Fuzzy Math: For Fans, the NFL’s Free TV Share Is Closer to 33% Than 87%
The NFL touts that 87% of its games air on free, over‑the‑air TV, but regional blackout rules mean the average fan can only access about 33% without a subscription. While 237 of 272 regular‑season contests were technically on broadcast networks, most Sunday afternoon games are limited to a fan’s local market, restricting viewership to three games per week. Adding NBC’s Sunday Night and Monday Night games reduces the truly free slate to 89 broadcasts. The league’s reliance on pay‑TV and streaming deals continues to drive billions in revenue despite the misleading statistic.
NBCU Kicks Off Upfront Week With Sports, AI, and a ‘Fast’ Vin Diesel Surprise
NBCUniversal opened its 2026 upfront week with a two‑hour showcase that highlighted new ad‑tech tools, including the Performance Insights Hub and Live Total Impact, which delivered over 90 % lift for State Farm. The network emphasized its sports portfolio, adding a...
President Trump Decries Rising Cost of Streaming the NFL
President Donald Trump criticized the NFL’s shift toward streaming, alleging fans could be forced to pay $1,000 per game. The claim is far from reality; the league still broadcasts roughly 90% of games over the air and only 20 games...
NBC 2026 Fall Schedule: ‘The Traitors’ Set for Thursdays, ‘Rockford Files’ Reboot Held for Midseason
NBC unveiled its 2026‑27 fall lineup, slotting the new non‑celebrity version of The Traitors on Thursdays at 8 p.m. as a lead‑in to Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. Two fresh dramas, Line of Fire and St. Denis Medical, and the comedy Newlyweds join the schedule, while the...
Report: Broadcast Employment Hard Hit by AI
A new Wiingy report finds broadcasting faces the steepest AI‑driven employment shock, with a 36.2% headcount decline and a 19.5% real‑wage drop between May 2022 and May 2024. The study leveraged Google Trends, comparing pre‑ and post‑ChatGPT search interest (the Temporal Resilience...
Savannah Guthrie’s ‘Wordle’ Game Show Greenlit at NBC
NBC has ordered a prime‑time adaptation of the New York Times’ viral puzzle “Wordle,” slated to debut in 2027. The series will be hosted by “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie and executive‑produced by Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog banner, alongside Universal Television Alternative...
TV? What TV? The 2026 Upfronts Will Be Heavy on Creators, Football and AI Ad Tech
The 2026 upfront week has morphed into a multi‑platform showcase that prioritizes sports rights, creator talent, and AI‑driven ad technology. Networks and streaming services will lean heavily on NFL assets, with Disney positioning itself for the 2027 Super Bowl and...
Gray Media Ups James Finch To SVP Of News Services
Gray Media announced the promotion of James Finch to senior vice president of news services, honoring his three‑decade tenure and expanding duties across the company’s growing network of journalists, local stations, and distribution platforms. Finch has spent the past ten...
The NFL’s Streaming Future Is Becoming a Major Media and Political Fight
The NFL’s streaming model is sparking a high‑stakes clash among the league, broadcasters, tech platforms and Washington. A Justice Department antitrust probe follows a Senate‑led request after fans reportedly spend close to $1,000 each season on cable and streaming subscriptions....
Night Train Media’s ‘Hairdresser Mysteries’, ‘The Trio’ & Ian Fleming-James Bond Doc To Shop Through Sphere Abacus
Night Train Media is moving three new titles—The Hairdresser Mysteries, The Trio, and the Ian Fleming‑James Bond documentary—into the international sales pipeline of Sphere Abacus. The shift follows Night Train’s recent divestiture from Eccho Rights and other partners, giving it a...
Ex-Prime Video UK Boss Chris Bird Launches Two AI Ventures, One With ‘The Boy Who Lived’ Director Dan Hartley
Former Prime Video UK chief Chris Bird has launched two AI ventures aimed at content creators. HawksHead AI offers a predictive analytics platform that uses proprietary AI and synthetic panels to forecast audience response and guide script, casting and creative...
Ofcom Investigating GB News Over Donald Trump Interview After All
Ofcom announced it will reopen its investigation into GB News after the network rebroadcast a November interview with U.S. President Donald Trump. The regulator says the repeat, aired 12 hours later with a different panel, may breach rules on due impartiality...
