The Take

Pluto TV is launching Double Feature Fridays, its first original programming format, pairing a recognizable studio movie with an independent free-streaming premiere every Friday night. The format uses curation, hosting, scheduled viewing and Entertainment Tonight’s archive to create a repeatable…

Tom Pelissero's move to Netflix and Spotify shows how sports media jobs are shifting from full-time network roles into portfolios built across live events, podcasts, video and editorial work. ESPN's NFL Media consolidation put established talent back on the market,…

Streaming’s 2026 primetime upfront commitments surged 30% to $17.2 billion, topping broadcast and cable combined as advertiser budgets continued shifting toward connected viewing. Linear TV’s increasingly becoming a customer-acquisition engine for streaming, giving media companies with owned networks a cost…

Rights owners are increasingly preserving IP, distribution, customer relationships and future monetization while selling buyers only the access or control they actually need. Netflix, Disney, Sony and the NFL show how narrower rights deals can create value without transferring the…

Europe’s broadcasters are consolidating around national and regional scale as global streaming platforms and YouTube take a larger share of viewing and advertising demand. Sky, RTL and MFE are using M&A to concentrate audiences, ad inventory, rights and operating costs,…

Cineverse’s acquisitions of IndiCue and Giant Worldwide helped drive fiscal first-quarter revenue up 175% to $30.6 million and pushed tech-related businesses above 60% of total revenue. Matchpoint now has to turn that acquired scale into stronger margins by automating workflows,…

Wall Street is punishing independent ad tech companies even when they’re growing, as investors increasingly question how much value standalone platforms can retain while Google, Meta and Amazon capture more of digital advertising’s growth. AppLovin, The Trade Desk and Criteo…

Netflix is shutting down Night School Studio and Moonloot Games as it pulls back from owning game development and leans harder on outside studios, licensing and cloud-delivered TV games. The strategy gives Netflix a lower-cost way to keep gaming inside…

ESPN’s integration of NFL Network into Unlimited is turning the NFL’s 10% ownership stake into a visible product strategy, giving subscribers access to all 31 out-of-market preseason games alongside year-round league programming. The structure gives Disney more NFL inventory to…

Optimum’s shrinking cable business is putting pressure on its fiber and mobile transition as broadband and video losses reduce the cash available to fund network upgrades. The company expects to spend $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion this year while managing…