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
American Urban Radio Networks (AURN), a Black‑owned radio consortium led by Chesley Maddox‑Dorsey, announced a strategic partnership with ad‑tech platform AdGrid. The collaboration will launch a new initiative that blends AURN’s multicultural radio reach with AdGrid’s programmatic technology. The goal is to give brands a unified solution for reaching and engaging diverse audiences across digital and audio channels. The partnership positions both firms to capitalize on the growing demand for data‑driven multicultural advertising.
Setplex will debut its fully integrated Zapflex platform at the 2026 NAB Show, highlighting new AI‑driven search and a super aggregation engine that merge internal libraries with third‑party content. The AI search combines keyword precision with intent‑based semantics, while the...
Y+X Entertainment, led by former FremantleMedia China CEO Vivian Yin, will debut LumiView in August as a premium vertical IP platform. The service emphasizes an IP‑first development strategy, creator‑aligned infrastructure, and a franchise‑oriented expansion model rather than volume‑driven content. LumiView...
Vurt, a new mobile‑first streaming service, debuted on March 18, 2026, offering indie filmmakers a vertical‑video platform for micro‑series, full‑length films and TV shows. The launch includes over 100 episodes and a weekly slate of original titles, featuring talent such...
English Club TV, a global educational channel, has launched on Yettel Hungary’s platform. Starting April 15, the channel will be included in Yettel’s TV Plus package for subscribers. The partnership aligns with English Club TV Group’s plan to broaden its...
Epic Games Store general manager Steve Allison announced a global settlement with Google that cuts the standard Android store fee from 30% to 20% and adds a 5% optional payment charge. The deal, pending U.S. court approval, also permits developers...
South by Southwest 2026 unfolded without its central convention center, scattering events across downtown Austin and turning Congress Avenue into a pedestrian hub. Brands seized the fragmented landscape with pop‑up activations, though the festival saw fewer large‑scale immersive experiences than...
Glenn Haygood, President and General Manager of Hearst’s WLKY-TV in Louisville, announced his retirement later this year, concluding a broadcast career spanning more than four decades. He has overseen WLKY’s editorial and business operations since 2008, guiding the CBS affiliate...
Senator Richard Blumenthal released a Senate investigation report criticizing the Department of Justice’s settlement with Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary. The report argues the settlement—capping a $280 million fine and modest operational changes—demonstrates the Trump administration failed to protect consumers....
Ubisoft has appointed former Tencent and 2K veteran Julien Bares as general manager of its newly‑formed Creative Houses 3 and 5, while Thomas Andrén takes the helm of a new Creative Network that will provide production capacity across the studios. Creative House 3 will...
Publicis has instructed its clients to stop recommending The Trade Desk after a third‑party audit uncovered improper fee applications and a lack of transparent cost invoicing. The audit, performed by FirmDecisions, concluded that The Trade Desk charged fees without clear...
Spotify’s top 80 artists generated $10M+ each in royalty payouts in 2025. I estimate that these artists generated $2B total, nearly 20% of Spotify’s payout pool. Here’s how I see it:
Universal Music India has signed an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the new label founded by celebrated South Indian composer Anirudh Ravichander. The agreement will see both parties co‑release pop and hip‑hop tracks from Anirudh and emerging artists signed to...
Disney’s shares are trading at a sub‑15 price‑earnings multiple, the lowest level since early 2019, making the stock appear historically cheap. The parks and experiences segment posted $3.31 billion profit on $10.01 billion revenue, beating consensus and driving high‑single‑digit operating‑income growth. Streaming...
Fortnite will return to Google Play on March 19, ending a six‑year absence after its removal for breaching app‑store rules. The comeback follows Epic Games' settlement with Google that reduces the standard 30% in‑app purchase commission to 20%, with an...
STV reported a 6% drop in group revenue to £176.9 million for 2025, with advertising revenue falling 10% to £89.3 million and adjusted operating profit plunging 44% to £11.6 million. The decline was driven by weaker national linear ad sales, while studios revenue...
