Roku, YouTube Ready for World Cup
Roku is debuting a Soccer Zone hub for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, centralizing live matches from Fox One and Peacock, highlights, scores and FAST channel programming. The Roku Channel will offer a three‑day free trial to Fox One, which streams all 104 matches, and a $24.99 bundle that includes a Roku Streaming Stick Plus and 30 days of Fox One – a 58% discount. YouTube is adding Fox One to its Primetime Channels store and will serve as the tournament’s preferred platform, allowing media partners and creators to stream full matches, highlights and behind‑the‑scenes content.
YouTube TV Is Removing the NFL Network From Its Non-Sport Packages
YouTube TV will remove NFL Network from its non‑Sports subscription bundles starting June 29, 2026. The channel will still be available in the dedicated Sports plan, priced at $64.99 per month, and in the full YouTube TV package, which costs...
President Lula Launches Tela Brasil, a Free-of-Charge Streaming Service Offering Brazilian Productions
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva unveiled Tela Brasil, a free public streaming service that aggregates Brazilian film and TV productions. The platform, reachable via a Gov.br account, debuts with 555 titles—including 139 feature films, 267 short films and 64...
‘Only Murders in the Building,’ ’48 Hours’ Among This Year’s CrimeCon Clue Awards Winners
Hulu dominated the 2026 CrimeCon Clue Awards, taking home two marquee honors. The streaming service’s comedy‑mystery "Only Murders in the Building" was named Outstanding Scripted Series, while its documentary "Girl on the Run: The Hunt for America’s Most Wanted" captured...
Reinventing Models that Don’t Work
CBS announced it will generate roughly $15 million a year by leasing Stephen Colbert’s late‑night slot, effectively turning a flagship program into a rent‑paying asset. At the same time, NPR trimmed its newsroom staff as it restructures around an uncertain federal...
Pluto TV Adds a New Live 24/7 Channel For Disaster Fans
Pluto TV launched Mayday Air Disaster, a 24/7 live channel that streams the long‑running *Mayday* series alongside expert analysis of historic aviation crashes. The free, ad‑supported service positions the channel as a niche offering for true‑crime and disaster documentary fans....
Disney+ Adds A Free Live Feed Of The Disney Channel in Some Parts of the World
Disney+ has introduced a live‑TV feed of the Disney Channel for German subscribers, delivering the channel’s full linear schedule directly within the streaming app. The feed mirrors the traditional broadcast, complete with original commercial breaks, and showcases a mix of...
Fan-Favourite Stranger Things Stars Reunite in New Netflix Mystery Drama, in Big Cast Announcement
Netflix announced the cast for its upcoming series *The God of the Woods*, adapting Liz Moore’s 2024 novel. Maya Hawke returns as lead Judy Luptack, while former *Stranger Things* alum Nell Fisher joins as Barbara Van Laar. The mystery drama, set in...
BET Announces Premiere Date for Damon Dash’s ‘OG STORIES’ Docuseries
BET announced the five‑part docuseries *OG STORIES*, hosted by Damon Dash, premiering on June 17, 2026 at 11 p.m. ET. The series, the first entry in the “My Paid in Full” franchise, profiles self‑made moguls and cultural icons through candid conversations about survival, entrepreneurship, and...
Samba TV: ‘The Crash’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through May 24
Netflix’s true‑crime documentary *The Crash* claimed the top spot on Samba TV’s weekly streaming rankings for May 18‑24, surpassing Amazon Prime’s *Jack Ryan: Ghost War* and HBO’s *Euphoria* season 3. The film, released on May 15, dramatizes an Ohio teen’s alleged high‑speed crash...
Ahead of the IPL Final, YouTube Print Ad Claims Better Sports ROI than OTT & TV
On the eve of the IPL 2026 final, YouTube ran a full‑page print ad in The Economic Times asserting that 67% of Indian viewers watch sports on its platform, compared with 48% on OTT services. The ad claims YouTube delivers...
Leah McSweeney Claims ‘RHONY’ Smear Campaign From NBCU Exec & Andy Cohen In Bid To Save Booze- & Drug-Drenched Lawsuit
Leah McSweeney has expanded her lawsuit against Andy Cohen, Bravo, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery by naming NBCU executive Jennifer Geisser as the alleged mastermind of a coordinated smear campaign. The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint, and Judge Lewis Liman...
