Television News and Headlines
Television News and Headlines
Neutral Wireless, Haivision and ITN delivered the United Kingdom’s first live broadcast using the newly‑available n40 private 5G spectrum (2320‑2340 MHz) for the London New Year’s Eve Fireworks 2025/26. A portable pop‑up 5G Pro system created a single cell covering the riverbank, feeding two full‑HD camera streams to a Haivision StreamHub via Falkon X2 and Pro mobile transmitters. Ofcom’s short‑notice, short‑duration licences in the 2.3 GHz band allowed the network to be deployed in days rather than weeks. The deployment demonstrated agile, low‑latency production with reduced cabling and a more sustainable workflow.
Globo and Paraguay’s leading free‑to‑air channel Telefuturo have signed a new five‑year agreement (2026‑2030) to broadcast Globo’s flagship drama slate, beginning with the telenovela “Anything Goes,” which amassed over 150 million viewers and is Globo’s highest‑grossing prime‑time production. The renewal builds...
Amazon MGM Studios and Alliance Home Entertainment announced that the sci‑fi thriller Mercy will hit physical shelves on April 7, 2026, in 4K Ultra HD, Blu‑ray, and DVD formats. The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, earned $54.3 million worldwide at the box...
Netflix reported that the Lionsgate‑produced sci‑fi action film *War Machine* topped its global weekly streaming chart through March 8, amassing 39.3 million views and leading both the overall and English‑language movie rankings. The platform’s English‑language TV chart was led by *Bridgerton* season four...
JustWatch’s weekly streaming report for March 2‑8 shows Oscar‑nominated movies dominating the U.S. market, capturing 70 % of the top‑10 titles. Hulu leads the movie segment with Brazilian drama *The Secret Agent* at No. 1 and sci‑fi drama *In the Blink of an...
CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced that ad demand for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is "tremendous," though they withheld specific pricing or inventory numbers. Executives emphasized that live sports continue to cut through the clutter, driving revenue across...
Bell Media’s streaming platform Crave has commissioned a second season of the fashion competition *Project Runway Canada*. Produced with Fremantle and Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Fashion, the series will return with host and judge Coco Rocha, alongside judges Jeanne...
Mario Rodríguez has been appointed president of Mediaset España, the leading free‑to‑air broadcaster in Spain. The veteran executive joins the role after nearly three decades with the group, most recently serving as Corporate General Manager and Director of Institutional Relations....
Searchlight Pictures' comedy film "Is This Thing On?" will begin streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. on March 20. The movie is directed by Oscar‑nominated Bradley Cooper and stars Will Arnett, who also...
Walmart has fully integrated Vizio into its private‑label portfolio, making the brand exclusive to Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. New Vizio smart TVs now require a Walmart account during setup to unlock full streaming and personalization features, while existing owners...
Sinclair Broadcast Group is reviving a two‑hour local morning news slot on WACH‑57 in Columbia, South Carolina. The station had dropped its local program in March 2023 in favor of the national‑focused The National Desk. The reinstated show will air...
Channel 4 has mandated subtitles on all new TV ads, pushing brands toward greater accessibility. Currys, praising the move, added closed captions to its “The Sigh of Relief” campaign, citing a potential reach of 18 million UK viewers with hearing loss. The...
TVB’s 2026 Purchase Funnel Study, commissioned by GfK/NIQ, confirms television remains the most influential medium across all stages of the consumer purchase journey. TV outperformed the nearest competitor, social media, by fivefold in driving awareness and led trust metrics, with...
Gray Television, after merging with Raycom Media, now controls Savannah’s CBS affiliate WTOC‑11. A legal dispute could force Dish Network to block WTOC for its subscribers starting at 7 p.m. Eastern today. The station, a long‑standing ratings leader in Georgia’s Coastal...
Polsat Box Go has expanded its streaming catalogue by adding 23 new TV channels, pushing the total offering to almost 200 services. The new lineup includes a mix of public broadcaster TVP channels and TVN Warner Bros Discovery assets such as TVN24, TVN Turbo and...
Prima Group has appointed Jan Wykrytowicz as director of VOD and commercial services, effective April 1. In the newly created role he will lead the development of the prima+ streaming platform, expand subscription services, digital products and strategic partnerships, and devise new...
