SVG GFX Forum Draws 250+ Industry Pros To Talk Creative Philosphy, AR/XR, Future of Live Sports Graphics
The 2026 SVG GFX Forum convened over 250 sports‑graphics leaders in New York to explore AI‑driven workflows, XR studio tech, and the future of live‑sports visual storytelling. Highlights included ESPN’s data‑rich MNF Playbook alt‑cast, a massive new college‑football graphics suite supporting 130+ teams, and NBC’s nostalgic NBA return package. Panels examined streaming‑first design, rapid‑turnaround graphics production, and the cloud‑based infrastructure reshaping asset creation. Executives from Ross Video, Chyron, AE Live and Vizrt underscored how AI and remote production are redefining staffing and operational models.
Scripps to Acquire WTVQ for $15.8 Million
The E.W. Scripps Company agreed to buy Lexington’s ABC affiliate WTVQ for $15.8 million, creating a duopoly with its existing NBC station WLEX pending regulatory clearance. Scripps CEO Adam Symson said the deal will deepen market scale and fund more neighborhood...
OffBall and Togethxr Team Up on a New Playbook for Sports Media
OffBall and Togethxr announced a strategic partnership that merges OffBall’s sports‑culture coverage with Togethxr’s women’s‑sports focus. Togethxr reported $30 million in 2025 revenue and profitability, while OffBall has more than doubled its revenue to approach mid‑seven figures. The deal gives each...
Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings, CFO Spencer Neumann Sell $48 Million Worth of Combined Shares
Netflix co‑founder Reed Hastings and CFO Spencer Neumann sold a combined $48.1 million in Netflix shares, according to March 4 regulatory filings. Hastings disposed of $39.8 million worth of 410,550 shares at $96‑$97.50 each and simultaneously bought back the same number at $9.7...
LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM Locks in Season 4 Return Date on Netflix
Netflix has set the release date for Season 4 of the Emmy‑winning docu‑reality series Love on the Spectrum, slated for April 1, 2026. The show continues to follow autistic individuals navigating dating, mixing returning participants with new faces. Executive producers Karina Holden and...
Net Insight Nimbra Edge, Nimbra 400 Receive YouTube Live Encoder Verification
YouTube Live has added Net Insight’s Nimbra Edge software encoder and Nimbra 400 hardware appliance to its verified encoder list. The verification confirms compatibility with SRT and RTMP ingest, as well as sustained stability under fault conditions. Broadcasters can now stream...
SportsEngine to Live-Stream National Youth Flag-Football Tournament March 7-8
SportsEngine Play will livestream the 2026 Endzone 7‑on‑7 National Football Recruiting Tournament on March 7‑8 from The Woodlands, Texas. The two‑day flag‑football event features more than 125 teams across six age groups, making it the nation’s largest youth recruiting showcase. The...
TeamTO Launches TeamTOKO Animation Anime-Inspired Production Division
TeamTO, a veteran European animation studio, announced the creation of TeamTOKO Animation, an anime‑inspired production division dedicated to original 2D and 3D series and feature films. The new unit operates as a distinct, creator‑led creative hub while the studio maintains...
Streamer Mometu Launches Short Film Showdown Competition
Mometu, a free ad‑supported streaming service for independent cinema, has launched the nine‑month Mometu Short Film Showdown. The competition curates up to 25 genre‑specific short films each month, streaming them for 30 days and returning 85% of generated ad revenue...
StreamGuys Ups Its Streaming Game for In-Venue Sports Fans
StreamGuys is rolling out major upgrades to its Ultra‑Low Latency Streaming (ULLS) platform, adding native iOS support and dynamic pre‑roll ad insertion. The enhancements let fans in stadiums hear synchronized play‑by‑play commentary on mobile apps without the traditional broadcast delay....
Cosm Reveals ‘Harry Potter’ Release Date And Trailer For “Shared Reality” Run
Cosm will debut a reimagined "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" on May 7 at its Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas shared‑reality venues, with tickets on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT. The experience uses an 87‑foot curved screen capable of over 12K...
‘Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’: Paramount+ Canada & GameTV Comedy About Controversial Canadian Sprinter Gets Trailer & Premiere...
