Eight Months on, Nine Reannounces Launch of Ads on Stan
Nine Entertainment has re‑announced that its streaming service Stan will launch an ad‑supported tier later this year. The entry‑level plan, called Basic with Ads, will cost AUD 9.99 per month (about US $6.5) and include HD streaming. Advertising will extend across Nine’s full portfolio—including 9Network, 9Now, Stan Sport, publishing and podcasts—leveraging the company’s first‑party data. The move adds a new revenue stream while keeping a light ad load to preserve a premium viewing experience.
Frequency Launches In-Scene Advertising
Frequency, a streaming SaaS provider, unveiled In-Scene Advertising, a context‑driven ad format that embeds ads directly into video streams. The offering launches with four formats—L‑Shape, Double Box, picture‑in‑picture and overlay—and leverages the company’s scene‑intelligence engine to match ads to brand‑safe,...
Netflix VP of Communications Emily Feingold Departing After 8 Years
Emily Feingold, Netflix’s vice‑president of communications for North America, is leaving after an eight‑year tenure. She began on the movie‑marketing team in 2017 and later assumed broader communications duties following the appointment of Dani Dudeck as chief communications officer and...
Netflix: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike Comedy ‘Ladies First’ Topped Weekly Streaming Through May 31
Netflix’s new comedy *Ladies First*, starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike, topped the platform’s weekly streaming chart with 18.8 million global views through May 31. Indian action‑thriller *Kara* led foreign‑language movies with 3.8 million views, while sci‑fi horror series *The Boroughs* surged to 9.5 million views,...
Cord Cutting Today: Channels Being Dropped, Shows Being Removed & More
Cord‑cutting headlines on June 2, 2026 highlight major shifts in broadcast and streaming. YouTube TV announced it will remove the NFL Network from its non‑sport subscription tiers, limiting sports access for many cord‑cutters. DIRECTV reported the loss of 52 local ABC, CBS, FOX...
Nielsen Expands Marketing Architects Partnership to Accelerate TV Measurement Data Delivery
Nielsen has broadened its partnership with Marketing Architects to add national television measurement tools to the firm’s Annika media‑buying platform. The integration brings Nielsen’s Media Data Engine, which delivers ratings across all 208 DMAs within days, to complement the existing...
Samsung: Free Streaming Apps Achieving Similar Reach as Broadcast TV
Samsung Ads’ new white paper shows free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) services expanding three times faster than subscription‑based platforms, with viewership up 34% between 2022 and 2026 versus 10% for paid services. The report notes that 85% of U.S. households now...
European Commission Aims to Wrap Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Review in July
The European Commission announced a provisional July 7 deadline to conclude its Phase 1 review of Paramount Global’s $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The EU regulator has 25 working days to clear the deal, request remedies, or refer it to a...
What’s Stephen Colbert’s Next Move?
Stephen Colbert wrapped up his seven‑year run on CBS’s "The Late Show" and immediately staged a surprise community‑access stunt in Michigan, which turned out to be a CBS‑produced bit. He has since opened a personal YouTube channel that already boasts...
MultiChoice Offers $4.25 DStv Stream Deal to Former Showmax Users in Kenya
MultiChoice Kenya is offering former Showmax subscribers a year‑long DStv Stream Compact plan at KES 550 ($4.25) per month, after which the price jumps to KES 4,200 ($32.50). The promotion follows the April shutdown of Showmax, which was folded into DStv Stream...
Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League Soccer Win Generated 16.2 Million Illegal Streams Despite Access on HBO Max
Paris Saint‑Germain’s 1‑0 Champions League victory over Arsenal on May 30 was streamed live on HBO Max to roughly 7 million U.K. viewers. Despite the paid‑TV access, the match generated 16.2 million illegal streams from 3.7 million unique IP addresses, according to Gaming Compliance International....
Stingray Hooked Channel Makes Debut on The Roku Channel
Stingray announced the U.S. debut of its new Stingray Hooked channel on The Roku Channel. The linear offering streams real‑world fishing expeditions, competitive angling and recreational reels. Positioned in Roku’s Live TV guide, the channel expands Stingray’s curated video portfolio....
Morgan Murphy Media Widens Its Spokane Stable
Morgan Murphy Media announced a shared‑services agreement that brings Spokane’s FOX affiliate into its KXLY Brands portfolio. The company already operates the market’s ABC television station and seven radio properties, making it a dominant local media group. The addition expands...
waipu.tv Launches Low-Latency Streaming Mode Ahead of Football World Cup
German streaming service waipu.tv has launched a low‑latency “Sport Mode” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The feature, enabled by the company’s proprietary CDN, reduces the delay of live broadcasts on all waipu.tv sticks and set‑top boxes and currently...
JioStar Elevates Vani Rane to Vice President and Head of Branded Entertainment & IPs
JioStar has promoted Vani Rane to vice president and head of branded entertainment & IPs, expanding her oversight of the company’s content‑led brand solutions. Rane brings more than two decades of experience across television, OTT and digital media, having previously led...
German Regulator Clears Banijay-All3Media Production Joint Venture
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office approved a joint venture between Banijay and All3Media, creating the country’s largest independent television‑production entity. The partnership merges Banijay’s prime‑time format strength with All3Media’s access‑prime‑time and daytime expertise. Regulators concluded the deal will not materially curb...
BFI Pleaded With Government To Exclude UK Screen Industries From Trump Trade Deal, Saying It Would Cause “Fundamental Harm”
The British Film Institute (BFI) has formally asked the UK government to exclude the nation’s film and television sectors from any trade agreement with President Donald Trump, warning that inclusion would cause “fundamental harm.” The BFI’s May 2025 policy paper argues...