Microsoft announced that two titles – Mad Streets and Peppa Pig: World Adventures – will exit Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on 31 March 2026. Both games were highlighted for their easy achievement paths, allowing players to earn full Gamerscore...
Éric Brion, leader of ACCES, announced that Q1 2026 audience ratings confirm a surge in thematic channels’ performance. The latest data show a 12% year‑over‑year increase in viewership, pushing total weekly reach past 10 million for the first time. Advertiser demand has...
French broadcasters report declining linear ratings for new seasons of flagship unscripted series such as Koh‑Lanta, Pékin Express, Top Chef and The Voice. Year‑over‑year viewership fell roughly 8%, dragging associated advertising revenue. The slump coincides with accelerating audience migration to...
Documentary networks are experiencing a resurgence, with the latest Mediamat’Thematik ratings released on March 10 showing a notable uptick in viewership. While audiences are tuning in, the financial model remains precarious as advertising revenues fail to keep pace with audience...
Nielsen has delayed the March edition of its flagship The Gauge report to March 24, citing the integration of new DASH data into its streaming measurement methodology. The delayed release follows streamer anxiety that the updated metrics will reveal a...
Vuelta, founded three years ago by Jérôme Lévy and David Atlan Jackson, unites eleven leading European film companies into a single production and distribution network. The consortium pools capital, talent and market access, targeting roughly €500 million of content investment each...
France Télévisions, the exclusive French broadcaster of the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games, reported a historic 28 million viewers across its channels. The figure represents a record for parasport coverage in France and outperformed previous Paralympic broadcasts by a wide margin. The...
WTSL, the Silver Lake‑backed firm led by Patrick Whitesell, has launched a new management division called WIN Artists, hiring former WME Sports co‑head Josh Pyatt as partner to lead the effort. WIN Artists will represent athletes and other talent, helping...
🔥 The most interesting/exciting part of Disney's leadership reorg that is not getting talked about is that former Google/YouTube chief product officer Adam Smith has been elevated to co-head of Disney's DTC businesses. Placing a tech/product person, without legacy...
Hitman maker IO Interactive confirms it's cut publishing ties with MindsEye and the Hitman DLC is dead. https://t.co/zw5PpjdHE3
Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros creates a streaming powerhouse that combines HBO Max, Paramount+, Discovery+ and legacy cable brands, targeting roughly 200 million global subscribers. The merger boosts negotiating leverage against rivals like Amazon and Netflix but saddles the new entity...
Roku is scaled, growing, and profitable, so why hasn't anyone bought it? Via @loudmouthjulia. ⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/dyvtlQl7RB
#TheBride hits new low of $225K Monday for $11.5M domestic total against $90M budget Good thing WB did so well Sunday night to mask this DISASTER 💀💀💀 https://t.co/jO9ZQ0PIWZ
Ludus, Top App Games' PvP strategy title, achieved a 74.6% year‑over‑year revenue increase, reaching about $3 million in monthly revenue by March 2025. The growth was driven by scaled user acquisition and the addition of rewarded traffic, which now accounts for 25%...
As Disney CEO Bob Iger Steps Aside, a Look at His Tenure as a Dynamic, Transformative Leader — With an Asterisk or Two https://t.co/zmQnYUUxDV via @variety
Coca-Cola plans to serve up Diet Coke and SmartWater in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' and use tie-ins with the movie to drive conversations about its drinks.... https://t.co/8apnCYoH31 via @variety
NASCAR’s chief brand officer Tim Clark and champion Jimmie Johnson discuss a multi‑pronged strategy to modernize the 77‑year‑old sport. The plan includes staging races in unexpected locations, leveraging gaming platforms like iRacing for talent and fan acquisition, and shifting from...
Universal Music Group’s Bravado division has promoted President Matt Young to CEO, reinforcing its senior leadership with new hires across strategy, digital, and artist services. The team now includes Eric Mackay as General Manager, Dan Goldberg as SVP of Strategy...
