Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Super Mario Galaxy film targets $200M+ opening weekend
Nintendo and Illumination are positioning the upcoming "Super Mario Galaxy" movie to open with more than $200 million domestically over the Easter holiday weekend. The strategy leans on the franchise’s multigenerational appeal and a family‑focused release window, with analysts citing the 2015 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" $191 million opening as a benchmark.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Rec Room announced it will cease operations on June 1 after failing to find a sustainable profit model, despite 150 million users and a $3.5 billion valuation. Snap Inc. confirmed it has purchased select Rec Room assets and will absorb some staff into its Specs hardware unit, underscoring the difficulty of scaling social XR ventures.
In its first three days on Netflix, "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" logged over 25 million views, while Netflix’s earlier theatrical run of "K‑Pop Demon Hunters" generated about $24 million at the box office and won two Oscars. These successes illustrate a growing trend of...
PSSI announced a new phase of its partnership with Appear, deploying the Appear X Platform to upgrade its mobile production fleet and the PSSI International Teleport ahead of the FIFA World Cup in North America (June 11–July 19). The rollout includes multiple...
■ Fox: Live Sports as Important as Spectrum to TV Stations ■ @nabtweets Calls for Review of Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 ■ Analysts: Restaurants, Taverns Upset about Access to Live TV Sports ■ @CTARachelNemeth Claims Regulating Streaming ‘a Solution in Search of...
Streaming platforms are consolidating in 2026, with Paramount Skydance set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery and merge HBO Max into Paramount+, while Disney folds Hulu into the Disney+ app. Despite billions poured into original programming, viewers remain unable to articulate...
The Big Whale, a crypto‑focused media firm founded in 2022, has pivoted from a news‑centric model to a subscription‑based market‑intelligence service. After raising €1 million ($1.15 million) from angel investors, it now serves 150 clients—including 20 European banks—with license fees ranging from...
Omdia projects combined traditional TV and online video revenues to surpass $1 trillion by 2030, up from $775 billion in 2025. The bulk of growth stems from digital advertising, which is expected to rise from $309 billion to $540 billion, lifting its share of...
In Episode 447, VP Anthony Sabo of the Columbus Zoo shares his journey from teenage game attendant to maintenance manager, operations leader, and now senior executive, emphasizing the value of cross‑functional experience in rides and maintenance. He explains how his...
BBC Studios and Turkey‑based CosmoBlue Media have deepened their partnership by launching the COSMO EN linear channel and the BBC Player streaming service in Turkey. COSMO EN is now carried on D‑Smart, Tivibu, beIN and Kablo TV, while BBC Player is...
Cuentas’ 51%-owned subsidiary World Mobile Media Group (WMMG) announced the launch of a next‑generation decentralized media platform that combines premium content, live events and creator‑driven programming in a mobile‑first ecosystem. The platform gives creators ownership and a suite of direct‑to‑fan...
CBS announced the cancellation of the sophomore drama Watson and freshman sitcom DMV, with finales set for May 3 and May 11. The moves come as the network leans heavily on franchise‑driven hits like Marshals and CIA to shore up...
Disney has invested $1.5 billion for an equity stake in Epic Games and is reportedly weighing a full acquisition, though senior executives are split on the idea. The move would extend Disney’s work on a persistent "games and entertainment universe" inside...
The Federal Trade Commission has mailed warning letters to the CEOs of Mastercard, Visa, PayPal and Stripe, telling them to stop blocking payments for adult‑oriented games on Steam. The move follows a 2025 dispute in which Mastercard‑linked processors forced Valve...
The E.W. Scripps Company is pivoting to make women’s sports a core part of its portfolio, broadcasting WNBA, NWSL and PWHL games on its ION network and a new FAST channel. By leveraging its mix of local stations, national cable...
YouTube tops the 2026 Brand Influence Rank, reaching 2.7 billion monthly users and generating over $40 billion in ad spend, making it the world’s most influential media brand. All ten most influential global brands are tech‑led, with AI‑driven ChatGPT entering the list...
