Canal+ Welcomes Paris Court Anti-Piracy DNS Ruling
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that DNS providers Google, Cloudflare and Cisco must block illegal streaming services, delivering a decisive win for Canal+. The judgment validates blocking via alternative DNS as technically feasible and proportionate, extending earlier rulings that targeted ISPs, CDNs, proxies and VPNs. Canal+, which operates in more than 70 countries, calls the decision a turning point in its anti‑piracy campaign. The group says it will further strengthen its defenses with additional measures such as IP blocking.
Blackett Joins Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council
Sky announced that Karen Blackett CBE has joined its Diversity Advisory Council, bringing extensive leadership experience from WPP UK where she oversaw a $2 billion P&L and a 13,000‑person workforce. Blackett, now a non‑executive director and brand‑transformation consultant for firms like...
Magic Light Pictures Launches Stirling Animation Studio
Magic Light Pictures has created Stirling Animation Studio (SAS) by acquiring the assets of the insolvent Wild Child Animation, ensuring continuity for its preschool series Zog. The wholly‑owned studio will complete all 52 episodes for the BBC, ZDF and Creative...
From Clicks to Communities: Transforming Users Into Loyal Players
Online casinos are shifting focus from mere traffic to sustained player loyalty, as 74% of gamers now expect robust digital platforms and 79% say superior service can make a small casino more trustworthy than a larger brand. Retention metrics are...
Disney+ Signs RTVE Content Deal
Disney+ has inked a content agreement with Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, bringing a curated slate of the network’s titles to the streaming service a day after their linear broadcast. The lineup includes the thriller series *Rojo sobre blanco* and the...
ACE Dismantles AnimePlay
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has taken down AnimePlay, a major illicit anime‑streaming app operating from Riau, Indonesia. The service, launched in 2020, attracted over 5 million registered users and stored more than 60 TB of pirated content. ACE seized...
BBC’s Davie to Chair Creative Industries Council
Outgoing BBC director‑general Tim Davie has been appointed co‑chair of the Creative Industries Council effective 1 August, succeeding Sir Peter Bazalgette and later becoming the sole chair after Baroness Shriti Vadera departs on 31 December. He will work alongside Culture Secretary Lisa...
Virgin TV Offers Free UHD Boost This Easter
Virgin Media O2 is giving all Virgin TV customers free access to its Ultra HD channel (228 and 999) from March 28 through April 12, covering the Easter half‑term break. The promotion features a curated slate of movies, documentaries and live‑music performances, including titles...
Colebourn Named BBC News Regional Director for Europe
Richard Colebourn has been named Regional Director for Europe for BBC News and the World Service, becoming the corporation’s most senior representative across Europe and Central Asia. He will oversee editorial and operational duties, including BBC News Russian, Ukrainian, and...
New Business Structure for Movistar Plus+
Movistar Plus+, Telefónica’s Spanish pay‑TV and streaming service, announced a restructuring that merges its rights‑acquisition function with the Global Partners management under the Business and Sports Management Division. The Partnerships Division will now report directly to Enric Rojas, who also oversees...
Report: CTV Accounts for 50% of Ad Views Across Europe
The FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report for H2 2025 shows Connected TV (CTV) now drives 86% of premium video ad views in the US and 50% in Europe, with ad view volume up 11% year‑over‑year across both regions. European CTV ad views...
Report: Streaming Rebounded in 2025
Digital i’s Streaming in Flux: 2025 in Review shows streaming hours rebounding after a 2024 slump, driven by a resurgence in Netflix usage and a 47.6% jump in Disney+ daily minutes. Prime Video logged 6.9 billion viewing hours, while the total number...
ProSiebenSat.1 Makes More Sales; 2025 Revenue Down 6%
ProSiebenSat.1 Media announced the divestiture of its rental‑car comparison site billiger‑mietwagen.de and the motorhome platform CamperDays to investors led by Pivotum Capital. The undisclosed‑price deals are slated to close by the end of April and have already been incorporated into...
Deltatre Appoints Watson as CEO
Deltatre announced that long‑time CEO Andrea Marini will step down after five years and transition to Deputy Chairman, while Marc Watson has been appointed the new chief executive. Watson, a former BT TV Group head and DAZN chief commercial officer, brings deep...
DAZN Seeks Inflight and Onboard Partners
DAZN announced DAZN Inflight, a service to stream live sports on airplanes and cruise ships, led by partnership chief Aviv Giladi. The offering is slated for a 2027 launch, extending the platform beyond its current footprint in more than 200...
Report: Local CTV Reshaping US Ad Market
AdImpact’s first local CTV ad trends report examined 511,000 advertisers across 210 U.S. TV markets in 2025. Markets outside the top 50 generated 52.5% of local CTV impressions while representing only 33% of the TV population. Quarterly data showed Q4...
EBU Appoints Eriksson as CTO
European Broadcasting Union appointed Annsofi Eriksson as Chief Technology Officer, effective Oct 1. Eriksson arrives from Sveriges Radio, where she served as CIO and Director of Technology, bringing over two decades of leadership in IT, digital transformation and cybersecurity. She will...
