WBD Extends Giro D’Italia Rights
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has extended its exclusive rights to broadcast the Giro d’Italia, Giro d’Italia Women and a suite of premier Italian road races through at least 2029. The agreement with RCS Sport preserves coverage on Eurosport across 50 European markets, TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, and HBO Max streaming in the United States and Europe. The deal adds 14 events—including Strade Bianche, Tirreno‑Adriatico, Milano‑Sanremo, Il Lombardia and the UAE Tour—for both men’s and women’s competitions. WBD frames the extension as a commitment to deepening cycling storytelling and expanding its live‑sport audience.
Shared Screens: Co-Viewers in APAC Are More Likely to Act on Ads Than Solo Viewers
PubMatic’s new report reveals that shared‑screen viewing on connected TV (CTV) drives markedly higher ad performance across APAC. Co‑viewers pay 42 % more attention, recall brands 53 % better, and are 70 % more likely to act than solo viewers. The study of...
How The Financial Times Is Betting on Personality-Led Vodcasts as Its Next Subscription Lever
The Financial Times has launched “The Story of Money,” a history‑of‑finance vodcast on YouTube that also streams as a podcast, marking its first stand‑alone, multi‑platform video brand. Sponsored by Nuveen, the series pairs star journalists with a narrow editorial franchise...
Vibes over Metrics: Why More Creators Are Holding IRL Events to Own Their Audience
Creators are increasingly hosting in‑person (IRL) events to cement audience loyalty and diversify beyond platform algorithms. Programs like Snap School and FiveTwoNine's Creator Fund are funding workshops and travel, helping creators build offline communities. High‑profile examples such as Dude Perfect’s...
Criminal Record Season Two Review – Peter Capaldi Is Just Devastating in This Intense Crime Thriller
Apple TV+’s "Criminal Record" returns for a second season, anchored by Peter Capaldi’s unsettling turn as DCI Daniel Hegarty. The series deepens its exploration of systemic police corruption and the rise of far‑right extremism, set against a perpetually dim London...
Scrolling for Answers: How Reliable Is Mental Health and Neurodivergence-Related Information on Social Media?
A systematic review of 27 studies examined the accuracy of mental‑health and neurodivergence content across major social‑media platforms. The analysis of over 5,000 posts found misinformation rates ranging from 0% on YouTube Kids to 35% on TikTok, with YouTube generally...
What Agencies Notice After 50 Guest Posts (And Why They Don’t Go Back)
Agencies that run guest‑post campaigns notice a turning point around the 50th placement. Early posts are treated as experiments focused on cost, turnaround and raw metrics, but after enough volume the conversation shifts toward stability and editorial fit. Publishers that...
TVNZ+ Rolls Out Major Overhaul With New Ad Formats
TVNZ+ is rolling out a major platform upgrade built with Quickplay, Amazon Web Services and Evergent, aiming to boost viewer experience and ad capabilities. The redesign adds a refreshed content carousel, a Top 10 belt, simpler login and audio‑description features, while...
‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ To Resume Production Following Taylor Frankie Paul Drama
Disney’s streaming platform Hulu announced that production will resume on Season 5 of the reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” The show was halted earlier this year after domestic assault allegations against star Taylor Frankie Paul, which were later...
Times Radio Campaign Aims to Offer Clarity Amidst the Chaos
Times Radio, the news outlet of The Times, launched the “Understanding the News Starts with Listening” campaign this month. Developed by Mosaic, the embedded agency at News UK, the campaign uses striking close‑up images of world leaders’ mouths on billboards in...
Jessica Jones Has Finally Returned in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, but I Wish She Weren't Burdened with a Tired...
Jessica Jones reappears in Disney+ *Daredevil: Born Again* season 2, marking her first MCU appearance since the Netflix series ended seven years ago. The episode shows her confronting a task force, but her iconic super‑strength falters, leaving her with a cracked rib...
Rachel Bloom Optimistic About ‘Do You Want Kids?’ As ABC Mulls Pilot’s Fate: “We Feel Wonderful About It”
Rachel Bloom and husband Dan Gregor have completed the single‑camera comedy pilot “Do You Want Kids?” for ABC’s 20th Television. The show, starring Bloom and Rory Scovel, follows a couple in parallel universes—one with a baby, one without—and has been...
