Riding the Rightwing Algorithm to Success: Is Karl Stefanovic Australia’s Joe Rogan?
Australian TV veteran Karl Stefanovic launched an independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, which surged to No. 2 on Apple Podcasts overall and topped the news category within four weeks. The series quickly amassed over 50,000 YouTube subscribers and its right‑wing episodes routinely pull close to 300,000 views on YouTube and TikTok. A live interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sparked a flood of anti‑government and extremist comments, highlighting the platform’s appeal to a far‑right audience. Stefanovic’s shift mirrors the Joe Rogan model, pairing casual interview style with controversial guests.
Week in Review: Netflix Drops Its WBD Bid, Premier League Plans a Streaming App, and CTV Fuels Ad Tech Growth
Netflix has withdrawn its $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming assets, paving the way for Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion hostile offer, which the board has deemed superior. Paramount’s proposal, backed by Larry Ellison, now awaits regulatory clearance...
Projects From Spain and Latin America Selected by Series Mania Forum 2026
The Series Mania Forum announced 15 projects for its 2026 Co‑Pro Pitching Sessions, chosen from more than 400 submissions across 65 countries. Spain’s two flagship entries are *The Glacier Murders* – a Spain‑Chile thriller set between Patagonia and Catalonia –...
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery Reshape Streaming?s Power Balance
Paramount Skydance Global and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced a $111 billion merger that would unite two major studios and their extensive content libraries. The combined entity would blend HBO’s premium brand with Paramount’s franchises such as Star Trekk, Mission: Impossible, Transformers and...
Bosnia State Broadcaster BHRT Halts Programming in Funding Crisis Protest
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state broadcaster BHRT stopped all TV and radio output on 26 February, displaying a black screen and a warning about a possible shutdown. The halt stems from a deep funding crisis: licence‑fee revenues collected by the country’s entities...
IndyCar Season Opener: A Look Into the Productions’ Fast-Track IP Transformation
IndyCar’s 31st season kicks off March 1 in St. Petersburg, backed by a rapid IP overhaul of its five mobile production trucks. IMS Productions, BeckTV, and Imagine Communications upgraded system architecture, workflows, and signal paths to enable high‑intensity, low‑latency coverage. The fast‑track...
Telia and Viaplay Sign New Multi-Year Content Agreement
Telia and Viaplay have signed a multi‑year content agreement to bolster Telia’s TV and streaming proposition in Sweden. The deal secures long‑term access to Viaplay’s extensive library of international series, local entertainment and premium live‑sport rights, including UEFA Champions League...
Martijn Van Hout to Depart Canal+ After 22 Years
Martijn van Hout will leave Canal+ at the end of February, ending a 22‑year tenure that included roles as Country Manager DACH and Managing Director of Canal+ Austria. He launched HD Austria in 2010, grew it into a full pay‑TV...
Why Audio and Video Is ‘Big Part’ of Politico Growth Strategy
Politico is making audio and video a core growth pillar through 2026, expanding its Playbook podcast network and launching a new Brussels edition. The company hired a deputy head of audio, introduced a Brussels Playbook podcast that already draws about...
The Newest Trend in L.A. Office Space: In-House Studios for Traveling Influencers
Los Angeles office landlords are converting premium space into compact, influencer‑ready studios, a trend embraced by brands like Puma, Skims and e.l.f. These in‑house production hubs serve as showrooms, event venues and content creation labs, allowing companies to showcase products...
WTVision Maps Out Streamlined Newsroom Collaboration
wTVision has launched wMaps, a broadcast‑grade mapping platform built into its on‑air graphics ecosystem. The solution offers a standalone GUI for 2D/3D map creation and a client‑server module that supports up to ten simultaneous users via a browser. Designed for...
Newsrooms Rethink AI, Trust and Revenue Models
At the 22nd Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit, Indian media leaders debated how AI, automation and shifting audience habits are reshaping newsrooms. Panelists highlighted AI’s role in proofreading, headline optimisation and large‑language‑model development to reduce costs and expand multilingual...