‘The Birds’ Limited Series Starring Sarah Snook Hits TV Marketplace; New Take On Hitchcock’s Classic Comes From Tom Spezialy, David...
Universal International Studios and Heyday Television are marketing a limited‑series remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic *The Birds*. Emmy‑winner Sarah Snook stars as Myra Massey, a magistrate thrust into a murder‑mystery in modern‑day Alaska where avian attacks erupt. Writer‑producer Tom Spezialy says the show...
Tubi Adds 5 New Free Live Channels
Tubi announced the launch of five new free ad‑supported linear channels—Jubilee, Law and Crime, Mythical 24/7, Love Island, and Paternity Court—available immediately across its TV, mobile and web apps. Each channel runs 24‑hour curated playlists that blend on‑demand titles with scheduled...
Amazon Is Making an AI-Animated ‘Good Advice Cupcake’ TV Show. Its Original Creator Is Furious
Amazon is turning Loryn Brantz’s BuzzFeed‑licensed character *The Good Advice Cupcake* into an AI‑animated series for its streaming service, launching without the creator’s consent. The move showcases Amazon’s push to use generative AI for rapid, low‑cost content production. Brantz has...
Roku’s Home Screen Redesign Shows Why Streaming Discovery Is Moving Upstream
Roku unveiled its biggest home‑screen redesign in over a decade, reshaping how content, apps, and recommendations appear at the point of entry. The update underscores a broader industry shift that moves streaming discovery upstream to the operating‑system layer, giving Roku...
Russell Crowe Thriller ‘The Get Out’ Debuts Digitally June 30
Action thriller *The Get Out* starring Russell Crowe will hit digital platforms for purchase and rental on June 30, following a four‑day limited theatrical run that begins June 26. The film follows a nightclub owner forced to confront masked gunmen,...
PBS Kids Renews ‘Lyla in the Loop’ for a Second Season
PBS Kids has renewed the animated series “Lyla in the Loop” for a second season, slated for a 2027 launch. The new season will feature 24 half‑hour episodes, a family‑reunion special, and additional digital games that teach AI‑literacy and computational...
Omdia: Brazil and Mexico Drive Latin America’s Microdrama Growth
Omdia’s latest research presented at Conecta Fiction shows Brazil and Mexico dominate Latin America’s microdrama market, with 24 million and 20 million monthly active users respectively in 2025. Together they account for 44 million MAUs, outpacing most European markets and positioning the region...
Week of May 18 Evening News Ratings: CBS News Has Double-Digit Gains in Demo
The May 18 Nielsen week showed all three major network evening newscasts holding steady or growing, with CBS Evening News delivering the strongest performance. CBS added 6% in total viewers and a double‑digit 21% jump in the coveted Adults 25‑54 demo, pushing...
Nick Bilton Suggests 60 Minutes Might Get "Kind of Gonzo" With Its Journalism
Nick Bilton has been named executive producer of CBS’s flagship news program *60 Minutes*, signaling a shift toward more experimental, "gonzo" storytelling. Bilton, known for his tech‑culture reporting, says the show should expand beyond its traditional one‑hour TV slot onto...
Week in Review: Germany’s Measurement JIC Embraces Big Data, Netflix Pushes Further Into Podcasts, and Audience Acceptance for Streaming Ads...
Germany’s TV‑measurement joint industry committee (JIC) is expanding its trial to embed HbbTV data, supplementing traditional panel metrics and reducing zero‑rating errors. Netflix will launch a live‑video version of the popular "The Breakfast Club" podcast on June 1, pairing the stream...
AUK Studios Acquires Wedding TV Catalogue and Brand
AUK Studios announced the acquisition of the Wedding TV catalogue and brand, adding more than 400 hours of archived programming to its portfolio. The archive, which originally aired on Sky from 2007 to 2013, includes popular titles such as The Wedding...
‘Mallorca Things to Do,’ ‘Naked,’ ‘To Catch an Old Lady’ Win at Conecta Magaluf-Mallorca
The 10th Conecta Magaluf‑Mallorca ceremony on May 27 crowned *Mallorca Things to Do* with the RTVE Play Award (€5,000 ≈ $5,820) and an Acorde Award for music catalogue access. *Nua* (“Naked”) secured the €3,000 ≈ $3,492 Triodos Bank Award for its socially conscious storyline, while *To Catch...