New Brittin, New BBC?
Matt Brittin, a former senior European Google executive, has been appointed Director‑General of the BBC. Lacking editorial experience, he is expected to run the corporation in a CEO‑style while delegating editorial authority to a separate Editor‑in‑Chief. The appointment comes as...
Orange Eyes Globecast Divestment
Orange and investment fund Verdoso have entered an exclusivity agreement to explore the sale of Globecast, Orange’s media services arm. Globecast, a 24‑year‑old provider, delivers satellite, fibre and IP‑based distribution for thousands of broadcasters, rights holders and platform operators worldwide....
Report: Europe’s Audiovisual Market Valued at €142bn
The European audiovisual sector generated roughly €142 billion in 2024—about $155 billion—driven largely by consumer spending, which contributed over half of the total. Record production saw 2,523 feature films across 36 markets, while streaming viewers devoted 78% of SVoD time to TV...
Study: Europeans Centre Video Habits Around Living Room TV
RTL AdAlliance’s fifth Living Room Study shows 83% of Europeans watch video content in the living room, far outpacing the bedroom (46%). This preference is 25 points higher than in the United States. Streaming on TV sets has risen, with...
Music and Memories, Outdoor Channel Launch on Freeview
Global Distribution Services has added two FAST channels to the UK Freeview platform: Music and Memories on channel 290 and Outdoor Channel (paired with World Fishing Network) on channel 291. Both services employ a waterfall monetisation model, server‑side ad insertion...
Survey: Fandom Shaping Next Phase of Streaming Growth
Deloitte’s 20th‑year Digital Media Trends survey shows US streaming spend flat at $69 per month, while fan‑identified viewers are driving higher engagement and spend. 68% of subscription video‑on‑demand (SVoD) users now carry an ad‑supported tier, and fans spend $71 monthly—27%...
Italy: Digital Ad Spend Surges
Italy’s advertising market in 2025 is now led by digital, with the “extended” digital segment projected at €9.6 billion (about $10.6 billion), representing 45% of total spend. OTT platforms dominate that slice, contributing €4.3 billion (~$4.7 billion). Traditional media investment slips to €5.8 billion (~$6.4 billion),...
Dagenham & Redbridge Match to Stream on KSI YouTube Channel
KSI will stream Dagenham & Redbridge's National League South match against Hampton & Richmond on March 28 via his YouTube channel, offering free worldwide access. The partnership involves DAZN and the National League, aiming to make the fixture the most‑watched...
Analysis: HBO Max Is Most Widely Bundled Streaming Service
Ampere Analysis reports that HBO Max holds the largest bundling footprint among streaming services in 20 major markets, partnering with 60 unique providers and appearing in 303 packages. The service’s bundling strength is especially pronounced in Central and South America...
Movistar’s Anti-Piracy Measures Blocking Legit Streams
Spain’s anti‑piracy crackdown, led by LaLiga, relies on IP‑blocking to stop illegal football streams. Movistar’s implementation on March 22 blocked about 145 IP addresses, including those of major cloud providers, causing widespread service outages that persisted into the following morning. The...
European Broadcasters Urge EC to Apply Gatekeeper Rules to CTVs
European broadcasters have jointly urged the European Commission to apply Digital Markets Act gatekeeper rules to major connected TV operating systems and virtual assistants. They request designation based on quantitative thresholds or, failing that, a market investigation using qualitative criteria....
5, Pluto TV Announce Snooker Simulcast Partnership
5 and Pluto TV have forged a simulcast partnership to air two senior snooker events – the John Virgo Trophy on April 11‑12 and the World Seniors Snooker Championship on May 6‑10. Both tournaments will be streamed live on Pluto TV, with...
Hunter to Lead Global Studios
Global has appointed Craig Hunter as Managing Director of its newly created podcast and digital production unit, Global Studios. Hunter arrives from STV Studios, where he transformed the factual label into a leading unscripted house and previously commissioned BBC hits...
Report: World Cup’s Contribution to Ad Growth Weakening
World Cup 2026 will be the largest ever, but its contribution to global ad growth is weakening. WARC Media forecasts a $10.5 billion uplift, just a 1.1 % increase versus the 2022 tournament, indicating fragmented impact. Advertisers must now reach fans across...
LaLiga’s Anti-Piracy Campaign Secures 2,000+ Hospitality Convictions
LaLiga’s anti‑piracy drive has secured more than 2,000 convictions against hotels, restaurants and cafés since its launch in March 2019, averaging nearly one case per day. The league still has 317 investigations and 488 cases awaiting trial, underscoring the scale of...
Netflix Reveals Highest-Performing ISPs of 2025
Netflix’s ISP Speed Index for 2025 identified the top‑performing internet providers across four key markets. Telus Fiber (Canada), LG U+ (South Korea), Virgin (UK) and Optimum Fiber (US) each delivered a monthly average streaming speed of 3.37 Mbps, the highest recorded. Nine additional ISPs,...
