Microsoft Previews 2026 NAB Show Trends, Plans
Microsoft is rebranding its media role at the 2026 NAB Show, shifting from a silent enterprise backbone to a software‑defined broadcasting leader. The company will showcase AI‑driven production tools, including Copilot’s agent‑to‑agent workflows, and emphasize its Azure‑based security stack for live sports streams. Partnerships with Avid, Adobe, Evertz, Vizrt and Ross Video underpin a broader ecosystem that bridges traditional linear broadcasting with fast, multi‑platform publishing. While Azure Media Services was retired in 2024, Microsoft leans on Azure Front Door and PlayReady DRM to protect high‑profile NBA, NFL and Premier League content.
Week of April 6 Cable News Ratings: Artemis II Coverage Lifts Cable Nets
Cable‑news ratings for the week of April 6, 2026 showed a sharp lift for CNN after its live Artemis II moon‑flight coverage, making it the top network in the Adults 25‑54 demo during primetime. Fox News retained overall primetime dominance, drawing 3.05 million total viewers...
Week of April 6 Evening News Ratings: WNT Stays on Top
ABC World News Tonight (WNT) remained the most‑watched evening newscast in the United States for the week of April 6, drawing 8.42 million total viewers and 1.07 million adults 25‑54. NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News saw flat or declining numbers, with...
Week of April 6 Morning News Ratings: Savannah Guthrie Returns
NBC’s *Today* reclaimed the top spot in the April 6, 2026 morning‑news ratings after Savannah Guthrie returned from a two‑month leave. The show attracted 3.139 million total viewers and 630 000 adults 25‑54, posting a 6 % week‑over‑week gain and a 21 % year‑over‑year increase. ABC’s *Good...
Week in Review: Netflix Talks Up Programmatic, Viant Acquires TVision, and Digital Video Sees Rapid Growth
Netflix reported Q1 revenue of $12.3 billion, staying on track for $3 billion in ad sales this year, with programmatic expected to represent half of its non‑live ad inventory. Co‑CEO Greg Peters said scaling programmatic will broaden the advertiser base beyond large...
Christophe Pinard-Legry Takes Expanded European Role at Canal+
Canal+ has promoted Christophe Pinard‑Legry to chief executive of Canal+ Europe while retaining his role as CEO of Canal+ France’s business activities. The appointment also places him on the Canal+ Management Board, chaired by Maxime Saada. Canal+ Europe operates in...
Producers Call on Brands to Back Indies, Claim Holdcos Prioritise Agency Profit
The Independent World Producers Alliance (IWPA) issued an open letter urging brands to channel advertising spend directly to independent production companies. The alliance claims that holding‑company structures in the agency world prioritize internal profit over the creative output of indie...
Christopher Meloni’s ‘Organized Crime’ Axed, and He Hints at Chances of 'SVU' Return
NBC announced the cancellation of Law & Order: Organized Crime after five seasons, ending Christopher Meloni’s return as Detective Elliot Stabler. The procedural had been a flagship revival for the franchise, launching in 2021 and running three seasons on the...
DAZN Takes NASCAR Euro Series Worldwide in New Free-to-View Deal
DAZN announced a global free‑to‑view partnership with the NASCAR Euro Series, streaming every race in English worldwide except the Netherlands and Romania. The 2026 season launches in Spain on April 16 and will travel across six European countries before ending in...
Netflix Points to Partnerships, Pricing and Advertising Growth in Latest Results
Netflix highlighted that distribution partnerships, disciplined pricing, and a fast‑growing ad‑supported tier are fueling its global expansion. New bundling deals with Mercado Libre in Mexico and Brazil have deepened market penetration. Recent price hikes in Spain were well received overall,...
ReelShort, Endemol Shine Brasil Launch Hit Microdrama ‘Married at First Sight’ in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE)
ReelShort and Endemol Shine Brasil are debuting a Brazilian adaptation of the global micro‑drama hit “Married at First Sight,” retitled “De Repente Casados,” on April 18 exclusively on ReelShort. The original series has amassed more than 227 million views worldwide, and the localized version stars...
Dish TV Launches ‘Kuch Chhota Sa’ Campaign for TV Flexibilit
Dish TV rolled out a "Kuch chhota sa" campaign promoting its new "Always‑On" service, offering over 190 channels and a flexible Freedom Pack priced at Rs 99 (≈$1.20) to address recharge friction. The campaign uses slice‑of‑life storytelling across TV, digital and...
