Calinos Entertainment Presents New Turkish Drama, Ugly, to the Global Market
Calinos Entertainment is launching the Turkish drama *Ugly (Çirkin)* to international markets after a strong domestic debut on Star TV. The series opened on March 29 and saw its ratings rise from 4.70 to 5.89 by the third episode, while the first episode surpassed 4.8 million YouTube views. Directed by Burcu Alptekin and Merve Çolak, the show stars Derya Pınar Ak and Çağlar Ertuğrul and follows Meryem Tunalı’s rise from hardship to power. Calinos believes the story’s emotional depth and cinematic quality will resonate globally.
FreeWheel’s AI-Driven Context Engine Enables Global Contextual Targeting Across Premium Video
FreeWheel launched Context Engine, an AI‑driven feature inside its Streaming Hub that automatically tags premium video content with contextual signals such as emotion, location and objects. The tool combines computer vision, machine learning and generative AI to process millions of...
Philo Selects Reelgood to Power Content Intelligence and Personalization Across Its Streaming Platform
Philo, the San Francisco‑based live TV streaming service, has partnered with Reelgood to ingest the latter’s AI‑driven metadata and historical availability data across its entire catalog. Reelgood will deliver daily‑refreshed, deduplicated metadata for over 4 million titles, covering more than 300 streaming...
Grass Valley Adds Telestream Vantage, Pulse and UP to AMPP
Grass Valley announced that Telestream’s Vantage, Pulse and UP solutions will be integrated into its Agile Media Processing Platform (AMPP). The partnership creates a unified, open architecture that lets broadcasters orchestrate, process and monitor live and file‑based workflows across on‑prem,...
Atresmedia Will Adapt Talpa Studios’ Hit Format, Caught in the Middle
Atresmedia has commissioned a Spanish version of Talpa Studios’ quiz show “Caught in the Middle” for Antena 3, with Fremantle Spain handling production and filming set to take place at Talpa’s international hub in the Netherlands. The format debuted in the...
StackAdapt Launches Industry First Live Events Campaign Workflow for CTV
StackAdapt, the AI‑driven advertising platform, unveiled an industry‑first Live Events campaign workflow for connected‑TV (CTV) that targets premium live‑sports moments. The new workflow adds a dedicated campaign subtype, a centralized planning hub, and granular pacing and frequency controls to handle...
Netflix, Prime Video, or Disney+: Which Is the Most In-Demand OTT Service?
JustWatch’s first‑quarter 2026 data shows Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ still dominate the global OTT market, but their relative shares vary widely by country. In the United States Netflix leads with 19% of viewers, followed by Prime at 17% and...
‘Don’t Trust Those Models’: How Marketers Are Thinking About the Next Era of Transparency
At the ARF AudiencexScience conference, Horizon Media’s Bob Lord warned marketers not to trust black‑box AI models that run ads, citing risks of opaque decision‑making. He advocated for open‑source collaboration, highlighting tools such as Claude and Google’s recently released Meridian...
Russia Appears to Block Social Media Platform Bluesky Amid Wider Internet Restrictions
Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has added the decentralized social network Bluesky to its registry of banned websites, extending a crackdown that has already targeted Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Signal and Viber. The move comes as the Kremlin tightens online controls amid...
YFCon Is Turning TikTok Commerce Into a Contact Sport
YFCon, a TikTok Shop‑focused expo in Los Angeles, is set for April 14‑15 and expects over 13,000 attendees, 300+ brands and 150 speakers. Organized by FastMoss and YooFinds, the event sold out 80% of its exhibitor booths a month early,...
FrontGate Media Expands Portfolio with Family Research Council, Kevin Sorbo, Sam Sorbo, and Pastor Greg Locke
FrontGate Media announced four new representation agreements with the Family Research Council, actors Kevin and Sam Sorbo, and pastor‑author Greg Locke. The deals broaden FrontGate’s access to high‑trust Christian and conservative audiences across digital, broadcast, podcast and live platforms. By...
Advertising's Biggest Headwind Is, Well, You
Publicis Groupe announced that AI‑powered services generated 86% of its net revenue in Q1 2026, dwarfing the 14% derived from human‑enabled work. The figure dwarfs GroupM’s 69.5% AI‑enablement estimate for the broader ad market and its projection of 94.1% by 2029....
