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
King’s Farm Heroes Saga has officially crossed the $2 billion lifetime revenue threshold, doubling the $1 billion milestone announced in 2019. Launched in 2014, the match‑3 title now boasts roughly 50 million global players and continues to receive regular content updates. The achievement marks the first UK‑developed mobile game to reach a billion dollars and underscores the durability of the match‑3 formula. Ongoing incremental improvements have kept the player base engaged over a decade.
Deron Rippey Jr., a top high‑school basketball recruit, has signed an NIL partnership with frozen‑pasta startup Ripi, receiving a modest five‑figure cash payment and less‑than‑1 % equity that vests over several years. Ripi, which has raised $1.5 million and is targeting the...
Afrime Studios, a majority Black‑owned US game developer, has closed an angel round of roughly $400,000 and is now moving into a seed funding phase. The studio is building a public demo of its debut Afrofuturistic sci‑fi RPG, Unyverse, to...
Indian paint giant Nippon Paint has signed Punjab Kings as an official partner for IPL 2026, securing jersey sleeve branding and a mascot-driven fan program. The deal features the brand’s logo on the right sleeve of the team’s kit and...
Playstack reported a 59% jump in profit before tax for 2025, reaching £12.2 million ($16.2 m), driven by record sales of the titles Abiotic Factor and Balatro. The publisher logged 20 million new installs and more than 150 million hours played, pushing its Steam...
Caretta Research, in partnership with Zixi, released a white paper detailing broadcasters’ shift from satellite and fibre to IP‑based and cloud workflows. The study shows master‑control and contribution feeds moving to software‑defined infrastructure, driven by US C‑band spectrum reallocation and...
Juanjo Duran, a veteran Google executive, highlighted vertical videos—low‑budget, portrait‑oriented series—as a multi‑billion‑dollar growth engine reshaping streaming. He explained Google’s plan to partner with studios, surface vertical content on the Google TV mobile app, and embed Google Pay for frictionless...
As audiences increasingly skip traditional commercials, brands are turning to authentic product placements to maintain relevance. EightPM’s partnership with 7‑Eleven led to a subtle integration on the hockey rink in the series Heated Rivalry, illustrating the power of early, low‑touch...
The Walt Disney Company has named Paul Roeder senior executive vice president and chief communications officer, effective March 19. Roeder, a 25‑year Disney veteran, will report to incoming CEO Josh D'Amaro and oversee worldwide communications as the company navigates post‑Iger...
Deezer announced its first full‑year net profit for fiscal 2025, posting €8 million in net income and €10 million in adjusted EBITDA on €543 million of revenue. The profit stemmed from a €12 million expense reduction and a 25.4% adjusted gross‑profit margin. Meanwhile, the...
Netflix is reshaping its 2026 film strategy by prioritizing original storytelling and a robust comedy slate, moving away from the sequel‑driven model that dominates theaters. Dan Lin, the film chairman, highlighted a healthy content budget that will both build and...
WAN-IFRA, FT Strategies and Arc XP have launched the Future Newsroom Study, a global survey aimed at establishing a benchmark for newsroom transformation. The research will probe how editorial leaders are redefining strategy, integrating AI and automation, reshaping organisational structures,...
Accedo One and Magine Pro have launched Leyra, a joint‑venture SaaS platform that unifies their respective OTT technologies. The new offering blends Magine Pro’s subscriber‑lifecycle management with Accedo One’s streaming stack and Marketplace, delivering a single end‑to‑end solution. Leyra promises...
Former Buccaneer co‑CEO Richard Tulk‑Hart and ex‑Cineflix scripted head James Durie have launched High Road Entertainment, a co‑production and sales consultancy focused on drama. The venture, rebadged from Volteo Media, is already developing the Greek‑set crime series Antiparos and the...
Amazon Prime Video’s superhero series Invincible returns for a fourth season, but viewers note a noticeable dip in animation quality as the show prioritizes a tighter release window. Critics, however, praise the deeper storytelling and character development that accompany the...
