Mediagazer: A Canadian federal court overturned a 2024 order that would have shuttered TikTok Canada's business operations over national security concerns (Mickey Djuric/Politico)

3:05 PM ET, January 21, 2026

Top News:

Jay Peters / The Verge:

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says creators will be able to generate Shorts using their own AI likenesses starting in 2026 — The capability is launching sometime in 2026, though YouTube isn't sharing details about how it will work. … Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot …

Discussion: The Wrap, Engadget, TechCrunch, Social Media Today, 9to5Google, PCMag, Los Angeles Times, Dexerto, CNBC and The Indian Express, more at Techmeme »

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan publishes his annual letter, saying YouTube aims to reduce “AI slop” and has strengthened parental controls, and teases Shorts updates — The executive published his annual letter to the YouTube community Wednesday, outlining his priorities for the video platform.

Discussion: YouTube Official Blog, Variety, Thurrott, Chris Schremp on LinkedIn, Android Police, Dexerto, @nealmohan, Deadline, Music Ally, Tubefilter, Tara Walpert Levy on LinkedIn, Daily Ausaf and @kylebrussell, more at Techmeme »

Emma Roth / The Verge:

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says YouTube TV plans to launch “fully customizable” multiview for non-sports channels and channel packages focused on various topics — You'll soon be able to watch whatever you want side by side. … YouTube TV is getting ready to launch two major updates …

Discussion: TheDesk.net, TechCrunch, Cord Cutters News, Android Authority, Pocket-lint and How-To Geek

Alex Ritman / Variety:

The BBC confirms a “strategic partnership” with YouTube to produce exclusive content, including news and YouTube channels aimed at children and young adults — The BBC has confirmed what it is billing as a “strategic partnership” with YouTube that will see the British broadcaster …

Discussion: Advanced Television, Tech Advisor, Communicate Online, TVBEurope, BBC, Broadband TV News, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Telecompaper, more at Techmeme »

Perry Stein / Washington Post:

WaPo files a court motion, demanding the return of two phones, two laptops, a Garmin watch, and other devices seized from reporter Hannah Natanson's home — The seizure “chills speech, cripples reporting, and inflicts irreparable harm,” The Post says in statement.

Discussion: The Guardian, CNN, Fox News, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, The Independent, @jeremymbarr, Martin Baron on LinkedIn, @reedfrich.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @maxwelltani, @allanschlosser.bsky.social and @drewharwell.com

The Information:

Sources: OpenAI begins offering its chatbot ads to dozens of advertisers, initially charging per ad view, not per ad click, and asks them for <$1M commitments — OpenAI has started offering its new chatbot ads to dozens of advertisers, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Discussion: MediaPost, Computerworld, Search Engine Land, WebProNews, Proactive, Reuters, PCWorld, 80 Level and Digiday, more at Techmeme »

Alex Heath / Sources:
Demis Hassabis says there aren't “any plans” to put ads in Gemini and, in response to OpenAI testing ads, says “maybe they feel they need to make more revenue”

Discussion: 9to5Google, The Hans India, The Information, Axios, Search Engine Land, Fortune, Mashable, Digit, WebProNews, @alexeheath.com, @carnage4life.bsky.social, BleepingComputer, Search Engine Roundtable and BMI, more at Techmeme »

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:

Greg Peters says Netflix plans to include new types of content, like video podcasts, in its vertical video feed, and will roll out a new mobile UI later in 2026 — The streamer plans to add video podcasts into its mobile feed and upgrade its mobile user interface.