Blackmagic to Launch Camera For Live Production on Apple Immersive Video at 2026 NAB Show
Blackmagic Design will debut the URSA Cine Immersive 100G, the first live‑production cinema camera built for Apple Vision Pro, at the NAB 2026 show. The camera uses dual 8K×8K RGBW sensors, 16 stops of dynamic range and 100G Ethernet to stream immersive video...
The Fight for Media Strategy: Will Agencies or In-House Teams Win?
New research reveals that almost 50% of brands intend to shift media strategy and audience planning in‑house within the next two years. While agencies acknowledge the trend, many report that the migration is not yet materialising at scale. The study...
Later Appoints Tech Veteran Mohsin Hussain as CTO to Accelerate AI Development
Later, the influencer‑marketing platform, appointed Mohsin Hussain—formerly CTO of LiveRamp and veteran of Criteo and AOL—as its new chief technology officer. Hussain will spearhead the development of Later EdgeAI, a predictive‑intelligence engine built on the company’s extensive creator dataset. The...
‘Absolutely No Intention’: Publicis Group CEO Rules Out Building a Trade Desk Rival Amid Ongoing Dispute
Publicis Groupe told clients to pull spend from The Trade Desk after an audit flagged transparency issues, but offered no clear alternative. CEO Arthur Sadoun confirmed on the earnings call that the firm will not build its own demand‑side platform,...
Account Manager
Single Source, a tech‑forward podcast and YouTube advertising agency, is hiring an Account/Operations Manager to work directly with its CEO. The role spans brand prospecting, end‑to‑end campaign execution, performance tracking, creative review, and internal operations. Candidates need 1‑3 years of...
Ozen.fm Names Bruno Pinheiro Network Manager to Accelerate Podcast Growth Across Latin America
Ozen.fm announced the appointment of Bruno Pinheiro as Network Manager to accelerate podcast growth across Latin America. Pinheiro will oversee a network of roughly 100 Brazilian shows and expand the slate to Portuguese‑ and Spanish‑speaking audiences. His background in advertising,...
Can An AI Solution Fix Misaligned Marketing Orgs?
Opal unveiled Gem, an AI‑driven campaign‑planning tool designed to align fragmented marketing teams and streamline brand‑to‑sub‑brand coordination. The platform leverages natural‑language prompts to generate briefs and media plans, delivering 85‑90% of a campaign’s structure with minimal human tweaking. Early adopters...
#SHOWBIZ: Media Prima Audio Reaches 6.1 Million Weekly Listeners, Strengthens Multi-Platform Dominance
Media Prima Audio (MPA), one of Malaysia’s leading media networks, reported a weekly audience of 6.1 million listeners nationwide, according to the latest Nielsen survey. The figure reflects continued growth across its flagship stations—including Kool FM, Hot FM, Fly FM, and Molek FM—and underscores MPA’s...
Programmatic Live Sports Buying Is Starting To Get Less Complicated
StackAdapt has turned a beta test run during the 2026 Winter Olympics into a generally available programmatic live‑sports buying workflow. The new interface lets advertisers set granular controls for ad frequency, budget pacing, and inventory filters such as league or...
How Liverpool FC Overhauled Its Fan Experience with Wasabi
Liverpool FC launched a cloud‑based digital content platform with Wasabi to streamline video storage, tagging and delivery. The AI‑powered Wasabi AiR solution cut cloud costs by roughly 80% and eliminated over 5,000 hours of manual media management each year. As...
Survey Reveals News Outlets Are Not Seen As 'Trustworthy'
A Magid survey reported that the attribute "trustworthy" now ranks 39th out of 44 emotional descriptors associated with news organizations, highlighting a steep decline in public confidence. Meanwhile, Amazon is in advanced negotiations to acquire satellite telecom firm Globalstar, a...
NAB Show: LiveU to Showcase LU900Q's 'Quantum Leap' In Intelligent Connectivity, Workflows
LiveU unveiled its LU900Q encoding platform at the 2026 NAB Show, positioning it as the company’s first AI‑powered, intelligent production unit. The compact device combines native LiveU IQ, eSIM, 5G modems and a MIMO antenna to deliver 4:2:2 encoding, dual‑camera...