Sky has appointed Damian Saunders as Managing Director of its Sky Business division, marking the latest step in the company’s B2B expansion. Saunders, who joined Sky in 2012 and has held multiple senior roles—including Strategy and Commercial Director and CRO—has...
Disney Channel will relaunch in Spain on April 1, replacing Disney Junior and expanding its schedule to target children aged six to eleven. The revived pay‑TV channel will retain preschool programming through clearly labelled Disney Junior blocks. Disney Junior previously held...
Live‑sports streaming latency now reaches 40‑plus seconds on many platforms, turning a quality‑of‑experience nuisance into a revenue‑critical issue. Research from the Super Bowl showed Peacock lagging 48 seconds while broadcast stayed within 19 seconds. In‑play microbetting, a $21 billion market projected...
Zee Media has appointed Mayank Jain as senior vice‑president of digital ad sales, positioning him to lead the company’s monetisation across publishing, streaming and broadcast assets. Jain arrives with over 25 years of media sales experience, most recently heading digital...
Zee Media has appointed Mayank Jain as Senior Vice President of Digital Ad Sales, bringing over two decades of cross‑platform media experience. Jain previously drove digital revenue at TV9 and Times Internet, and will spearhead Zee’s push into the fast‑growing...
SportsCast Global announced a partnership with FAST Channels TV to launch a 24/7 free‑ad‑supported streaming (FAST) sports channel. The channel will feature football, motorsport, basketball, tennis and baseball content, including classic games, highlights, commentary and athlete profiles. FAST Channels TV...
Sports fans are abandoning traditional TV, turning to streaming services and short‑form platforms for live games and highlights. Rights are being split across multiple OTT providers, creating frustration as viewers juggle subscriptions. Hub Entertainment Research’s Wave 5 report shows documentaries like...
At the Australian International Documentary Conference, ABC executives defended using well‑known documentary hosts to draw audiences while also emphasizing a push for fresh faces. Kelrick Martin highlighted the network’s commitment to Indigenous talent, citing Miranda Tapsell’s recent presenter role. Jo...
Australian‑made children’s podcast “Silly Stories for Kids” has amassed 2.47 million listens and 1.37 million downloads in the past 30 days, generating over 21.8 million listening minutes. The audience is now dominated by North America, which accounts for 52 % of listeners, while downloads...
Rainbow's studio has launched its first themed subscription video‑on‑demand (SVoD) channel, Winx Club & Friends, on Amazon Prime Video. The channel is live in the UK, Italy, France, Finland and Sweden and bundles flagship series such as Winx Club, Huntik,...
Victoria’s government advertising has dramatically shifted away from television, with TV accounting for just 9.4% of the $103.2 million media budget in 2023‑24 – roughly $9.7 million. The TV share fell from a peak of $32.4 million in 2020‑21 to half that amount...
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, an animated continuation of the Avatar franchise, will debut on October 9 2026 via Paramount+ rather than a theatrical run. Co‑directors Lauren Montgomery and William Mata confirmed the film has finished production, and original creators...
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is expanding its digital footprint by teaming with streaming technology firm Kiswe to launch MyAEW, a subscription‑based platform that includes a free FAST channel called Watch AEW. The channel streams on Android TV, Apple TV and...
Fox Sports announced an aggressive 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast plan, featuring 70 matches on the Fox broadcast network and a total of 340 live hours across its platforms. The schedule includes 21 primetime games on Fox and 19 primetime...
Optimum is set to launch a new network called In2 TV next month, bundling News 12 original series, mystery documentaries, cultural stories and exclusive sports. The channel will be carried on all video customers subscribed to Optimum's Basic package and...
Philo, under new CEO Mike Keyserling, unveiled two refreshed subscription tiers this month. The $25‑per‑month Essential plan bundles over 70 live TV channels, 120 FAST channels, video‑on‑demand and unlimited DVR storage, plus a 7‑day free trial. The former Core plan...
Versant announced a multi‑brand direct‑to‑consumer push, unveiling an MS Now streaming service, a Fandango AVOD platform, and a CNBC DTC product aimed at retail investors. CFO/COO Anand Kini emphasized that the rollout will rely on existing video‑playback, commerce, and brand infrastructure, keeping...