Influencer marketing tied to the Indian Premier League is projected to hit roughly ₹700 crore by the 2026 season, according to Qoruz. Spending has risen from about ₹250 crore in 2023 to ₹550 crore in 2025, reflecting a 40 % compound annual growth rate....
Vision+, Indonesia’s leading OTT service, announced a planned merger with free‑to‑air broadcaster RCTI, both owned by MNC, to create a single, integrated platform. COO Omar Giri Calliappan highlighted the current fragmentation where users must switch between separate apps for free...
Cloudflare introduced a new Crawl API that can retrieve an entire website’s content in HTML, Markdown, or JSON with a single request, positioning itself as a compliant intermediary for AI developers. The rollout initially conflicted with publishers’ bot‑blocking settings, leading...
Brands are shifting earned‑media budgets toward niche news creators on platforms like TikTok and podcasts. Companies such as Tropicana’s Naked Smoothie, NASCAR and AI firms are partnering with creators who deliver news‑adjacent content to reach Gen Z and socially‑savvy audiences. This...
AdFest 2026 announced its second round of finalists, adding ten new award categories to the competition. The new categories cover Brand Experience, Digital & Social, Direct, Effective, Outdoor, PR, Sustainable, Digital Craft, Film Craft, and Print & Outdoor Craft. Notable...
The article refutes the claim that the FCC has never revoked a broadcast license over news coverage, citing five historical cases where news distortion or partisan slant led to license actions, including three revocations. Notable examples include the 1975 Star...
What will become of HuffPost, should BuzzFeed go under? @nataliekorach has the reporting in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/buzzfeed-bankruptcy-huffpost-future
Netflix’s experiment with split‑season releases, introduced with Stranger Things in 2022, reached its apex in 2023‑2024 before receding. By 2025 only Wednesday and Stranger Things still used multi‑batch drops, and in 2026 the sole planned split release is Bridgerton’s Season 4,...
AAMI has launched a new TV commercial called “Luck of the Bounce” to mark the start of the 2026 AFL season. The spot, directed by Stephen Carroll and produced by FINCH, highlights the sport’s unpredictable nature and colorful characters. It...
The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) will host a live demo of Nielsen Audio’s mobile‑enabled diary methodology, mSurvey, on April 1 at 1 p.m. ET. The hour‑long session will present the platform’s design, test results, and its slated Spring 2026 launch. mSurvey aims to...
DIRECTV will cease distributing the NFL Sunday Ticket to bars and restaurants after the 2025 season, shifting the commercial package to a streaming‑only model operated by EverPass Media beginning in 2026. The change forces hospitality venues to replace satellite dishes...
Bravo announced an indefinite pause on "The Real Housewives of Miami" after its latest season aired on October 16, 2025, delivering sluggish ratings despite a loyal fan base. The franchise, originally halted in 2013, was revived by Peacock in 2021...
I wonder if this also applies to creators who are actively posting on Facebook? 🤔 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/18/meta-creator-pay-instagram-tiktok-youtube-facebook.html
California Attorney General Rob Bonta Files Lawsuit Seeking to Block $6.2 Billion Nexstar/Tegna Broadcasting Merger. Other states part of suit include NY, VA, CO, IL, CT and OR. https://t.co/yZIDbjQZLK
Snapchat announced its first creator awards ceremony, "The Snappys," to be held on March 31 at the company's Santa Monica headquarters. Hosted by comedian‑creator Matt Friend, the live event will hand out honors such as Spotlight MVP, Best Storyteller and a...
Camille Bermann has been elevated to vice president and director of sales for Fox’s San Francisco duopoly, KTVU‑KICU. She joins the role after a 26‑year tenure at Fox Television Stations, most recently overseeing sales for the Houston duopoly KRIV‑KTXH. Bermann began...
Eight state attorneys general and DirecTV have filed separate lawsuits to block the $6.2 billion Nexstar‑Tegna merger. The suits allege antitrust violations, higher retransmission‑consent fees and the risk of broadcast blackouts for satellite customers. The combined entity would control 228 stations,...
Broadcast giants Nexstar and Tegna face a legal challenge over their proposed merger, which critics say would create the largest concentration of TV station ownership in U.S. history. Opponents, including Newsmax and ACA Connects, argue the deal would give Nexstar...
