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.
Pop Mart announced a partnership with Sony Pictures to develop a feature film based on its Labubu "The Monsters" universe. The movie will be co‑written by award‑winning playwright Steven Levenson and directed by Paul King, known for "Paddington" and the $635 million "Wonka" prequel. Early development plans call for a live‑action framework enhanced with computer‑generated animation to capture Labubu’s whimsical aesthetic. The announcement coincided with the 10th‑anniversary exhibition tour of The Monsters, underscoring the brand’s growth from collectibles to mainstream entertainment.
Sony Pictures and Chinese collectibles giant Pop Mart have officially confirmed a live‑action adaptation of the "Labubu" character from Pop Mart’s "The Monsters" universe. Acclaimed director Paul King, known for "Wonka" and "Paddington," will helm the project and co‑write the...
Tubi announced an incubator partnership with TikTok to develop original long‑form series for its ad‑supported streaming platform. TikTok will curate creators who will produce both scripted and unscripted shows, with the first cohort slated for a summer rollout. The initiative...
PCCW Media and SK Global unveiled their premium English‑language series *The Season* at Filmart in Hong Kong, staging a Q&A with creator Yalun Tu and a luxury yacht launch party. The revenge‑drama follows the elite Hext family and newcomer Cola, featuring an...
The episode examines the NFL's upcoming rights renegotiation, where the league is seeking a roughly 50% increase—potentially over $3 billion annually—from traditional broadcasters like CBS, Fox, and Disney/ESPN. Host Matt Bellany and CNBC reporter Alex Sherman discuss how this "billion‑dollar cash...
The 2009 psychological thriller *Exam* has found a new UK home on Prime Video. The film features EastEnders star Colin Salmon and former Coronation Street regular Jimi Mistry, alongside Gemma Chan and Nathalie Cox. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, the movie earned...
WEBTOON Entertainment announced that it has paid more than $2.7 billion to creators over the past five years and will allocate over $470 million to its 2026 Creator Program. The new initiative, led by President Yongsoo Kim, adds enhanced monetization tools, a...
Roku has introduced an NCAA March Madness Zone, a branded hub that aggregates live games, highlights, and scores for both men’s and women’s tournaments. The zone, built with TNT Sports and CBS Sports, integrates streaming options from HBO Max, Paramount+,...
Ateme announced that its TITAN encoding solution is now listed among YouTube Live’s verified encoders, confirming compliance with YouTube’s technical standards. The certification highlights support for Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) output, enabling secure, low‑latency live streams over unmanaged networks. Ateme’s...
Midco announced the phased shutdown of its legacy cable television service, moving all subscribers to the MidcoTV streaming platform by the end of 2026. The transition replaces traditional set‑top boxes with Android‑powered streaming players that require the company’s fiber‑optic internet...
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) announced the finalists for its 24th Annual Business Awards, highlighting the companies driving Australian screen production. BBC Studios Productions Australia, Lingo Pictures, Curio Pictures and others made the Media Super Production Business of the Year shortlist,...
Tamron Hall’s syndicated talk show has been renewed for an eighth season, with ABC‑owned stations committing to the run despite a volatile daytime market. A new live‑action Scooby‑Doo series has announced its casting for Shaggy, Velma and Fred, signaling a...
Bob Iger leaves The Walt Disney Company $DIS with a giant database—or “monolith”, like the "Mad Men" episode from Season 7—at the center of its business. The newly announced reorg splits that database in two—one for streaming, one for theme parks. Nobody...
NBC will broadcast its first MLB game under a new rights agreement, featuring the Pirates‑Mets Opening Day matchup. Former pitcher Al Leiter and ex‑Pirates infielder Neil Walker are slated as game analysts alongside play‑by‑play veteran Matt Vasgersian. Ahmed Fareed will...
Josh D’Amaro has officially taken the helm as Disney’s chief executive, inheriting a company split between two distinct data‑driven units. The recent reorganization places streaming, games and digital content under Dana Walden’s Entertainment division, while the Experiences segment—responsible for parks, resorts...
