Know What's Happening in Television
Know What's Happening in Television
China regulator cracks down on TV dramas obsessed with beauty
China’s National Radio and Television Administration warned that domestic TV dramas are overly fixated on physical beauty and traffic‑driven popularity, urging producers to prioritize stronger acting and storytelling. The directive was delivered at a conference attended by major streamers including iQIYI, Tencent Video, Mango TV and Youku.
Boiler Room’s 2025 sale to Superstruct and the departure of founder‑CEO Blaise Bellville sparked a fan backlash that highlighted a deeper funding dilemma in live music. The controversy coincided with growing awareness that four corporations—Live Nation, Superstruct, AEG and CTS Eventim—now own roughly 200 major European festivals, concentrating market power. Alternative financing experiments, such as a fan‑ownership drive that raised about $700,000 for the Same Same But Different Festival and a proposed UK ticket levy of roughly $1.25 per ticket, illustrate emerging but imperfect solutions. The article argues that scapegoating individual platforms won’t resolve the structural tension between cultural independence and financial viability.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2026 will take place April 18‑22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, featuring a packed lineup on the creator economy, AI, streaming and broadcast technology. Among the highlights, Telestream introduced UP, a cloud‑native...
Disney+ has officially renewed Marvel Studios' series Wonder Man for a second season, following its January premiere. Lead actors Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II and Ben Kingsley will return, with creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest continuing as showrunner and director. The renewal...
Paramount Skydance has launched BBTV, a dedicated streaming service for the long‑running soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The platform debuts with over 9,000 episodes covering the first 37 seasons, with additional seasons slated for later addition. Subscriptions are...
Netflix’s animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” became the platform’s most‑watched film, earned an Oscar and launched a massive merchandising line. After the breakout, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans secured an exclusive five‑year agreement worth roughly $10 million per year, plus...
Verimatrix, a security firm with over 400 customers and 200 engineers, is positioning itself as a global leader in anti‑piracy technology for live sports. In a new SVG Sponsor Spotlight, VP of Product Management Juan Martinez explains that the time‑sensitive...
Paramount+ has confirmed that 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' will conclude with its second season. The decision caps a short‑run series that struggled to find a stable audience, prompting questions about the franchise’s streaming strategy.
France TV Distribution has secured a slate of international sales for the first episodes of the French light‑crime series *Curious by Nature*. The show landed deals in Spain with ETB, Aragón TV and NBCUniversal’s Calle 13 channel, and expanded into Poland,...
European scripted TV production is entering a downturn, with the European Audiovisual Observatory reporting fewer episodes per season and shorter episode runtimes after a growth peak in 2022. The shift reflects a broader market correction as streaming platforms curb original‑content...
Netflix’s weekly Top 10 for the week of March 16 saw BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE dominate the non‑English TV chart with 13.1 million views, while the new Peaky Blinders film captured 25.3 million views to lead the English film list. ONE PIECE season 2 held the English TV top spot...
Paramount+ announced the renewal of its original drama "School Spirits" for a fourth season, following a critically acclaimed third season that closed with a perfect 100% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, produced by Paramount Television Studios, streams in...
Amazon abruptly cancelled "The Wheel of Time" in May 2025 despite the series earning 81%‑97% Rotten Tomatoes scores and strong fan enthusiasm. One year later, IP owner iwot Studios announced a partnership with Arcane producer Thomas Vu and Initiate Entertainment...
France TV Distribution announced the sale of the first three episodes of the Franco‑Belgian investigative series *Enquête Parallèle* to an international buyer, marking the program’s first step beyond French borders. The deal underscores France Télévisions’ strategy to monetize its premium...
France Télévisions is accelerating its purchase of foreign television series to attract new viewers, a strategy detailed by Deputy Director of International Series Morad Koufane ahead of the Séries Mania festival. The network aims to diversify its lineup with proven international dramas...
Mediawan, a leading European media conglomerate, and Kidam, an award‑winning French production house, have officially joined the Association des Producteurs Indépendants (API). Their admission expands the API’s roster to include both a major broadcaster‑scale player and a boutique creator. Kidam’s...
