The Desk is an independent news and analysis publication covering the business of broadcasting, streaming, technology, telecom, advertising and media measurement. It delivers original reporting on breaking developments in the streaming wars, policy decisions reshaping the broadcast landscape, and the business of media and technology. The publication differentiates itself by providing serious, sustained coverage of the business side of media, with unique angles and in-depth reporting that aims to produce original journalism without wasting readers' time. Select articles are syndicated to platforms like MSN, Google News, and IMDb, extending its reach and credibility.
Patrick Ferguson
CEO
Alisa Bowen
CEO
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement with Amazon's Prime Video to exclusively stream the Prime-Time Emmy Awards globally through 2032. The deal ends the traditional four-network broadcast rotation and marks a significant shift in how major live awards ceremonies are distributed.
RTL Group reported that distributing older series on YouTube generated 30 million views and a 123 percent increase in first-video views on its RTL Plus streaming service. The broadcaster is leveraging YouTube as a discovery tool for its subscription platform while integrating both services into its Ad Alliance advertising division.
Hamid Akhavan
CEO
Kirby Grines
CEO, 43Twenty & Publisher, The Streaming Wars
Matthew Keys
Publisher
Scott Gill
VP of Technology & Operation
Adam Ware
SVP of Growth Networks
The BBC and Channel 4 are in preliminary discussions to form a joint venture that would consolidate their commercial operations. The potential partnership aims to strengthen their competitive position against international streaming services by potentially unifying advertising and studio businesses.
TEGNA has entered into agreements to broadcast 15 NBA games per season for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies on its local stations. The broadcasts will leverage DAZN's production teams and will be distributed via both over-the-air television and the DAZN streaming service.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Nexstar Media Group, allowing an antitrust lawsuit filed by DIRECTV to proceed. The lawsuit alleges that Nexstar, Mission Broadcasting, and White Knight Broadcasting coordinated retransmission consent rates and messaging, which DIRECTV claims resulted in lost revenue.
A federal judge has allowed seven claims to proceed in a lawsuit alleging that Paramount improperly collected and shared data from children using its Pluto TV service. The litigation centers on allegations that the platform shared user data with third parties, including Alphabet and Microsoft, without parental consent.
The FCC has reversed a previous Media Bureau ruling, clarifying that television stations cannot demand must-carry status in markets outside their Nielsen-designated area. The decision specifically impacts satellite providers like Dish Network by limiting the scope of carriage obligations for stations that serve communities across multiple market boundaries.
Fuse Media has rebranded and restructured its business into three divisions focused on content monetization, FAST channel management, and advertising inventory. The company, which reports 74 million monthly active viewers, has also partnered with iSpot for outcomes-based measurement across its streaming portfolio.
The FCC has renewed its motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Disney and ABC regarding the early renewal of eight broadcast station licenses. The agency argues its actions are within its legal authority, while ABC contends the probe is politically motivated retaliation for its news coverage.
Charter Communications is demonstrating a new edge compute infrastructure that utilizes NVIDIA-accelerated computing across 1,000 facilities. The platform aims to provide low-latency processing for AI, video, and sensor data within 10 milliseconds of 500 million devices.
