Ooh Media Auction Lifts the Unmade Index
Ooh Media announced a second takeover offer from private‑infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, valuing the company at roughly $508 million USD. The bid lifted Ooh Media’s share price 7.14% to $1.35, pushing its market capitalisation to about $470 million USD, the first time it’s topped $700 million AUD since January. The news drove the Unmade Index up 0.92% to 396.4 points, its highest level in over two months. Other media stocks saw mixed moves, with Sports Entertainment Group gaining and agency holdco Enero dropping sharply.
‘Project Hail Mary’ Arrives On Streaming This Week As Film Tops $655 Million At Box Office
Ryan Gosling’s sci‑fi adventure *Project Hail Mary* will hit premium video‑on‑demand on May 12 after a strong theatrical run that has amassed $655.7 million worldwide. The film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, is the...
TelevisaUnivision’s New Ads Chief ‘Energized’ After Planning Upfront in Just Weeks
TelevisaUnivision appointed longtime executive John Kozack as its ads president just weeks before the annual upfront, replacing Tim Natividad. Kozack, with more than 20 years at the company, says he is "energized" and familiar with the upfront planning process. The...
See Behind the Scenes of Disney’s Massive 2026 TV Upfront Event
Disney is staging its 2026 TV upfront at New York's Javits Center, expecting 3,700 attendees. The production features over 300 rigging points supporting 183,000 lb of equipment, including 7‑ton LED walls that move in unprecedented ways. New Clear LED panels provide...
Is Agentic Commerce An Oasis Or Mirage?
Agentic commerce—AI‑driven shopping assistants that can complete purchases—has moved from concept to pilot across Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Instacart and Criteo. Recent earnings calls reveal that Amazon’s Rufus prompts 20% of engaged shoppers for brand details, Walmart’s Sparky lifts order values...
16-Year-Old Owen Cooper Completes Generational Awards Sweep At The BAFTAs
Sixteen‑year‑old Owen Cooper capped a historic awards sweep by winning the BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Netflix’s limited series *Adolescence*. The win completes a clean sweep of every major television honor—including the Emmy, Golden...
Penske Media Illuminates Dark Traffic To Find New Revenue
Publishers are losing measurable traffic to generative‑AI answer engines and privacy tools, creating a growing pool of "dark traffic" that evades analytics. Penske Media Corporation (PMC) teamed with ad‑block recovery platform Ad‑Shield to model and recover these invisible users, especially...
‘Off-Campus,’ and 8 Things to Watch on TV This Week
Prime Video is debuting the eight‑episode adaptation of the BookTok‑fueled hockey romance series “Off‑Campus,” releasing all episodes at once. Netflix is reviving the creator‑driven comedy “Everyone Is Doing Great,” moving its second season to the platform after an initial Hulu...
The Case for and Against Agentic Media Buying
Agentic media‑buying tools are being piloted by holding companies such as Omnicom, Stagwell and Butler/Till to bypass traditional ad‑tech intermediaries and deliver more budget directly to publishers. Proponents argue the technology can strip away layers of the programmatic supply chain,...
Inside Expedia’s Year-Long Partnership with Mega Creator IShowSpeed
Expedia has signed a year‑long partnership with mega‑creator IShowSpeed, whose 150 million followers span YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. The deal, estimated at $250,000, includes a Caribbean livestream, an interactive travel‑site and a dedicated TikTok account, and gives Speed full creative control....
‘Google Doesn’t Care that It’s Terrible’: Brand, Agency Execs Air Frustrations with The Trade Desk, Google’s Performance Max, Meta’s Advantage+
Agency leaders say The Trade Desk has stepped up rep outreach after a March advisory from Dentsu, Publicis and WPP warned clients about spending on its platform and OpenPath. While the DSP claims its data is transparent, users must stitch...
Media Alarmism and the Space Industry: What It Is, Which Topics Attract It, and Why It Happens
Media alarmism turns legitimate space risks—debris, asteroids, solar storms, launches, and defense—into sensational headlines that outpace scientific nuance. The article explains how uncertainty, visual drama, and commercial hype combine to amplify fear, using the 2024 YR4 asteroid episode as a case...
