things Considered host chair vacant, prompting a search for a new local anchor. Station executives praised Scott’s...
Ted Lasso’s Fourth Season Starts August 5
Apple TV+ announced that Ted Lasso’s fourth season will debut on August 5, with new episodes airing weekly through October 7. The series returns to Richmond, this time focusing on the club’s women’s team in the second division. Core cast...
Southern Utah’s Redrock Media Makes Mathis Its Next Sales Lead
Redrock Media announced that former Utah Broadcasters Association board member Terry Mathis will serve as its new Director of Sales. Mathis will oversee revenue generation for the company’s five‑station St. George cluster and its digital marketing arm, Redrock Connect, succeeding...
Magazines Received – March
Locus’s March roundup catalogs 27 speculative‑fiction periodicals spanning print, digital and free‑online formats. The list includes established titles such as Asimov’s and Clarkesworld alongside niche newcomers like Reckoning X and Fiyah, a Black speculative‑fiction magazine. Pricing varies widely, from free web‑based...
Kate McKinnon and Sister Emily Lynne Reunite for Sequel to ‘Heads Will Roll’ Fantasy Spoof at Audible
Kate McKinnon and her sister Emily Lynne are returning to Audible with "Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent," a ten‑episode sequel that premieres on June 25, 2026. The fantasy spoof follows Queen Mortuana’s frantic quest to produce an heir before her...
FreeWheel Launches New Partner Portal
FreeWheel unveiled Partner Portal, a unified hub that lets approved partners create, test and scale applications on its Streaming Hub for premium publishers. The portal streamlines API access, sandbox environments and deployment, cutting the need for bespoke integrations. Early adopters...
A New Satellite-to-IP Transition Tool Arrives
At the 2026 NAB Show, Synamedia unveiled the latest version of its Quortex PowerVu platform, a cloud‑based solution that moves broadcast program delivery from traditional satellite links to IP‑driven workflows. The system adds edge processing, allowing affiliates to pull national...
Emma Stone's "Extraordinary" Drama Hailed as a "Triumph" Is Being Removed From Netflix Very Soon
Netflix’s UK catalogue will drop Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar‑winning drama *Birdman* on 18 May, prompting a last‑minute push for subscribers to stream the film. The 2014 Best Picture winner, starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone and Edward Norton, remains accessible on Prime...
Netflix’s Best New Movie Was Snubbed At The Oscars
Netflix’s latest slate includes the off‑beat sci‑fi drama "Bugonia," starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The film earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress but lost both, with Stone falling to Jessie Buckley and Plemons receiving no acting...
House of the Dragon: Season Three — Has the HBO TV Series Been Cancelled or Renewed?
HBO has officially confirmed that House of the Dragon will return for a third season, extending the prequel to Game of Thrones to a planned four‑season arc. Season two delivered a 0.35 rating in the coveted 18‑49 demo and attracted...
The View From HQ, Episode 1: Mark Zagorski
DoubleVerify launched a new video series, "The View From HQ," with its first episode featuring CEO Mark Zagorski. In the interview, Zagorski outlines the company’s expanding footprint in social‑media and connected‑TV (CTV) verification, the emerging opportunities and risks of AI‑driven...
An Oligarch’s Dystopian Scheme to Discredit Journalism with AI
A Peter Thiel‑backed startup, Objection AI, launched this month offering an AI‑driven "jury" that grades journalists with an "Honor Index" and arbitrates media disputes for a $2,000 fee. Founded by Aron D’Souza, the lawyer who led the Thiel‑funded Gawker lawsuit, the service blends...
Australia Gives Google, Meta, and TikTok a Choice: Pay News Outlets or Pay a 2.25% Tax
Australia has drafted a "News Bargaining Incentive" that compels Google, Meta and TikTok to negotiate payment deals with local publishers or face a 2.25% levy on their Australian revenue. The levy applies to platforms generating more than A$250 million (about $165 million...
Whining About Publishing Since 139 AD
The article traces the origins of organized publishing to ancient Rome, where wealthy patron Atticus built a slave‑run workshop to copy Cicero’s essays and later expanded to a full‑scale book‑selling business on the Argiletum street. By the second century AD...
Watch Mehdi's Powerful Speech in Defense of Independent Journalism at the Zeteo Second Birthday Party
In this celebratory speech, the founder of Zeteo marks the outlet’s second anniversary, highlighting its growth from a four‑person startup to a 24‑person independent news organization funded entirely by paid subscribers. He emphasizes Zeteo’s commitment to truth‑telling without advertiser or...
