Discovery Plus Added to Spectrum TV Plans
Charter Communications and Warner Bros. Discovery have expanded their partnership, adding the ad‑supported tier of Discovery+ to eligible Spectrum TV packages at no extra charge. Customers who want an ad‑free experience can upgrade for $4 a month, a discount from the standalone $10 price. The move places Discovery+ alongside other bundled streaming services such as HBO Max, Disney+/Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock, enhancing Spectrum’s value proposition. The offer launches this week and applies to specific Spectrum TV plans.
Parks Associates: Tubi Is Most-Used Free Streaming Service in U.S. Homes
Parks Associates reports that Fox’s free streaming service Tubi is now the most‑used FAST platform in U.S. broadband homes, drawing about 80 million monthly viewers. The Roku Channel ranks second with roughly 60 million users, followed by Paramount’s Pluto TV at nearly...
Detroit Pistons Games Moving to Scripps-Owned WMYD
The Detroit Pistons will move their locally televised games to free over‑the‑air station WMYD, owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, beginning with the 2026‑27 NBA season. The rights package is underpinned by a production loan exceeding $4 million, though its total...
Gray Media Appoints Two Execs to Lead Local News, Digital Businesses
Gray Media appointed James Finch as Senior Vice President of News Services and Joanie Vasiliadis as Senior Vice President for Transformation. Finch, a decade‑long VP of News Services, will oversee corporate news support and training. Vasiliadis, formerly TEGNA’s VP of...
California AG Unwilling to Approve Concessions to Avoid Trial on Nexstar-TEGNA Deal
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state will not approve any concessions from Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA to sidestep a trial over their $4.5 billion merger. Eight states have filed antitrust lawsuits, arguing the combined company would dominate local...
California AG: “Red Flags Everywhere” In Paramount-Warner Bros Deal
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state is actively investigating Paramount Global’s $6.2 billion proposal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, citing antitrust red flags such as higher prices, lower wages, and reduced competition. While no formal lawsuit has been...
FCC Commissioner: Agency Gave Preferential Treatment to Sinclair, TEGNA ABC Affiliates
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez accused the agency of giving preferential treatment to Sinclair‑owned ABC affiliates while withholding the same guidance from Disney’s ABC‑owned station KTRK in Houston. The FCC sent informal letters to roughly two dozen independent ABC stations urging...
Fox Rakes in Nearly $4 Billion in Revenue During Fiscal Q3
Fox Corporation posted Q3 revenue of $3.99 billion, an 8.6% drop from the prior year, primarily because the network did not air a Super Bowl. Advertising revenue fell to $1.56 billion, reflecting the missing marquee event, while distribution revenue modestly rose. Despite...
DIRECTV Advertising Launches New “Metaphor” Campaign Tied to Upfronts
DIRECTV Advertising unveiled a multi‑channel "Metaphor" campaign timed with New York’s Upfront Week, using the industry’s annual gathering as a visual analogy for its converged TV advertising platform. Developed with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and media partner Starcom US, the effort spans...
AMC Posts Q1 Loss Despite Double-Digit Streaming Revenue Growth
AMC Global Media reported a 2.4% drop in first‑quarter revenue to $542.1 million and a sharp 51% decline in operating income. Despite the loss, streaming revenue surged 11% to $174 million, and the company generated $64.8 million in free cash flow. Net loss...
Gray Media Revenue Slips in Q1 as Political Ad Sales Surge
Gray Media posted Q1 2026 revenue of $768 million, a 2% decline year‑over‑year, while its net loss widened to $20 million. Core advertising rose 2% to $352 million, and political ad sales jumped 131% to $30 million, hitting the top of guidance. Retransmission consent...
Scripps Narrows Q1 Loss as Local TV Revenue Offsets Decline at National Networks
The E.W. Scripps Company reported a narrower first‑quarter loss of $18 million, or 20 cents per share, compared with $18.8 million a year earlier. Total revenue slipped 1.4% to $516.9 million, but local‑media revenue rose 5% to $341.6 million, cushioning an 11.1% drop in its...
