European Football Returns to Aussie Pubs in New Broadcast Deal
Foxtel Business has signed an exclusive agreement with beIN SPORTS to distribute its three linear channels across Australian pubs and clubs, ending a six‑month blackout of major European football and top‑tier tennis. The package restores live rights to LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, the English Football League, the Carabao Cup and premier ATP/WTA events, among others. Foxtel says the addition pushes its venue offering past 50 live sports and is now available in more than 4,000 licensed venues nationwide. No new hardware is required for operators to add the service.
Baobab Studios Acquires Roblox Title Rights for Film and TV Development
Baobab Studios announced it has secured exclusive film and television rights to three of Roblox’s most‑visited titles—Natural Disaster Survival, Barry’s Prison Run, and Deepwoken. The trio accounts for nearly 10 billion visits, demonstrating sustained, multi‑generational engagement. Baobab will develop animated feature...
Where to Stream the PAKISTAN SUPER LEAGUE 2026 in Australia
ESPN has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the 2026 Pakistan Super League across Australia and New Zealand, delivering all 44 matches live on Disney+ and through Foxtel, Kayo, Fetch TV and Sky NZ. The T20 tournament features a host of Australian...
Judd Apatow To Produce Utopia Documentary ‘The Way I Was Made’ About Founder Of Indie Band Eels
Three‑time Emmy winner Judd Apatow is joining Utopia Originals to produce a documentary titled “The Way I Was Made: The Story of a Man Called E,” chronicling Mark Oliver Everett, the founder of indie‑rock band Eels. Directed by music‑video veteran...
WEBTOON Unifies CANVAS with New Creator Tools and Translation Program
WEBTOON Entertainment is rolling out a unified international CANVAS platform beginning in spring 2026, merging its regional user‑generated content services into a single global hub. The platform will support seven languages—English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Thai, Traditional Chinese and German—allowing creators...
Why Streamers Must Become?Proactive About Piracy?Before It Is Too Late
Piracy has outpaced the streaming industry, evolving into a commercial operation that rivals legitimate platforms. In Japan, illegal distribution cost roughly $38 billion in 2025, and when counterfeit media are included the damage approaches $67 billion. Modern pirates sell turnkey streaming services...
View From the Top: What Google?s 2027 License Service Deadline Means for Streamers
Google will retire its free Widevine Cloud License Service in April 2027, forcing every OTT platform that relies on it to migrate to a new DRM license infrastructure. The shutdown impacts key DRM workflows, including key exchange, entitlement checks, and...
The State of Streaming Codecs 2026
2025 reshaped streaming video economics as content‑side patent pools and high‑profile settlements brought codec royalties into the CFO’s purview. Access Advance launched a VDP pool with capped fees and de‑minimis waivers, while Nokia’s settlement with Amazon proved that patent owners...
Streamticker: The Biggest Streaming Mergers and Acquisitions of 2025
The 2025 Streamticker roundup chronicles a wave of high‑value mergers reshaping streaming, advertising, and infrastructure. DIRECTV’s acquisition of INVIDI strengthens addressable TV ad solutions, while Outbrain’s $1 billion purchase of Teads creates a $1.7 billion omnichannel ad platform. DAZN’s $2.2 billion buy of...
Streaming Year in Review 2026
In 2025 YouTube cemented its role as the dominant TV platform in the United States, overtaking mobile devices and capturing 12.5% of all TV usage, while its Shorts, live streams, and licensed long‑tail titles attracted a broad demographic. Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance...
Digital I: Women 35-Plus Drive YouTube Micro-Drama Surge
Digital i’s 2025 study reveals that women aged 35‑44 and 45‑54 dominate YouTube micro‑drama consumption, accounting for 20.8% and 15.7% of streams respectively, far above their overall platform share. Male viewers, especially those 18‑24, are markedly under‑represented, contributing only 6%...
This Week’s MPN Video Podcast: RSNs Are Dead, Disney’s New Era and Fortnite’s Fade
The podcast highlighted the demise of regional sports networks after Sinclair’s $9 billion overpay and Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy, reshaping MLB local broadcasts. Disney announced Josh D’Amaro as its new head, sealed a $1 billion OpenAI partnership, and faces waning Fortnite engagement. The...
