Principal Media and F.A.S.T: Agencies Are Rewriting the Economics of Advertising
The Myers Report argues that advertising agencies are abandoning the traditional media‑buying role and becoming principals that own, package, and monetize Free‑Advertising‑Supported Streaming Television (FAST) assets. This shift turns agencies into balance‑sheet businesses that generate profit through financial arbitrage rather than service fees. FAST’s fragmented, high‑yield inventory provides the ideal environment for this arbitrage, reshaping power dynamics across media owners, content creators, and advertisers. The upcoming full report promises governance recommendations and a detailed yield framework for navigating the new economics.
FOX Cancels “Going Dutch” After Two Seasons
Fox announced the cancellation of the comedy series "Going Dutch" after two seasons on both the broadcast network and Hulu. The show, starring Denis Leary as a disgraced U.S. Army colonel reassigned to a trivial base in the Netherlands, struggled...
FIFA Still Has No World Cup TV Rights Deal in India, China
FIFA still has not secured broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup in India and China, the planet’s two largest markets. In India, a Reliance‑Disney joint venture has offered $20 million, far below FIFA’s original $100 million ask, while Sony walked away...
Thursday TV Ratings: Grey’s Anatomy, The Hunting Party, Elsbeth, Scrabble, Next Level Chef
The latest Thursday ratings for April 30, 2026 were released, covering new episodes of flagship series such as Grey’s Anatomy, 9‑1‑1, Next Level Chef, and The Hunting Party. Ratings are calculated using Fast Affiliate Numbers, which compare viewership to the previous original...
The CTV Journey Starts Before You Think It Does
The article argues that the true CTV journey begins the moment a TV is turned on, not when a stream starts. A TiVo Ads survey shows only 31% of marketers recognize this, while 67% plan to increase home‑screen spend. Home‑screen...
Fox Cancels Denis Leary’s Going Dutch After Two Seasons
Fox announced the cancellation of "Going Dutch," the Denis Leary‑led military comedy, after its second season concluded. The series, created by Joel Church‑Cooper, debuted in 2024 and struggled to secure a sizable audience despite Leary’s star power. Fox cited modest...
Local TV News Is Vanishing
Local TV newsrooms are disappearing as stations like Indianapolis’ WRTV and California’s KION-TV abruptly dismissed over 50 staff members and replaced local newscasts with content from distant affiliates. The closures are tied to recent ownership changes, including Circle City Broadcasting’s...
NBC Counts Its NBA Playoff Ratings Differently than ESPN
The NBA playoffs have generated strong viewership, highlighted by NBCUniversal reporting a record 5.7 million viewers for the Spurs‑Blazers Game 1 and ESPN/ABC noting 5.2 million for the Rockets‑Blazers opener. Shortly after, ESPN’s PR feed stopped publishing NBA ratings, sharing only NHL data....
One Final Call: "The Night Agent" Starts Production on Fourth and Final Season
Netflix and Sony Pictures Television have begun filming the fourth and final season of the political thriller The Night Agent in Los Angeles. The series, which debuted in 2023, quickly rose to Netflix’s Most Popular list and has held a...
Maverick Entertainment Announces Peacock Premiere Date for "Another Man's Wife" Starring Sydney Mitchell, Moritz J. Williams, and Taye Diggs
Maverick Entertainment announced that its original film “Another Man’s Wife” will debut exclusively on Peacock on May 8, 2026. The drama, produced by Doug Schwab and starring Sydney Mitchell, Moritz J. Williams and Taye Diggs, follows a couple confronting job loss, a cancer...
NBC Earns Most-Watched Kentucky Derby on Record
NBC reported that the 152nd Kentucky Derby attracted an average of 19.6 million viewers, a 12% increase over the previous year and the highest‑rated Derby on record. The race’s peak audience reached 24.4 million during the live quarter‑hour, while Peacock...
The Critically Acclaimed Animated Sci-Fi Series ‘Scavengers Reign’ Is Leaving Netflix
Scavengers Reign, the critically praised adult animated sci‑fi series, will leave Netflix on May 31 and revert to an HBO Max exclusive in the United States and United Kingdom. The show amassed 8.2 million hours viewed and 1.7 million total views during its...
