diff --git a/package/spec/frontend/media/MediaPool_spec.js b/package/spec/frontend/media/MediaPool_spec.js
index 9dcce53d75..924034e156 100644
--- a/package/spec/frontend/media/MediaPool_spec.js
+++ b/package/spec/frontend/media/MediaPool_spec.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import '$support/mediaElementStub';
 import '$support/fakeBrowserFeatures';
-import {MediaPool, MediaType, blankSources} from 'pageflow/frontend';
+import {MediaPool, MediaType, blankSources, events} from 'pageflow/frontend';
 
 describe('MediaPool', function() {
   it('create an empty pool of audio and video players', function () {
@@ -163,6 +163,44 @@ describe('MediaPool', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('media lifecycle events', function() {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      jest.spyOn(events, 'trigger').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      jest.restoreAllMocks();
+    });
+
+    it('triggers media:allocate on allocation', () => {
+      const pool = new MediaPool({playerCount: 1});
+
+      pool.allocatePlayer({
+        playerType: MediaType.VIDEO,
+        mediaEventsContextData: {page: {}}
+      });
+
+      expect(lifecycleEvents()).toEqual(['media:allocate']);
+    });
+
+    it('triggers media:release before media:allocate when reusing a player', () => {
+      const pool = new MediaPool({playerCount: 1});
+      const context = {page: {}};
+
+      const first = pool.allocatePlayer({playerType: MediaType.VIDEO, mediaEventsContextData: context});
+      const reused = pool.allocatePlayer({playerType: MediaType.VIDEO, mediaEventsContextData: context});
+
+      expect(reused).toBe(first);
+      expect(lifecycleEvents()).toEqual(['media:allocate', 'media:release', 'media:allocate']);
+    });
+
+    function lifecycleEvents() {
+      return events.trigger.mock.calls
+                   .map(call => call[0])
+                   .filter(name => name === 'media:allocate' || name === 'media:release');
+    }
+  });
+
   describe('#blessAll', function() {
     it('triggers call to populate pool with players', function () {
       let pool = new MediaPool();
diff --git a/package/spec/frontend/media/media_spec.js b/package/spec/frontend/media/media_spec.js
index bf60d97e5c..6fd6c5a6fc 100644
--- a/package/spec/frontend/media/media_spec.js
+++ b/package/spec/frontend/media/media_spec.js
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@ describe('media', function() {
   ];
 
   describe('#getPlayer', function() {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      jest.spyOn(events, 'trigger').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      jest.restoreAllMocks();
+    });
+
     it('returns an instance of videojs.Player', function() {
       let player = media.getPlayer(fileSources, {});
 
@@ -72,7 +80,6 @@ describe('media', function() {
           index: 1,
         }
       };
-      events.trigger = jest.fn();
       let player = media.getPlayer(fileSources, {
         tagName: 'audio',
         mediaEventsContextData:  context
@@ -87,8 +94,40 @@ describe('media', function() {
       );
     });
 
+    it('triggers media:allocate event with the media element', () => {
+      let context = {page: {index: 1}};
+      let player = media.getPlayer(fileSources, {
+        tagName: 'audio',
+        mediaEventsContextData: context
+      });
+
+      expect(events.trigger).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'media:allocate',
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          element: player.getMediaElement(),
+          context: context
+        })
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('triggers media:release event with the media element', () => {
+      let context = {page: {index: 1}};
+      let player = media.getPlayer(fileSources, {
+        tagName: 'audio',
+        mediaEventsContextData: context
+      });
+      events.trigger.mockClear();
+      media.releasePlayer(player);
+
+      expect(events.trigger).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'media:release',
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          element: player.getMediaElement()
+        })
+      );
+    });
+
     it('do not trigger media event when context is undefined', () => {
-      events.trigger = jest.fn();
       let player = media.getPlayer(fileSources, {
         tagName: 'audio',
         mediaEventsContextData:  undefined
diff --git a/package/src/frontend/VideoPlayer/mediaEvents.js b/package/src/frontend/VideoPlayer/mediaEvents.js
index 20b1d9f109..bb1146f949 100644
--- a/package/src/frontend/VideoPlayer/mediaEvents.js
+++ b/package/src/frontend/VideoPlayer/mediaEvents.js
@@ -7,16 +7,20 @@ export const mediaEvents = function(player, context) {
     context = newContext;
   }
 
-  function triggerMediaEvent(name) {
+  player.triggerMediaAllocate = function() {
+    if (context) {
+      events.trigger('media:allocate', {
+        ...mediaEventPayload(),
+        element: player.getMediaElement()
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  player.triggerMediaRelease = function() {
     if (context) {
-      events.trigger('media:' + name, {
-        fileName: player.previousSrc || player.currentSrc(),
-        context: context,
-        currentTime: player.currentTime(),
-        duration: player.duration(),
-        volume: player.volume(),
-        altText: player.getMediaElement().getAttribute('alt'),
-        bitrate: 3500000
+      events.trigger('media:release', {
+        ...mediaEventPayload(),
+        element: player.getMediaElement()
       });
     }
   }
@@ -49,4 +53,21 @@ export const mediaEvents = function(player, context) {
     triggerMediaEvent('ended');
   });
 
+  function triggerMediaEvent(name) {
+    if (context) {
+      events.trigger('media:' + name, mediaEventPayload());
+    }
+  }
+
+  function mediaEventPayload() {
+    return {
+      fileName: player.previousSrc || player.currentSrc(),
+      context: context,
+      currentTime: player.currentTime(),
+      duration: player.duration(),
+      volume: player.volume(),
+      altText: player.getMediaElement().getAttribute('alt'),
+      bitrate: 3500000
+    };
+  }
 };
diff --git a/package/src/frontend/media/MediaPool.js b/package/src/frontend/media/MediaPool.js
index 95e7a700fb..b2900aefda 100644
--- a/package/src/frontend/media/MediaPool.js
+++ b/package/src/frontend/media/MediaPool.js
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ export class MediaPool {
       player.releaseCallback = onRelease;
       player.previousSrc = null;
 
+      player.triggerMediaAllocate();
+
       return player;
     }
     else{
@@ -77,6 +79,8 @@ export class MediaPool {
   }
   unAllocatePlayer(player){
     if (player) {
+      player.triggerMediaRelease();
+
       let type = this.getMediaTypeFromEl(player.el());
       this.allocatedPlayers[type] = this.allocatedPlayers[type].filter(p=>p!=player);