What's $1 Billion More, if NFL Certainty Through 2033 is of Paramount Importance? Ultimately, each NFL media rights partner will have to decide whether they can envision life without the NFL beginning in 2030 (TLDR: doubt it) https://t.co/sBcrU0H3Og
MediaCo Holding Inc. has named Armando Diaz as Vice President of Operations & Efficiency, reporting to CRO Brian Fisher. Diaz will drive operational discipline, streamline processes, and support the company’s EBITDA‑centric growth plan. He arrives from iCorporate Marketing & Events,...
The Pac‑12 announced a partnership with Genius Sports that will allow the conference to sell live game statistics and other intellectual property to sportsbooks starting next year. Genius Sports will act as the official gatekeeper, deploying its GeniusIQ capture technology...
Shohei Ohtani is projected to earn $125 million in endorsements in 2026, bringing his total compensation to $127 million and making him the highest‑paid MLB player for the third time in four years. His endorsement haul eclipses the previous MLB record of...
Influencer database software has become essential as brands scale creator programs, with 59.4% of marketers planning to raise influencer budgets in 2026. These platforms turn manual scouting into searchable, filterable datasets that include demographics, engagement, and cross‑platform reach. The article...
Nielsen’s latest trend report highlights that ad‑supported TV now accounts for 74% of total TV viewing time. The landscape is increasingly fragmented, with each platform—broadcast, streaming services, and FAST channels—offering distinct audience profiles. Nielsen positions the guide as a roadmap...
The Trump administration will receive roughly $10 billion from investors who acquired TikTok’s U.S. operations, a fee‑plus arrangement reported by the Wall Street Journal. Investors initially paid $2.5 billion to the Treasury when the deal closed in January, but the larger payment...
Alibaba’s live‑entertainment arm, through its ticketing platform MAISEAT, landed its first primary ticketing contract outside China for Chinese rap star GAI’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. The presale tickets sold out within days, underscoring strong demand for cross‑border events. MAISEAT, part...
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal will headline Walmart and Vizio’s first joint NewFront presentation on March 23. The event, titled “Content to Commerce,” will feature top executives from Walmart Connect, Vizio, L’Oreal, NBCUniversal and Universal Studios. It will provide the first look...
In this episode, former Disney Imagineer Kevin Williams discusses the evolution of immersive technology—from historic techniques like Pepper's Ghost to modern XR—and how it fuels the rise of transmedia experiences in location‑based entertainment. He highlights emerging trends such as competitive...
Joost van Dreunen, co‑founder of Aldora, explains how small language models (SLMs) can replace slow, multi‑week market‑intelligence processes in the games industry. By fine‑tuning a 7‑billion‑parameter model on a decade of structured and unstructured data, Aldora aims to deliver on‑demand, secure...
Sky has integrated Disney+ into its core TV subscription, offering the Standard with Ads tier (valued at £5.99 per month) at no extra charge to eligible customers. The service is now accessible via Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Sky Q,...
Netflix will hold limited theatrical screenings of the first two episodes of its new animated series "Stranger Things: Tales from ’85" on April 18 across 34 U.S. theaters and select venues. Tickets become available March 18 at 8 AM PT through AMC, and...
The latest SNEP classical album chart shows Sofiane Pamart dominating half of the top ten positions, underscoring his crossover appeal in France’s classical market. Pamart, a part‑time rapper turned piano composer, blends minimalist Einaudi‑style melodies with urban sensibilities, drawing a...
WAN-IFRA and OpenAI have launched the AI Futures Lab, a six‑month accelerator for 24 news organizations across Asia‑Pacific and Latin America. Building on the earlier Newsroom AI Catalyst, the programme moves publishers from AI experimentation to fully‑scaled, AI‑native editorial and...
Antonio G. Corrado, founder and CEO of MainStreaming, splits his day between shaping long‑term strategy, overseeing day‑to‑day operations, and engaging with customers, partners, and investors. He emphasizes the impact of AI, edge computing and distributed architectures on the future of...