At Marketecture Live III, Index Exchange VP James Wilhite argued that mass audiences haven’t vanished—they’ve simply fragmented across devices, platforms, and time. The challenge for buyers is not reach but planning, as fragmented signals make audience visibility difficult, especially in...
Triveni Digital announced it will showcase its end‑to‑end NextGen TV portfolio at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, demonstrating how broadcasters can monetize ATSC 3.0 and Brazil’s TV 3.0 standards. The lineup includes GuideBuilder XM for signaling, StreamScope XM for quality‑of‑service and monetization...
Pebble will exhibit its automation, content‑management and integrated‑channel solutions at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, underscoring ongoing development of its software platforms. The company’s trio—Pebble Automation, Integrated Channel and Pebble Remote—delivers scalable, multi‑site architectures that operate across SDI,...
NewFronts are prompting marketers to lock in streaming and CTV buys, but many overlook whether their operational infrastructure can handle the resulting creative load. The shift to personalized, AI‑driven ads creates thousands of variants, demanding new governance and delivery processes....
Fuzzy Door Tech’s ViewScreen real‑time production visualization tools have been expanded for Season 2 of the live‑action/CGI hybrid series Ted on Peacock. The upgraded system allowed on‑set visualization of complex digital environments, such as a collapsing ceiling and a sprawling forest, directly...
"We view linear TV as a distraction for D'Amaro and not where we, nor investors, want to see Disney allocating capital and resources," Greenfield wrote. Media analyst Rich Greenfield of Lightshed Partners, who for years implored Disney to get out of...
Netflix Execs ‘Laughed’ at Claim the Streamer Demands Movies and TV Shows Restate Plot Points for Viewers: ‘There’s No Such Principle’ https://t.co/VgOY88myNu
California awarded film‑tax credits to 16 productions, including HBO Max’s drama “The Pitt,” the “Stewie” spin‑off and Jimmy Kimmel’s kids’ science competition “Schooled!”. The projects represent $871 million in qualified in‑state spending and are projected to generate $1.3 billion in economic activity,...
‘SNL’ Launches Short-Form Series ‘The Rundown’ on Peacock & YouTube; Colin Jost Picks a Favorite Cold Open in First Episode https://t.co/AidNDfO7Dv via @variety
Netflix is planning a global KPop Demon Hunters concert tour for next year. Promoters are salivating. But… who will perform as the girls? It may be entirely virtual. Scoop —> https://t.co/PDg34hVJOo
MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler announced a major schedule overhaul that will take effect in June 2026. Veteran journalist Ali Velshi will assume hosting duties for the network’s primetime analysis program, The 11th Hour. The move is part of a...
Toyota and Fox hope to rev up car advertising on TV with a season-long sponsorship of Baywatch https://t.co/ZEm5Gvu2YN
Disney's Josh D'Amaro era begins following Bob Iger handoff. D'Amaro stresses to investors that, unlike some media co. rivals, Disney is "operating from a place of strength." w/ @smasunaga @latimes https://t.co/32Tp2humwh
CBS Evening News, anchored by Tony Dokoupil, has seen a sharp ratings drop, shedding roughly 20% of its audience in the first week. Current average viewership sits at about 3.83 million overall and only 468,000 in the coveted 25‑54 demographic, far...
Alluding to Paramount's pending WBD deal, D’Amaro said “while others in our industry are consolidating just to compete, or struggling to be relevant in a fragmented and disrupted world, Disney is in a category of one," poised for "innovation and growth."...
Josh D’Amaro, on His First Day as Disney CEO, Tells Employees ‘Creative Excellence Will Remain Our North Star’ https://t.co/BqHmrp80dk via @variety
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...