SAG-AFTRA and Studios Reach a Tentative Agreement / Love & Hip Hop Franchise Is Ending After 15 Years / Aziz...
SAG‑AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a tentative four‑year contract, ending a five‑month strike that halted most U.S. film and TV production. The deal boosts residuals, adds a 3% increase in pension and health...
Disney In Talks To Merge Its Theme Park Apps Into Disney+
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro announced plans to transform Disney+ into a super‑app that bundles streaming, theme‑park tickets, cruise reservations, and other experiences. The move follows earlier ideas from Bob Chapek and Bob Iger, and comes as Hulu is slated to...
Marriage Market: FOX Orders Arranged Marriage Reality Show Hosted by Whitney Cummings
Fox Entertainment Studios has green‑lit a new unscripted series called Marriage Market for the 2026‑27 season, with comedian Whitney Cummings as host. The format places single adults in a marketplace where their families act as matchmakers, selecting potential spouses for...
TV’s Portrayal of A.I. Has Become a “Vicious Circle” / Eternally Yours Took 11 Years From Pilot Script to CBS...
The television landscape is saturated with artificial‑intelligence storylines, prompting critics to label the trend a "vicious circle" that both reflects and shapes public perception. Meanwhile, the drama series "Eternally Yours" finally secured a CBS pickup after an 11‑year journey from...
Brilliant Minds: Season Two Ratings + Viewer Votes
NBC’s medical drama *Brilliant Minds* returns for a second season, but its future hinges on modest Nielsen numbers. Season 1 averaged a 0.23 rating in the coveted 18‑49 demographic and drew 2.97 million viewers, setting a low baseline for renewal. Early season‑2...
NBC Debuting New WNBA Marketing Campaign During Kentucky Derby
NBC has locked in a WNBA media rights agreement through 2036, guaranteeing more than 50 regular‑season and first‑round playoff games each season across Peacock, NBC and USA. The partnership kicks off with a May 10 Aces‑Sparks matchup on USA Network, followed...
Stumble: Cancelled; NBC Cheerleading Sitcom Won’t Be Back for Season Two
NBC announced the cancellation of the mockumentary‑style comedy Stumble after its 13‑episode debut, meaning no season two for 2026‑27. The series, loosely inspired by Netflix’s docuseries Cheer, followed a Texas junior‑college cheer coach navigating a career setback. It aired on...
Brilliant Minds: Cancelled; No Season Three for NBC Medical Drama
NBC announced the cancellation of the medical drama *Brilliant Minds* after two seasons, confirming there will be no third season. The series’ second season, which began airing later this month, delivered a 0.14 rating in the 18‑49 demographic and 1.87 million...
NBC Cancels Brilliant Minds and Stumble
NBC announced the cancellation of the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons and the freshman cheerleading comedy Stumble after one season. Both series struggled to meet the network’s ratings expectations, prompting the decision. The move leaves Law & Order...
Wednesday TV Ratings: Survivor, Chicago PD, MasterChef, Police 24/7, Shark Tank,
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, saw a full slate of new episodes across major broadcast and cable series, including Survivor, Shark Tank, The Greatest Average American, and several Chicago franchise titles. Reruns of Police 24/7, Shark Tank and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune filled the...
DAZN Now on the Record About Interest in Local NBA Rights
DAZN has officially stated its interest in acquiring local NBA broadcast rights as the league seeks new distribution partners amid the regional sports network (RSN) collapse. The streaming service sees an opportunity to fill the void left by traditional RSNs...
HBO Max Drops Support for Millions of Older Fire TV Models
HBO Max announced that its Fire TV app will no longer run on devices using Fire OS 5, raising the minimum supported version to Fire OS 6. Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, including the popular 2nd‑gen Fire TV Stick, has not received major...
Fox Orders Whitney Cummings-Hosted Marriage Market Dating Reality Show / Peacock Developing Gilgo Beach Murders Scripted Series / How Hacks...
Fox has green‑lit "Marriage Market," a new dating reality series hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings. The format forces singles ready for marriage to hand over matchmaking control to their closest family members, creating a family‑driven courtship dynamic. Fox plans to...