Italy: DAZN Scores World Cup Rights
DAZN has secured exclusive streaming rights to broadcast every one of the 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Italy, while public broadcaster Rai will air 35 selected games, including the opening match and any involving the Italian...
How Audience Insights Drive NBA Media Decision-Making
NBA Vice President Michelle Auguste explained how audience insights have shaped the league’s new 11‑year media rights agreement, positioning the NBA as a growth property despite overall TV declines. The data highlighted the league’s nightly reach, youthful and diverse fan...
Three TV5MONDE FAST Channels Launch on Plex
TV5MONDE announced that its three free‑ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channels—Chefs, Voyage, and Info—are now available on Plex across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. The rollout covers Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Mexico, with...
TRAI Outlines 6G, AI and Inclusion Roadmap for Broadcast Sector
At the 22nd Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit, TRAI outlined a five‑year roadmap that couples 6G‑enabled gesture and voice TV with AI‑driven content agents, while stressing rural inclusion. The regulator highlighted the need to expand data‑centre capacity to roughly...
AMC Networks Previews ‘Vampire Lestat’ Series Premiering in June
AMC Networks unveiled a preview of “The Vampire Lestat,” the next chapter of the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, set to debut in June 2026 on AMC and AMC+. The series follows Lestat’s electric multi‑city rock tour, intertwining his rising fame with a...
Atresmedia Defies TV Ad Downturn with €1bn FY Revenues
Spanish broadcaster Atresmedia posted €1 billion in net revenues for FY 2025, a marginal decline from €1.01 billion in 2024, despite a 4.4 percent contraction in the domestic TV advertising market. EBITDA fell sharply to €87.7 million, but the company noted that, excluding redundancy‑related provisions,...
The Case for and Against Publisher Content Marketplaces
Content marketplaces are emerging as a way for publishers to monetize their articles and protect against AI scraping. Microsoft and Amazon are backing these platforms to boost Azure and AWS adoption, while licensing standards from groups like the BBC coalition...
Shannons SpeedSeries Secures New Home on FOX SPORTS for 2026
After two decades on free‑to‑air television, the Shannons SpeedSeries will move to Fox Sports starting in 2026. The new deal places all six championship rounds live on Fox Sports and on‑demand via Kayo Sports, ending its partnership with the Seven...
DAZN Continues to Drive Subs Growth for NFL Game Pass
DAZN reported a 24% year‑on‑year increase in NFL Game Pass subscriptions, continuing double‑digit growth since its 2023 partnership with the league. The premium Ultimate Tier saw more than 300% growth as fans embraced HDR, Dolby 5.1, and multiview features. International...
Paramount-WBD Pact Is ‘Not a Done Deal,’ California AG Teases ‘Vigorous’ Investigation
California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned that the Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger is not finalized, citing an open state investigation. Paramount’s $31‑per‑share offer has been deemed superior, prompting Netflix to step aside. Regulators must still clear the deal amid concerns...
CNN’s Jake Tapper Breaks News of Paramount Buying Network’s Parent Company WBD Live on Air: ‘It Affects Everybody I’m Looking...
Paramount Skydance announced a presumptive offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of CNN, after Netflix withdrew its competing bid. The announcement was made live on CNN’s "The Lead" by Jake Tapper, highlighting immediate relevance to the network’s staff. Political figures, including former...
Begin Secures ISL Digital Rights Across 4 GCC Markets
Begin, the UAE‑based OTT platform, has signed a one‑year exclusive deal for the Indian Super League’s digital rights in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The agreement grants live streaming access for the 2026 ISL season, which runs through...
Horizon Sports & Experiences, TOGETHXR Launch Joint Venture to Power Future of Women’s Sports
Horizon Sports & Experiences and women’s sports media firm TOGETHXR have launched IX to Five, a joint venture aimed at commercializing women’s sports through premium storytelling, IP development, and brand partnerships. The venture debuts with content featuring the StudBudz, WNBA...