Discussion: TVBEurope, TechCrunch, Tom's Guide, BGR, The Independent, PCWorld, The Indian Express, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News, Engadget, WebProNews, Forbes, @js@podcastindex.social, Deadline and The Verge

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos outlines increasing competition for customers' attention from YouTube, Instagram, linear networks that also do streaming, and more

Discussion: Benzinga, Mashable, Yahoo Finance, Business Today and Media Play News

Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Netflix says ad revenue hit $1.5B in 2025, up by over 2.5x vs. 2024, and that viewing hours grew 2% YoY in H2 2025, driven by viewing of branded originals up 9%

Discussion: The Wrap, MediaPost, Cartoon Brew, Broadband TV News, @xpangler, The Motley Fool, Dow Jones Newswires, Yahoo Finance, Axios, Business Insider, Adweek, The Information, Variety and The Verge

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Netflix reports Q4 revenue up 18% YoY to $12.05B, vs. $11.97B est., 325M subscribers, 2025 revenue up 16% to $45.2B, and will spend 10% more on content in 2026

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

Mediaite launches One Sheet, a daily media newsletter curated by reporter Colby Hall that aggregates media news from other media newsletters, for $8 a month — A new daily email from Mediaite intends to cut through the cacophony of online media news. — The media news site Mediaite …

Discussion: Mediaite, @emily_sundberg, @maxwelltani, @alexeheath, @loudmouthjulia, @dylanbyers, @grynbaum and @katie_robertson

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:

Sources: the EU is expected to approve UMG's $775M acquisition of Downtown Music, after UMG offered to divest Downtown's royalty services platform Curve — Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) is set to secure EU antitrust approval for its $775 million bid for Downtown Music after regulators signalled acceptance …

Discussion: Variety, CMU, Music Ally and Music Business Worldwide

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

NYT launches Crossplay, its first two-player competitive word game, as a standalone iOS and Android app, as it seeks a bigger share of the mobile gaming market — The game will be familiar to Scrabble or Words with Friends players, but the Times is adding a few twists of its own.

Discussion: GamesBeat, The New York Times Company and TechCrunch

Mickey Djuric / Politico:

A Canadian federal court overturned a 2024 order that would have shuttered TikTok Canada's business operations over national security concerns — “We welcome the decision to set aside the order to shut down TikTok Canada, and look forward to working with the Minister towards a resolution that's …

Discussion: Reuters and @mickeydjuric, more at Techmeme »

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

Vox executives detail how Vox is using Patreon to grow reader revenue and interactions; sign-ups grew 350% in the first two months after Trump's inauguration — Explainer journalism brand Vox is using membership and subscriptions platform Patreon to help build a “two-way relationship” with its audience.

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she is “minded to” intervene in DMGT's takeover of The Telegraph and may ask Ofcom to look at the impact on media plurality — Culture secretary ‘minded to’ intervene and ask Ofcom and CMA whether the £500m deal harms media plurality

Discussion: Press Gazette, National Union of Journalists …, The Times, The Independent, Telegraph and Reuters

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Meta plans to expand ads on Threads to all users globally starting next week; Threads began testing ads in the US and Japan a year ago — Meta on Wednesday announced it's expanding ads on Threads to all users globally. The expansion, which starts next week, will be gradual …

Discussion: PhoneArena, 9to5Mac, iPhone in Canada, Engadget, CNBC, Search Engine Land, Facebook, Benzinga, The Verge, WinBuzzer, The Indian Express and Business Today

Ellise Shafer / Variety:

Prince Harry testified at London's High Court in his privacy case against Associated Newspapers, saying many articles made him “paranoid beyond belief” — Prince Harry took the stand at London's High Court on Wednesday in his privacy case against the publisher of U.K. tabloid Daily Mail …

Bill Bradley / Adweek:

Paramount launches guaranteed programmatic ad placements for live sports, debuting with Paramount+'s UFC debut on January 24 — The company takes a big swing with guaranteed placements in live moments — Paramount is taking a big advertising swing by bringing guaranteed programmatic placement to live sports.

Discussion: Alex Peterson on LinkedIn, Ian Colley on LinkedIn and Variety

Todd Spangler / Variety:

ElevenLabs launches an album of original tracks made by artists like Liza Minnelli and Art Garfunkel in “collaboration” with its Eleven Music AI model — Several well-known music artists have turned to ElevenLabs' AI as a virtual muse — and record producer.