Television News and Headlines
Television News and Headlines
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 O’Brien returned as host and received mostly positive reviews, while “One Battle After Another” won Best Picture and “Sinners” secured four awards including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.
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...
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....
Canal+ and PPF, each holding roughly 29.3% of Viaplay after a €0.36 billion recapitalisation, are exploring a joint move to take the Nordic streamer private. The proposal would give the two investors close to 60% combined control, consolidating their influence over...
Vivacom has expanded its EON television platform in Bulgaria by adding BBC First and BBC Earth. BBC First, positioned as a Bulgarian premiere, joins the EON Premium package on channel 63, delivering British drama and crime series such as *Death...
The Video Advertising Bureau’s new survey of 2,300 U.S. adults finds that most committed or prospective voters regularly watch ad‑supported television and streaming services. TV and linear‑plus‑streaming platforms remain the primary discovery channel for political candidates, with voters turning to...
Setplex will debut its fully integrated Zapflex platform at the 2026 NAB Show, highlighting new AI‑driven search and a super aggregation engine that merge internal libraries with third‑party content. The AI search combines keyword precision with intent‑based semantics, while the...
Y+X Entertainment, led by former FremantleMedia China CEO Vivian Yin, will debut LumiView in August as a premium vertical IP platform. The service emphasizes an IP‑first development strategy, creator‑aligned infrastructure, and a franchise‑oriented expansion model rather than volume‑driven content. LumiView...
English Club TV, a global educational channel, has launched on Yettel Hungary’s platform. Starting April 15, the channel will be included in Yettel’s TV Plus package for subscribers. The partnership aligns with English Club TV Group’s plan to broaden its...
Boat Rocker Studios announced two senior director appointments to bolster its creative teams. Vanessa Esteves joins as senior director of creative affairs for kids and family, bringing 19+ years and experience at Nelvana with brands like Thomas & Friends. Joey...
Glenn Haygood, President and General Manager of Hearst’s WLKY-TV in Louisville, announced his retirement later this year, concluding a broadcast career spanning more than four decades. He has overseen WLKY’s editorial and business operations since 2008, guiding the CBS affiliate...
STV reported a 6% drop in group revenue to £176.9 million for 2025, with advertising revenue falling 10% to £89.3 million and adjusted operating profit plunging 44% to £11.6 million. The decline was driven by weaker national linear ad sales, while studios revenue...
Nielsen has delayed the March edition of its flagship The Gauge report to March 24, citing the integration of new DASH data into its streaming measurement methodology. The delayed release follows streamer anxiety that the updated metrics will reveal a...
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...
Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros creates a streaming powerhouse that combines HBO Max, Paramount+, Discovery+ and legacy cable brands, targeting roughly 200 million global subscribers. The merger boosts negotiating leverage against rivals like Amazon and Netflix but saddles the new entity...
Nielsen’s latest trend report highlights that ad‑supported TV now accounts for 74% of total TV viewing time. The landscape is increasingly fragmented, with each platform—broadcast, streaming services, and FAST channels—offering distinct audience profiles. Nielsen positions the guide as a roadmap...
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal will headline Walmart and Vizio’s first joint NewFront presentation on March 23. The event, titled “Content to Commerce,” will feature top executives from Walmart Connect, Vizio, L’Oreal, NBCUniversal and Universal Studios. It will provide the first look...
Since SMPTE launched its AI Taskforce in 2020, AI adoption in broadcast has accelerated dramatically, prompting an updated Engineering Report in 2024 that highlights emerging standards. The report recommends standardising on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) frameworks,...
Sky has integrated Disney+ into its core TV subscription, offering the Standard with Ads tier (valued at £5.99 per month) at no extra charge to eligible customers. The service is now accessible via Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Sky Q,...
Antonio G. Corrado, founder and CEO of MainStreaming, splits his day between shaping long‑term strategy, overseeing day‑to‑day operations, and engaging with customers, partners, and investors. He emphasizes the impact of AI, edge computing and distributed architectures on the future of...
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 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...
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 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...
The Oscars aired on Australia’s Seven Network attracted a Total TV National Reach of 1.254 million and an average audience of 488,000, despite the late‑night time slot. A same‑day encore captured an additional 1.074 million reach with 231,000 average viewers, while the...
South Korean broadcaster MBC C&I’s AI Contents Lab showcased its most ambitious slate at Hong Kong FilMart, headlined by “Raphael,” an 80‑minute feature billed as one of the world’s first fully AI‑generated movies. The lineup also includes AI‑driven dramas such...
Bluebells Studios’ horror feature *Phi Phong: The Blood Demon* has been sold to more than ten territories through Mockingbird Pictures, launching in Vietnam on April 24 to coincide with the Reunification Day holiday. The film, directed by Do Quoc Trung and...
Nielsen released an audience guide focused on growth audiences, highlighting the significant role of Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) platforms. The guide reveals that FAST services account for one in three ad-supported streaming minutes among Black women aged 18 and...