HBO Max Launches Service in the U.K., Ireland, 12 Asia-Pacific Countries
Warner Bros. Discovery launched HBO Max in the United Kingdom and Ireland on March 26, 2026, adding an ad‑supported tier that is free for Sky TV subscribers and available via Prime Video Channels. The rollout also introduced the service to...
PBS, ITVS Partner on YouTube Channel for Long-Form Documentaries
PBS and ITVS have launched PBS Documentaries, a rebranded YouTube channel that expands the former PBS Voices hub to include full‑length documentary films. The channel inherits more than 316,000 subscribers and 52 million views, and will roll out over 100 new...
The NCAA May Have Secured a Commitment for Linear Television for Swimming & Diving Next Season
College swimming and diving officials say they have secured a commitment from ESPN to air at least one day of next season's NCAA Championships on linear television. The agreement comes amid heated debate over the NCAA's new championship format, which...
Atiya Henry Named EVP of Production for Disney Branded Television
Attiya Henry has been appointed executive vice president of Production for Disney Branded Television, reporting to Carol Turner and joining Ayo Davis’s senior leadership team. She will oversee production of animated and live‑action programming across Disney+, Disney Jr. and Disney Channel,...
Fred Media Recruits Amazon MGM Alum
Fred Media has appointed Jamie I as its new sales manager for the Asia‑Pacific region, bringing over 20 years of distribution experience from her previous role as VP of Asia‑Pacific at Amazon MGM. She replaces long‑time representative Jimmy Elkington, who...
Atresmedia Closes Sale of Entre Tierras to Mediaset Italia at Series Mania
Atresmedia closed a distribution deal for its hit drama Entre Tierras with Italy’s Mediaset at the Series Mania festival in Lille. The series, which has been the most‑watched TV show in Spain in 2024, consists of ten 50‑minute episodes and...
ProSiebenSat.1 Takes Multi-Platform Approach with New ‘Total Reach’ Focus
ProSiebenSat.1 reported a 6% drop in total revenue for 2025, with advertising revenue falling 8% in German‑speaking markets, but the broadcaster is betting on a multi‑platform "total reach" strategy to reverse the trend. CEO Marco Giordani outlined a plan that...
BBC Annual Plan Offers Value for All as It Waits for “Radical Reform”
The BBC’s Annual Plan outlines a digital‑first agenda for the next year, emphasizing iPlayer upgrades, short‑form video experiments, and expanded YouTube distribution. It arrives alongside the appointment of Matt Brittin as director‑general and the looming renewal of the corporation’s Royal...
VideoWeek Podcast: #56 Rhys McLachlan, ITV
In the latest VideoWeek podcast, ITV’s Director of Advanced Advertising, Rhys McLachlan, detailed the broadcaster’s evolving programmatic strategy. He highlighted ongoing challenges such as fraud and waste in the ecosystem and warned about the "enshittification" of social media platforms. The conversation...
Vodafone TV Adds Rakuten TV Rental Service
Vodafone TV Spain has partnered with Rakuten TV to embed its Videoclub rental service into the operator’s set‑top box platform. The integration adds roughly 6,000 titles, from new releases to catalog films, available for rent and billed through the monthly...
SPI Extends Orange Carriage Deal in Spain Through 2026
SPI International has renewed its distribution agreement with Orange in Spain, extending carriage of Fast&FunBox, FightBox and Gametoon through the end of 2026. The channels remain in Orange TV’s Sports Pack and Basic Pack and will also be available on...
Riedel Drives Future-Ready OB Truck for CS Live
Riedel Communications announced that its end‑to‑end solution will power CS live’s newest outside‑broadcast (OB) truck, targeting high‑profile sports such as football, hockey, and MMA. The truck integrates MediorNet media networking, the hi human‑interface control system, Artist intercom and Bolero wireless,...
ZDF Studios Launches Biene Maja & Friends and Dibidoo & Friends Channels on Prime Video
ZDF Studios is launching two new preschool add‑on channels on Amazon Prime Video. Biene Maja & Friends will be available in Germany and Austria, while Dibidoo & Friends will debut in the United Kingdom. The services bundle more than 200...