Paramount+ Canada and GameTV are launching the six‑part satirical series “Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story” on March 26, with the first two episodes debuting on GameTV and a day later on Paramount+. The show stars Shamier Anderson as the...
Cartoon Saloon Names ‘The Breadwinner’ Producer Anthony Leo CEO
Cartoon Saloon announced Anthony Leo, the Oscar‑nominated producer of The Breadwinner, as its new chief executive, succeeding Gerry Shirren after a twelve‑year tenure. Leo, co‑founder of Aircraft Pictures, brings a track record that includes Netflix hits and festival‑premiered series. The...
Thailand-Based ‘Send Help’ & ‘White Lotus’ Outfit Indochina Productions Teams With Storyoscopic To Launch BKK Films
Storyoscopic Films and Thailand’s Indochina Productions have formed a Bangkok‑based joint venture called BKK Films. The partnership will produce genre‑driven movies starring Asian protagonists, leveraging Storyoscopic’s development expertise and Indochina’s production infrastructure. Its inaugural slate includes the gangster‑action film “7...
Content Creators Didn’t Kill Publisher Video. They Rebuilt The Ad Model
Creator‑led companies like Donut Media are reshaping digital video advertising by building an integrated, 360‑degree ad stack that spans long‑form YouTube, short‑form social, podcasts and real‑world activations. The firm sells custom‑branded segments, 45‑ to 60‑second host‑read pre‑rolls and official partnership...
Is There an Oscar Bump? ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Saw Views Triple on Netflix After Its Nomination
Netflix’s documentary "The Perfect Neighbor" has crossed 50 million views since its October 2025 debut and saw streaming numbers more than triple in the two weeks following its Oscar nomination. The film also secured Best Documentary honors at the Independent Spirit Awards...
Promoting The Super Bowl: All Year Round?
Walt Disney is turning the Super Bowl from a single‑day spectacle into a year‑long media franchise called “The Year of the Super Bowl.” The move leverages the $800 million advertising haul from one game to launch continuous ESPN features such as...
ARD and ZDF to Close Linear TV Channels Under Reform Treaty
German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will overhaul their linear TV portfolio under a reformed national broadcast treaty, shutting down ARD alpha, tagesschau24 and ONE by December 31 2026. The restructure consolidates remaining services into three jointly‑operated channels—phoenix for news, neo for...
Ziggo Sport Retains Dutch Uefa Champions League Rights Until 2031
Ziggo Sport has secured a four‑year extension of its Dutch broadcast rights to UEFA’s flagship club competitions, keeping the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League through the 2030/31 season. The package will be delivered across six linear channels, 20...
Beloved Period Drama that Draws Downton Abbey Comparisons Gets Exciting New-Season Cast Update
HBO’s period drama *The Gilded Age* announced its fourth‑season lineup, promoting Kelley Curran, Jordan Donica and Ashlie Atkinson to series regulars. The show also added high‑profile guest stars, including Jim Gaffigan as President Grover Cleveland and Elizabeth Marvel as nurse...
Creative Studio 3 Chillies Launches with Nick Bell as Co-Founder
Creative studio 3 Chillies has officially launched, appointing Nick Bell as co‑founder. The venture also secured former Dark Horses CEO Melissa Robertson as a non‑executive director. 3 Chillies aims to deliver end‑to‑end brand storytelling, blending creative production with data‑driven insights....
Thinkbox Strategy Chief Urges Industry to Switch “Acronym Soup” For “Total TV”
Elliot Millard, chief strategy officer at Thinkbox, warned that the advertising industry’s reliance on a maze of acronyms—CTV, OTT, AVOD and the like—obscures a clear view of television consumption. He advocated replacing this "acronym soup" with a single, unified metric...
NEP OB Truck Upgrade Drives Software-Based Live Production Across the Nordics and Beyond
NEP Europe has relaunched its OB unit as EU‑03, a software‑centric mobile production truck designed for 1080p HDR live events. The upgrade fully adopts SMPTE ST 2110, allowing broadcasters to run license‑based, scalable workflows that blend software and hardware. Based in...