CBS News 24/7’s 60‑person unionized staff will stage a 24‑hour walkout on Tuesday after contract talks with editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss broke down over raises, defined schedules and severance. The unit, which rebroadcasts flagship CBS programs and produces original digital shows,...
Hong Kong’s Filmart 2026 has turned into a showcase for generative AI, featuring 28 dedicated AI sessions that eclipse traditional studio panels. The convention’s focus spans screenwriting, animation, pre‑visualization and workflow optimization, reflecting rapid adoption across Asian productions. Major tech...
Animation has become a dominant force in China’s box office, with 2025 revenues reaching $3.57 billion and accounting for roughly half of all ticket sales. The breakout success of Beijing Enlight Pictures’ *Ne Zha 2*, which earned $2.2 billion worldwide, underscores the genre’s commercial...
Refinery Media and COL Group International have partnered to launch "SupermodelMe: Make It or Break It," the first reality franchise reimagined as a vertical‑format microdrama on the FlareFlow mobile platform. The series, announced at Hong Kong FilMart, will debut mid‑year...
Harry Styles' concert film "One Night in Manchester" surged to the top of Netflix’s domestic charts just as the streamer prepares to stream BTS’s highly anticipated reunion concert on March 21. Netflix secured exclusive rights to the BTS live event and...
China’s Hishow Entertainment sealed its first deals on the Bosco Wong‑led series My Dearest Stranger and launched sales for the Louis Koo action thriller Mastermind at Filmart. My Dearest Stranger, a 13‑part drama directed by Lin Yu‑Hsien, logged over 260 million...
Japan debuted a dedicated Film Frontier section at the Hong Kong‑Asia Film Financing Forum, placing emerging Japanese filmmakers directly in the market. Seven Japanese projects—spanning In‑Development, Work‑in‑Progress and the new Film Frontier showcase—highlight Unijapan’s outward‑facing strategy. Backed by the Japan...
Senator Adam Schiff is convening a spotlight hearing in Burbank to scrutinize Paramount’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and the broader push for federal film‑production tax incentives. Actor Noah Wyle, IATSE President Matthew Loeb, policy researcher Jax Deluca, and...
Taylor Sheridan’s latest series, “The Madison,” launched on March 14, 2026, and immediately claimed the No. 1 spot on Paramount+ streaming rankings. The drama, featuring a notable ensemble cast including Piper, Russell, Patrick J. Adams, and Matthew Fox, marks Sheridan’s most...
Hulu has halted production on season five of its hit series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" while a domestic‑violence investigation involving star Taylor Frankie Paul unfolds. Police are probing mutual assault allegations between Paul and her ex‑partner Dakota Mortensen,...
Arkansas PBS’s board voted 6-2 to let its PBS contract lapse, planning to rebrand the statewide network as “Arkansas TV” on July 1, 2026. The move would have stripped all PBS programming from the AETN stations, sparking concern among viewers...
Matt Vasgersian will call MLB Opening Night on Netflix and serve as play-by-play voice for NBC's MLB Sunday Leadoff games. Netflix's broadcast team features Albert Pujols, CC Sabathia and multilingual commentators, streaming the game in five languages. NBC also added...
Australian streaming platform HBO Max has acquired the rights to air the first official UK adaptation of Saturday Night Live. The six‑episode series, filmed live in London, premieres on March 23 with Emmy‑winner Tina Fey hosting the debut episode. The...
Netflix has officially renewed the comedy series “Free Bert” for a second season. The show, starring stand‑up comedian Bert Kreischer playing a fictionalized version of himself, debuted on January 22 and follows his family’s clash with Beverly Hills culture. Production will again take...
FloSports announced a partnership with Storied Sports, a studio founded by former espnW and The Players’ Tribune executives, to produce sponsor‑oriented storytelling across its women’s and college sports programming. The collaboration will create original formats for live broadcasts, social platforms,...
BET+ will cease operations in June, with its 3.5 million subscribers and content library moving to a new BET Hub inside Paramount+. The transition follows Tyler Perry’s equity sale to Paramount Skydance, which now owns both services. Paramount+’s subscriber base of...
Hulu has begun notifying subscribers that the Starz premium add‑on will increase from $10.99 to $11.99 per month starting March 31, 2026. The hike follows a series of incremental price adjustments aimed at covering rising content production and licensing costs....
Netflix will announce its fiscal Q1 results on April 16, covering the quarter ending March 30. The company projects revenue of $12.2 billion and net income of $3.3 billion, up from $10.5 billion revenue and $2.9 billion profit a year earlier. A live interview...
Level 33 announced a digital release of the zombie thriller Didn’t Die on April 28, 2026, available for rental or purchase. The film debuted at Sundance and earned a nomination at the Cleveland International Film Festival’s American Independents Competition. Director Meera Menon, a ReFrame Rise 2019...