Bestads Best TV/Film of the Week: Fuck Cancer’s ‘Beat Cancer Off’ via VML Health
The nonprofit Fuck Cancer, in partnership with VML Health, launched the "Beat Cancer Off" campaign to raise prostate‑cancer awareness using a cheeky animated film, original song, and a new tracking app. The creative hinges on a Health Professionals Follow‑up Study...
Is Splitting NRL Rights In The Long-Term Interest Of The Code?
The NRL is negotiating a record‑breaking 2028 TV deal that could split broadcast rights in an NFL‑style model, aiming to maximise short‑term revenue. While the approach may generate a larger cheque, it risks diluting audience reach and complicating fan access....
Distribution & Devotion: Learn Why Great Content Finds Its Audience At Cairns Crocodiles
The Cairns Crocodiles Film & Screen Track hosted a "Distribution and Devotion" panel on May 13, featuring HBO Max Australia senior director John Beohm, writer‑director Caden Pearson, RUSH Films producer Cody Greenwood, and tourism expert Julie King. The discussion centered...
Mamamia Out Loud Breaks Podcast Ranker Record with 1.2m Listeners
Mamamia Out Loud attracted 1.22 million individual listeners in March 2026, setting a new all‑time high for any Australian podcast on the Australian Podcast Ranker. It marked the show’s third straight month at the top of the ranker and the first...
‘Do We Half Accept It As Normal?’: MOBI’s Liz Cherry Warns Marketers Of AI Language Creeping Into Campaigns
MOBI’s marketing lead Liz Cherry warned that the rapid adoption of AI tools is making campaign language increasingly uniform, even as it accelerates production and improves metrics. While AI can automate repetitive tasks and free marketers to focus on strategy,...
VaynerMedia Australia Expands Leadership to Meet Demand for Social-First Marketing
VaynerMedia Australia announced the addition of four senior specialists to its leadership team, reflecting the agency’s response to the accelerating shift of consumer attention and ad spend toward social platforms. The hires—Elle Batchelor, Sophie Tschuchnigg, Belle Brown and Nathan Bramley—bring...
TV Tech Announces Winners of Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
TV Tech announced the winners of its Best of Show Awards at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. A panel of engineers and industry experts evaluated more than 70 products on innovation, feature set, perceived value and real‑world application....
Chyron Announces PRIME Translate
Chyron has launched PRIME Translate, an AI‑driven workflow that adds real‑time multilingual translation to live broadcasts. The solution creates hyper‑realistic facial movement, synchronized audio and graphic overlays, enabling one‑to‑many language outputs from a single production. Built on NVIDIA Holoscan and AI...
Burger in Front, Party Out Back: McDonald’s NZ Debuts the Cheeseburger with a Mullet via McCann NZ, FleishmanHillard Aotearoa +...
McDonald’s New Zealand rolled out a limited‑time "Cheeseburger with a Mullet" – nicknamed the McMullet – after a social‑media buzz around adding an extra slice of cheese at the back of a cheeseburger. The campaign, created with McCann NZ, FleishmanHillard Aotearoa...
Returning: Citadel
Amazon Prime Video will launch the second season of the high‑budget spy series Citadel on May 6, 2026. The seven‑episode run returns lead actors Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Stanley Tucci, and adds newcomers Jack Reynor, Matt Berry, Lina El Arabi and others. Produced by Amazon MGM Studios in...
Countdown to New York Festivals Advertising Awards 2026 Entry Deadline: Thursday, April 23
Entries for the New York Festivals Advertising Awards 2026 close on Thursday, April 23, giving creatives, agencies, and brands worldwide a final day to submit work that showcases bold ideas, measurable impact, and creative effectiveness. The 2026 edition expands its in‑person judging program...
Disney+ Secures Waitrose, Volkswagen and PG Tips Sponsorship for Rivals
Disney+ has secured three high‑profile sponsors—Waitrose, Volkswagen and PG Tips—for the second series of its original drama "Rivals," which premieres on 15 May. The partnerships embed the brands directly into the narrative, offering product placement and co‑branded moments. This marks Disney+’s most...