CH Media Adds RTL+ to Oneplus in Swiss Streaming Partnership
Swiss media group CH Media will embed German streaming service RTL+ into its oneplus platform on 23 March 2026, creating a bundled offering that also includes Paramount+ and a slate of Swiss originals. The integration delivers selected RTL+ titles—reality, drama and family...
Research: 85% of European Viewers Use Streaming Ad Tiers
FreeWheel’s Voice of the Viewer study shows that 85% of European streaming users watch ad‑supported tiers, with 83% satisfied overall. Content choice drives satisfaction, cited by 73% of respondents, while 47% exclusively use ad‑supported plans and 49% deliberately chose them....
Storm Fagan Named BBC Chief Technology and Product Officer
The BBC has appointed Storm Fagan as its chief technology and product officer, tasking her with leading the newly created BBC Media Tech division. The unit will consolidate product and technology teams from the broadcaster and BBC Studios into a...
Handball-Bundesliga Selects Dyn Media to Upgrade International Streaming Service
The Handball-Bundesliga has appointed Dyn Media to take over the technical development of its international streaming service, HBL TV, starting summer 2026. The league’s OTT platform, already available in over 80 countries, will expand to more than 100 markets where...
JioStar Removes 36 IPTV Apps From Google Play and App Store
JioStar secured the removal of 36 high‑download IPTV apps from Google Play and the iOS App Store during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, cutting off over 26 million global downloads and disrupting a piracy ecosystem. The move, backed by...
Spain: Court Summons for Cloudflare CEO
A Madrid investigating court has summoned Cloudflare chief executive Matthew Prince to appear on April 7th over alleged non‑cooperation with Spain’s anti‑piracy efforts. LaLiga and Movistar Plus+ claim the U.S. firm ignored more than a hundred takedown requests, allowing roughly 38 percent of...
JioStar Blocks 420 Piracy Sites During T20 World Cup
JioStar launched a massive anti‑piracy campaign during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, blocking 420 illicit sites and removing 36 illegal IPTV apps that had amassed over 26 million downloads. The Delhi High Court injunction enabled the suspension of 141 piracy...
AIDC2026: ‘Format / Boring / Predictable’
At AIDC2026, a panel of SBS executives and producers debated the DNA of returnable documentary formats. They agreed that a bankable emotional hook is essential, while the narrative must stay unpredictable. A solid structural framework provides viewers with a familiar...
How Creator Talent Agencies Are Evolving Into Multi-Platform Operators
Creator talent agencies are abandoning the legacy deal‑brokering model in favor of multi‑platform operations that place creators at the core. Companies like Shorthand Studios and Night Media have demonstrated rapid audience growth and secured sizable funding, such as Night Media’s...
US Identifies Notorious Piracy Markets
The U.S. Trade Representative released its 2025 Notorious Markets List, identifying 37 online and 32 physical venues that facilitate trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy. The report spotlights the surge in illegal streaming of live sports, especially as the United States...
‘The Mortuary Assistant’ Streaming on Shudder March 27
The horror film "The Mortuary Assistant" will stream exclusively on Shudder starting March 27, 2026. Adapted from the best‑selling video game, it follows newly certified mortician Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland) as she confronts demonic rituals and personal trauma during a...
Ukraine Doc ‘Timestamp’ Due on DVD March 10 From MVD
The documentary "Timestamp," chronicling a generation of Ukrainians growing up during the war, will be released on DVD on March 10 through MVD Entertainment Group and Kimstim. Directed by Kateryna Gornostai, the film was shot over several years, capturing life before...
TechExpo26 Says ‘Welcome’ to Programmers
SCTE announced AMC Networks as the first-ever programmer to co‑host TechExpo26, joining Charter as headliners for the September‑October event in Atlanta. The partnership highlights the industry’s move toward convergence, where operators and media providers align network innovation with viewer experiences....
NCTC: Video Sticking Around
At the ACA Connects Summit, NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli confirmed that video remains central to the cooperative’s offering, announcing new authentication capabilities for ESPN Unlimited alongside existing Fox One access. He said NCTC will follow Charter’s direct‑to‑consumer video‑bundle strategy to...