DIRECTV Advertising Launches New “Metaphor” Campaign Tied to Upfronts
DIRECTV Advertising unveiled a multi‑channel "Metaphor" campaign timed with New York’s Upfront Week, using the industry’s annual gathering as a visual analogy for its converged TV advertising platform. Developed with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and media partner Starcom US, the effort spans...
This Upfront Season, Measurement Is More Important than Ever
Upfronts week returns with networks and streamers pitching advertisers, but measurement and performance metrics now dominate discussions. Flexibility in dealmaking and real‑time data are top priorities amid economic volatility. Disney’s ownership of the 2027 Super Bowl gives it leverage, while...
Aimee Lou Wood’s BBC Comedy ‘Film Club’ Will Not Return For Second Season
BBC has confirmed that the romantic‑comedy series Film Club will not return for a second season. The six‑part debut, starring Aimee Lou Wood, earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress but was mutually ended as Wood opts to focus on writing. Co‑writer...
PwC Warns Pressure on Media Markets, Shifting Fan Expectations Will Impact Sports Rights
PwC’s ninth Global Sport Survey warns that the value of sports media rights is set to decline over the next three to five years, even as the overall sports market continues to grow. The study of 500 senior executives and...
See Behind the Scenes of Disney’s Massive 2026 TV Upfront Event
Disney is staging its 2026 TV upfront at New York's Javits Center, expecting 3,700 attendees. The production features over 300 rigging points supporting 183,000 lb of equipment, including 7‑ton LED walls that move in unprecedented ways. New Clear LED panels provide...
Weekend Ratings (8–10/05/2026): Aussies Game-Obsessed As Nine’s The Floor & Seven’s The 1% Club Drive Big Boom
Australian TV audiences gravitated toward game‑show entertainment over the weekend, with Nine’s “The Floor” posting a 1.93 million reach and a 965 000 average audience, while Seven’s “The 1% Club” logged a 1.69 million reach and 901 000 average viewers. Both shows also attracted sizable BVOD...
James Packer Takes Stake in OnlyFans
Australian media heir James Packer, through his vehicle Consolidated Press Holdings and U.S. firm Architect Capital, acquired a 16% minority stake in OnlyFans' parent Fenix International for A$739 million (about US$535 million). The transaction values the platform at roughly A$4.3 billion, or US$2.9 billion,...
Hyundai Motor Sponsors CNN Series
Hyundai Motor is the exclusive sponsor of CNN International’s four‑part series “K‑Everything,” which premiered on May 9 on CNN International, HBO Max and the network’s streaming platform. Hosted by Oscar‑nominated actor Daniel Dae Kim, the series examines the global rise of Korean...
Week 19 in TV Ratings
Week 19 TV ratings in Australia showed a strong rebound for Network 10, as the return of "Have You Been Paying Attention?" attracted 820,000 viewers, positioning the show as the likely leader in its timeslot for the season. Seven’s long‑running drama...
With Netflix New Ad-Free Standard Plan at $20, Streaming's Tipping Point Into Old TV Is Getting Closer
Netflix raised its standard ad‑free plan to $19.99, underscoring a shift toward hybrid subscription‑and‑advertising revenue. The company’s data shows that an ad‑supported subscriber who watches 41 hours a month can generate roughly $25, surpassing the premium price. Ad‑supported tiers now...
Two More Major Streaming Services Are Raising Their Prices Next Month
Starz and AMC+ announced a $1 monthly price increase effective June 8, 2026, raising their standard plans to $11.99 and $10.99 respectively. The hikes join a broader 2026 trend of streaming price adjustments, including Netflix, YouTube Premium, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount Plus....
Roku Changes Its Home Screen, Pushing You to Use Its Free Streaming Service The Roku Channel on Roku TVs &...
Roku has introduced a subtle shaking animation to the The Roku Channel icon on the home screens of its TVs and streaming players, a move designed to draw attention and increase app launches. The tactic mirrors an earlier experiment with...
Sheridan Smith's '60s-Set Drama Will Be Removed From Netflix Soon – Don't Miss Out
Sheridan Smith’s 2014 three‑episode miniseries *Cilla* – a 1960s‑set drama about the iconic TV presenter – is slated to leave Netflix soon, likely around its one‑year anniversary on the platform. The series, which debuted on ITV and later joined Netflix...
