Google wants to heighten the profile of its Veo 3 video generator, and to help do so has named Henry Daubrez, the longtime creative chief at the multidisciplinary Dogstudio/DEPT, filmmaker in residence at Google Labs. In addition to working with the Google team to continue developing the Veo 3-powered Flow AI filmmaking tool, Daubrez will mentor artists in a new pilot program called Flow Sessions. Select filmmakers will get unlimited access to Flow, a subscription product starting at $20 per month, plus mentorship and AI education as part of Flow Sessions. Continue reading Google Pushes Generative Video with Filmmaker in Residence

Apple has partnered with live audio provider TuneIn in a deal aimed at expanding global access to Apple Music’s six commercial-free live radio stations. The agreement marks the first time Apple’s 24/7 radio stations are available outside of the company’s own ecosystem. The move aims to boost Apple Music’s market share, closing the gap with Spotify by tapping TuneIn’s 75 million monthly active users, connected through more than 200 device partnerships spanning smart speakers, headphones and more than 15 auto brands. MIDiA Research says Apple Music and Spotify had user parity in 2020, with Apple subsequently losing ground. Continue reading Apple Music Chases Spotify with TuneIn Streaming Radio Deal

Google has released a free consumer version of the Veo-powered Vids generative video creation and editing tool that debuted in November 2024 as part of the Google Workspace productivity suite, a subscription product starting at $7 per month for individual users. Subscribers will continue to have access to a more full-featured Vids app, which has been updated with AI avatars, image-to-video capability and automatic transcript trimming that removes “filler words and awkward pauses with just a few clicks.” But the free tier provides basic AI-enhanced editing and video creation using templates that casual users will no doubt find helpful. Continue reading Google Releases Free Version of Veo 3-Powered Vids Editor

Sling TV has carved a niche for itself as a flexible purveyor of affordable streaming options. Now it is launching the $20 per month Sling Select, anchored with preselected channels FOX News, National Geographic, GRIT, NFL Network, FX, FS1, MeTV, Game Show Network, Heroes & Icons, Lifetime Movie Network and Vice, as well as specific 4K content across FOX and FS1. In select markets, Sling Select will also make local broadcasters ABC, NBC and FOX available for an additional $5 per month for markets that offer one or two of the channels and $10 per month for markets with all three. Continue reading Sling TV Launches a $20 per Month Sling Select Skinny Plan

Perplexity AI has created a new revenue sharing opportunity for publishing partners affiliated with its Comet browser. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas says the company has allocated $42.5 million in revenue to be shared among “a group of trusted publishers and journalists” supporting the company’s products with premium content. Publishers will be apportioned funds based on how much traffic their content generates across the debuting subscription model Comet Plus, as well as the Comet browser and Comet’s AI assistant. Publishers will get 80 percent of the revenue generated from the Comet Plus subscription with Perplexity keeping the rest. Continue reading Perplexity Launches Publisher Revenue Sharing for AI Search

Google is adding subscription-based agentic features to AI Mode, a Google Search function that lets users query complex questions verbally or with a text interface. AI Mode now answers multipart requests, like researching a dinner reservation at a set time for a specific number of people and with food preferences or dietary restrictions, responding in real time. The feature personalizes responses by drawing on past conversations and has a new “share” button that can circulate information, allowing others to jump in on the conversation. Google is expanding the global availability of AI Mode, which launched in the U.S. in May. Continue reading Google Adds Paid Features to AI Mode, Now in 180 Countries

In a major local television group consolidation move, Nexstar Media Group of Texas has reached an agreement to acquire a rival, Virginia-based Tegna, in a $22 per share cash transaction valued at $6.2 billion. The boards of both Nexstar and Tegna unanimously signed off on the deal, which is expected to close by the end of next year subject to FCC regulatory approval. The price includes Tegna debt and estimated transaction expenses and fees. Nexstar has more than 200 owned or partner stations while Tegna has 64. As a result of the consolidation, the combined company will have TV stations in nine of the top 10 U.S. markets. Continue reading Nexstar to Acquire Tegna in $6.2 Billion TV Consolidation Deal

Entertainment studio Cineverse has joined forces with Banyan Ventures, the venture arm of former ABC Entertainment Group and WME Chairman Lloyd Braun, on MicroCo, a native AI platform that will generate micro-dramas and micro-series — “serialized, short-form, mobile-first content” that has become a craze in China. Launching in 2026, the platform has drawn comparisons to Quibi, the short-form content company founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg in 2018 and shuttered two years later, burdened by production costs. MicroCo plans to use AI to keep costs down. The company is aiming for a “freemium” model combining some free access along with paid subscriptions. Continue reading Cineverse, Banyan to Launch Platform for GenAI Micro-Series

Live streaming service Sling continues to innovate in the price-performance category, adding a $5 Day Pass that consumers without full-feature (or even skinny) subscriptions will likely find convenient for sports and other special events. The company is offering a $10 Weekend Pass and $15 Week Pass to complement a regular monthly subscription price that starts at $46. “Just in time for football season … fresh, flexible ways to tune in,” Sling touts, proclaiming a “mission to challenge industry norms” with “fan-first streaming solutions at a time when consumers are demanding more control and less cost.” Continue reading Sling Shakes Up Television with Live Streaming Starting at $5

Elon Musk’s xAI has made Grok 4 available on its free tiers as it seeks to take advantage of initial user dissatisfaction with OpenAI’s new GPT-5. The company has positioned Grok as freewheeling and uncensored, a contrast to GPT-5, which has been criticized on Reddit and other social platforms as a “corporate beige zombie” with too many guardrails. After its February debut, Grok 3 was reined-in with checks including removal of its native image generator in March. Grok 4 was released in July with integrated image and video features as well as a “Spicy” mode for creating risqué content. Continue reading Grok 4 Offered Free in xAI Move on ChatGPT-5 Market Share

AMC Networks increased streaming revenue by 12 percent to $169 million in Q2 despite an 18 percent dip in U.S. ad sales. The company — whose portfolio of streaming platforms includes AMC+, Sundance Now, Acorn TV, Shudder, HIDIVE and ALLBLK — added 200,000 new subs in the April through June period, ending the quarter with a total of 10.4 million, a 2 percent increase. AMC said it now calculates streaming subscribers on the basis of paid signups. Ongoing challenges in the U.S. cable and satellite TV markets that berth the bulk of its business continue to drag on the balance sheet. AMC’s cable and satellite brands include AMC, BBC America, IFC, IFC Films, SundanceTV and WE tv. Continue reading AMC Networks: Streaming Revenue Growth, Drop in Ad Sales

Feed is a new social platform featured within the Character.AI mobile app, which launched in 2023 and now has more than 20 million active users worldwide. Described as “TikTok-meets-ChatGPT,” the AI-native Feed is populated by AI-generated avatars, called Characters, created by the platform’s subscribers using the company’s tools. Characters can post AI-generated content, including videos, viewed in a scrollable format that invites familiar interactions like sharing, comments, follows and likes. What sets Feed apart, Character.AI says, is its vibe of a “remix playground,” as opposed to the “passive consumption” approach typical of conventional social platforms. Continue reading Character.AI Launches AI-First Social Platform Named ‘Feed’

Disney’s fiscal Q3 earnings and full year projections have topped expectations, with its Streaming and Parks businesses leading revenue streams. Operating income from streaming hit $346 million for the quarter, a significant increase over the same period last year. Disney ended Q3 with 183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, an increase of 2.6 million from Q2. Overall, revenue was up 2.1 percent to $23.7 billion for the three-month period ending June 28. In addition, the company announced that it plans to integrate Hulu into Disney+ for a new streaming app to be available next year. Continue reading Disney Reports Jump in Profit, Plans to Fold Hulu into Disney+

Roku has launched Howdy, an ad-free U.S. SVOD service that will cost $2.99 per month for access to a catalog of nearly 10,000 hours of entertainment from inaugural partners Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and FilmRise, as well as select Roku Original titles. “Priced at less than a cup of coffee,” Howdy is “meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted, and on their terms,” said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood who feels people are willing to pay to avoid ads even though many ad-supported streaming services are available free. Continue reading Roku Launches Ad-Free Streaming Service for $3 per Month

Google has upgraded Gemini 2.5 with a feature called Deep Think that “could be a powerful tool in creative problem solving,” according to the company. Deep Think uses parallel thinking techniques, letting Gemini “generate many ideas at once and consider them simultaneously, even revising or combining different ideas over time, before arriving at the best answer.” Its ability to reason through highly complex problems makes Deep Think mode a powerful tool for researchers, Google says, adding that it also excels at coding. Deep Think is available in the Gemini app to subscribers of Google AI Ultra, priced at $250 per month. Continue reading Google Intros Deep Think Reasoning Model for AI Ultra Subs