What Does Your Mum Think (WDYMT) Started From a Lack of Inspiration
What Does Your Mum Think (WDYMT) is a new podcast that explores the unvarnished side of creative success. It has produced more than 50 conversations covering design, music and broader culture, mixing behind‑the‑scenes founder interviews with spontaneous street chats in...
PART 4: The Mistakes That Kill Artist Communities
Part 4 of the Superfan Playbook warns that most artist communities die within six months because they launch with structural flaws. It breaks the audit into two phases: pre‑launch mistakes such as lacking critical mass, a content runway, and platform‑fan alignment,...
Barry Diller Just Put Neil Vogel in Charge of His Media Empire. Here's Vogel's Strategy for Running People Inc.
Barry Diller renamed his IAC holding company People Inc. and installed Neil Vogel as chief executive of the entire media portfolio. Vogel, who previously relied on Google for about 70% of traffic, has seen that share fall to roughly 25%...
Newsmax to Launch Greta Van Susteren Podcast
Newsmax announced a new weekly podcast called “Greta Wire,” hosted by veteran cable journalist Greta Van Susteren. The show, produced from Washington, will feature interviews with prominent figures in politics, business, sports and entertainment. Van Susteren, who already anchors the daily...
Traditional Listening Misses Video; Syncly Reads Every Frame
There's a big problem with most social listening... They don't reallyyy read video. Sure, they'll index AROUND the video, grabbing captions, hashtags, @ mentions, but they often can't notice what's INSIDE the video—like when a creator holds up your product or...
Snapchat Brings AI-Powered Conversational Advertising to Its App
Snapchat is rolling out AI Sponsored Snaps, interactive ads placed in the app’s Chat tab that let users converse with brand‑run AI agents. The format builds on existing Sponsored Snaps, which already deliver 22% higher conversion rates and roughly 20% lower cost‑per‑action....
MediaMint Appoints Michael Mayer as EVP of Media & Entertainment to Help Publishers Modernize Revenue Operations with AI
MediaMint appointed Michael Mayer as Executive Vice President of Media & Entertainment to drive AI‑powered revenue operations for publishers. Mayer brings over 30 years of experience from Turner Broadcasting, NBCUniversal and Peacock, where he built end‑to‑end ad and revenue systems....
Black Effect Podcast Festival Celebrates Black Voices
The Black Effect Podcast Festival took place April 28‑29, 2026 at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards, gathering more than 2,000 attendees. Hosted by iHeartMedia, the two‑day event featured live podcast recordings, panels on the business of podcasting, a Pitch‑Your‑Podcast booth, and a Black Marketplace...
New Media Boom May Be Illusion, Not Reality
It increasingly feels like some of the prevailing assumptions underpinning new media’s growth over the past decade has been a mirage. Take a closer look at the new newsletters, podcasts, videos, Substacks, and livestreams entering the market. You undoubtedly are seeing...
TALKERS News Notes
Nielsen Audio and Triton Digital announced a partnership that embeds Triton’s Podcast Metrics Demos+ into Nielsen Media Impact, giving advertisers a unified tool for planning podcasts alongside TV and digital. Seaboard Networks will distribute the one‑hour wrestling‑themed show “Wrestling with...
April 28: Weekly Notes Boost Community
Substack launched a new Weekly Notes feature that lets writers publish concise, recurring updates to their subscriber base. Early adopters report higher open rates and stronger community interaction, with many creators seeing a 15% lift in engagement metrics. The platform...
Fox’s Tubi Taps YouTubers Michelle Khare, Scott Mansell for Live F1 Altcasts
Fox's ad‑supported streaming platform Tubi will launch creator‑led live altcasts of select 2026 Formula 1 races, beginning with the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. The series, called “The Fast Lane,” pairs YouTube personalities Michelle Khare, Jeremiah Burton, and former driver Scott Mansell with real‑time...
Is 2026 The Year The Emmys Will Finally Embrace Taylor Sheridan?
Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ westerns—Yellowstone, its prequels 1883 and 1923, Landman and the new drama The Madison—have amassed massive audiences and solid guild accolades, yet none have secured an Emmy nomination. The 2026 awards season puts Landman and The Madison in...