WME Laying Off 30 Staffers, 3% of Headcount, After Going Private Last Year: ‘Our Industry Is Undergoing Profound Change’ https://t.co/gUlwX6zxPb via @variety
MS NOW Shake-Up: Ali Velshi Seizes ’11th Hour,’ ‘Morning Joe’ Cedes 9 A.M., Ana Cabrera Slides in Daytime Overhaul https://t.co/e2DZ9wmvcn via @variety
Saturday night television saw sports and live events dominate the ratings, with the 2026 World Baseball Classic leading the 18‑49 demographic at a 0.81 rating and 2.80 million viewers. The NBA’s Nuggets‑Lakers tip‑off posted a 0.53 rating, marking a notable rise...
New pod: Mike Foss (@foss) - the guy who oversees all of ESPN's studio shows - dishes on McAfee, Stephen A., SVP and where everything is headed. https://t.co/qYyCGcWxrY
On Friday night, March 15, 2026, Hulu announced it would not move forward with the Buffy: New Sunnydale reboot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and directed by Chloé Zhao. Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich delivered the decision, ending a pilot that had already...
Amazing how many people are triggered by my dumping on Oscar ratings yet this viewership chart says it all 1996 - 45 million 2006 - 36 million 2016 - 34 million 2026 - 18 million
Amazon Ads and Spotify have integrated Spotify’s premium audio and video inventory into Amazon’s demand‑side platform in Australia. The partnership lets Australian marketers buy across connected TV, display, audio and video through a single programmatic workflow, leveraging Amazon’s shopping and...
The Australian Podcast Ranker, now powered by CRA and Triton Digital, shows Mamamia Out Loud retaining the February top spot with 982,235 listeners. New Demos+ tools expand audience metrics beyond age and gender to include spending habits, travel frequency and...
Oscars down almost 2m viewers from last year. Lots of What I’m Hearing readers wildly overshot in their guesses and will not be getting a stylish Puck hat… https://t.co/erwld2eQNM
Oscars viewership fell to 17.9 million, a 9 percent decline from last year, ending a four‑year ratings rise. The drop coincided with similar declines at the Grammys and Golden Globes, marking the first simultaneous fall for all three major award shows. Conan...
ARD launched ARD Sounds on 9 March 2026, a free app that consolidates radio, podcasts, on‑demand audio and live sport from Germany’s public‑service broadcasters. The platform replaces the ARD Audiothek and has already been installed on 5.6 million devices worldwide. It offers extensive...
Actus Digital is unveiling major upgrades to its Actus X platform at NAB Show 2026, including native ATSC 3.0 monitoring with A3SA encryption, a sub‑second browser‑based multiviewer, and AI‑driven automation for compliance and reporting. The new features let broadcasters decrypt and analyze...
The episode examines the strategic challenges facing Disney as new CEO Josh D'Amaro steps in, proposing three bold moves to revive the company's stagnant stock: exiting linear TV, taking greater creative risks, and pursuing a transformative acquisition in interactive entertainment....
Suddenly, “CBS Evening News” is back where executives at the news division behind the show hoped never to return --- the show captured under 4M viewers last week, a level that spurred alarm when the program was under John Dickerson...
ABC is in crisis mode after abuse allegations against lead Taylor Frankie Paul on The Bachelorette. Cinnabon abruptly terminated its promotional partnership with the show and Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, prompting emergency meetings among network executives. Production...
Meghan Markle’s Netflix series "With Love, Meghan" will continue as seasonal specials, according to a Sussex spokesperson, after two full seasons and a holiday special aired without a third‑season renewal. The announcement comes as her lifestyle brand As Ever announced...
FIFA has partnered with YouTube to let rights holders stream the opening ten minutes of every World Cup match for free, with a limited slate of games available in full on the platform. The agreement also includes behind‑the‑scenes content and...
The 98th Oscars attracted 17.86 million viewers, roughly 2 million fewer than the 19.69 million who tuned in for the 97th ceremony. Its Adults 18‑49 rating slipped to 3.92 from 4.54, though the broadcast remained the top primetime entertainment telecast of the 2025‑2026 season....