Why Comments Are the Real Secret Behind Every Viral Instagram Post
Instagram’s algorithm now prioritizes comment velocity over likes, saves or views when deciding which posts to amplify. Early‑hour comments act as a quality signal, prompting the platform to test the content with larger audiences. Creators can deliberately trigger this loop...
Cellnex UK Appoints Cray as MD
Cellnex has appointed Steve Cray as Managing Director of its UK operations, succeeding Gianluca Landolina who moved to head the newly created Vertical Solutions business unit. Cray highlighted the company’s strong team culture and recent gains in customer satisfaction, while...
Report: 5G Core Spending Rose 83% in Q4 2025
Omdia’s Core Market Tracker shows communications service providers boosted 5G packet‑core spending by 83 % year‑over‑year in Q4 2025, the sharpest rise on record. The surge reflects accelerated 5G Standalone deployments and a push toward AI‑enabled, enterprise‑grade services. North America, Europe and...
Globalsat Becomes Amazon Leo Reseller
Globalsat Group announced it will act as an authorized reseller for Amazon Leo, Amazon’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite broadband network. The deal enables Globalsat to deliver high‑speed, low‑latency connectivity to enterprise customers across North, Central and South America. Amazon Leo now operates more than...
Autotrader Sponsors Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off
Autotrader has secured a six‑month broadcast sponsorship of Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off franchise, covering the new Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C, Bake Off: The Professionals and all streaming episodes. The deal, brokered by media agency The Specialist Works, introduces branded idents featuring...
Pepsi MAX Launches Pepsi Football Nation Platform
Pepsi MAX announced the launch of Pepsi Football Nation, a global platform that celebrates football culture and fan expression. The initiative highlights a roster of star players—including Vinícius Júnior, Alexia Putellas, David Beckham, Florian Wirtz and Lauren James—while blending digital, social and on‑pack activations. It leverages...
Uber Eats Sponsors Comedy Category on Prime Video UK
Amazon Ads announced Uber Eats as the first brand to sponsor Prime Video’s comedy slate in the UK, launching on March 19 2024 alongside the Season 2 premiere of *Last One Laughing UK*. The partnership runs through the end of 2026 and includes...
Report: Streaming the Most Engaging Entertainment Channel
Tubi’s new "Stream 2026" report shows streaming is the most engaging entertainment channel, with 90% of viewers reporting higher attention than live events or social media. The ad‑supported service leverages fandom‑driven identity, nostalgia, and creator‑led content to attract a younger, on‑demand...
Culture Secretary Backs Local News Across the UK
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy unveiled a Local Media Strategy that introduces a £12 million multi‑year fund to support local news outlets, community radio and digital innovation. The plan triples funding for community radio, launches a regional media forum, and funds...
Tewungwa Named CEO of UKTV
UKTV announced that Sam Tewungwa will assume the role of chief executive on April 1, succeeding his tenure as Managing Director. Tewungwa will steer the broadcaster’s strategic direction, emphasizing growth of its free streaming service U and deepening distribution partnerships. He...
Spanglish Movies Launches FLOUtv with FAST Channels TV
Spanglish Movies has launched FLOUtv, a free ad‑supported streaming TV (FAST) platform delivering Spanish‑language films, series and cultural programming across the United States and Latin America. Powered by FAST Channels TV’s white‑label infrastructure, the service offers more than 80 linear...
Spain: Mediaset Bans Fast-Forward
Mediaset España has imposed new playback restrictions on its channels across major Spanish pay‑TV platforms, disabling fast‑forward, pause and rewind functions in catch‑up, recorded and live‑restart viewing. The policy, already in place on Movistar+, Orange TV and Vodafone TV, forces...
FIFA, YouTube Sign World Cup 2026 Preferred Platform Deal
FIFA has named YouTube as a Preferred Platform for the 2026 World Cup, allowing media partners to stream the opening ten minutes of every match and select full games on their own channels. The deal also unlocks FIFA’s Digital Archive...
BBFC Research Reveals Oscar-Winning Film Formula
The British Board of Film Classification’s decade‑long study of Oscar winners shows a clear preference for gritty, adult‑oriented dramas that run longer than two hours. Over the past ten years, 67% of winners in the six major categories were rated...
Movistar Plus Adds 278,000 Subs in 2025
Movistar Plus added 278,000 subscribers in 2025, raising its total base to 3.8 million and delivering a 7.9% year‑on‑year increase. The growth marks a sharp acceleration from the 94,000 new customers recorded in 2024 and represents the second consecutive year of...
Amagi Report: Applied AI Moving Into Core Media Workflows
Amagi’s March 2026 Airtime Report shows FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) viewership rising 21% YoY in Q4 2025, with ad impressions up 27%. The growth was strongest in LATAM, where hours of viewing jumped 66% and ad impressions 77%. A survey of...
ACE Secures $18.75m Judgment Against US Piracy Operator
Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) secured an $18.75 million default judgment against William Freemon, a U.S. operator of illegal IPTV services such as Streaming TV Now, Instant IPTV and TV Nitro. The Northern District of Texas court awarded statutory damages for willful copyright infringement,...