Dollar General, QSIC Partner To Expand Chain's In-Store Audio Network
Dollar General has teamed up with QSIC to roll out an AI‑driven in‑store audio network across roughly 6,000 stores, doubling its reach to 12,000 locations by the second quarter of 2026. The QSIC platform will generate curated music playlists and...
1,000+ Hollywood Insiders Write Letter Opposing Paramount/Warner Bros Merger
More than 1,000 leading Hollywood professionals, including Glenn Close and Denis Villeneuve, have signed an open letter condemning the proposed $111 billion merger of Larry Ellison’s Paramount/CBS with Warner Bros. Discovery. The signatories argue the deal would shrink the U.S. studio...
IAB Introduces Actionable Industry Guidelines as Commerce Media Enters AI-Fueled Performance Era
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) unveiled a new industry guide, “Building a Competitive Commerce Media Ecosystem,” at its Connected Commerce Summit. The document offers strategic recommendations for commerce‑media networks to transition from rapid expansion to AI‑driven, performance‑focused operations. It defines...
Affiliate Earns a Seat at the Table: Meytal Markman Talks Innovation, Brand Safety and Micro-Influencers
Meytal Markman, VP of Product Management at Rakuten Advertising, told DealMaker that brands are now blending creator‑driven content with affiliate programs to reach niche audiences at scale. She highlighted the surge of micro‑influencers and closed‑user groups, which deliver higher trust...
Introducing WYouth, a New Publication From W for the Next Generation
W Magazine is launching WYouth, a teen‑focused print publication that taps into Gen Z’s preference for tangible media. The biannual, half‑size magazine will debut in September 2026, drawing on W’s archives while delivering contemporary style, beauty, and fashion history. Creative...
AI-Driven Media Quality Signals Move Into Campaign Activation
Basis and Protected by Mediaocean have launched a direct integration that embeds AI‑driven verification, attention, and quality signals into the Basis campaign activation platform. The partnership replaces static, post‑campaign checks with real‑time, pre‑bid intelligence that continuously adapts to performance data....
GoWit & Numatec Forge Retail Media Partnership in Spain and Italy
GoWit announced a strategic partnership with Numatec to roll out its AI‑driven retail‑media platform across Spain and Italy, leveraging Numatec’s local martech network. The deal targets the fast‑growing European retail‑media market, projected to reach €31 bn (≈$33 bn) by 2028, with Spain...
Titan OS Positions Smart TV Homepage as Key Growth Driver
Titan OS announced that the smart TV homepage is becoming a primary growth engine for content discovery and user acquisition. At Stream TV Europe, the company highlighted its high‑impact video banners and discovery tools that drive app installs directly from...
Bundesliga Uses UK as Test Bed for Fragmented, Multi-Platform Rights Strategy
Bundesliga International is testing a fragmented, multi‑platform rights model in the UK and Ireland, combining pay‑TV, free‑to‑air, FAST and pay‑per‑view. The league keeps Sky for premium matches, while BBC iPlayer streams Friday games free, Amazon’s Prime Video offers Sunday matches...
Curation Is Changing Programmatic — But Not Always For The Better
Programmatic curation is rapidly gaining traction among mid‑market agencies seeking greater control over inventory, pricing, and performance. While self‑service platforms promise real‑time supply‑path optimization and reduced manual effort, many still operate as opaque black boxes that shift rather than eliminate...
Delayed Nielsen Gauge Confirms the Olympics Were Great for NBCUniversal (and Versant)
Nielsen’s delayed February Gauge data show NBCUniversal and its spin‑off Versant captured 13.1% of all TV usage, overtaking YouTube for the first time. The surge was driven by the Super Bowl and the 2026 Winter Olympics, which lifted NBCU’s share...
As In Days Of Old, TV Took Us To The Moon And Back
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a ten‑day crewed lunar flyby, marking the first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era. The crew orbited the Moon, captured striking images of Earth and the lunar surface, and returned...
Ad Quality Is a Monetisation Problem: What Publishers Need to Do Now
The article frames ad quality as a core monetisation issue, noting that deceptive or disruptive ads erode user experience and revenue. AppHarbr has launched the In‑App Network Ad Quality Index, a quarterly benchmark that analyzes billions of impressions to rank...