Blink49 Studios Launches Creator Studios Division, Names Mickey Meyer as President
Blink49 Studios announced a new global Creator Studios division aimed at turning creator‑built audiences into scalable intellectual property across scripted, unscripted and digital‑first formats. The division will provide end‑to‑end services including development, financing, production and worldwide distribution. Mickey Meyer, a...
Sidewalker Daily’s Nina Zadeh Spent a Decade on the Brand Side. Now She Teaches Creators to Fight Back
Nina Zadeh, co‑founder of Miami‑based Sidewalker Daily, leverages a decade on the brand side to teach creators how to negotiate and secure paid deals. The platform, built without paid ads, now serves over 160,000 creators with a flagship Pitching To...
15 Proven App Ad Formats Driving 8‑Figure Growth
These app ad formats are crushing for my clients. Some of these helped my clients scale to 8-figure in revenue. These are the 15 proven formats that you need to run to scale your ad account. Want a copy? Like + Comment "app"...
America First Shifts to Permit Full Foreign Broadcast Ownership
America First now means changing the rules to sell American broadcast infrastructure to foreign investors.
Integral Ad Science Unveils IAS Total TV Suite, Bringing Linear‑TV Transparency to CTV
Integral Ad Science rolled out IAS Total TV, a new measurement suite that delivers show‑level transparency for connected‑TV ads on Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Prime Video. The platform combines content insights, media‑quality verification and supply‑path data, aiming to curb $1 billion...
Swedish Edition of “When Everyone Knows” Arrives October
The Swedish translation of When everyone knows that everyone knows will be published by Fri Tanke ("Free thought") this October. https://t.co/doXjKpofar
Publishers Must Build Own Ecosystems, Not Depend on Search
Fascinating note in this from Barry Diller to shareholders, esp for publishers: "We recognized the coming reality of zero search traffic years ago, successfully transitioning out of depending upon search engines for our traffic to create our own ecosystem." https://t.co/cpgaIf2ar7
Argentina's President Milei Expels 60 Journalists, Ignites Press Freedom Crisis
President Javier Milei expelled roughly 60 accredited journalists from Argentina's Casa Rosada, citing unauthorized smart‑glasses footage. The move, accompanied by all‑caps social‑media attacks and AI‑generated memes, has been condemned as an unprecedented assault on press freedom in the country’s post‑dictatorship...
New Podcast Gains Wild Momentum and High-Impact Guests
The momentum of my new podcast with @MikeLindstrom called @WYSPodcast_com is absolutely wild to me. The caliber of guests, conversations, network effects, impact, social media impressions, downloads...all of it. Check out the show. Big things happening. https://t.co/GXj3d44ARs
Spotify Reaches 293M Premium Users, 761M MAU
Earnings: Spotify Hits 293 Million Premium Subscribers in Q1 PRO The music streaming giant reaches a total of 761 million monthly active users @TheWrap
NFL Teams Up with Skydance to Launch First Scripted Series and Feature Films
The National Football League has partnered with Skydance Sports to create its first scripted streaming series, "The Land," and a slate of feature films, including a John Madden biopic and a Christmas‑day Giant‑hero movie. The move seeks to turn the...
FCC May Accelerate TV License Renewals Despite 2028 Deadline
.@Reuters first reported last month that @FCC could speed up broadcast license renewals (Remember no broadcast TV licenses are up until October 2028) https://t.co/OevSp8KKaZ
LinkedIn Newsletters Now Outpacing External Platforms
I have a sneaking suspicion that LinkedIn is becoming a more valuable place to host a newsletter than an external platform, and they're leaning into that. Still keeping my external list, but the organic growth on the version I put on...
IAB Tech Lab Updates OpenRTB to Better Define Live Content
IAB Tech Lab announced updates to the OpenRTB specification that introduce new optional fields and clarify existing ones to more precisely label live, real‑time, and first‑broadcast content in bid requests. The changes also refine substitution macros, giving demand‑side platforms clearer...
Weekly Creator Economy Job Radar – April 28, 2026 – MrBeast, CHANEL, and E.l.f. Beauty Hiring Across Beauty, Agency, and...
The creator‑economy hiring wave continued in late April, with Beast Industries (Jimmy Donaldson’s MrBeast) posting senior roles in external communications and corporate strategy. Luxury and beauty firms such as CHANEL and e.l.f. Beauty added influencer‑focused positions, while brands like Sol...