Biozet Attack Shows How a ‘Cleverer Clean’ Frees You to Be ‘Not so Clever’ with Your Clothes in New Brand...
Biozet Attack, a KAO Australia laundry brand, has launched a new “Cleverer Clean” campaign developed by Communicado. The multi‑platform effort, featuring a 3‑D brain visual and a hero film about an over‑confident waiter, runs on CTV, BVOD, SVOD, cinema, OOH,...
Weekend Ratings (8–10/05/2026): Aussies Game-Obsessed As Nine’s The Floor & Seven’s The 1% Club Drive Big Boom
Australian TV audiences gravitated toward game‑show entertainment over the weekend, with Nine’s “The Floor” posting a 1.93 million reach and a 965 000 average audience, while Seven’s “The 1% Club” logged a 1.69 million reach and 901 000 average viewers. Both shows also attracted sizable BVOD...
Behind The Success Of Selleys Billboard Stunt That Almost Didn’t Stick
Howatson+Company’s “If you can take it, it’s yours” campaign turned a Sydney roadside billboard into an interactive adhesive challenge, letting the public pull down glued items ranging from kayaks to arcade machines. Budget cuts forced all objects onto a single...
Zenith Reveals Australians Still See Cathy Freeman As A National Treasure
Zenith Australia’s nationally representative study finds 68.7% of adults consider Olympic champion Cathy Freeman a national treasure, the highest recognition among all figures surveyed. Support for Freeman is remarkably uniform across generations, with 61% of Gen Z and over 70% of...
Instagram Can Now Read All Users’ Private Messages. Will This Make Kids Safer or Just Boost Ad Targeting?
Meta has removed end‑to‑end encryption from Instagram direct messages as of May 8, saying few users opted in to the feature. The change means all private chats are now readable by Meta and could be leveraged for ad personalization, AI model...
Monks Brings AI-Led ‘Creative Intelligence’ to APAC Market via Monks.Flow Ecosystem
Monks, the AI arm of S4Capital, launched its Creative Intelligence engine across APAC as part of the Monks.Flow ecosystem. The cloud‑native solution fingerprints video and static assets, attaching granular metadata to performance data so marketers can pinpoint which creative elements...
Filming Underway on NCIS: Sydney S4
Paramount+ has begun filming season 4 of the Australian spin‑off NCIS: Sydney, produced by Endemol Shine Australia for CBS Studios. The joint U.S.‑Australian task force returns to chase mermaid masterminds, gold heists and secret‑trade conspiracies, building on a 20‑episode third season...
Marshals Season 1, Episode 11 Recap, “On Thin Ice”
Episode 11, “On Thin Ice,” brings the first season of Marshals to a tense climax as Kayce, Cal and escaped convict Lamb battle a winter storm on the Madison range. The episode reveals Cal’s long‑held secret that he blamed himself...
The Trade Desk Study Reveals Flaw In How The Industry Defines Advertising Efficiency
The Trade Desk and PA Consulting released the "Premium Media Payoff" study, showing that ads in premium environments outperform lower‑cost placements on core brand metrics. Premium media delivered 4.3% higher purchase consideration, a 37% lift in purchase intent, a 22%...
Kyle and Jackie O’s ‘Intern Pete’ Joins Christian O’Connell
Peter Deppeler, known as “Intern Pete,” is leaving the Kyle and Jackie O Show after more than 12 years to become senior producer and roving reporter on Christian O’Connell’s national breakfast program on ARN’s Gold network. His departure comes as...
Airdate: Leonard and Hungry Paul
Irish comedy series Leonard and Hungry Paul, starring Alex Lawther, Laurie Kynaston and Jamie‑Lee O’Donnell, debuts on ABC Entertains on May 12, 2026. The show is narrated by Oscar‑winner Julia Roberts and follows two board‑gaming friends navigating personal loss, family events, and budding...
India’s Cricket Cash Machine Faces a Slower Run Rate
India’s cricket governing body, the BCCI, is seeing its once‑explosive revenue engine slow down. After a decade of double‑digit growth driven by the Indian Premier League (IPL) and lucrative broadcast deals, the 2023‑24 fiscal year recorded a modest increase in...
