Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Nintendo and Illumination target $200M-plus Easter opening for “Super Mario Galaxy”
The upcoming “Super Mario Galaxy” film is being positioned to generate more than $200 million domestically over the Easter holiday weekend, leveraging the franchise’s multigenerational appeal. Analysts reference the 2015 “Avengers: Age of Ultron” $191 million opening as a performance benchmark.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K‑Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Disney+ has become the most‑watched series on its platform, overtaking Netflix in subscriber engagement and prompting a scramble among rivals. The shift comes as Apple rolls out video‑podcast features and Spotify pours $10 billion into its podcast division, reshaping the streaming landscape.
Indie developers behind Spirit Crossing and Broken Ranks posted new blogs outlining fresh in‑game monetization tactics and ad‑tech integrations. At the same time, the clipping startup Clipping reported a $1.5 billion sales impact, underscoring a shift that digital marketers are racing...
JPMorgan Chase & Co. finalized a $15 billion debt package that underpins Electronic Arts' $55 billion leveraged buyout, the largest LBO in history. The financing was completed on March 22 despite heightened geopolitical risk surrounding potential U.S. action against Iranian energy infrastructure.
Netflix announced a universal price increase for its U.S. plans, raising the ad‑supported tier to $8.99, the Standard tier to $19.99 and the Premium tier to $26.99 per month. The move follows a strong Q4 showing, a $2.8 billion breakup fee...
Substack announced 35 million monthly active users in 2026, up from 20 million a year earlier. The surge is credited to CEO Chris Best’s strategy of pairing a subscription‑first model with an algorithm that surfaces high‑quality long‑form content. The growth reshapes how...
Starz launched the Paul Feig thriller “The Housemaid,” a $396 million box‑office success starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney. The debut joins a slate of new streaming titles—including Amanda Seyfried’s musical “The Testament of Ann Lee” on Hulu and Jon Hamm’s “Your...
Indie studio Ivy Road announced it will cease operations on March 31, 2026, after being unable to secure publishing or investment for its upcoming title Engine Angel. The closure underscores a broader funding squeeze for mid‑stage game developers, even as...
British startup OhChat is licensing AI‑generated clones of veteran adult performers such as Lisa Ann, Cherie DeVille and Georgia Koneva, letting fans pay for custom, on‑demand sexual content. The platform charges Lisa Ann $30 a month for access to her...
James Blake has asked to be removed from the producer credits on Kanye West’s newly released album “Bully,” saying the final version no longer reflects his original work. Blake explained that his vocal pitch and track construction were heavily altered,...
YouTube is now the dominant video platform in the United States, reaching 90% of American teens and two billion daily users, with YouTube TV overtaking many cable operators. CEO Neal Mohan highlighted the platform’s growth, its role as a podcast hub,...
Cruise lines are rapidly expanding private‑island amenities, with Norwegian Cruise Line adding a two‑ship pier and a new lagoon‑style pool at Great Stirrup Cay. MSC Cruises is upgrading Ocean Cay with wellness programs, an augmented‑reality treasure hunt and a second...
Gloria Cavalera, longtime manager behind heavy‑metal acts such as Sepultura and Cavalera Conspiracy, has launched Maximum Cavalera Music Publishing. The new entity will serve as the dedicated publishing home for the entire Cavalera family catalog. Gloria has hired veteran rights...
Epic Games recently laid off more than 1,000 developers, sparking hopes that indie studios could revitalize a struggling industry. However, the shutdown of Ivy Road—founded by The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden—illustrates that indie developers still grapple with the same...
Netflix will remove a slate of TV titles in April 2026, including both original series and licensed shows. Notable exits include the full five‑season run of the vampire drama Van Helsing, the four‑season historical adventure Black Sails, and later‑season episodes...
Slayyyter released her third studio album, Wor$t Girl In America, on March 27, 2026, via Columbia Records. The record pushed her Spotify monthly listeners past 2.3 million and is backed by a 30‑date North American and European tour, positioning her for...