Kedoo Signs New Co-Production Partnerships for Love Drama
Kedoo has inked co‑production deals with France’s Studio Quinze and the UK’s Media Brighton to enrich its Love Drama micro‑drama app. The Studio Quinze partnership will deliver ten premium short‑form series across romance, thriller and hybrid genres, with the first...
Wedotv Expands FAST Footprint in Middle East on Samsung TV Plus
wedotv has expanded its free ad-supported streaming (FAST) footprint in the Middle East by launching three region‑specific channels on Samsung TV Plus, including wedotv Big Stories, wedotv Sports MENA, and the soon‑to‑launch wedotv Cars. The channels deliver factual documentaries, live...
Yallo TV Adds AI‑generated Video Previews with Media Distillery
Swiss telco yallo has upgraded its yallo TV streaming platform with AI‑generated video previews using Media Distillery’s Preview Distillery technology. The new auto‑generated 15‑20 second clips increase highlight availability by roughly 20%, adding about 200 multilingual previews each month without...
Indian Music Stars King and Zaeden to Make Acting Debuts
Amazon Prime Video India’s 2026 slate introduces music stars King and Zaeden as acting newcomers. King will headline the rap‑infused drama *Lukkhe*, while Zaeden leads the youthful romance *Dono Mile Iss Tarah*. Both series are tailored for Gen‑Z streaming audiences...
Report: CTV Accounts for 50% of Ad Views Across Europe
The FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report for H2 2025 shows Connected TV (CTV) now drives 86% of premium video ad views in the US and 50% in Europe, with ad view volume up 11% year‑over‑year across both regions. European CTV ad views...
Report: Streaming Rebounded in 2025
Digital i’s Streaming in Flux: 2025 in Review shows streaming hours rebounding after a 2024 slump, driven by a resurgence in Netflix usage and a 47.6% jump in Disney+ daily minutes. Prime Video logged 6.9 billion viewing hours, while the total number...
Friends Is Finally Available to Watch in the UK Again - as HBO Max Launches for Streaming
Friends returns to UK streaming via HBO Max after disappearing from Netflix at the end of 2025. The launch, partnered with NOW, offers an ad‑supported tier for existing customers and four subscription options for new users. HBO Max’s catalogue now includes The Pitt,...
Crunchyroll Drops New Brand Film Featuring Rashmika Mandanna and Shubman Gill
Crunchyroll has launched the second installment of its “Ready to Anime?” brand film in India, starring actress Rashmika Mandanna and cricketer Shubman Gill. The spot dramatizes Gill’s disappointment at an anime’s ending and Mandanna’s reassurance that more content awaits, underscoring the platform’s...
ABC Workers Strike, Kyle Strikes with a Lawsuit, and AI-Generated PR Strikes the Wrong Chord
ABC employees ended a historic 24‑hour strike – the broadcaster’s first in 20 years – but negotiations remain unresolved, leaving the threat of further action alive. Meanwhile, radio personality Kyle Sandilands filed a Federal Court suit against ARN, publicly revealing...
Deltatre Appoints Watson as CEO
Deltatre announced that long‑time CEO Andrea Marini will step down after five years and transition to Deputy Chairman, while Marc Watson has been appointed the new chief executive. Watson, a former BT TV Group head and DAZN chief commercial officer, brings deep...
HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt’ Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through March 22
HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” claimed the No. 1 spot on Whip Media’s U.S. streaming originals chart for the week ending March 22. The series, starring Noah Wyle, follows a 15‑hour ER shift with each episode covering one hour, and its...
DAZN Seeks Inflight and Onboard Partners
DAZN announced DAZN Inflight, a service to stream live sports on airplanes and cruise ships, led by partnership chief Aviv Giladi. The offering is slated for a 2027 launch, extending the platform beyond its current footprint in more than 200...
Netflix - Pixel Artworks (Rebel Moon)
Netflix launched an ambitious PR activation for its new sci‑fi blockbuster, Rebel Moon, by installing a 10‑meter geodesic dome on the Thames banks in London. The dome, surrounded by a wheat field and hidden LED lights, projected series imagery, creating an...