Swiss Broadcaster Canal Alpha Modernises Playout Operations
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has upgraded its playout workflow by deploying Harmonic’s XOS media processor. The cloud‑native solution combines playout, live recording and branding, delivering up to 50% bitrate savings through AI‑powered EyeQ encoding and UHD support. Its software‑based architecture...
Current Uses of AI in CTV and Streaming Ad Ops
Publishers and advertisers are increasingly embedding AI into CTV ad operations to streamline creative management and data optimization. IAB Tech Lab’s upcoming creative‑management API aims to assign unique IDs to every creative version and enable autonomous agents that handle approval...
“Project Gemini” Is Disney’s Effort to Eventually Shut Down Hulu App
Disney’s internal "Project Gemini" aims to phase out the standalone Hulu app by migrating users to Disney+ while keeping Hulu content accessible through a dedicated tile and new watch‑list sync feature. The plan follows Disney’s full acquisition of Hulu and...
Netflix Cancels Adult Animated Series ‘Strip Law’ After One Season
Netflix announced it will not renew the adult animated series Strip Law for a second season, ending its run after a single 10‑episode launch in February. Created by Cullen Crawford, the show follows a dull Vegas lawyer who teams up...
With Grouse House TV, Aunty Donna Make a Bid to Usher in the Future of Independent Australian Comedy
Aunty Donna has launched Grouse House TV, an Australian subscription platform dedicated to “cooked” comedy, debuting with the interactive sketch “Bandersketch,” a parody of Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch that traps viewers in a 40‑minute real‑time Melbourne walk if they choose wrong....
Read the Memo: Cecilia Vega Slams CBS News After Being Fired From '60 Minutes'
Cecilia Vega, the first Latina correspondent on CBS's "60 Minutes," was terminated a year before her contract expires in March 2027. Her departure coincides with a sweeping leadership overhaul led by editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss, who removed executive producer Tanya Simon...
Cuts to NZ Funding Prompt Calls for Streaming Regulation
The New Zealand 2026 budget slashes funding for NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission, intensifying pressure on the country’s screen sector. In response, the screen producers’ guild Spada is calling for a modern streaming‑revenue levy, proposing a 5 percent charge on international...
Ratings
ESPN reclaimed the primetime cable crown for the week of May 18‑24, drawing 3.55 million viewers as NBA and NHL playoff action surged. Fox News slipped to second place with 2.26 million, while total‑day ratings saw ESPN at 895 000 versus Fox News’s 1.5 million....
Scripps Getting Scrappy on Retrans
Scripps wrapped a five‑week carriage dispute with Comcast on May 5, ending a rare standoff for the broadcaster. The company is now warning that DirecTV could lose its 52 affiliated stations in 38 Nielsen DMAs if a new retransmission agreement isn’t...
CBS Says It's Making $55 Million by Dumping Colbert for Byron Allen
CBS announced it netted $55 million by canceling Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, eliminating a $40 million annual loss and leasing the hour to Byron Allen for a $15 million flat fee. The network framed the move as a pure financial decision, unrelated to politics,...
Netflix Subscribers Paying More Despite Less Original Content
Netflix’s first‑quarter 2026 slate delivered just 23 original films, the fewest since 2018, while the streamer raised its Australian premium price to $28.99 AUD (about $19 USD), more than double the 2018 level. The drop from 50 films in Q1 2022 reflects a...
SBS on Demand Adds New Features Ahead of FIFA World Cup
Australian public broadcaster SBS on Demand has rolled out a suite of new features ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The upgrades include Live Restart, which lets users pause, rewind or fast‑forward any of the 104 matches, and streaming...
Netflix Launching ‘Instadocs’ Genre, Starting With Program on Disgraced Lawyer Alex Murdaugh on May 30
Netflix is launching a new "Instadocs" format—quick‑turn docuseries that chase breaking‑news stories—in a strategic move to extend its documentary dominance. The debut episode, "Alex Murdaugh, Unconvicted," arrives on May 30 and chronicles the South Carolina lawyer’s overturned murder convictions and ongoing...