Montreal‑based media company Urbania announced the acquisition of Binge Audio, the independent French‑language podcast network known for hits such as "Les Couilles sur la table" and "Programme B." The deal gives Urbania a portfolio of popular podcasts with an estimated...
Cannes Marché du Film announced its inaugural Creator Economy Summit, a new conference that brings together film executives, digital creators, and technology innovators. The three‑day event, slated for early June 2024, will focus on how the creator economy reshapes storytelling,...
Tubi, Fox Corporation’s free streaming platform, announced the original YA thriller‑mystery film “Remember Me,” adapted from Christopher Pike’s bestselling novel. The movie stars Brec Bassinger and Charlie Gillespie and is directed by Danishka Esterhazy. Tubi highlights the project as part...
IBC has announced nine projects for its 2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, entering a six‑month development phase that will culminate in live Proof‑of‑Concept demos at IBC2026 from September 11‑14. The initiatives span open‑5G network control, AI‑driven content discovery, quantum‑secure live...
CBS has ordered a second season of the drama ‘CIA’ for the 2026‑27 schedule after its February 23 premiere drew 8.4 million viewers and the second episode held 7.6 million. The quick renewal follows a strong seven‑day audience lift and mirrors the...
Rusk Media announced that Performax and DaMENSCH will serve as special partners for the second season of its reality competition, Battleground, which launches on Amazon MX Player in April 2026. The show brings back creator‑mentor Abhishek Malhan, aka Fukra Insaan,...
CNN recently revamped its flagship shows with a casual, podcast‑style set‑up, rolling up sleeves and broadcasting from home offices to mimic the authenticity of popular YouTube and TikTok clips. The experiment aimed to modernize the network’s image but fell flat,...
India's media and entertainment (M&E) industry expanded 9% year‑on‑year to ₹2.78 trillion (≈$33 bn) in 2025, according to the FICCI‑EY report. Digital media became the largest segment, crossing the ₹1 trillion (≈$12 bn) threshold, while digital advertising grew 26% to ₹947 billion (≈$11.4 bn), accounting for...
The NBA’s audience has shifted dramatically from traditional TV to a fragmented mix of streaming services, mobile devices, and consoles, with over a quarter of viewership now coming from virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPD). This migration forces the league...
Samsung Ads unveiled a full‑funnel performance platform at IAB NewFronts 2026, pairing AI‑driven targeting with shoppable ad formats on Samsung TV Plus. The platform integrates Amazon’s Interactive Video Ad technology, enabling viewers to add Amazon items to cart directly from their...
Austrian telco Magenta Telekom has joined the Deutsche Netzmarketing (DNMG) association to distribute Stingray’s iConcerts, DJazz and Classica channels in HD. iConcerts is offered free across all TV packages, while DJazz and Classica are bundled in the TV L tier. The...
Network 10 announced that veteran journalist Narelda Jacobs will return to Perth to anchor a reinstated local weekend bulletin, replacing Georgie Tunny. The bulletin, launching on 18 April at 5 pm AWST, will be presented from Perth while sport and weather segments...
JioStar is positioning its live‑sports platform as a gateway for Southeast Asian brands to reach India’s billion‑strong consumer market. The upcoming TATA IPL 2026 will be broadcast across linear TV, CTV and mobile, building on the 2025 edition’s 537 million TV...
Animation studio Laika has clinched the live‑action television rights to Emily St. John Mandel’s forthcoming novel “Exit Party,” slated for publication in September. The deal, described as a “highly competitive pursuit,” brings together Laika Live Action, Fruit Tree, and the...
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation unveiled the 51st Gracie Awards winners, spotlighting Rhea Seehorn, Rachel Sennott and Abby Phillip among a slate of TV and streaming honorees. The ceremony on May 19 in Beverly Hills celebrates women’s impact...
Disney+ and Hulu will launch the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Tuesday, March 24, streaming at 3 a.m. ET. The hour‑long event stars Miley Cyrus, includes surprise guests like Selena Gomez, and offers fans never‑seen footage and a live musical...
Paramount+ unveiled the inaugural trailer for the Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch, confirming a worldwide launch on May 15, 2026. The nine‑episode series returns Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, now battling new rivals in South...