Major League Baseball announced that select 2026 regular‑season games will be streamed on platforms such as Netflix, prompting angry reactions from fans and scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. The league launched Opening Day amid the uproar, with on‑field action offering a...
Native Instruments, a leading music‑software and hardware maker with 25 million users, filed for insolvency after years under private‑equity ownership. DJs and producers blame the financial engineering of its investors for the firm’s collapse, despite a pandemic‑driven sales surge. The company...
TikTok requires advertisers to label content that is significantly altered by AI, yet enforcement appears uneven. Samsung’s AI‑generated Galaxy S26 Ultra ads are disclosed on YouTube but lack any AI label on TikTok, suggesting a gap in the platform’s verification...
Hollywood’s SAG‑AFTRA union is negotiating a new levy, dubbed the “Tilly Tax,” on AI‑generated film characters. Executive Director Duncan Crabtree‑Ireland told an AFL‑CIO summit that collective bargaining is the quickest path to AI regulation, as federal rules lag. The union...
Rebecca Ferguson’s sci‑fi thriller *Mercy*—a box‑office flop with a 25% Rotten Tomatoes score—has surged to the top of Prime Video’s global charts, while her blockbuster *Dune: Part Two* continues to dominate both theaters and HBO Max, pulling $715 million worldwide and...
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told the New York Post that the NFL could lose its long‑standing antitrust exemption under the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act if the league pushes an increasing share of live games onto subscription streaming platforms. The warning...
U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley ordered a temporary halt to Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna Inc., citing antitrust objections raised by DirecTV and several state attorneys general. The pause gives regulators time to assess whether the combined...
Bollywood trade analyst Taran Adarsh says Dhurandhar The Revenge is defying overseas slowdown fears, delivering strong box‑office numbers in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. In the UK, the film has already surpassed the earnings of major releases such...
Samara Weaving’s comedy‑horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come opened to $9.1 million domestically, a 14% lift over the 2019 original, and has amassed $15.1 million worldwide after two weeks. Critics rate it 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences give...
FanDuel TV will be phased out over the next 20 months, ending its linear broadcast by December 2026 and eliminating more than 100 jobs. The company will shift focus to its digital betting platforms and the FanDuel TV+ streaming service,...
The pending Paramount‑Skydance and Warner Bros. merger faces a glaring shortfall in animated content, a segment that now drives the bulk of family box‑office revenue. Over the past decade each studio released only eight animated features, generating roughly $1.1 billion and...
Livguard has signed an exclusive power partnership with Punjab Kings for IPL 2026, securing jersey placement and a suite of fan‑engagement activations. The deal positions Livguard’s portfolio—ranging from inverters and batteries to rooftop solar—before the league’s massive Indian audience. With...
Composer Amaal Mallik disclosed that he earned only Rs 75,000‑Rs 1.5 lakh (approximately $900‑$1,800) for the 2015 hit “Sooraj Dooba Hai,” while the song’s label, T‑Series, has generated roughly Rs 100 crore (about $12 million) in royalties. He explained that Indian music royalties, instituted in 2020...
Unfortunately, this is about 10% of the story. First, it wasn’t a Fox affiliate. It was @FOX29philly owned and operated by Fox Corp., meaning the Murdochs. And it wasn’t a complaint. It was a petition to deny Fox 29’s TV...
Google initially rejected the VCG auction design in 2002 because (1) it would be harder for advertisers to understand than GSP and (2) it would likely require them to increase their bids, since it incentivizes truthful bidding. https://t.co/jgf9YOpSZ0
South Korean supergroup BTS’s latest single “Arirang” topped album charts in 115 countries and regions, while the album sold 4.17 million copies in its first week. The achievement marks the group’s biggest chart sweep and weekly sales haul to date, highlighting...