Comcast Now Offers Free Disney+ & Hulu With Some Internet Plans
Comcast is bundling free, ad‑supported Disney+ and Hulu with select Xfinity high‑speed internet plans, also adding Peacock Premium, Xumo Stream Box, and a Wi‑Fi gateway. The offer applies to gigabit, 1.2 Gbps and 2 Gbps tiers and is available to new sign‑ups...
EnTech Fest Panel: Passionate Audience Key to DTC Services Fandango and Angel Studios
At the Digital Entertainment Group’s EnTech Fest, Angel Studios and Fandango highlighted the importance of cultivating passionate, direct‑to‑consumer audiences. Angel’s 2.1 million members vote on every title, paying a monthly fee for theater tickets and streaming access. Fandango, now operating under...
32.6 Million Watched Trump’s State of the Union Address, Nielsen Says
About 32.6 million people tuned into President Trump’s 107‑minute State of the Union address, according to Nielsen. The audience size is essentially identical to President Biden’s final 2024 address, which drew 32.2 million viewers, but it fell short of the 36.6 million that...
Rachel Perkins to Steer First Nations Strategy at SCREEN AUSTRALIA
Screen Australia has appointed acclaimed filmmaker Rachel Perkins as its inaugural Director of First Nations Strategy, effective 2 March 2026. Perkins, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman and co‑founder of Blackfella Films, brings over three decades of experience creating Indigenous‑focused television...
Samba: Essentials, Utilities Tally Most Ad Impressions in 2nd-Half 2025
Samba TV’s H2 2025 advertising report shows a sharp pivot toward essential and infrastructure categories, with utilities ad impressions jumping 48%, insurance up 18% and pharma rising 12%. Discretionary sectors such as career services, apparel and food & beverage posted double‑digit...
ATSC Appoints Anil Bhardwaj Tech, Strategy Director For India
ATSC has named Indian broadcast veteran Anil Bhardwaj as its Technology & Strategy Director for India and Emerging Markets, reinforcing the group’s push for next‑generation standards. Bhardwaj will lead ATSC’s engagement with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI) and...
‘Access Hollywood’s Emily Orozco Promoted To Correspondent In NYC Bureau
NBCUniversal has elevated Emily Orozco to correspondent for Access Hollywood’s New York City bureau. Orozco, an Emmy‑nominated journalist, joined the show in 2017 and has progressed from associate field producer to head of the NY bureau and coordinating producer. She...
Telestream Unveils Production-Ready AI Capabilities Across Its Product Portfolio
Telestream unveiled a suite of production‑ready AI features across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza and Qualify platforms. The rollout adds AI Caption with support for 128 languages, AI Qualify for automated lip‑sync and subtitle validation, AI Speech for real‑time...
WBD Sees Revenues Drop 7 Percent in Q4
Warner Bros. Discovery reported a 7% year‑over‑year drop in Q4 total revenues, falling to $9.5 billion. All three core segments—distribution, advertising and content—declined, with advertising down 9% and content down 10%. The company posted a net loss of $252 million after accounting...
Nexstar Expects Tegna Purchase To Close By End Of Q2
Nexstar Media Group expects its $2.5 billion acquisition of Tegna to close by the end of the second quarter, aligning with the anticipated surge in political advertising ahead of the 2026 election cycle. The company reported Q4 net revenue of $1.29 billion,...
Jonathan Allan to Exit Channel 4
Jonathan Allan, who has been with Channel 4 for 15 years, will step down as interim CEO ahead of the arrival of new chief executive Priya Dogra in March. Allan’s tenure included roles as chief commercial officer, chief operating officer, and interim...
DIRECTV Warns Of The Danger of Mega ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC Mergers to Local News
DIRECTV submitted an FCC filing warning that the surge in duopolies, triopolies and even quadropolies among broadcasters such as Nexstar, Sinclair and Gray is eroding local‑news diversity. The analysis catalogued roughly one hundred duopolies, more than a dozen triopolies and...
‘Premflix’ App to Screen All Premier League Matches Live – but only in Singapore
The Premier League will debut Premier League Plus, a dedicated streaming app that offers live coverage of all 380 matches, initially limited to Singapore and delivered in partnership with Starhub. Launched before the 2026‑27 season, it marks the league’s first...