Dhar Mann Kicks Off Social Media Week With $1,000 Old Navy Giveaway
Creator Dhar Mann launched ADWEEK’s Social Media Week by reviving his Old Navy partnership, giving away a $1,000 gift certificate. The giveaway builds on a previous campaign where participants guessed whether outfits were Old Navy or designer, reinforcing the brand’s...
Ocean World Builds Market Reputation Through a Year-Long Brand Positioning
SV Digital spent a year reshaping Ocean World’s portfolio of nine yacht brands, creating a unified brand architecture and digital presence. Five previously unbranded sub‑brands received full naming, logos, and e‑commerce sites, while the agency produced a 171‑piece content library...
European Originals Thrive on Authenticity as Dubbing, AI and Co-Productions Reshape Market
European broadcasters are piloting AI‑powered dubbing to broaden reach while preserving the authenticity that drives global appeal. Sky Entertainment tested AI dubbing with lip‑sync adjustments on Italian dramas, offering viewers a choice between subtitles and dubbed versions. Industry leaders warned...
Telegraph Takeover by German Buyer Cleared by Culture Secretary
The UK culture secretary has cleared Axel Springer’s £575 million (≈ $735 million) takeover of the Telegraph, ending nearly three years of ownership uncertainty. The deal still requires regulatory sign‑off in Ireland and Austria but is slated for completion by the end of June....
![[Industry News] ESL FACEIT Group and KICK Announce Strategic Global Partnership to Accelerate Esports Growth and Audience Expansion](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/kick.png)
[Industry News] ESL FACEIT Group and KICK Announce Strategic Global Partnership to Accelerate Esports Growth and Audience Expansion
ESL FACEIT Group announced a strategic partnership with livestreaming platform KICK to broaden its distribution beyond traditional broadcasters. The deal will stream all major English‑language Counter‑Strike and Dota 2 events, including IEM, ESL One and the ESL Pro League, on KICK’s...
Indian Football League 2025–26 to Be Broadcast on Sony Sports Network
Sony Pictures Networks India has secured both television and digital broadcast rights for the Indian Football League’s 2025‑26 season. The deal expands Sony’s football portfolio, which already includes the Indian Super League, UEFA competitions, the Bundesliga and the FA Cup....
Applications Open for European Journalist Retreat on Trauma, Resilience and Ethical Reporting
The Global Center for Journalism and Trauma, together with iMEdD's Ideas Zone, announced a four‑day retreat for European journalists in Vamvakou, Greece, from 14‑18 October 2026. The fully funded fellowship targets reporters, editors, photographers and multimedia journalists covering conflict, migration,...
Kesha Wins Australian Idol 2026
Kesha Oayda, a 21‑year‑old singer from Jindabyne, captured the Australian Idol 2026 crown, becoming the first female winner since 2007. She edged out competitors Harlan Goode and Kalani Artis in a finale praised for its youthful vocal talent. The victory...
HuffPost UK Integrates Taboola's DeeperDive AI
HuffPost UK has integrated Taboola’s generative AI answer engine, DeeperDive, directly into its website to boost reader engagement and diversify revenue. The tool lets users pose questions and receive answers drawn from HuffPost’s own reporting, while also suggesting related queries...
Analyst Report: Applovin Corp
AppLovin Corp received a new BUY rating as Argus launched coverage, with senior analyst Joseph F. Bonner highlighting the firm’s mobile advertising platform. The company’s core real‑time ad auction helps game developers, publishers, and advertisers monetize global audiences. AppLovin went...
Can You Spot a Fake Political Ad? AI Is Making It Harder.
An AI-generated video depicting Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee as a political ad, labeling it as synthetic. The clip illustrates a growing trend of deepfake campaign ads that can convincingly mimic candidates’...
Media Smart and AA Roll Out Pre-Local Elections Revamp of Political Ads Awareness Drive
Media Smart and the Advertising Association have launched a revamped political‑advertising awareness drive ahead of the UK’s local elections. The partnership focuses on first‑time voters, offering a free digital toolkit, webinars and school‑based workshops to demystify ad sponsorship rules. By...
Social Media Updates and New Features to Know This Week
X announced a more aggressive bot purge, eliminating 208 fake accounts per minute and revamping its algorithm to prioritize original, high‑quality posts while adding voice replies and global auto‑translation via Grok. YouTube clarified a bug that showed 90‑second unskippable ads...