Media Briefing: Publishers put premium video behind the paywall to sell subscriptions

This week’s Media Briefing will look at why publishers including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Bloomberg are testing putting video behind the paywall to drive and retain subscriptions and adapt to shifting audience habits.

  • Exclusive video becomes a subscription play
  • A New York bill would require disclaimers on AI-generated news content, James Murdoch on building his own media empire, and more.

Exclusive video becomes a subscription play

The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Bloomberg are rolling out paywalled video series and livestreams designed explicitly to convert high‑intent readers into paying subscribers and give existing subscribers more reasons to stay.

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AI ‘girlfriend ads’ are fueling a new wave of MFA sites

Made-for-advertising websites have found a new way to lure users in: AI-generated “girlfriend ads.”

According to a report from DoubleVerify, these sites are running suggestive creative featuring AI-generated women who promote personalized companionship and customizable AI personas. But when users click they’re funneled to paid search results and low-quality, AI-generated content: pages stuffed with ads from real brands.

These MFA networks drew in over 2 million visits per month in Q1 2026, across mobile apps and websites, according to DoubleVerify. While the company was unable to quantify total revenue from the tactic, it estimated that one of these networks could generate revenue in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and that the economic impact of this type of fraud could reach millions globally.

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