Iam8bit, WaterTower Music Announce ‘Adventure Time’ Finale and ‘Fionna and Cake’ Soundtracks
iam8bit has teamed up with WaterTower Music to issue two Adventure Time soundtracks: the series finale "Come Along with Me" on a 1‑LP/CD set and the "Fionna and Cake" collection on a 2‑LP/CD set. Both releases feature original songs by series...
TVB: Broadcast TV Lead Persists in Reach, Time Spent
The Television Bureau (TVB) released its latest cross‑platform measurement, finding that traditional broadcast television viewed on a TV set still commands the greatest audience reach and the longest average viewing time among all media channels. The advantage holds true across...
HBO Max Will Start Cracking Down on Password Sharing Globally
HBO Max announced a global crackdown on password sharing, extending stricter enforcement beyond the United States. The new policy replaces the current optional pop‑up with a mandatory prompt that requires non‑household users to create their own accounts. The rollout coincides...
Sundance Road Trip Comedy ‘The Shitheads’, Starring Dave Franco & O’Shea Jackson Jr., Gets U.S. Deal With IFC
Sundance‑premiered road‑trip comedy *The Shitheads* has landed a U.S. distribution deal with IFC, slated for a theatrical summer release. The film stars Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Kiernan Shipka and Nicholas Braun, with a supporting turn by Peter Dinklage. Written, directed...
Meet The Producers Resurrecting Dead Hollywood Pitches Using AI
Deadline’s new column Rendering highlights a podcast, Films Not Made, launched by producers Amy Hobby and Avi Zev Weider that uses generative AI to resurrect abandoned Hollywood pitches. The show runs AI‑enhanced scripts, storyboards and even AI‑generated trailers for projects...
Fifth Season & Media Res Strike Sales Pact & Set Sweden’s ‘Summer Of 1985’ As First Project
Media Res has entered a first‑look distribution agreement with Fifth Season, designating the Swedish thriller *Summer of 1985* as the inaugural project. The series, based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, follows a group of friends whose summer turns deadly after...
Sky & Starz Strike Co-Commission Deal As Sky Boards 50 Cent Boxing Drama ‘Fightland’
Sky has secured a first‑look agreement with Starz for the 50 Cent‑produced boxing drama Fightland, which will debut on Sky and Now TV in the UK. The series, shot in London, follows a disgraced champion seeking revenge and is executive‑produced by Curtis Jackson’s...
‘Star City’: ‘For All Mankind’ Spinoff Sets Release Date; Unveils First-Look Photos
Apple TV announced the debut of *Star City*, an eight‑episode spinoff of the acclaimed *For All Mankind*. The series launches globally on May 29, 2026 with two episodes, then releases a new episode each Friday through July 10. Set in...
The Loyalty-Building Advantages of Embracing Black Audiences
Brands that authentically engage Black audiences can unlock significant economic upside, as Black consumers are projected to wield $2.1 trillion in buying power by 2026. They are four times more likely than average shoppers to follow the WNBA and spend roughly...
Content Partners Hires Former WME Business Affairs Exec Benjamin Kram
Content Partners announced the appointment of former WME business‑affairs executive Benjamin Kram as Vice President. Kram will lead business development, expanding the firm’s content investments and strategic partnerships. He brings extensive negotiation experience across film, television and digital media from...
What’s Next For Nexstar? More Growth For The CW, NewsNation
Nexstar Media Group posted its fourth‑quarter 2025 results, beating Wall Street revenue forecasts while slipping into a net loss. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow fell sharply compared with the prior year. CEO Perry Sook highlighted the company’s aggressive...
‘This Is Buzz:’ Mark Pellington’s Experimental Slamdance Title Inspired By The Cult MTV Show Lands North American Distribution Deal
Starboard Entertainment has secured North American distribution rights to Mark Pellington’s experimental documentary *This Is Buzz*, which premiered at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival. The film, a music‑driven exploration of the 1990s MTV cult series *Buzz*, will open theatrically in...