Sky Italia Seeks Damages From DAZN-TIM Soccer Deal
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit in Milan seeking up to €1.9 billion in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streamer DAZN, alleging their 2021 partnership violated Italian antitrust law. The dispute stems from DAZN’s €2.5 billion (≈$2.9 billion) acquisition of Serie...
DIRECTV Pulls Griffin Media CBS Affiliates in Oklahoma
DIRECTV pulled four Griffin Media stations—including CBS affiliates KWTV and KOTV—from its satellite and streaming platforms after a carriage agreement expired without renewal. The blackout also affects independent outlet KSBI and CW affiliate KQCW, leaving Oklahoma viewers without local news,...
Lack of NBC Sports Causes Higher Churn at Fubo During Q2
Fubo’s Q2 pay‑TV subscriber count dropped by 200,000, leaving the platform with 5.7 million users after a prolonged carriage dispute with Comcast’s NBC Universal blocked access to NBC sports, including the Super Bowl and the 2026 Winter Olympics. The loss reflects the...
Gray Media Closes Acquisition of Block Communications Stations
Gray Media completed an $80 million purchase of five local TV stations in Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, securing FCC approval despite objections from DIRECTV, Newsmax and public interest groups. The stations include NBC’s WAND‑TV, CW’s WBKI, Fox’s WDRB, and dual‑affiliated NBC/Fox...
Mubi Selects Bitmovin to Power Cloud-Based VOD Platform
Mubi, the British curated‑film streaming service, has replaced its on‑premises encoding hardware with Bitmovin’s managed cloud‑based VOD platform. The new solution delivers three‑pass encoding, ultra‑HD output and a multi‑codec suite that includes AVC, HEVC and AV1. Migration was finished ahead...
Scripps Channels Restored to Comcast’s Xfinity TV Under New Deal
Comcast and the E.W. Scripps Company have reached a new carriage agreement that restores Scripps-owned local stations and national networks to Xfinity TV in markets such as Detroit, San Diego, Tucson and Baltimore. The blackout, which began in early April...
FCC Commissioners Could Retroactively Deny Nexstar-TEGNA Deal
Broadband group Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania has petitioned the FCC to have its three sitting commissioners revisit the Media Bureau’s March approval of Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr noted the approval was not...
Philo Adds AMC’s All Reality Streamer to Bundle Package
Philo is adding AMC Global Media’s new All Reality streaming service to its Bundle Plus tier, giving subscribers access to reality‑TV titles such as “The Braxtons,” “Marriage Bootcamp,” and “Bridezillas.” The addition comes at no extra charge, keeping the Bundle Plus price...
Spectrum News 1 Rolls Out to Xfinity TV Customers in Houston
Charter Communications has extended its content‑sharing deal with Comcast, adding Spectrum News 1 Houston to Xfinity TV line‑ups in the city. The 24‑hour local news channel, now on Comcast channel 1127, delivers Houston‑focused reporting, weather and community stories alongside national feeds. Charter...
Nexstar Takes DIRECTV’s Fight over TV Fees to Supreme Court
Nexstar Media Group has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in DIRECTV’s antitrust lawsuit over distribution fees for about three dozen local stations operated through Mission and White Knight. A lower court dismissed the case, but...
Pluto TV to Relaunch on Paramount Plus Platform This Summer
Paramount will relaunch its free, ad‑supported Pluto TV service inside the Paramount Plus app this summer, a move described by CEO David Ellison as the most significant update in a decade. The integration aims to improve user experience with personalized...
Fox News Media Leads News Brands on YouTube in April
Fox News Media closed April as the top news brand on YouTube, racking up 605 million video views across its channels. The flagship Fox News YouTube channel alone delivered 471.9 million views, outpacing MS NOW, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. The network also...
Allen Media Channels Coming to Lower-Priced YouTube TV Packages
YouTube TV and Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group have renewed a multi‑year carriage agreement that places Allen’s national cable networks, including The Weather Channel and Comedy.TV, in YouTube TV’s base package priced at $83 per month. The deal does not...
