broadcasting

New York – October 05, 2026 -- Diray Media, a woman-owned, WBENC-certified performance media company, has named Media Consulting Group (MCG) as its upstream optimization partner for streaming TV, extending its outcomes-based media model into the supply chain before bids are placed.

Diray extends its performance model upstream into supply-side procurement

Diray built its business model on scoring every media placement against client outcomes -- sales, orders, leads, and market share -- then adjusting buys to improve results. The company identified supply-side structuring as the next lever in that discipline, selecting MCG to shape streaming inventory before it reaches the bid rather than optimizing only after a placement is won.

Beijing – October 02, 2026 -- iQIYI's AIGC film series "The Ferry Man" has generated cumulative revenue-sharing earnings exceeding RMB 8 million (US$1.2 million) as of September 23, validating artificial intelligence as a financially viable film production model. The milestone arrives as the third installment, "The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Princess", debuts October 1 on iQIYI and iQIYI International.

Production costs recovered within first week of release

The series, produced jointly by iQIYI and GHY Culture & Media, recovered its full production costs within seven days of launch and crossed the RMB 8 million revenue-sharing threshold within its first month, according to the company. The first two titles, "Butterfly Dream" and "The Dream of the Celestial Maiden", released simultaneously on August 22.

Santa Monica, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Starz (NASDAQ: STRZ) will release third-quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, October 29, covering the period ended September 30, 2026.

Starz schedules investor call after market close on October 29

Senior management will host an analyst and investor conference call at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET on October 29, following the earnings release. The session will be available via live audio webcast, with a full replay accessible later the same evening.

Premium entertainment operator confirms Q3 reporting date ahead of fiscal close

The announcement sets the formal timeline for Starz's next quarterly disclosure, giving investors and analysts a fixed date to track performance metrics for the three months ended September 30, 2026.

Morristown, N.J. – October 01, 2026 -- Financial Executives International (FEI) has opened its Media Finance Section, folding in roughly 1,200 business and financial executives from the Media Financial Management Association (MFM) as the association's first industry-specific section.

MFM members approved the merger on July 15, 2026, after board endorsement from both organizations

MFM, founded in 1961 and serving executives across broadcast, cable, publishing, streaming and digital media, now operates fully inside FEI as the Media Finance Section, effective October 1, 2026.

Los Angeles – – October 01, 2026 -- Legacy Distribution has acquired global content distributor Vision Films, merging two catalogs spanning feature films, documentaries, TV series and reality programming into a single operating entity under the Vision Films name.

Dana Webber takes CEO role of combined company

Dana Webber, CEO and Managing Partner of Legacy Distribution, will lead the expanded business, which will continue operating under the Vision Films brand. Lise Romanoff, founder and Managing Director of Vision Films, moves into a consultant role and will represent the company at the American Film Market in November.

Santa Monica, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Verizon Fios has removed all STARZ channels, STARZ On Demand and the STARZ app from its service after the two companies failed to reach a renewal agreement, cutting off subscriber access to the premium network's full programming slate.

STARZ Accuses Verizon of Refusing to Negotiate in Good Faith

Alison Hoffman, President of STARZ Networks, said Verizon "mischaracterized" the company's position and was "unproductive in progressing towards a mutually beneficial outcome" during the renewal talks. STARZ said it remains open to a deal that would restore service to Verizon customers.

NEW YORK – September 30, 2026 -- Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBD) confirmed their merger is expected to close October 6, 2026, finalizing one of the largest media consolidations in recent years.

WBD shareholders to receive $31.01666668 per share at anticipated closing

Under the Merger Agreement dated February 27, 2026, each outstanding share of WBD common stock will convert into a cash right of $31.00 plus a daily accrual of $0.00277778 for each calendar day elapsed after September 30, 2026 through the closing date. If the deal closes on the anticipated date of October 6, 2026, the per-share payout totals $31.01666668.

Naples, Fla. – September 28, 2026 -- Beasley Media Group has secured a multiyear deal to become the official year-round audio partner of the Vegas Golden Knights, adding English- and Spanish-language broadcast rights and expanded digital programming to its Las Vegas radio portfolio. The VGK Radio Network is presented by Lee's Discount Liquor.

X 107.9 becomes flagship as Beasley splits English and Spanish broadcast rights

Under the agreement, X 107.9 (KVGS FM) will serve as the Golden Knights' official English-language flagship, while 105.7 Maxima (KOAS FM) becomes the Spanish-language radio home. X 107.9 will air all Golden Knights games during the 2026-27 season, with Dan D'Uva on play-by-play and Gary Lawless on analysis marking their 10th season together. Doug Lattuca will host pregame, postgame and intermission coverage on X 107.9, while Jesus Lopez and Alex Romo return to call games in Spanish on 105.7 Maxima.

Beijing – September 25, 2026 -- iQIYI unveiled a slate of more than 350 new titles for 2026-2027 at its iJOY Conference held September 23 in Shanghai, anchoring the launch around a new "All in AI" production and marketing strategy. The Chinese streaming platform also confirmed that its flagship Scream Night event will run December 5 at Galaxy Arena in Macao under a renewed three-year residency agreement covering 2026 to 2028.

CEO Yu Gong sets three AI priorities for content production

Founder and CEO Yu Gong outlined three strategic pillars: deploying AI across premium live-action and long-form AIGC production, building a creator ecosystem through seven new service programs, and pioneering content formats enabled by emerging technology. Chief Content Officer Xiaohui Wang framed the shift around three industry trends he termed the C2C era, the "Minority" era of niche demand, and the Platinum era of premium emotional content.

New York – September 24, 2026 -- Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, will headline the opening keynote at the 14th annual DPAA Global Video Everywhere Summit on October 13 in New York, addressing video's role as brands' primary storytelling tool.

Summit Draws Media, Finance and Brand Leaders Under 'Real Connections' Theme

The event at Pier 60, part of Out of Home Week New York, will gather approximately 1,000 industry leaders including Allen, SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci, and agency executives from Mediahub and Stagwell. CMOs from American Eagle Outfitters, Major League Soccer and Expedia are also confirmed to attend, alongside a live performance from the Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon.