Media

Ampere Analysis found that Asia Pacific received 70 first-run scripted-series orders from six major streamers in the first half of 2026, outpacing North America's 46 and Western Europe's 44 to claim the top regional position for the first time on record. India led within the region with 25 orders, driven largely by Amazon Prime Video, while Netflix quadrupled its Taiwan commissions year over year. Crime and thriller titles made up one-third of APAC orders, with drama reaching a record one-quarter share as sci-fi and fantasy volume fell sharply from H1 2025.

Disney and Optimum finalized a multi-year carriage agreement on September 3, 2026, giving eligible Optimum TV subscribers access to ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost — a service that retails standalone at $31.99 per month. The activation date and qualifying subscriber tiers have not been publicly disclosed, with the official announcement describing access only as 'coming soon.' The deal also extends to roughly 1.53 million Optimum video subscribers the ability to purchase Disney streaming services, though specific package terms were not released.

X has made X Money the sole payout method for U.S. creators in its Original Content Rewards and subscription programs, replacing Stripe and adding identity verification requirements including potential Social Security number collection. The change coincides with the September 7 retirement of the Creator Revenue Sharing program, after which existing participants must apply separately for Original Content Rewards under stricter eligibility criteria, including 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in the prior 90 days. Approval for the replacement program is not automatic, and no alternative U.S. payout path exists for creators unwilling or unable to use X Money.