Grass Valley will showcase its new Grass Valley Media Universe (GVMU) at NAB Show 2026, featuring Dynamic Media Facilities powered by AMPP OS and hybrid workflows. The lineup includes the LDX 110 Series with triple‑speed capture, the LDX 180 Series...
Crunchyroll said it is investigating a claimed cyberattack that could have leaked personal data of 6.8 million users and up to 100 GB of support‑ticket records. The breach is linked to a third‑party vendor, Telus International, and the hacker allegedly demanded a...
Nine’s reality hit Married At First Sight pulled a total TV reach of 2.78 million, with an average audience of 1.78 million and nearly 600 000 BVOD viewers. During the homestay segment, contestant Gia publicly criticized Scott’s waterfront home, sparking a social‑media stir despite...
ABC’s decision to shift Planet America into the former Q+A 9:30 pm slot delivered 570,000 viewers on Monday, more than double the 320,000 average Q+A audience before its removal. The political program’s performance rivals several prime‑time entertainment titles, though it still...
NBC Sports is testing the placement of analysts inside MLB dugouts for its Sunday Leadoff games, mirroring its NBA "On the Bench" format, while still finalizing play‑by‑play talent. The ESPN‑owned NFL Network will continue its own NFL Draft presentation, keeping...
Scoop: CNN is expected to lay off some staffers this week as network chief Mark Thompson works to push the network away from linear television and into the digital future.
New: We visit the set of a microdrama to find out how this fast-moving production machine 📽️ works. Don't miss this inside glimpse by @tessspatton on @thewrap PRO: Inside a Microdrama Set as Production and Talent Demands Explode https://t.co/cyMVGzFK9N
In this episode of The Town, hosts Matt Bellany and Lucas Shaw dissect the current hierarchy of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars under 50, using box‑office draw as the sole metric. They debate the merits of Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Gosling, Timothée Chalamet,...
Wonder Man is only the third live-action Marvel TV show to be renewed for a second season. https://t.co/Svs0lgJbXz
Hawk Hill Pictures will launch the animated feature *Tied Up* worldwide on March 24, making it available on major digital platforms such as Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV. The film is written and directed by three‑time Oscar nominee Konstantin Bronzit, with...
Walmart and Vizio announced that new Vizio smart‑TVs will require a Walmart account for activation, creating a unified login and identity framework across devices. The integration centralizes streaming data on Vizio’s OS, giving Walmart a foothold in the connected‑TV (CTV)...
Two‑time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is returning to HBO for the second season of the crime drama "Task," joining Mark Ruffalo’s series as Eddie Barnes, a seasoned law‑enforcement figure. The first season, which debuted to solid ratings and critical praise,...
Andarta Pictures’ debut animated series *Ewilan’s Quest* premiered in February on France Télévisions, quickly reaching 2.6 million views in its first month and over 1 million streams across France.tv, Okoo and YouTube. The show generated more than 210,000 hours of watch time and attracted...
Neat-o news: Marvel's acclaimed WONDER MAN series renewed for a SEASON 2...Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Ben Kingsley set to return...Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Guest also returning. https://t.co/thVPJKthkm
Netflix will live‑stream the 2026 MLB season opener on March 25, featuring the New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants. The broadcast includes retired stars Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols and CC Sabathia as analysts, with MLB Network talent handling play‑by‑play...
FuboTV announced a 1‑for‑12 reverse stock split, consolidating Class A shares to about 29.4 million and Class B shares to 79 million. The split follows a 255 % plunge in share price since Disney’s October 2025 acquisition that merged Fubo with Hulu + Live TV. Fubo ended its latest...
Thursday’s TV ratings, released by Fast Affiliate Numbers, show mixed performance across FOX’s lineup. While long‑running dramas like "9‑1‑1" and "Law & Order: SVU" held steady, culinary competition "Next Level Chef" posted a noticeable decline, sparking speculation about its renewal...
Vertical Entertainment’s fantasy‑horror romance *Dracula* retained the #1 spot on Fandango at Home’s weekly revenue chart for the week ending March 22, after its premium digital launch on March 10. Lionsgate’s thriller *The Housemaid* vaulted to #2, while Universal’s sci‑fi comedy *Good...