Hot Take: YouTube Shouldn’t Rely On Creators To Convince Brands It’s TV
YouTube is positioning its platform as a television equivalent to capture premium ad budgets, emphasizing the growing share of viewing on living‑room screens. At its NewFronts event, the company let creators pitch the TV narrative, citing data such as 62%...
‘Perfect Crown’ Scores Disney+’s Biggest K-Drama Debut to Date
Disney+ announced that the rom‑com series "Perfect Crown" has become its biggest‑ever K‑drama debut, topping all Korean‑series premieres on the platform globally within five days. The show, starring K‑pop icon IU and breakout actor Byeon Woo‑seok, streams internationally on Disney+...
Weigel Broadcasting Taps OpenAP for Advanced Advertising Tools
Weigel Broadcasting announced a partnership with OpenAP to roll out advanced advertising tools ahead of the 2026 Upfront season. The collaboration lets advertisers access richer audience data and purchase inventory across Weigel’s nine niche TV networks, including MeTV and Heroes...
Pam Abdy and Sandra Bullock Talk Paramount-Warners Deal and ‘Practical Magic 2’
Paramount is nearing a mega‑merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, but the deal remains in regulatory limbo. Warner’s co‑chair Pam Abdy said the studio is already green‑lighting films slated for release through 2029 to keep talent and staff engaged. At a CNBC Changemakers...
Sandra Bullock Hasn’t Seen Those AI Trailers for ‘Practical Magic 2,’ but Says It’s Time to ‘Lean Into’ New Tech
Sandra Bullock and Warner Bros. co‑chair Pam Abdy discussed the surge of fan‑made AI trailers for the upcoming "Practical Magic 2," which is slated for a September 11 theatrical release. While neither has seen the AI clips, they view the...
Netflix Stumbles as Co-Founder Reed Hastings Hits the Eject Button
Netflix co‑founder Reed Hastings announced he will step down from the board in June to pursue philanthropy, a move that surprised investors. The timing coincided with a Q1 earnings release that showed $12.25 billion in revenue, largely inflated by a $2.8 billion...
SCA–Seven Deal ‘Snuck in’ Before ACCC Overhaul
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) completed a $385 million AUD (≈$254 million USD) acquisition of Seven West Media in early January 2026. The deal was finalized just days before Australia’s mandatory, public merger regime took effect on 1 January 2026, allowing it to avoid...
Don’t Worry About Netflix – It’s Doing Fine Without Warner Bros. Discovery
Netflix walked away from the Warner Bros. Discovery deal without denting its outlook, CFO Spencer Neumann said the move has no material impact on operating margins. The streamer posted Q1 2026 revenue of $12.25 billion, a 16% year‑over‑year rise, driven by price hikes,...
‘Hexed’: Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones to Star in Disney’s Mother-Daughter Animated Adventure
Disney announced its 2026 Thanksgiving original animated feature “Hexed,” starring Hailee Steinfeld as teen witch Billie and Rashida Jones as her uptight mother. The film, directed by veteran story artist Jose Trinidad in her feature debut alongside Jason Hand, will debut on Nov. 25, 2026. Disney...
Ted Sarandos Says Failed Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Hardened Netflix’s M&A Muscles
Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos said the company’s $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery taught Netflix to prioritize investment discipline over ego. After Paramount Skydance secured the assets for roughly $111 billion, Netflix walked away and collected a $2.8 billion termination fee. Sarandos highlighted that the...
Popular NBC & Peacock TV Show Canceled After 5 Seasons
NBC and Peacock have announced the cancellation of "Law & Order: Organized Crime" after five seasons and 75 episodes. The series, which debuted on NBC in 2021 and shifted to Peacock for its fifth season, will air its final episode...
The NFL Wants to Double The Cost of Its NFL Games & Could Drive Up The Cost of Your TV...
The NFL is demanding roughly double the current media‑rights fees as renewal talks begin, while broadcasters counter with a modest 25% increase. Existing contracts generate more than $10 billion annually; a 50‑60% hike could add about $1 billion per year, pushing CBS’s...