Hannah Waddingham Provides Shot In Arm For ‘Saturday Night Live UK’s Viewing Figures
Hannah Waddingham hosted the penultimate episode of Sky's Saturday Night Live UK, pulling a live audience of 197,200 – the third‑largest rating of the season. The episode’s viewership more than tripled when catch‑up, streaming and repeat airings were included, underscoring...
Google Rolls Out Experimental AI-Powered Conversational Search on YouTube
Google has begun testing "Ask YouTube," an AI‑powered conversational search feature for YouTube. The tool, currently limited to U.S. YouTube Premium subscribers 18 and older, lets users type natural‑language questions and receive synthesized overview pages that combine written summaries, curated...
Television Academy Endorses Post-Production Tax Credit Bill as Assemblyman Nick Schultz Rallies Support in Burbank: ‘We Should Have Done This...
The Television Academy has officially endorsed Assemblyman Nick Schultz’s AB 2319, a bill that would create a 35%‑50% tax credit for post‑production work done in California, even when the principal shoot occurs elsewhere. The legislation aims to reverse a loss of...
How Maury Povich Outlasted the Daytime TV Wars Using This 1 Business Framework
Maury Povich’s daytime talk show survived three decades by building a verification‑first production model that never aired a fabricated guest story. While Jerry Springer leaned on spectacle, Povich treated his set like a newsroom, vetting every participant before they went...
‘Mortal Kombat II’ and ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Duel for No. 1 at Summer Box Office
For the first time since February, the summer box office faces a head‑to‑head battle between Warner Bros.’ "Mortal Kombat II" and 20th Century’s "The Devil Wears Prada 2." The fighting‑game sequel led Friday with a $17 million opening, while the...
Umesh Bansal Quits Zee Studios to Take Charge as Managing Director and CEO at B4U/IVY
Senior media executive Umesh Bansal has resigned from Zee Studios to become Managing Director and CEO of B4U/IVY. He will remain with Zee Entertainment Enterprises until May 31 2026 before assuming his new role. At Zee Studios, Bansal shaped the film strategy...
JioHotstar, Swiggy Turn Live Cricket Into an In-App Food Court
JioHotstar and Swiggy have rolled out an in‑app food‑ordering feature that lets cricket fans order meals without leaving the live stream, already used by more than 37 million users across 690 cities. The mobile‑only experience lets viewers browse restaurants, unlock match‑triggered offers,...
Roku Adds 15 New Live Free Channels on Roku TVs & Players,- A New Roku Lawsuit – A Popular Sports...
Roku announced the addition of 15 new free live channels to The Roku Channel, expanding its ad‑supported library for TV and player owners. A federal class‑action lawsuit accuses Roku and TCL of releasing software updates that brick smart TVs, seeking...
Samba TV: ‘Apex’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through May 3
Netflix’s thriller Apex claimed the No. 1 spot on Samba TV’s weekly streaming chart for the week of April 27‑May 3, shortly after its April 24 debut. The ranking follows HBO’s Euphoria at No. 2, Netflix’s true‑crime documentary ‘Should I Marry a Murderer?’ at No. 3,...
Rap Snacks and BlockWork TV Launch National Search for Next Hip Hop Star
Rap Snacks and BlockWork TV have teamed up to launch a six‑city national talent search for unsigned rappers, beginning May 22, 2026 in Atlanta. Each city will select 25 artists, with six overall winners collaborating on a Mixtape Vol. 1 and one national...
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Production Company Sued by Narcotics Officers Over Portrayal in Netflix Thriller ‘The Rip’
Miami-Dade narcotics officers who seized nearly $22 million in 2016 have filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Artists Equity, the production company founded by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and co‑producer Falco Pictures. The suit alleges that Netflix’s thriller “The Rip,”...
Basketball: Amazon Seeks NBA Fan Expansion in Japan as Views Catch On
Amazon Prime Video has launched an 11‑year exclusive deal to stream NBA games in Japan, marking a shift from Rakuten’s long‑standing broadcast rights. The platform delivered 67 regular‑season games and full playoff coverage this season, with the Spurs‑Thunder matchup drawing...
MSNOW: Federal Prosecutor Commends ABC for Defending ‘The View,’ Says ‘It Does No Good to Bend the Knee’
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance praised ABC’s petition to the FCC challenging an equal‑time investigation of “The View,” noting the involvement of former solicitor general Paul Clement signals the network’s seriousness. The FCC opened the probe after Democratic Senate candidate...