The New York Public Utilities Commission approved the $34.5 billion Charter‑Cox merger, attaching conditions that require a $100 million investment to deliver symmetric gigabit service and replace 500 outdoor Wi‑Fi nodes. The FCC has already cleared the deal, but California regulators have...
Samsung and AMC Networks have teamed up to launch an exclusive 90‑day “On Us” free trial for new AMC+ subscribers on eligible Samsung smart TVs. The offer, available from today until June 17 while supplies last, comes with AMC+ pre‑installed...
Tubi announced an incubator partnership with TikTok to develop original long‑form series for its ad‑supported streaming platform. TikTok will curate creators who will produce both scripted and unscripted shows, with the first cohort slated for a summer rollout. The initiative...
The episode examines the NFL's upcoming rights renegotiation, where the league is seeking a roughly 50% increase—potentially over $3 billion annually—from traditional broadcasters like CBS, Fox, and Disney/ESPN. Host Matt Bellany and CNBC reporter Alex Sherman discuss how this "billion‑dollar cash...
LinkedIn unveiled Premium Creator Sponsorships with Top Voices 360 and expanded its BrandLink suite, giving B2B marketers new ways to partner with influential creators. The platform now lets brands place ads alongside top creator content, bundle BrandLink and Event Ads, and...
WEBTOON Entertainment announced that it has paid more than $2.7 billion to creators over the past five years and will allocate over $470 million to its 2026 Creator Program. The new initiative, led by President Yongsoo Kim, adds enhanced monetization tools, a...
The World Surf League (WSL) announced that its 2025 season reached 80 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms, according to Nielsen data. Fans logged 20.3 million viewing hours, a 19% rise from the prior year, with an average...
New Zealand singer Lorde announced she is now an independent artist after her contract with Universal Music Group ended. She reflected on signing her first deal at age 12 and expressed excitement about creative freedom. The announcement coincides with her...
The ladies and #ColleenHoover also making the most of SPRING BREAK at US #BoxOffice, as #Universal new book adaptation #RemindersOfHim grossed strong 2.4M on TUE Discount Day, up +43.7% from MON (vs #RegrettingYou’s 1.8M, +23.6%, #TheLostCity’s 3.3M, +48.5%) The...
Midco announced the phased shutdown of its legacy cable television service, moving all subscribers to the MidcoTV streaming platform by the end of 2026. The transition replaces traditional set‑top boxes with Android‑powered streaming players that require the company’s fiber‑optic internet...
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) announced the finalists for its 24th Annual Business Awards, highlighting the companies driving Australian screen production. BBC Studios Productions Australia, Lingo Pictures, Curio Pictures and others made the Media Super Production Business of the Year shortlist,...
Paramount’s CBS News & Stations appointed Scott Rates as Vice President of News for Sacramento’s duopoly of KOVR (Channel 13) and KMAX-TV (Channel 31), effective next Monday. In his new role, Rates will direct editorial strategy and daily newsroom operations...
Bob Iger leaves The Walt Disney Company $DIS with a giant database—or “monolith”, like the "Mad Men" episode from Season 7—at the center of its business. The newly announced reorg splits that database in two—one for streaming, one for theme parks. Nobody...
Senator Raises Questions About Reported $10 Billion Payment to Trump Administration for TikTok U.S. Deal, Including President’s Involvement https://t.co/zdUc6ouEVp via @variety
Artificial intelligence is set to overhaul how viewers find and interact with entertainment, with large language models (LLMs) becoming the backbone of next‑generation search tools. Gracenote’s new report warns that LLMs alone can hallucinate, so it promotes "grounded" models that...
Breaker Media founder Lachlan Cartwright announced a new user agreement that caps newsletter forwarding at three recipients per month and introduces discounted group subscriptions. The policy, rolled out on March 8, triggered an immediate uptick in paid subscriptions within the...
Toyota and Fox hope to rev up car advertising on TV with a season-long sponsorship of Baywatch https://t.co/ZEm5Gvu2YN
