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Know What's Happening in Media
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Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Chinese box office loses king‑maker status as Hollywood faces tighter limits
The Chinese box office has slipped from its former role as a Hollywood gateway after the 2012 U.S.–China film agreement expired in 2017 and censorship tightened. Beijing now prioritises domestic productions, and in the past five years only ten U.S. movies have earned over $100 million in China.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-Love seeks FCC approval for acquisition of WFCC
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 15,000 listeners per episode, and plans a Canberra newsletter for Q3 2026. The audio push follows a recent 3% staff reduction that cut roughly ten newsroom roles, leaving the global workforce at about 1,000 employees. Playbook’s newsletters reach 1.3 million subscribers, while its podcasts aim to convert listeners with differentiated, insider‑focused content.
Mortar AI has partnered with creative‑data specialist DAIVID to embed creative effectiveness metrics into its Marketing Mix Model (MMM). The integration brings DAIVID’s AI‑driven emotional analysis—covering 39 distinct emotions and predictive metrics—directly into Mortar’s MMM engine. Advertisers can now quantify...
BBC’s hit sitcom Ghosts is returning as a feature film titled Ghosts: The Possession of Button House. The original ensemble cast and co‑writers, including Kiell Smith‑Bynoe and Charlotte Ritchie, will reprise their roles, with Simon Hynd directing again. Filming is...
Fintech companies in the UK have raised £2.6 billion, yet many are sabotaging their own growth with overly technical press releases. JournoLink’s analysis shows 74 percent of founders use AI for internal efficiency, but external communications remain cluttered with jargon. This complexity...
Neverland announced that Laura Kinzett has been promoted to Chief Strategy Officer, succeeding Lola Neves. Kinzett, who previously led the agency’s planning department, will now steer brand‑building and client‑growth initiatives. The move reflects Neverland’s focus on data‑driven strategy as it...
Radio shows can turn mediocre guest segments into sticky, high‑engagement content by rethinking format and storytelling. The article outlines a seven‑step framework—building anticipation, teasing emotion, starting with a hook, cutting industry talk, prompting personal stories, adding a signature rapid‑fire close,...
PepsiCo’s global marketing effectiveness lead, Sorin Patilinet, cautions that the proliferation of AI tools will not automatically grant a competitive edge. While AI can generate endless creative variations, the true differentiator will be human judgment and disciplined restraint in campaign...
Spotify announced a three‑year partnership with The Push, a national youth music organization, committing A$200,000—the largest single donation in The Push’s history. The initiative builds on Spotify’s Turn Up Aus campaign, which generated an additional 223 million streams of Australian music...
Shinka announced its membership in the World Out of Home Organisation (WOO), the premier global association for out‑of‑home advertising. The move gives Shinka access to a worldwide network of media owners, agencies, and research that shapes OOH standards and policy....
Nielsen’s latest U.S. streaming charts covering Jan 26 2025‑Feb 1 2026 highlight Marvel’s new Disney+ series “Wonder Man” entering the Top 10 Originals at #8 with 618 K minutes viewed. The data underscores Disney’s dominance on the Acquired chart, where legacy titles like Grey’s Anatomy, Bluey and...
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...
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...
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...
Peacock will stream the award‑winning drama Hamnet exclusively starting March 6, 2026. Directed by two‑time Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, the film adapts Maggie O'Farrell's bestseller and has earned a 93 % Rotten Tomatoes rating. It already secured two Golden Globe wins and...
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...
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...
The 41st Artios Awards, presented by the Casting Society, honored casting excellence across film, television, and theater in ceremonies held in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Major film winners included *Sinners* (big‑budget drama) and *Jay Kelly* (big‑budget comedy), while TV accolades went...
Stephen Colbert used his Thursday monologue on "The Late Show" to mock President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, noting the speech’s 11% drop in Nielsen viewership to 32.6 million. Colbert highlighted his own program’s ratings surge, claiming a 7%...
WPP announced a strategic pivot toward outcome‑based agency fees, linking compensation directly to client sales and brand performance. The move is anchored by a pending global creative contract with Jaguar Land Rover that would tie fees to measurable results. WPP’s data platform,...
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...