Eloelo, an Indian social‑entertainment platform, posted FY25 revenue of about Rs 69.5 crore (~$8.4 million), driven entirely by in‑app purchases and a modest Rs 6.3 crore (~$0.8 million) non‑operating income. Advertising and promotions were the biggest expense, rising 46% to Rs 59 crore (~$7.1 million), while creator payouts jumped...
Radio commands 64% of ad‑supported audio time among U.S. registered voters 18+, far outpacing streaming services. Podcasts are the next biggest share at 21%, while ad‑free platforms hold the remaining 47% of daily audio. Over half of voters’ audio consumption...
Radio executive Steve Jones argues that stations achieve legendary status by delivering a rock‑star experience, not just a better product. In his book *Brand Like a Rock Star*, he maps music‑industry branding tactics—memorable identity, authentic storytelling, and fan‑centric engagement—to radio,...
Three major radio companies—Cumulus Media, Beasley Media Group, and Paramount Global—have each taken drastic steps: Cumulus filed a pre‑packaged Chapter 11, Beasley announced a debt refinancing and governance overhaul, and CBS News Radio was shut down after a century of operation....
Mumbai Indians has partnered with Kinnect India to launch the "Fans Nahi Fam" campaign, positioning its supporters as family rather than mere fans. The initiative spans films, key visuals, branding and on‑ground activations, aiming to embed the team deeper into...
Publishers are grappling with the uncertain impact of AI‑driven search on traffic, fearing potential declines as algorithms prioritize AI‑generated results. WAN‑IFRA has launched a global, anonymous survey to capture executive insights on which content formats are most at risk and...
Samsung Ads has launched TotalView, a unified measurement solution that aggregates linear and streaming ad reach across Samsung’s 70 million European Smart TVs. The platform provides deduplicated audience data for pre‑campaign planning, in‑flight activation, and post‑campaign reporting, eliminating traditional blind spots....
Newsrooms are transitioning from broadcast‑first pipelines to story‑centric, multi‑platform operations to meet the speed and scale demanded by streaming and social channels. By aligning teams around a single story and leveraging AI‑driven automation, organizations can produce distinct versions for digital,...
Seattle‑based VR developer Polyarc Games announced on April 1 that 30 employees were laid off after the company failed to secure funding following the cancellation of a major project. The studio, founded in 2015 and backed by a $3.5 million seed round...
Zelaya Artists has added Croatian mezzo‑soprano Margareta Matišić to its roster. Matišić debuted professionally in 2018 at the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka and quickly amassed a diverse operatic repertoire across Europe. Her international breakthrough came in 2023 with a...
Broadcasters are rapidly replacing satellite transponders and private fiber circuits with IP‑based and cloud‑native workflows, according to a new Caretta Research report co‑produced with Zixi. The transition is driven by C‑band spectrum reallocation in the United States, rising cost pressures,...
Cambodia’s LD Entertainment has broken 2026 box‑office records with the family drama “The Old Man,” making it the highest‑grossing Cambodian film of the year. The film’s strong ticket sales challenge the market’s usual horror dominance and follow LD’s recent successes,...
The Gerety Awards have been added to the Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings, meaning that from 2026 onward any Gerety‑winning work will earn points in the region’s benchmark rankings. The move aligns the awards’ global executive‑jury perspective with Campaign Brief’s...
Baritone Yeongtaek Yang has joined Centre Stage Artist Management, adding a rapidly rising talent to the agency’s roster. Yang earned degrees from Seoul National University and the Manhattan School of Music and has been recognized with top honors in several...
A U.S. federal judge in California largely sided with Amy Taylor, frontwoman of Amyl and the Sniffers, in her copyright dispute with photographer Jamie Nelson. The court denied Nelson's anti‑SLAPP motion, allowed Taylor to amend her federal claim and keep...
Kalaari Capital co‑led Fanon’s pre‑seed round, backing a platform that consolidates fragmented fan‑generated storytelling across text, comics, and video. The fan economy now exceeds $7 billion, with $2.7 billion in merchandise and $4 billion in advertising value, growing faster than the traditional studio...