Netflix confirmed it will not bid for the National Rugby League broadcast rights as the Australian Rugby League Commission pursues a package valued at over $4 billion. The league aims to finalize a deal within three months, targeting both traditional broadcasters...
The pilot of NBC’s new sitcom “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” attracted 5.8 million live viewers and has since amassed nearly 13 million across broadcast, Peacock and other digital platforms within 50 days—a growth of more than 100%. The strong...
Phil Rosenthal’s culinary travel series *Somebody Feed Phil* will transition from Netflix to a dedicated YouTube channel in 2027 under a strategic global deal with Banijay. The agreement also includes a slate of short‑form content and explores AVOD and FAST...
Entertainment Tonight announced that Emily Curl will serve as its New York‑based correspondent, starting March 9, 2026. Curl brings a digital‑first background from iHeartRadio and experience with E! News, having interviewed top music and film talent. The move adds to...
Wonkybot Entertainment has launched Wonkybot Kids, a dedicated YouTube hub for its growing family‑focused animated slate. The rollout is anchored by the preschool series BLISS, which premiered on March 6 across its own channel and the new hub. The move marks...
Mike Flanagan has inked an exclusive overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios to develop original series, kicking off with a reimagined adaptation of Stephen King’s *Carrie* and a new version of *The Exorcist*. The agreement follows his departure from Netflix,...
The Cincinnati Reds announced a two‑year partnership with Gray Media and its Fox19 station to simulcast ten regular‑season games on free over‑the‑air television. The schedule includes Opening Day on March 26 and nine “Red Hot Mondays” games, reaching fans in 17...
Hearst Television announced that Pam Barber will retire as President and General Manager of WMOR‑32 in Tampa after leading the station since 2015 and a 20‑year tenure with the company. Barber’s 43‑year broadcasting career began in Tampa in 1983 and...
Parrot Analytics and Radial Entertainment have forged a multi‑year partnership to embed Parrot’s global, cross‑platform audience demand index into Radial’s content valuation, programming, and growth strategy. The deal gives Radial, which manages a library of over 70,000 movies and TV...
Marketers must dissolve the linear‑vs‑streaming divide and adopt a convergent TV approach, blending programmatic and direct buying. At Convergent TV World, Tatari’s Mike Fogarty highlighted the $70 billion U.S. TV market, noting that only $30 billion is streaming‑focused and still largely direct‑sold....
Hub Entertainment Research surveyed 3,733 U.S. sports fans and found that 87% are frustrated trying to locate live games across fragmented streaming services. Tools like ESPN’s “Where to Watch” and Roku’s “Sports Zone” were praised by 70% and 60% of...
TNT Sports has secured a multi‑year English‑language partnership with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), bringing men’s and women’s World Cup events to its linear channels and HBO Max streaming platform. Live coverage kicks off on March 11 with the FIBA Women’s...
Peter Diamandis, founder of XPRIZE, announced a $3.5 million Future Vision XPRIZE aimed at encouraging optimistic science‑fiction storytelling. The contest, backed by Rod Roddenberry, Marc Benioff, Cathie Wood, Google and other high‑profile donors, will award a $2.5 million production fund to the grand‑prize winner. Submissions consist...
Sports Video Group (SVG) announced its Cloud & Content Workflows Summit for July 28 in New York City, merging its previous cloud production and content management events into a single day. The summit will feature a morning program followed by...
Aamir Khan’s sports comedy‑drama Sitaare Zameen Par, which grossed over ₹250 crore in its 2025 theatrical run, will stream on Sony LIV in March 2026, becoming the platform’s first Hindi theatrical title. The film follows a coach working with neuro‑divergent players, echoing...
NBC Sports is broadcasting the 2026 Milan‑Cortina Paralympics using a cloud‑first workflow, bypassing the traditional IBC connectivity. Signals are transported via SRT over the internet to two OBS cloud instances in Virginia and Frankfurt, with redundancy built in. Stamford, Connecticut...
Netflix is developing two new animated Ghostbusters projects with Sony Pictures Animation: a feature film tentatively titled "Ecto" that will be told from a ghost's perspective, and a companion series set in the 1990s featuring a new generation of teen...