Paramount+ Goes Vertical
Paramount+ has rolled out a new vertical‑video Clips feature on its iOS app, delivering bite‑sized sports, news and original‑show moments. The addition puts the service alongside rivals like Peacock, Disney+ and ESPN that are already courting mobile users with TikTok‑style...
The High Cost of Social Data: Why Big Tech Is Closing Every Door
Big tech platforms are turning social data into a premium commodity, with Twitter’s API now starting at $100 per month for a Basic tier and $5,000 for a Pro tier, while LinkedIn restricts deep B2B data behind a rigorous approval...
NFL Goes to the FCC
The NFL met with Federal Communications Commission staff to argue that its reliance on free, over‑the‑air broadcasts benefits fans, local stations, and all 32 clubs. The league highlighted the steep decline in pay‑TV subscriptions and cited Amazon’s record‑breaking Thursday Night...
Disappointed by Compliance to AI Rules, Meity Proposes 'Continuous' Watermarks
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is proposing an amendment to the 2021 IT Rules that would require a continuous watermark on AI‑generated content, replacing the current “clear and conspicuous” label requirement. The draft also removes the earlier...
Nine Secures NBL Rights in Two Year Deal
Nine has secured a two‑year free‑to‑air broadcast agreement with the National Basketball League, delivering two marquee games each week on the 9Network and 9Now. The deal also includes live coverage of the NBL Finals, a weekly analysis show, and a...
Iran's Meme Factory Is Using 'the Weapons of Their Enemy' To Embarrass Trump
Iranian media outfit Explosive Media is deploying AI‑generated, Lego‑style videos to mock President Donald Trump and frame Iran as the underdog in the ongoing conflict. The short, English‑language clips—dubbed "slopaganda"—are shared widely on TikTok, Instagram and X, amassing millions of...
WiredCo Joins OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads Pilot in Australia
WiredCo, an award‑winning brandformance agency, has joined OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads pilot in Australia, bringing Boost Mobile and THE ICONIC on board as the first local brands. The agency is creating conversational ad units that sit natively within ChatGPT, targeting the...
Agency Agenda: VaynerMedia's Marcus Krzastek on AI, Media, and Creative Convergence
VaynerMedia International President Marcus Krzastek says the agency is dismantling the traditional divide between creative and media, building a single, integrated system that can operate across markets. He highlights how AI‑driven tools and platform‑native capabilities on TikTok and Meta let...
Netflix Quietly Adds Martin Short Movie Collection to Celebrate New Documentary
Netflix is bolstering its comedy slate ahead of the May 12, 2026 debut of the documentary *Marty, Life is Short*. The streamer will add Martin Short’s *Father of the Bride* and its sequel to its catalog in May, joining existing titles like...
‘Jury Duty: Company Retreat’ Submits 19 Actors for Emmys, Including Sia; Participant Anthony Norman Ineligible (EXCLUSIVE)
Amazon Prime Video is pushing its reality‑hoax series “Jury Duty: Company Retreat” for Emmy recognition, submitting 19 performers across 19 categories for the second season. The eight‑episode run is entered for Outstanding Comedy Series, with 15 cast members in supporting...
Screen Forever 2026: Lifetime Achievement for Nadia Tass & David Parker
Renowned Australian filmmaking duo Nadia Tass and David Parker will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th Screen Producers Australia Awards. Their company, Cascade Films, founded in 1985, has earned more than 70 international awards and showcased titles at...
How AI-Powered Media Asset Management Is Reshaping Broadcast Workflows
Broadcast producers are grappling with unprecedented volumes of high‑resolution media, exposing the limits of legacy Media Asset Management (MAM) systems. AI‑driven tools now auto‑generate metadata, apply speech‑to‑text transcription, and recognize objects, shrinking asset search times from minutes to seconds. These...
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Dark Wizard’ On HBO Max, A Docuseries About Climber And Thrill Seeker Dean Potter
HBO Max’s four‑part docuseries *The Dark Wizard* chronicles the life of Dean Potter, the pioneering free‑solo climber, highliner and BASE jumper who reshaped extreme sport in the 1990s. The series blends rare archival footage, animated journal excerpts, and interviews with...