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 kicks off in Perth on March 1, with the CommBank Matildas opening against the Philippines. All matches will be broadcast live on free‑to‑air channel 10 and streamed on Paramount+, giving fans full coverage through the...
I’d say yes overall, but arguments can be made to the opposite as well. In #TedSarandos case for instance, truth is that #Netflix didn’t need WB, it’s already miles ahead of everyone else even without WB. And he walks away with...
Caterina Scorsone explained Amelia Shepherd’s return to Grey's Anatomy after a seven‑episode sabbatical sparked fan excitement and highlighted the character’s mental‑health struggles following a traumatic season‑21 climax. The actress revealed that Amelia’s break was both narrative‑driven and a response to...
Suffice to say, the mood inside CNN is not good tonight. “We are doomed," one staffer texted me. “The panic at CNN right now is off the charts,” an insider added. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/cnn-david-ellison-trump-paramount-wbd-netflix-deal
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 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...
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...
Warner Bros. Discovery will abandon the planned Discovery Global spinoff if its pending merger with Paramount is finalized, keeping TNT Sports under the combined umbrella with CBS Sports. Paramount, after raising its offer to $31 per share, reaffirmed confidence in...
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, 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...
Sen. Adam Schiff: “What was true for Netflix is still true now for Paramount. The merger of two of Hollywood's biggest studios must be subject to the highest levels of scrutiny, free from White House political influence, to determine...
Nothing uncertain about it: CNN is fucked. This is the last nail in the coffin of American mass media as a legitimate actor. For CNN, a Change in Ownership Means a Suddenly Uncertain Future https://t.co/JFGHcIaQYc
Reddit reported its strongest quarter ever, posting $726 million in Q4 revenue—a 70% year‑over‑year jump—alongside $252 million net income and 121 million daily active users. CEO Steve Huffman said the platform’s AI data licensing deals with Google and OpenAI are evolving from simple...
As often happens the more aggressive Times home-page headline conflicts with the article headline --and neither represents the article. https://t.co/9esgycuoXm
Hollywood's mega-merger battle ends with Warner Bros. as the real winner with a 78% stock bump since September - https://t.co/Ue55w8GTQk
The 2026 State of the Union broadcast saw a sharp drop in ratings, posting a 0.80 18‑49 rating on ABC, down from 2025 levels. Fox News narrowly led cable coverage with a 0.81 rating and 8.87 million viewers, edging out CNN....
Eager to see @lizgarbus doc on Murdochs - proud to have participated along with other longtime Murdoch chroniclers
So excited to join the board of this phenomenal organization. AI Now has played a defining role in shaping how I understand my work as a journalist: to hold the AI industry accountable and radically reimagine how this technology could...
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...
Tuesday’s TV ratings show new episodes of ABC’s “Will Trent” and “Best Medicine” leading original programming performance. Both shows posted percentage changes compared with their prior episodes, while reruns of “NCIS” and “St. Denis Medical” filled the schedule. News specials covering the State of...
TKO’s Zuffa Boxing is on the precipice of a media rights deal with Sky Sports for the U.K. market. The latest news in The Varsity: https://t.co/whUqSmkk1E
Bottom line: Netflix walked away from an expensive bidding war that wasn't prudent and in doing so, it conveniently leaves one competitor saddled with debt and two competitors burdened by a very long, distracting regulatory approval process — Investors agree. $NFLX...
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...
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...
Tomorrow’s IN THE ROOM will have answers to all your questions about what the Paramount-WBD tie up means for CNN, CBS, Bari Weiss, etc… Sign up here: https://t.co/aUkyssMv7F
Dear Ted, Take 10% of the $2.8B breakup fee—roughly $280 million—and go hire the best investigative journalists in the world. Build a next-gen 60 Minutes. A better CNN. Think of the revenge possibilities.
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...
Guardian says it has read the three missing Epstein files. Epstein files contain explicit but unsubstantiated claim that Trump abused minor https://t.co/fe3OEmOU2v
Here’s what I wrote back in December, the day after the Netflix deal with WBD was announced: https://t.co/aiNBd98ACC
So Netflix ending its WBD bid means WBD's movie business and cable channels should stay together. Paramount has sought the whole package even as WBD planned to spin off its cable assets. Lots of sports media angles now with...