News Corp, Meta Strike AI Content Licensing Deal
News Corp has inked a three‑year AI content licensing agreement with Meta, granting the social‑media giant access to the publisher’s U.S. and U.K. news assets for model training and user consumption. The deal could net Meta up to $50 million per...
Roc Nation Claims Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Drew 4.157 Billion Views in 24 Hours
Roc Nation claims Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show amassed 4.157 billion worldwide views within 24 hours, a figure that surpasses all prior records across broadcast and digital platforms. Independent metrics from Nielsen and Adobe report 128.2 million live viewers, placing the performance fourth...
‘Mercy’ Tops DEG Digital Transactions Chart for Week of Feb. 22
Amazon MGM Studios’ sci‑fi drama *Mercy* claimed the top spot on the Digital Entertainment Group’s weekly digital sales and rentals chart for the week ending Feb. 22, according to GfK Entertainment data. The film outperformed Disney’s animated sequel *Zootopia 2* and Sony’s...
HPA Tech Retreat Honors First Class Of Expanded Awards Program Winners
The Hollywood Professional Association concluded its 2026 Tech Retreat in Los Angeles, drawing over 800 industry leaders for more than 40 curated sessions. At the gathering HPA launched an expanded Innovation & Technology awards program, honoring winners across five categories—from...
Max And Chloe Have Been Cast In Amazon Prime's Life Is Strange TV Series
Amazon Prime announced the casting of Tatum Grace Hopkins and Maisy Stella as Max Caulfield and Chloe Price for its live‑action adaptation of the 2015 game Life Is Strange. Hopkins, a Broadway veteran, makes her TV debut, while Stella brings...
Comcast CEO Eyes Peacock Remaining a U.S. Streaming Platform on Path to Profitability
Comcast co‑CEO Michael Cavanagh said Peacock will stay U.S.-only, aiming profitability. The service added 3 million paid subscribers in the last quarter of 2025, ending the year with 44 million paid subs, while revenue rose to $1.6 billion and operating loss widened to...
240+ Women’s College Basketball Tournament Games to Stream on ESPN During Champ Week 2026
ESPN’s 2026 Champ Week will stream more than 240 women’s college basketball conference tournament games from March 3‑15, primarily on the ESPN+ app and supplemented by ESPN2, ACCN, SECN, ESPNU and other linear channels. The rollout features marquee talent such as...
Versant Media Reports 2025 Revenues of $6.69 Billion
Versant Media Group reported 2025 revenues of $6.69 billion, generating $930 million in net income. Linear distribution contributed $4.09 billion, ad sales $1.58 billion, platforms $826 million, and licensing $193 million. Adjusted EBITDA reached $2.42 billion, and the board approved up to $1 billion in share repurchases alongside...
1996 Thriller ‘Sleepers’ Available on 4K Digital and Disc April 21
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment announced that the 1996 thriller Sleepers will be released in 4K digital and disc on April 21, coinciding with its 30th anniversary. The remastered edition adds new bonus material, including a conversation with director Barry...
CFO Hugh Johnston: Disney+ Looking to Up Viewer Engagement Through Expanded Content Offerings
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said Disney+ will boost viewer engagement by expanding content offerings. The service now has 131.6 million global subscribers, with 59.3 million in North America, but growth will come from increasing weekly watch hours. Disney plans targeted investments in...
YouTube TV Is Adding New Channels to Its Entertainment & Family Packages
YouTube TV is adding Adult Swim as a standalone channel to its Entertainment package while moving Cartoon Network exclusively into the Family tier. The shift mirrors DIRECTV’s recent bundling changes, separating mature‑rated programming from child‑friendly content. By placing Adult Swim in the...
Prime Video Sets June 3 ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 4 Premiere
Prime Video announced that Season 4 of the adult‑animated series The Legend of Vox Machina will debut on June 3. The new season will roll out three episodes per week across more than 240 countries and territories. The show, a joint venture...
SBS Unveils FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 Broadcast Dream Team
SBS has unveiled its on‑air team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, appointing former Socceroos star Harry Kewell, retired Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, and veteran commentator David Basheer as the headline analysts. Presenters Niav Owens and Claudio Fabiano will host studio coverage from...