TV in 3: The Messy Truth Behind Amazon’s ‘Apprentice’ Fantasy
Amazon’s executives have floated reviving "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump Jr. as host, leveraging its $8.45 billion MGM acquisition. The proposal reflects a broader push to turn MGM’s film library into premium TV content for Prime Video. Meanwhile, Disney sidestepped political...
Shifting Gears: Season Two Ratings + Viewer Votes
ABC’s multi‑camera sitcom *Shifting Gears* returns for a second season after becoming the network’s highest‑rated comedy in its debut year. Season 1 posted a 0.39 rating in the 18‑49 demo and attracted 4.32 million live + same‑day viewers, setting a benchmark for season 2. Early...
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch: Season Seven Premiere Date Set for History Channel Series
The History Channel announced that Season 7 of "The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch" will debut on Tuesday, May 19 at 9/8c. The new episodes continue to follow ranch owner Brandon Fugal and his team of scientists as they employ rockets, drone swarms, lasers...
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps Back From Spring Break with Fifth Straight Week of Growth Among Both Total Viewers...
"Live with Kelly and Mark" returned from spring break to post its fifth straight week of year‑over‑year growth, adding 1% in total viewers to 2.413 million and a 2% rise in household ratings to 1.59. The show also posted a 3%...
Inside the Stream: YouTube’s Record Q1, Roku’s Howdy Hits 1 Million Subscribers
YouTube reported a record Q1, with ad revenue edging close to $10 billion—an 11% increase year‑over‑year and about 25% versus two years ago. Both direct‑response and brand ads performed strongly, but the fastest‑growing segment was subscriptions, led by Premium and Music....
Scrubs: Season Two; 2026-27 Renewal Announced for ABC Sitcom Revival
ABC has renewed the *Scrubs* sitcom revival for a second season slated for 2026‑27 after the nine‑episode first season aired in mid‑April. The revival brings back original leads Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke, alongside a new supporting cast. It...
Inside the Stream – YouTube’s Record Q1, Roku’s Howdy Hits 1M Subs
Alphabet’s YouTube posted near‑$10 billion in Q1 ad revenue, up 11 % year‑over‑year, while subscription revenue accelerated, led by Premium and a surge in news‑channel subscriptions. English‑language news channels grew 16 % in the past 15 months, with the BBC emerging as the...
Tuesday TV Ratings: RJ Decker, Farmer Wants a Wife, NCIS: Sydney, NBA Playoffs, WWE NXT
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, TV ratings were released using Fast Affiliate Numbers, covering new episodes of RJ Decker, Farmer Wants a Wife, Bear Grylls is Running Wild, and three NCIS spinoffs. The sports lineup featured live broadcasts of the 2026 NBA Playoffs and...
Hollywood’s A.I.-Infringement Terminator
Hollywood and Silicon Valley are clashing over AI‑generated content and celebrity deepfakes. After OpenAI abruptly shut down its Sora video platform and ended a roughly $1 billion licensing deal with Disney, studios moved from legal threats to negotiating with Sam Altman....
“Shifting Gears” Renewed For A Third Season
Tim Allen’s comedy "Shifting Gears" has been renewed for a third season on ABC, with episodes also slated for Hulu and Disney+ in the 2026/27 broadcast year. The series follows Matt, a widowed classic‑car shop owner, whose estranged daughter Riley...
American Idol’s New Live Social Voting Has Been a Disaster / Druski to Host the BET Awards / Lanterns Trailer...
American Idol introduced live social media voting, but a system crash forced a delayed elimination and left viewers frustrated by complex comment rules. Comedian Druski was announced as the youngest-ever host of the BET Awards, signaling the network’s push toward...
Don Garber: MLS Was ‘Way Early’ on Move to Streaming-Exclusive Model
Major League Soccer has eliminated the $100 MLS Season Pass, making every match available to all Apple TV subscribers. Commissioner Don Garber admitted the league was “way early” in adopting an exclusive streaming‑only model. While other top leagues retain broadcast...