Roku Starts to Roll Out a Major Update to Roku TVs & Roku Players
Roku has begun the phased rollout of its Spring OS 15.2 update to compatible TVs and streaming players, a process that may take several weeks to a month. The upgrade introduces developer‑focused tools such as Perfetto‑based tracing and the chanperf command,...
‘Mortal Kombat II’ & ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ In Smackdown At Weekend Box Office With $40M-$42M Apiece
The weekend box office is a dead‑heat between New Line’s $40‑$42 million opening of Mortal Kombat II and 20th Century Studios’ Devil Wears Prada 2, which earned a similar $40‑$42 million total. Prada 2 posted a 45‑48% second‑day drop but already surpassed the original’s $326 million worldwide gross, reaching...
Merged Reality: HBO Max & Paramount+ Are Set To Be United, What Does That Mean For Unscripted?
Paramount’s CEO David Ellison announced plans to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single streaming service that would exceed 200 million subscribers. Parrot Analytics estimates the combined platform would capture 25.1% of unscripted‑content demand in Q1 2026, outpacing Hulu+Disney+, Netflix and...
Upfronts 2026 Offer An Anxious Industry A Chance To Tune In For A Repeat; Here’s The Lineup & Schedule
The 2026 media upfronts will run May 11‑13 in Manhattan, featuring eight major players such as NBCUniversal, Disney, Amazon, and Netflix. Over three days, advertisers will watch celebrity‑hosted presentations, including Seth Meyers at NBCUniversal and Jimmy Kimmel at Disney. Total upfront spending slipped...
‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Struts Past Original Movie At Global Box Office; Fashion Franchise Soon Passing $700M WW
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has eclipsed the original’s $326.5 M lifetime, pulling in $324 M worldwide through its first ten days. It opened with $101.8 M domestically and $222.2 M from overseas, putting the franchise on track to exceed $700 M. The sequel is neck‑and‑neck...
LA Vertical Drama Market Panelists Discuss Evolution, Creation and Explosion of New Mobile Medium
The second LA Vertical Drama Market convened May 7‑10, where panelists examined the rapid rise of 9:16 vertical microdramas designed for mobile phones. Creators cite the Hollywood strike and post‑COVID mobile dependence as catalysts that shifted talent from traditional TV...
New Nielsen Report Shows How Asian and Asian-American Content Has Gone Mainstream
Nielsen’s 2026 “The Crossover Effect: AANHPI Audiences X Content” report shows Asian and Asian‑American stories, talent and cultural touchpoints now dominate viewership across all major U.S. demographics. Netflix’s K‑Pop Demon Hunters logged 20.5 billion minutes, becoming the top streamed movie of 2025...
Prime Video Is Adding a TikTok-Like Feed
Amazon is introducing "Clips," a TikTok‑style vertical short‑form video feed within the Prime Video mobile app. The feature, first previewed with NBA highlights, now showcases moments from movies and series across the service. Clips appears as a recommendation carousel on...
Fox Entertainment Writers Incubator Names 2026 Fellows
Fox Entertainment announced the four 2026 Fellows for its Writers Incubator, selecting Mateo Gomez, Isa Moon, Chiara Motley and Brandy E. Palmer from more than 1,200 applicants. The three‑month program, now in its fifth year, offers intensive workshops, one‑on‑one mentorship...
ABC To FCC: ‘The View’ Is A Bona Fide News Show
ABC has asked the Federal Communications Commission to formally recognize its daytime talk show, The View, as a bona‑fide news program. The network argues that the show’s journalistic format qualifies for the FCC’s news‑program exemption from the equal‑time rule, a...
The One Show Removed From BBC One Schedule in Shake-Up Tonight - Here's Why
The BBC postponed The One Show on Friday, 8 May, replacing its 7 pm slot with extensive election coverage. The network also moved Pointless to BBC Two while the evening featured a special Election 26 broadcast and a David Attenborough 100‑year celebration concert. Host...
Week of April 27 Morning News Ratings: Numbers Tighten Between Today and GMA
Nielsen’s live‑plus‑same‑day data for the week of April 27 shows NBC’s Today maintaining a narrow lead over ABC’s Good Morning America, with a margin of just 56,000 total viewers. Today posted 3.014 million viewers and 597,000 adults 25‑54, while GMA recorded 2.961 million...