Dish Network Reaches Deal to Carry Gray Media TV Stations, Ending Dispute
Dish Network announced a new carriage agreement that restores dozens of Gray Media local TV stations, ending a dispute that began in March over an undisclosed demand. The settlement brings the stations back to Dish’s satellite lineup, though financial terms...
Final Settlement Conference Scheduled in Nexstar News Director Defamation Lawsuit
A federal judge has set a settlement conference for June 4 and a pre‑trial hearing for July 20 in the defamation and wrongful‑termination lawsuit filed by former WOOD‑TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant director Amy Fox against Nexstar Media...
HMPG to Debut “The Champion’s Edge” On ABC Stations
Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) is launching a new unscripted sports series, “The Champion’s Edge with Bonnie Bernstein,” on ABC‑owned and affiliated stations beginning May 9. The show joins ABC’s Weekend Adventure educational‑information block and will air weekend mornings nationwide. Hosted...
Nexstar Reaches Deal with Ohio AG to Acquire TEGNA Stations
Nexstar Media Group secured a Memorandum of Understanding with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, allowing the company to acquire TEGNA’s WKYC in Cleveland and WBNS in Columbus while preserving separate news operations. The agreement waives Ohio’s antitrust claims but gives...
Sinclair Notes Stronger Political Ad Buys in Q1 as Midterm Budgets Open
Sinclair reported Q1 revenue of $807 million, a 4% year‑over‑year increase, while adjusted EBITDA rose 13% to $126 million and net income turned positive at $20 million versus a $156 million loss a year ago. Core advertising revenue grew 4% to $305 million, and political...
Roku Grows Platform Revenue to $1.13 Billion During Q1
Roku reported first‑quarter 2026 net revenue of $1.25 billion, a 22% year‑over‑year increase, driven by platform revenue that climbed 28% to $1.13 billion. Advertising contributed $613 million, up 27%, while subscription revenue rose 30% to $519 million. The company swung to a net profit...
Sheldon Ingram to Retire From Hearst’s WTAE to Pursue Acting Career
Sheldon Ingram, a general‑assignment reporter at Hearst‑owned WTAE since 1992, announced he will leave the newsroom on May 29 to pursue acting full‑time. Over three decades he reported on major local and national stories, notably chronicling Pittsburgh’s homelessness crisis from 1993...
NAB Criticizes FCC for Calling in ABC Television Licenses Early
The FCC’s Media Bureau ordered Disney to file early renewal applications for eight ABC‑owned TV stations in major markets, citing the 1930s Communications Act and a DEI investigation. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) condemned the move as unprecedented, warning...
Televisa-Univision Faces Pressure From Sports on Rival Networks
Televisa‑Univision posted Q1 revenue of $1.075 billion, a 5% increase year‑over‑year, helped by a 13% rise in Mexican advertising. U.S. ad sales slipped 12% to $310 million, pulling overall ad revenue down 3% to $546 million. Subscription and distribution fees offset some weakness,...
FCC Orders Early Renewal of Bridge News Stations
The Federal Communications Commission ordered low‑power broadcaster Bridge News to renew its TV station licenses ahead of schedule, citing an investigation into alleged unauthorized transfers of control. Bridge News, which operates stations formerly affiliated with the defunct NewsNet, must comply...
Philo Names Tom Tidgwell as CFO, Laura Dechant to COO Role
Philo, the budget‑friendly streaming TV service, announced Tom Tidgwell as its new chief financial officer and promoted Laura Dechant to chief operating officer. Tidgwell arrives from ad‑tech firm Madhive after nearly five years as CFO, while Dechant moves up from...
Verizon CEO: Giving Customers Free Handsets Doesn’t Solve All Problems
Verizon reported Q1 2026 operating revenue of $34.4 billion, up 2.9% year‑over‑year, driven by wireless services and a 5.2% rise in equipment sales. Net income climbed 3.3% to $5.1 billion and adjusted EPS jumped 7.6% to $1.28, prompting the company to raise...