Studios Are Monitoring ‘You, Me & Tuscany’ Box Office Before Buying More Black-Led Rom-Coms, Filmmaker Says
Nina Lee, an award‑winning Black filmmaker, urged fans to watch the new rom‑com “You, Me & Tuscany,” because studios are waiting to see its box‑office performance before buying her already‑shot Black‑led rom‑com and a romance script. The film, starring Halle...
‘Amazing World of Gumball’ Complete Series Coming to DVD May 5
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will launch a 15‑disc DVD box set of The Amazing World of Gumball on May 5, 2026. The collection compiles every episode from the show’s six Cartoon Network seasons along with the special "Darwin’s Yearbook"...
Report: Local CTV Reshaping US Ad Market
AdImpact’s first local CTV ad trends report examined 511,000 advertisers across 210 U.S. TV markets in 2025. Markets outside the top 50 generated 52.5% of local CTV impressions while representing only 33% of the TV population. Quarterly data showed Q4...
TV Ratings (25/3/2026): MAFS’ Danny Delivers Dunce-Like Domestic Drama
Married At First Sight (MAFS) continued to dominate Australian television on March 25, 2026, achieving a total national reach of 2.94 million viewers and an audience of 1.88 million. The episode generated controversy when contestant Danny made a sexist remark about moving...
#ThisWeek on MarkLives MEDIA: Being Bruce Whitfield • #NextWeek: Real-World Brand Experiences Return
Veteran broadcaster Bruce Whitfield is launching a new News24 business series that will interview South Africa’s economic leaders and explore growth sectors. The program aims to provide in‑depth analysis and elevate public discourse on the country’s post‑pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, KLA’s...
‘Don’t Get High’ Comedy Pilot Not Going Forward At Hulu
Hulu has decided not to move forward with the comedy pilot *Don’t Get High*, starring Tony Hale and created by Megan Ganz. The show, about a high‑school anti‑drug club, was part of Hulu’s broader effort to expand its young‑adult (YA)...
Netflix Sets ‘City Hunter 2’ in Japan, With Ryohei Suzuki Returning as Lead
Netflix announced a sequel, City Hunter 2, slated for a 2027 global launch, bringing back Ryohei Suzuki as the titular Ryo Saeba. The original 2024 live‑action adaptation topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 non‑English films and entered the top 10 in 32 countries, sparking...
‘Project Hail Mary’ Passing $100M U.S. Today, Will Lord Over Box Office In Second Frame With $45M Despite ‘They Will...
Amazon MGM’s sci‑fi dramedy Project Hail Mary crossed the $100 million domestic mark in its sixth day and is projected to earn $45 million in its second weekend, a hold comparable to the 2024 March hit Dune: Part Two. The film will...
Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt Retiring
Fathom Entertainment announced that CEO Ray Nutt will retire later this year after nine years at the helm. Nutt, who joined as CEO in 2017 following a long tenure at Regal Entertainment Group, will assist the board in finding his...
Counterpart: Why Starz Canceled The J. K. Simmons Series
Starz cancelled the critically acclaimed sci‑fi drama *Counterpart* after two seasons, despite both seasons holding a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, starring Oscar‑winner J.K. Simmons, follows a low‑level U.N. employee who discovers a parallel‑universe cold war. Starz...
Creator Television Partners with Convergence to Bring Creator-Led Programming to TV
Sabio Holdings' Creator Television has teamed up with Los Angeles‑based venture studio Convergence to produce creator‑led programming for television. The collaboration will generate original series across sports, lifestyle and other genres, extending influencer storytelling beyond social platforms. Produced shows will...
Sinclair to Consolidate Newsrooms in Tulsa, Drop News Anchors From ABC Affiliate
Sinclair Broadcast Group will merge the newsrooms of its Tulsa stations, KTUL (ABC) and KOKI (Fox), creating a shared content hub with upgraded weather, studio and master‑control facilities. The consolidation will shift KTUL to a reporter‑driven, anchor‑light format starting in...