Amazon's New Fire TV Operating System Closes the Loopholes that Made Fire TV Worth Buying in the First Place
Amazon is replacing the Android‑based Fire OS on new 2026 Fire TV devices with a proprietary Linux platform called VegaOS. The change eliminates sideloading of Android APKs, ending the long‑standing openness that attracted power users. Existing Fire TV units will...
The Only Bones Cold Open The Show's Creator Regrets (For A Reason You'd Never Guess)
In 2011 Fox moved *American Idol* into a Thursday slot directly before *Bones*, prompting the procedural’s Season 6 opener to feature a graphic head‑explosion cold‑open. Creator Hart Hanson later admitted the violent prologue was a regret, noting the mismatch between a...
Josh Heuston Joins Prime Video’s OFF CAMPUS Sydney Fan Event
Prime Video is promoting its new YA series Off Campus with a week‑long immersive fan event at Romancing The Novel bookstore in Sydney. Australian actor Josh Heuston will appear for a Q&A on May 19, and fans can earn tickets...
Is Meta Really Dying?
Meta’s daily active users fell by 20 million in Q1 2026, the first quarterly decline in its history, prompting headlines that the company is dying. Despite the dip, the platform still serves 3.56 billion users—about half the world’s population—and its 2025 revenue rose...
Instagram Eyes Long-Form Content on CTV
Instagram is planning to add long‑form video to its connected‑TV (CTV) app, according to Vice President of Product Tessa Lyons at the Scalable Summit. The move is intended to complement the platform’s short‑form focus and give creators tools for podcasts, live...
Policing the Bots: How New Rules Could Save the Web From AI Scrapers
Australia ranks among the most AI‑anxious nations, fearing misuse and un‑compensated data scraping. AI firms routinely crawl the open web, pulling content from news sites, Reddit, and academic repositories to train models. With the Australian government rejecting a new text‑and‑data‑mining...
Pinterest Updates Ad Relevance
Pinterest has upgraded its ad relevance engine by incorporating users' offline conversion data and real‑time search behavior. The new architecture uses a hybrid serving flow and novel training approach, boosting median relevance by roughly 275‑300% in tests. It also doubled...
Adolescence Makes History at Bafta TV Awards
Netflix’s limited‑series Adolescence dominated the BAFTA Television Awards, capturing four trophies – the most any show has won in a single year – including best limited series. Sixteen‑year‑old Owen Cooper became the youngest ever recipient of the best supporting actor award...
SKY NEWS Locks in Major Political Lineup for Budget 2026
Sky News Australia announced a comprehensive, rolling broadcast of the 2026 Federal Budget, beginning Tuesday May 12 at 5:00 pm. High‑profile hosts Chris Kenny, Peta Credlin and Paul Murray will anchor separate segments that preview, analyze and dissect Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget...
25 of the Most Memorable TV and Movie Moms
The Wrap curates a list of 25 iconic TV and movie mothers, ranging from sitcom staples like Clair Huxtable to fantasy figures such as Daenerys Targaryen. Each profile highlights how the character reshapes traditional maternal tropes, whether through humor, resilience,...
Can TROPFEST Reclaim Its Place in Australian Film?
Tropfest, Australia’s flagship short‑film festival, returns after a six‑year hiatus, highlighted in an ABC Australian Story episode titled “The Hustler.” The documentary follows founder John Polson, whose troubled youth was redirected by acting, and charts the festival’s rise from a Sydney...
HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? Lands UK Star Olga Koch
British‑born comedian Olga Koch makes her Australian TV debut on Network 10’s quiz show “Have You Been Paying Attention?” airing tonight at 8.40 pm. She joins regulars Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee alongside guests Melanie Bracewell and Ray O’Leary. Koch is known...
'The Punisher: One Last Kill' Has My Attention
Marvel is releasing a one‑off special titled "The Punisher: One Last Kill" on Disney+ on May 12, 2026. The film brings Jon Bernthal back as Frank Castle and even credits him as a writer, promising a deeper psychological look at...
Screen Forever 2026: Meet the Book Scout
Philippa Donovan, an Australian‑born literary scout, bridges the gap between publishing and film/TV production. At Screen Forever 2026 she explained how she translates publishing terminology into production‑ready concepts for studios across the US, UK and Australia. Donovan is pioneering “reverse...
