Welcome to The Addition, where I cover the crossover between culture, media and sport. Thank you for reading. If you know somebody else who would find this interesting, forward it on! [Some links may help generate a commission that also supports The Addition.

Get that work done on time! It’s England vs DR Congo in the World Cup Round of 32! Kick-of is at 5pm BST/12pm ET today - Wednesday, 1 July 2026. The game is available to watch for FREE in the UK on BBC One/iPlayer and is on Fox/Fubo in the US. England fan away for your summer holiday? You can still access your usual BBC service using a VPN. I use NordVPN.​

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From my Notebook

ITV has agreed an exclusive deal for the 2027 men’s rugby World Cup, per Matt Hughes in the Guardian. Given the commercial broadcaster boasts the rights to the upcoming inetrnational Rugby Championship and all England matches in the Six Nations, it is now the place for live coverage of every single England men’s rugby match until 2029. While TNT Sports has done a very good job of cementing itself as the home of domestic rugby, ITV has a compelling story to tell about the (more popular) international) game.​
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Trends and Favourite Media Stories From the First Half of 2026

The first six months of 2026 have been non-stop in terms of media news. Everything from the sale of The Telegraph to Axel Springer (a transaction completed today,) to concerns about WSL viewership and the unstoppable success of The Traitors.

There have been big changes for me at The Addition, too. Notably, I opened this newsletter up, making it free. I have also started to focus on sports media, something hugely under-covered in the UK. In the US, there are whole publications dedicated to it.

I’m hugely grateful to the sponsors, notably Tickaroo, who have support this work during the opening months of the year. While there are no subscriptions anymore, you can leave a tip. It makes a big difference. Thanks in advance!

£5.00 Support The Addition There are no subscriptions at The Addition. However, if you enjoy my work, a tip helps me keep going! Send a tip

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There are some clear trends. Firstly, sport is essential to streamers and linear broadcasters alike. It is almost the only thing anyone watches live. I appreciate that this will not be new information to readers of this newsletter, but it becomes more truth with every passing month. BBC Sports boss Alex Kay-Jelski is not totally convinced, though.

Secondly, the streaming and creator space is becoming more relevant. Again, not a trend that will surprise readers, but undoubtedly one that is accelerating. Last year, Mark Goldbridge won Bundesliga rights. This year, Gary Lineker is on Netflix and The Sidemen are on the BBC iPlayer. Things are only going in one direction.

Here are some other key stories:

• ​NHL Skates onto UK Free-to-Air TV​
• ​WaPo Newsroom Whacked​
• ​The Overlap Crew Score With Well-Timed Podcast Guest​
• ​Former BBC Presenter Argues Hamas Numbers May be Right​
• ​A Reporter-Free Newsroom is Not a Newsroom​
• ​Sir Olly Robbins and Dame Emily Thornberry Make Classic Parliamentary TV​
• ​What Does John Ternus Mean for Apple TV?​
• ​EXCLUSIVE: The Guardian Looks for a W With New WNBA Newsletter​
• ​Mehdi Hasan is Right​

​Sent Using Kit​