Analysis: AI Assistants Inconsistent on Answering Streaming Availability Queries
Reelgood’s controlled test of 100 popular U.S. titles found that ChatGPT answered streaming‑availability queries correctly only 43.76% of the time, while Anthropic’s Claude achieved 50.21%. By contrast, Reelgood’s own metadata platform hit 96.89% accuracy on the same set. The analysis,...
Profitable Peacock
NBCUniversal’s Peacock is slated to become profitable in the second quarter of 2026, marking a milestone six years after its launch. The streamer now boasts 46 million subscribers, a growth fueled by high‑engagement live‑sports rights such as the NFL, NBA and...
Freely Forecast to Reach 10.5 Million UK Households by 2034
Freely, the UK’s free‑to‑watch internet TV platform, is projected to reach 10.5 million households by 2034, while Freeview’s digital terrestrial television (DTT) audience is expected to fall below one million. Broadband adoption is accelerating, with TV homes lacking broadband shrinking from...
Prime Video Quietly Adds 5 New Movies to Its Lineup
Prime Video expanded its June catalog with 71 new movies, and Tom’s Guide editor Alix Blackburn highlighted five titles he deems essential for the summer lineup. The selections include the 2014 thriller A Walk Among the Tombstones, the 2019 escape‑room...
Meeting the Demand for Premium Content in Europe
Atresmedia Sales is intensifying its push into Central and Eastern Europe by leveraging a catalog of high‑budget Spanish series that blend universal themes with top‑tier production values. The company highlights proven hits such as Grand Hotel, Velvet and newer titles...
NBCU Points to Premium Video’s Broad Value as Social Marketing Rises
NBCUniversal, together with WPP’s Gain Theory, presented research showing premium video outperforms pure social and digital tactics. Simulated media plans that removed premium video saw a 29% drop in incremental revenue and a 20% lower ROI. The study also found...
Omdia: Global Online Video Subscriptions Reach 2.24 Billion in 2025
Omdia reports that global online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion in 2025, a 17.6% year‑over‑year rise that pushed streaming revenues to $176 billion—surpassing pay‑TV’s $170 billion for the first time. Pay‑TV subscriptions continued to decline, falling 1.8% to 1.03 billion, leaving streaming with 68.4%...
Streaming's Future: Guarantee It or I'm Not Buying
Streaming has captured audience attention, but advertisers now demand guaranteed business results. The article argues that census‑scale, device‑level viewership data combined with household identity enables precise measurement of reach and outcomes. Adding AI‑driven optimization turns this measurement into real‑time campaign...
As Streaming Wars Wear on, Emmy Success Could Give Peacock and Paramount+ a Boost
Peacock and Paramount+ are positioning 2026 as a breakout Emmy year after modest success in 2025. Peacock logged a record 19 nominations, highlighted by a reality‑competition win, while Paramount+ has yet to secure major scripted nods. Both services are banking...
Spotify Appoints Aditi Shorewal as Head of PR and Communications
Spotify has appointed Aditi Shorewal as head of PR and communications for India, marking a strategic move to deepen its brand presence in the sub‑continent. Shorewal arrives from Tinder, where she led communications for India and Korea, and brings a...
ZDF Studios Signs New Content Deal with Prima Group
ZDF Studios has inked a new agreement with Czech‑based Prima Group, adding 360 Herzkino titles to the broadcaster’s slate. The package mixes re‑licensed and first‑run romantic dramas and comedies for free‑TV and basic cable in the Czech Republic, with Czech‑language cable...
Data: Online Video Subscriptions Reached 2.2bn in 2025
Omdia reports global online video subscriptions hit 2.24 billion at the end of 2025, a 17.6% year‑on‑year increase. The sector’s revenue rose 13.5% to $176 billion, overtaking pay‑TV for the first time as pay‑TV revenue fell to $170 billion. Growth is expected to...
Sony Takes Stake in 32 Flavors
Sony Pictures Television has taken a majority stake in 32 Flavors, the reality‑TV production company founded by Alex Baskin. The acquisition brings Emmy‑nominated series such as “Vanderpump Rules,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” and “The Valley” under Sony’s umbrella....
Dhar Mann Is Going to Tribeca X to Prove CTV Can Do TV’s Job — and that Creators Belong in the...
Creator entrepreneur Dhar Mann is headlining Tribeca X to demonstrate that creator‑run studios can match traditional TV’s reach, especially in connected TV (CTV). His studio, Dhar Mann Studios, boasts a production pipeline that turns long‑form concepts into episodes in as little as...
ACE Welcomes French Court’s Spliiit Ruling
The Paris Judicial Court ruled that Spliiit breached French law by facilitating illicit password selling for ACE members Apple, Disney and Netflix. The judgment confirms that Spliiit's platform encouraged subscription sharing in violation of terms of service, trademark rights and...
McDonald’s, Hyundai & More Sponsor SBS FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast
Hyundai, McDonald’s, Commonwealth Bank, Rexona, Hisense, bet365 and Youi Insurance have become official sponsors of SBS’s 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast. SBS will air all 104 matches free on television and via its On Demand streaming service, delivering more than...
Retrans Impasse Blocks Scripps Stations, By Law, To DirecTV Users
A retransmission‑consent stalemate between The E.W. Scripps Co. and DirecTV has taken 54 of Scripps’ stations off satellite service. The outage began Sunday at 6 p.m. local time, affecting the CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville and 35 other markets. Both companies...
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...
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...