Netflix Is Introducing Vertical Video to Its Mobile App This Month
Netflix will roll out a vertical video discovery feed to its mobile app at the end of April, following a year‑long beta that began in early 2025. The feature places short clips and trailers in a TikTok‑style scroll, aiming to...
Spectrum Launches Free App for Google TV, Android TV Devices
Charter Communications has released a free Spectrum TV app for Google TV and Android TV platforms, extending its streaming service to smart TVs running these operating systems. The launch follows a similar rollout on Amazon Fire TV and adds to...
Netflix Sees Modest Bump in Revenue During Q1; Reed Hasting to Leave Board
Netflix reported Q1 revenue of $12.25 billion, a 16% year‑over‑year increase, and operating income of $4 billion, lifting its operating margin to 32.3%. Net income more than doubled to $5.28 billion, helped by a $2.8 billion termination fee from the aborted Warner Bros. Discovery deal....
Law & Order: SVU Renewed For Season 28 At NBC
NBC has officially renewed "Law & Order: SVU" for a 28th season, confirming the long‑running procedural will continue on broadcast television. The announcement arrives the same day the network cancelled its spin‑off "Law & Order: Organized Crime" after five seasons...
Mark Wahlberg, Riz Ahmed Film NETFLIX Thriller The Big Fix in NSW
Netflix is set to film the high‑stakes thriller *The Big Fix* in New South Wales, with principal photography beginning in Sydney this month. The production, starring Mark Wahlberg, Riz Ahmed and a multinational cast, is directed by Baltasar Kormákur and...
Paramount Boss Promises 45-Day Theatrical, 90-Day TVOD Before Streaming Windows
Paramount CEO David Ellison announced a new release strategy that guarantees a 45‑day theatrical window followed by a 90‑day transactional video‑on‑demand (TVOD) period before films move to Paramount+. The pledge comes as the studio pushes for industry backing of its...
Law & Order: Organized Crime Canceled At Peacock
NBCUniversal confirmed that “Law & Order: Organized Crime” will not return for a sixth season, ending the series after its fifth run. The 10‑episode Season 5 debuted on Peacock in April 2025 and later aired on NBC, with the finale streaming on...
swXtch.io Introduces the swXtch AI Router for Live Media Workflows
swXtch.io launched a new brand, swXtch.ai, and unveiled the swXtch AI Router, a chat‑driven platform that turns operator intent into production‑ready AI pipelines for live audio and video. The Router integrates with Microsoft Fabric and NVIDIA AI infrastructure, allowing any...
ESPN Enters First HDR Postseason With REMCO Support in New Bristol-Based Control Rooms
ESPN is debuting native‑HDR capture for the NBA postseason, using newly built control rooms in Bristol, Connecticut. The broadcaster’s REMCO (remote‑controlled) workflow lets directors operate robotic cameras and manage transmission paths from off‑site locations. EVS’s XtraMotion technology and CMSI data...
Plex Keeps Growing: 11 New Free Channels Added This Week
Plex announced the addition of 11 new free ad‑supported live TV channels, bringing its FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) catalog to more than 600 channels. The new lineup leans heavily into true‑crime, niche sports and reality‑style storytelling, featuring FilmRise’s crime...
NAB 2026: See Sony’s Live Stage Presentations at NAB Show 2026
Sony’s Live Stage at NAB Show 2026 gathered content creators, broadcasters and tech experts to showcase the company’s end‑to‑end production ecosystem. Sessions highlighted how the Associated Press relies on Sony’s BURANO, FX, Alpha and Z200 cameras for rapid newsgathering, while...
Court Moves To Examine Merger Of Two Local TV Conglomerates
Nexstar completed its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, giving it control of 265 local stations that reach roughly 80% of U.S. households. The FCC granted a waiver of ownership caps without a full commission vote, and the Justice Department approved the...
Nagravision, Harmonic Partner on Scalable Watermarking-as-a-Service for Live Events
Nagravision and Harmonic announced a fully managed watermarking‑as‑a‑service built on Harmonic’s VOS 360 Media SaaS and NAGRA NexGuard forensic technology. The solution enables live‑sports and OTT streamers to apply A/B watermarking on demand, reducing operational complexity and per‑event costs. It is...