Save The Dates: New Simpsons On Disney+, Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence, And More
Disney+ will debut three exclusive Simpsons episodes this summer, beginning with the double‑length "Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition" on June 17, followed by "Simpsley" on July 3 and "Yellow Mirror" on August 26. Apple TV is rolling out a trailer for season two of...
Study Finds Growing Acceptance of Advertising on Streaming Platforms
A new ARD Research Service study shows that advertising‑supported streaming (AVOD) is gaining acceptance in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, especially when ads are perceived as informative rather than intrusive. Viewers favor overlay ads and short pre‑roll or post‑roll spots over...
1 of the Scariest Horror Movies Is Leaving HBO Max
James Wan’s 2010 horror thriller Insidious will leave HBO Max on June 1, 2026, ending its current streaming run. The film, which sparked a multi‑film franchise and holds a 66% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has become a cult favorite among horror...
Roku’s Revenue From The Sale of Roku TVs & Roku Players Is Now Less Than 10% of Its Total Revenue,...
Roku has transformed from a hardware‑centric business to a platform‑focused model, with device sales now representing just 9.44% of total revenue. In 2026 the company projects roughly $5 billion in platform revenue versus $535 million from hardware. Q1 2026 showed device revenue...
Globo?s Best Practices for World Cup 2026 Live Streaming Ad Insertion
Globo’s ad‑tech director Ana Beaklini says latency has long hampered the Brazilian broadcaster’s ability to deliver seamless dynamic ad insertion (DAI) for high‑profile live events. To prepare for the 2026 World Cup, Globo is deploying a hybrid approach that blends...
Charo Penedo, New Sales Rep for Fred Media in Spain and Other European Countries
Fred Media, the content arm of Australia’s WTFN Group, announced a European‑focused sales overhaul effective June 1. The company hired Charo Penedo in Madrid to sell its catalogue across Spain, Portugal, France, Benelux, Italy, Greece and Turkey, while Malgorzata “Malgo” Gudel...
Netflix Isn't Airing the World Cup. But It Still Has Big World Cup Programming Plans
Netflix is rolling out a slate of original soccer documentaries and scripted series to ride the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even though it does not hold broadcast rights. The lineup includes titles from Latin America, the UK,...
‘Project Hail Mary’ Tops DEG Digital Transactions Chart for Week of May 17
Amazon MGM Studios’ sci‑fi adaptation Project Hail Mary topped the Digital Entertainment Group’s transactional digital sales chart for the week ending May 17, according to GfK Entertainment data. The film, released for premium digital purchase and rental on May 12, outperformed a...
‘The Testaments’ EP Warren Littlefield On Discovering Chase Infiniti & Lucy Halliday; A Season 2 Tease; ‘Fargo’ Season 6 &...
Hulu’s *The Testaments* season 1 finale delivered 45 million hours of viewing, prompting a season 2 renewal announced on May 20. Executive producer Warren Littlefield revealed that two more seasons are slated, creating a three‑season story arc that will continue June’s daughter Hannah’s journey....
Germany Introduces Mandatory Investment Quota for Streamers and Broadcasters
Germany’s cabinet approved the Media Services Investment Obligation Act, mandating that streaming platforms and TV broadcasters allocate at least 8% of their annual revenue to German film production. Providers that invest 12% or more can opt out of certain detailed...
Roku Updates Its UI For the First Time In a Decade
Roku is deploying its first major homescreen redesign in a decade, adding personalization features such as frequently used apps, "top picks," and household‑specific layouts. The update also introduces a prominent marquee ad space, reflecting Roku’s reliance on advertising revenue rather...
Dick Wolf Didn't Develop And Launch Chicago Fire With Franchise Aspirations
Dick Wolf’s *Chicago Fire* was originally pitched as a single‑show concept, but its strong ratings quickly revealed franchise potential. The series spawned *Chicago P.D.*, followed by *Chicago Med* and *Chicago Justice*, creating the interconnected “One Chicago” universe. Wolf deliberately structured each drama to allow seamless character...
WBD Bondholders Approve Change in Fiscal Rules to Facilitate Paramount Merger
Warner Bros. Discovery secured bondholder and lender consent to amend its fiscal covenants, clearing a key hurdle for the $110.9 billion Paramount Skydance acquisition. The vote covered $16.6 billion of debt, with approval rates between 79 % and 99 % across note classes. Paramount will...