Week 19 in TV Ratings
Week 19 TV ratings in Australia showed a strong rebound for Network 10, as the return of "Have You Been Paying Attention?" attracted 820,000 viewers, positioning the show as the likely leader in its timeslot for the season. Seven’s long‑running drama...
Michael Johnson Jr. Takes Talk PD Helm at iHeart Hartford
iHeartMedia has appointed Michael Johnson Jr. as Program Director for its sports and talk stations in the Hartford and New Haven cluster. He will oversee programming for Fox Sports 97.9, NewsRadio 1410, 960 WELI‑AM and Fox Sports 1300. Johnson comes from Townsquare Media Albany, most...
Netflix's New Crime Thriller Does Revenge Better Than 'Reacher' -- and Denzel
Netflix’s limited series "Man on Fire" has quickly become a breakout hit, logging 11 million views in its first four days. The adaptation shifts the story from the 2004 film’s Mexico City backdrop to Brazil, using Rio’s favelas and urban landscapes...
Here Is Everything Coming to and Leaving Plex in May 2026
Plex is bolstering its free, ad‑supported catalog in May 2026 with more than 80 new titles, ranging from indie darlings like *First Cow* and *Tangerine* to mainstream hits such as *Past Lives* and *Hereditary*. The platform continues its A24‑style curation,...
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: May 4, 2026 to May 8, 2026
The FCC’s Media Bureau is facing a petition from Disney/ABC that challenges the agency’s recent equal‑opportunity guidance for “The View,” arguing the program remains a bona‑fide news interview exempt from equal‑time rules. Commissioner Jessica Gomez has called for a comprehensive review...
Ryan Reynolds’ Beloved Show & More Hulu Releases This Week
Hulu’s May 11‑17 slate rolls out a mix of new seasons, specials, and full‑series drops, highlighted by the two‑episode debut of Welcome to Wrexham Season 5 on May 14. The platform also launches Lisa Ann Walter’s first stand‑up special, It Was An Accident,...
With Netflix New Ad-Free Standard Plan at $20, Streaming's Tipping Point Into Old TV Is Getting Closer
Netflix raised its standard ad‑free plan to $19.99, underscoring a shift toward hybrid subscription‑and‑advertising revenue. The company’s data shows that an ad‑supported subscriber who watches 41 hours a month can generate roughly $25, surpassing the premium price. Ad‑supported tiers now...
New Yellowstone Series & More Paramount+ Releases This Week
Paramount+ is expanding the Yellowstone franchise with Dutton Ranch, a nine‑episode sequel premiering May 15 that follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they relocate to a Texas ranch. The platform also revives Tyler Perry’s Zatima for Season 4B on May 12,...
Devil May Cry Showrunner Isn't Convinced By Video Game Adaptation Boom
Showrunner Adi Shankar warned that the current wave of video‑game adaptations is likely to produce more cringe than hits, citing the lack of involvement from original developers. He argues that corporate brand managers treat games as logos, leading to generic...
8 Epic Season Finales & More Peacock Releases This Week
Peacock is rolling out a packed week of new releases from May 11‑17, highlighted by nine high‑profile series finales. On May 14 the Chicago franchise—Fire, PD, and Med—concludes simultaneous season arcs, followed by Law & Order and SVU finales on...
One Of Star Trek's Earliest Parody Shows Came From Get Smart's Co-Creator
In 1977 Buck Henry, co‑creator of Get Smart, launched *Quark*, a sci‑fi comedy that lampooned *Star Trek* and other genre staples. The pilot aired just weeks before *Star Wars* hit theaters, prompting NBC to order seven more episodes to ride the space‑opera craze....
5 Unforgettable TV Moms to Add to Your Mother’s Day 2026 Watchlist
The article spotlights five iconic TV mothers—Marge Simpson, Carol Brady, Peggy Bundy, Jessica Huang, and Florida Evans—as must‑watch picks for Mother’s Day 2026. It highlights each character’s cultural footprint, from Marge’s role in the longest‑running American animated series to Peggy...