Netflix Expands Video Podcast Slate With Shows From ‘Rotten Mango’ Creator Stephanie Soo, Evan Ross Katz, NBC News’ Ellison Barber...
Netflix is bolstering its original video‑podcast portfolio with five new series, adding to the slate it began building in 2025 through distribution deals with Spotify, iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports. The lineup includes a pop‑culture interview show with former NBC anchor...
HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Premiere Episode Generates 8.5 Million Views in 72 Hours, Up 44% From Season 2 Debut
The season‑three premiere of HBO’s teen drama "Euphoria" attracted 8.5 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max within the first 72 hours, a 44% jump over the Season 2 debut. The episode also propelled the series to the No. 1 spot on Max worldwide,...
YouTube Reportedly Nears Deal for 5 NFL Games as League Expands Streaming Push
The NFL is in advanced negotiations with YouTube to secure a five‑game regular‑season package, now at the contract‑review stage. The proposed slate would likely feature international matchups and early‑kickoff games previously aired on NFL Network. YouTube, which streamed a 2025...
This Week’s MPN Video Podcast: Why Live Sports Streaming Still Breaks — And How to Fix It
The Media Play News podcast hosted by David Bloom and Daniel Frankel featured NetSkrt CEO Sig Luft discussing why live‑sports streaming continues to falter. Luft highlighted persistent CDN bottlenecks, edge‑delivery constraints, and latency issues that jeopardize viewer experience and real‑time...
Conecta Magaluf–Mallorca Announces First Speakers and Unveils New Meeting Model
Conecta Magaluf–Mallorca announced its first international speakers and introduced a new "Focus On" format that replaces traditional Country Spotlights with curated 1‑to‑1 meetings for audiovisual decision‑makers. The lineup features executives from major European broadcasters, production houses, and a U.S. producer...
Election Ad Spending Drives up GMA Profit in 2025
GMA Network Inc. posted a 6% rise in net income to PHP2.2 billion (≈$40 million) in 2025, driven by a 3% jump in revenue to PHP18.12 billion (≈$326 million). Political advertising during the mid‑term elections lifted advertising sales to PHP16.57 billion, representing over 90% of...
BeIN SPORTS Expands Motorsport Portfolio with FIA World Endurance Championship Coverage
beIN MEDIA GROUP has signed a multi‑year agreement to broadcast every race of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) across 35 territories in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia‑Pacific. The 2026 season, kicking off with the 6 Hours of...
Runway CEO Says AI Could Help Hollywood Make 50 Films Instead of One $100M Blockbuster
Runway, the AI video‑generation startup now valued at over $5 billion, CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela told Semafor World Economy that a $100 million budget could fund 50 AI‑generated movies instead of a single blockbuster. He argues that scaling quantity with the same visual...
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Maker Launches Official Actual-Play Show Amid Growing Popularity of ‘Critical Role,’ ‘Dimension 20’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary, is debuting “Dungeon Masters,” its first official Dungeons & Dragons actual‑play series. The two‑episode launch drops on YouTube on April 22, with new episodes released weekly. The show’s inaugural storyline is tied to the...
How The Daily Show Is Outsmarting the Social Media Algorithm
The Daily Show posted its strongest 18‑49 ratings in eight years while its digital footprint surged to 2.5 billion views in 2026, a 56% jump from the prior year. Producers explained that a dedicated digital team creates content that flows between...
Eccho Rights to Distribute New Turkish Drama, Zerhun
Eccho Rights has acquired international distribution rights for "Zerhun," a new daily drama produced by Sincar Medya Group for Turkey's Kanal 7. The series, currently airing in Turkey, follows a tumultuous love story involving betrayal, amnesia, and a mother’s fight...
Prime Video's First NBA Playoff Streams Don't Go as Planned
Amazon's Prime Video, the exclusive broadcaster of the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament, experienced two high‑profile technical glitches. The Charlotte Hornets‑Miami Heat overtime stream cut out for about 22 seconds, while the Golden State Warriors‑LA Clippers game suffered noticeable audio‑video sync...
Inter Medya Announces New Sales for Turkish Drama Halef
Inter Medya announced new licensing agreements for its hit Turkish drama *Halef* with major broadcasters in Romania and Hungary, extending the series’ reach into the CEE region. *Halef* is currently one of Turkey’s most‑watched dramas of the season and already...