The Guardian has introduced its first reader‑facing AI product, called Storylines, which surfaces AI‑generated narrative clusters on a handful of tag pages. Rather than a chatbot, the tool analyzes the latest 200 headlines per tag to identify three dominant storylines,...
Time is launching a new GEO product that audits how AI search engines portray brands and sells tailored branded content to correct mismatches. The service leverages tools from TollBit, ScalePost and Mobian to analyze up to 100 prompts across ChatGPT,...
Malibu has introduced Malibu Pink, a rum‑based spirit flavored with guava, coconut and pineapple, and is launching it through a "Get Ready With Malibu Pink" campaign. The brand partnered with comedian‑creator Sabrina Brier to produce #GRWM videos and a stop‑motion...
Samsung Electronics announced a global partnership with BTS’s “ARIRANG” world tour, positioning its Galaxy lineup—headlined by the new Galaxy S26 Ultra—as the core technology for fan experiences. The collaboration includes interactive activations in Seoul and on‑the‑road, allowing concertgoers to use...
The New York State Bar Association’s recent seminar highlighted a steady decline in U.S. movie‑theater attendance since 2002, worsened by COVID‑19 and streaming. Speakers pointed to indie theaters’ community‑event models and a surge of younger, horror‑seeking audiences as possible lifelines.
YouTube now tops global media revenue, eclipsing Disney, but its dominance rests on a tiny fraction of creators. The creator economy follows an extreme power‑law: less than 1% of titles generate roughly 99% of consumption and revenue, far steeper than...
Online sportsbook ArenaPlus has renewed its partnership with the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and men’s league Spikers’ Turf for a third year, securing its role as the exclusive official sportsbook for both competitions. The renewal was announced at Smart‑Araneta Coliseum,...
Someone sold you a big ass list of music libraries/sync agents and music supervisors Here's what you do next ↴
I create content for X, IG, YouTube, TikTok, and email. The video below will do 1-3 million views on IG, YouTube and TikTok but will perform horribly on X (maybe 20-50k views). The video also has a longer total life...
Virgin Australia has appointed former McKinsey and VML executive Scott Moore as head of a new Travel Media Network, signaling the airline’s move into retail media. The initiative will leverage Virgin’s digital properties and Velocity’s 80 commercial partners and 300...
5 things you didn't know about the music industry this week. Every week. In your inbox. 10,000+ readers can't be wrong. https://t.co/7T5NIakIrF
Gucci Continues Its Push Into Gaming, AI And Virtual Worlds “There is sometimes a temptation to see projects like this as creative experiments that generate headlines but not necessarily revenue. The numbers suggest otherwise.” https://t.co/h0pVwZDXd0 https://t.co/WMeDPDOCBJ
The New York Yankees will be broadcast across ten different networks and streaming services in 2026, including the debut of live MLB games on Netflix. Watching every regular‑season game costs cord‑cutters about $1,262 annually, $1,235 with a live‑TV bundle, and...
Cardi B won a federal court ruling that dismissed a Texas lawsuit alleging her 2024 single “Enough (Miami)” copied the unregistered track “Greasy Frybread.” Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. found the plaintiffs lacked factual support and could not establish personal jurisdiction...
The NFL has formally warned prediction‑market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket to stop offering trades on events that could be easily manipulated, sending letters that outline specific vulnerable bets. EVP Jeff Miller said the league will not pursue any...
Boris FX announced it has acquired the Vegas Pro, Sound Forge, and Acid Pro suites from MAGIX Software. The deal brings the flagship video‑editing platform and professional audio tools under the Boris FX umbrella, along with the company’s AI engine. The 2026 Vegas Pro release...
Five things you need to know about Hollywood this week: Netflix’s price hike, Disney’s rough start and a social media addiction statement.
Netflix has increased its prices by 150% since 2013. The price increases will continue until customers tell the company to stop. https://t.co/2R8oGAahLC
The episode breaks down Netflix’s recent price hikes across its ad‑free and ad‑supported tiers, examining how the moves fit into a broader strategy to push users toward the cheaper, ad‑supported plan and boost ad revenue. Hosts discuss the competitive streaming...