YouTube Series Are Hijacking Reality TV. Studios Want In
French YouTuber Squeezie and producer Théodore Bonnet created the high‑budget reality series *Stop the Train* for roughly $1 million, amassing 15 million views since its September launch. Banijay, the global powerhouse behind *Survivor* and *MasterChef*, has secured worldwide distribution rights, marking one...
ABC Renews Scrubs and Shifting Gears, Leaving R.J. Decker on the Bubble
ABC announced renewals for both the Scrubs revival and the original comedy‑drama Shifting Gears, extending each for a second season. The Scrubs reboot, which debuted in February, will now enter its 11th overall season, while Shifting Gears secures a follow‑up...
Canzano: Pac-12 Aims to Bring Games to Fans
The Pac‑12 is preparing a direct‑to‑consumer streaming platform to launch in 2026, marking its fourth and final media‑rights arrangement. The conference has not yet promoted the service or opened subscriptions, despite a July 1 relaunch and upcoming competition schedule. A new...
DAZN’s ViewLift Move Sets up High-Stakes Battle for Local Rights
DAZN announced a merger with ViewLift, the technology platform behind several U.S. regional sports networks such as Altitude Sports and NESN. The integration gives DAZN the ability to offer teams optional direct‑to‑consumer streaming services or exclusive local‑rights deals paying $8 million...
Lovesick: Netflix Gives Claire Danes Drama a Straight-to-Series Order
Netflix has given a straight‑to‑series order for "Lovesick," a drama created by Sarah Treem and starring Claire Danes as a breast‑cancer surgeon who receives her own diagnosis. The series will explore intertwined lives of a surgeon and a rising politician,...
Animated Hit ‘GOAT’ Gets Netflix Streaming Premiere Date
Sony Pictures Animation's basketball comedy GOAT, produced by NBA star Stephen Curry, has become the highest‑grossing basketball film ever, pulling $190.4 million worldwide on an $80 million budget. After a strong theatrical run that began in February, the movie will debut on...
The Brut. Channel Arrives on Major Telecom Operators and Connected TVs
Brut. has launched a dedicated 24/7 lifestyle channel after striking a distribution deal with CMA Media Group. The channel rolls out across major telecom operators—including Comcast Xfinity, AT&T TV, and Verizon Fios—and on connected‑TV platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire...
Canal+ Group Reports Stable Q1 as MultiChoice Integration Advances Toward Johannesburg Listing
Canal+ Group posted unaudited Q1 2026 results on April 28, showing consolidated revenue essentially flat year‑over‑year. The company highlighted that the integration of South Africa’s MultiChoice is progressing on schedule, with a Johannesburg listing slated for later this year. EBITDA...
Viaplay Extends Exclusive UEFA Rights Contracts in Denmark, Norway and Finland
Viaplay Group has renewed its exclusive UEFA Champions League rights in Denmark and its Europa and Conference League rights in Norway and Finland for a four‑year term ending in 2031, preserving a partnership that dates back to 1992. The extension...
Holywater Tech's Pocket TV Playbook
Holywater Tech, a six‑year‑old media startup, runs an end‑to‑end pipeline that turns a books platform with over a million monthly users into AI‑generated series in just two weeks, feeding its My Drama streaming service. My Drama now boasts close to...
"Free Rider": French Producers' Unions Condemn France Télévisions' Deal with YouTube
Four leading French producers’ and distributors’ unions – AnimFrance, Sedpa, SPI and USPA – have issued a joint statement condemning France Télévisions' newly announced distribution agreement with YouTube. The deal permits the public broadcaster’s television content to be uploaded to...
"A Deeply Patriarchal Society": New Collectif 50/50 Report Reveals Massive Gender and Budget Gaps in French Film
The Collectif 50/50 released its third annual parity study, examining department‑head roles in 206 French feature films slated for 2025 release. Women occupied just 22 % of those senior positions, with female cinematographers falling to 18 % and female producers to 24 %. The...
Netflix Announces New Series "Minimum Wage," Set to Debut Later This Year
Netflix announced "Minimum Wage," a 28‑episode workplace comedy set in a chaotic pizza shop, slated for release later this year. The series adapts the viral "American High" Shorts, which have amassed over 30 million views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram since...