The Brief – Thursday 5 February – BBC and C4 could merge, Spain bans socials for under 16s and Daily Mail revenue falls

📺 The BBC and Channel 4 could be allowed to merge to take on global video streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix, creative industries minister Ian Murray has suggested. He said stronger alliances or “consolidation” could help traditional channels reach harder-to-engage audiences and strengthen their futures. (The Times)

📵 Spain has announced plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16, though the policy still requires parliamentary approval. France, Denmark and Austria have also said they are considering their own analogous policies; the UK has launched a consultation on whether to implement a similar ban. (BBC)

📉 Digital advertising revenue at the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) fell 15% in the year to 30 September 2025. The publisher blamed the impact of Google’s AI Overviews on a reduction in referral traffic to its sites, which in turn led to reduced ad revenues. (Press Gazette)

🎬 Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was grilled by US senators on Tuesday, who expressed bipartisan scepticism over its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Both Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about reduced competition, potential price rises, and the future of cinemas. The deal is currently under review by the Department of Justice. (BBC)

📈 The New York Times Company reported 10.4% year-on-year total revenue growth to $802.3m. Adjusted operating profit increased 12.8% to $192.3m. Digital advertising revenue notably rose 24.9% to $147.2m, which the company attributed to increased marketer demand and new inventory spots. The publisher also added 1.4m digital-only subscribers in 2025, including 450,000 in Q4, to reach 12.78m. (New York Times)

⚖️ The US Department of Justice and a group of states will appeal last year’s ruling that imposed only modest limits on Alphabet’s Google related to its monopolistic dominance in search. Google had dodged a forced sale of its Chrome browser; the Justice Department had asked for tougher restrictions. (Bloomberg)

🏉 ITV has announced that Samsung and Virgin Atlantic will be the first brands to trial its new picture-in-picture ad format, debuting during the 2026 Men’s Six Nations. Separately, the broadcaster announced January 2026 was its biggest ever month for streaming by number of streams (383m), surpassing June 2024 (375m; the month of the Men’s Euros). (ITV)

🦊 Fox Corporation reported 2% year-on-year revenue growth to $5.18bn in its fiscal year Q2. Advertising revenues increase 1%, primarily driven by higher sports and news pricing and the growth of Tubi. Adjusted Ebitda fell 11.4% to $692m as increased costs outpaced revenue growth. (Fox)

📰 The Washington Post has instituted widespread layoffs. The paper is binning its sports and books sections, shrinking its metro section, closing its Post Reports daily podcast, and drastically cutting back its international coverage. The cuts come after the newspaper lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers in response to owner Jeff Bezos and CEO Will Lewis’ changes to the paper’s editorial stance, which has shifted to the right. (New York Times)