S&P: Local TV to Earn $4 Billion in Political Ad Spending in 2026
Local television broadcasters are set to capture more than $4 billion in political advertising in 2026, representing 16.3% of total broadcast revenue – a record for a non‑presidential election year. The surge is driven by a crowded slate of gubernatorial, Senate...
Sinclair’s Chief Compliance Officer Jeffrey Lewis to Retire
Sinclair Broadcasting announced that its Chief Compliance Officer Jeffrey Lewis will retire in early May 2026. Lewis, hired in 2021 as the company’s first dedicated compliance executive, led efforts across FCC oversight, antitrust, privacy and consent‑decree investigations, embedding risk assessment...
Roku Launches New Roku Curate Solution for Connected TV Ad Buyers
Roku introduced Roku Curate, a new solution that bundles high‑value audience data with premium connected‑TV inventory into ready‑to‑buy packages. The offering merges Roku’s proprietary engagement insights with third‑party purchase data, allowing advertisers to activate and measure campaigns through existing buying...
Stingray Hires Google’s Colin Francis to Serve as Programmatic Sales Specialist
Stingray announced the appointment of Colin Francis, a former Google programmatic sales leader, as its Programmatic Sales Specialist within the Stingray Advertising division. Francis will spearhead the monetization of Stingray’s multi‑platform advertising bundle—spanning connected TV, digital audio and retail media—across...
Disney Shakes up Streaming Executive Team Following Key Departure
Disney is reshuffling its streaming executive team after Senior Vice President Ajay Arora announced his departure on April 30. Arora, who joined from Netflix, oversaw commerce, growth and account management for Disney+ and ESPN+. The company will fold its Commerce,...
DIRECTV Launches Streaming TV App for Meta Quest VR Headset
DIRECTV unveiled a new streaming TV app for Meta Quest VR headsets, including Quest 2, Quest 3, Quest 3S and Quest Pro. The app delivers live channels, sports, on‑demand titles and the free MyFree DIRECTV ad‑supported service inside a virtual theater‑style environment. It integrates DIRECTV’s...
CNN International to Encrypt U.K. Channel at End of April
Warner Bros. Discovery will encrypt its free‑to‑air CNN International feed in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 30, converting it to a free‑to‑view service. The change will not affect ordinary viewers using conditional‑access set‑top boxes, but hotels, hospitals and other...
FreeCast Starts Selling DIRECTV to Multifamily Residential Communities
FreeCast has signed an agreement to become an authorized distributor of DIRECTV streaming services for multifamily residential communities, including apartments, condos, senior living and student housing. The deal lets FreeCast market and sell DIRECTV’s flexible packages directly to property owners...
Mobile Vikings Taps Bango to Power New Subscription Management Platform
Belgian telecom Mobile Vikings has partnered with Bango to roll out a new subscription management hub powered by Bango’s Digital Vending Machine. Integrated into the My Vikings portal, the service lets customers add, manage and bundle streaming apps—such as Disney Plus,...
MiQ: Fragmentation Challenges Traditional Marketing Funnel
MiQ’s new "From Funnel to Flexibility" study, based on 53 million households, 700 trillion data signals and surveys of over 4,000 consumers and 600 marketers across the US, UK, Canada and Australia, reveals that consumer journeys are no longer linear. 87 percent of shoppers...
Get After It Media to Consolidate Two Multicast Networks
Get After It Media announced the merger of its two multicast networks, Rev’n and the Action Channel, into a single offering called Rev’n Action. The new channel blends automotive series, outdoor shows, and combat‑sports content, creating a unified schedule for...
FCC Media Bureau Launches Probe Into TV Ratings System
The FCC’s Media Bureau has opened a formal inquiry into the voluntary TV ratings system, seeking public comment on its effectiveness for modern audiences. The probe follows a wave of parental complaints that shows aimed at children increasingly include gender‑identity...
Comscore Renews Measurement Agreements with Local TV Broadcasters
Comscore announced the renewal of measurement agreements with more than a dozen local television broadcasters, including Sinclair, E.W. Scripps, Cox Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, Allen Media Group and Thomas Broadcasting. The contracts span renewals, extensions and new partnerships, reflecting broadcasters’...