From Podcast ‘Yap’ to Prime-Time Power Play: Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westacott Take on Hit Drive
Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westacott, the duo behind the popular "The Happy Hour" podcast, stepped into the Hit Network’s national Drive slot in the week of 6 April, filling in for Carrie & Tommy during a survey break. The transition marks...
Broadsign Partners with JB Hi-Fi to Accelerate Retail Media Network
Broadsign announced a partnership with Australian electronics retailer JB Hi‑Fi to power its in‑store retail media network across more than 200 locations. The Broadsign Platform will centralise campaign planning, execution, optimisation and reporting, giving JB Hi‑Fi real‑time control from a single hub....
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Unchosen’ On Netflix, Where A Woman In A Christian Cult Meets An Escaped Convict And...
Netflix's new British thriller "Unchosen" follows Rosie, a mother in a rigid Christian cult, who hides an escaped convict after he rescues her daughter. The series, created by Julie Gearey, juxtaposes the cult's oppressive rules—such as banning phones—with the convict's...
The Dealmaking 3: NBA Playoffs on NBC, NFL Draft AI & $7M for Athletes
The Dealmaking 3 highlights three major sports‑industry moves. NBC Sports has signed an 11‑year agreement to broadcast NBA playoff games, marking its return to the league’s postseason. Amazon’s NFL Draft AI, branded as NFL IQ, now provides live fan‑prediction updates every...
Stranger Things Returns to Netflix This Week—But It’s Not What You Think
Netflix is adding an animated spin‑off to the Stranger Things franchise, titled Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which premieres on April 23, 2026. The ten‑episode series is set in the winter of 1985, bridging the narrative gap between Seasons 2 and 3 of the...
Context Matters: How to Target Smarter When Tracking Gets Worse
With third‑party cookies disappearing, 60% of brands feel unprepared, leaving small advertisers especially vulnerable. Lacking first‑party data and limited budgets, they struggle to track and retarget prospects. Contextual targeting—matching ads to page content—offers a cookie‑free solution, delivering up to tenfold...
RAIN Notes: April 21
Bauer Media has partnered with Experian to bring data‑driven, hyper‑local targeting to its digital radio advertising. Experian’s MicromarketerG3 aligns listening areas with postal districts, feeding the audioXi platform so ads reach the right listeners in specific neighborhoods. The combined solution...
CMG Offers Spanish-Language Newscasts In ‘First Coast’
Cox Media Group’s Telemundo affiliate in Jacksonville will debut a Spanish‑language local newscast, "Noticias Jacksonville," on May 4, airing on WFOX‑30.4. The program marks the first en‑español local news offering in the First Coast market. Anchor Karen Taffanelli will also serve...
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘UNTOLD: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill’ on Netflix, a True-Crime Story From the World of...
Netflix’s UNTOLD series adds a new entry, "The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill," chronicling the 2019 attempted murder of dressage rider Lauren Kanarek by former Olympian trainer Michael Barisone. The documentary uniquely features on‑camera interviews with both the victim and the...
How to Spot AI Audiobooks on Libby
Libby, the library e‑reading app, now labels AI‑generated audiobook narrations as “synthesized voice” or “digital voice,” allowing users to identify synthetic narrators. The article explains how to locate these tags in the NARRATOR section and how to search for them,...
‘Marketing Brew Weekly’ Won a Webby!
Marketing Brew Weekly, the weekly podcast extension of the Marketing Brew newsletter, won a 2026 Webby Award in the Marketing category. Launched in September 2025, the show eschews traditional interview formats in favor of editorial‑team style discussions on topics like...
What IMAX Got Right While the Rest of the Movie Industry Flatlined
Domestic box‑office revenue has stalled under $9 billion for three years, yet IMAX posted a record $449 million domestic haul and $1.28 billion globally, a 40% year‑over‑year rise. With only about 1% of North American screens, IMAX captured nearly 20% of opening‑weekend grosses...
'The White Lotus’ on Points? A Luxurious Hyatt in France Is Taking Center Stage
Season 4 of HBO’s The White Lotus will be set against the Cannes Film Festival, using Hôtel Martinez—Hyatt’s Unbound Collection flagship—as the on‑screen resort. The series also features Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint‑Tropez as a secondary location. Hôtel Martinez, a Category 8 property, commands summer rates above...