A splashy world premiere at SXSW did little to bring moviegoers out to new horror pic #TheyWillKillYou. Opening day FRI was just $2.25M with almost half of that from pre-shows and pure FRI being very slow. Opening wknd #boxoffice now looking...
Weak $2.3M Friday for #TheyWillKillYou as weekend will be in $5M range Colossal scheduling mistake by WB placing this one week after RON2
SXSW Film & TV Festival named Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge as its new director, effective April 6, as longtime vice‑president Claudette Godfrey steps down after nearly two decades. The change underscores Penske Media Corporation’s growing stake in the...
NYT is a subscription business so it's a much more complex calculus but for every other media company operating on the open web video CPMs blow written CPMs out of the water in part because Google's monopoly on programmatic ads
Is it just my feed or are others suddenly awash in what might best be labeled "Ad Slop." If I were a paying advertiser, I'd pull my business.
McDonald’s and Netflix have unveiled a limited‑time adult Happy Meal line tied to the hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” The collaboration, rolling out March 31 at all U.S. locations, adds two new meals, a McFlurry, sauces and collectible photocard packs,...
I tested out pay-per-view sites for creators to find my top video hosting platforms - here's what I found https://t.co/gQS0lKD6uX
Love the anecdote about Nygren’s analyst pitching Netflix: - Anecdotal survey showed his colleagues valued Netflix higher than any other subscription - If Netflix raised its price to their level, it would have traded at 14x P/E https://t.co/SlDjNAkwbF https://t.co/cVAQ97b2Pr
Paul Heyman announced that former TNA star Jordynne Grace is poised to become WWE’s next box‑office attraction, underscoring the brand’s strategy to monetize talent through live‑event ticket sales, pay‑per‑view buys and video‑game tie‑ins. The prediction comes as WWE prepares for...
What Is ‘Clipping,’ the Viral Marketing Strategy That’s Taking Over the Music Biz? https://t.co/LJVT5j5Q2w via @variety
Business Insider ended 2022 with roughly 185,000 paid subscribers and has since invested heavily in its subscription model. In November 2023, Barbara Peng was promoted to chief executive, and in September 2024 she recruited Jamie Heller from The Wall Street...
Netflix announced a fresh price increase for its U.S. streaming plans, marking the latest adjustment since 2022. The move has drawn criticism from price‑sensitive subscribers and raised questions about the streaming giant’s growth strategy.
The public broadcaster announced a three‑year programme to cut costs by 10%, focusing on budgeting, capital spending and operational efficiency. The move aims to counter ongoing financial pressures and preserve core services, though exact savings figures were not disclosed.
A bipartisan coalition of 91 members of Congress sent a March 27 letter urging the FCC to establish a firm transition deadline for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). The National Association of Broadcasters praised the move and reiterated its push for a 2028...
Sony announced a global price increase for its PlayStation 5, the Digital Edition, the upcoming PS5 Pro, and the PlayStation Portal. The company cited continued pressures in the global economic landscape as the driver behind the new pricing structure. These...
CBS Evening News has fallen to about 3.8 million viewers, trailing ABC and NBC, yet its billionaire owners remain untroubled. Insiders say the network has shifted focus from the ratings race to building political influence in Washington, especially under editor Bari...
Universal Music Group (UMG) has rejected Drake’s appeal to revive his defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy‑winning diss track “Not Like Us.” A federal judge dismissed the original case in October, ruling that rap battle lyrics are hyperbolic opinions, not...
News: Actress Julia Ormand picked up a win today in her legal case claiming CAA knew that Harvey Weinstein was a pig and sent her into private meetings with him anyway. Michael Ovitz, CAA’s co-founder, is being forced to testify...
The FCC adopted 13 rule revisions that loosen broadcast regulations, including dropping the 20% minimum power‑increase requirement for AM stations and extending special‑temporary authority periods to 180 days. It also eliminated the ten‑application cap for the 2021 non‑commercial educational FM...
