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
Airwave announced an exclusive distribution, monetization, and marketing partnership with The Daily Blast, the flagship news and politics podcast of The New Republic. The agreement gives the podcast full‑service network support while opening new advertising inventory to brands targeting highly engaged listeners. Airwave’s platform reaches over 100 million listens and views each month across 180 podcasts and video channels. The deal positions The Daily Blast for accelerated growth and deeper market penetration.
Independent creative agency Rethink created a chief production officer role, appointing Jon Legere, former head of Anomaly’s Unreasonable Studios. Legere will embed production capabilities across advertising, PR and design, reporting to COO Caleb Goodman. The hire shifts production from a...
Airwave announced Airwave Journeys, a creator‑led travel program partnered with Laura Hart’s Like Minds Travel. The collaboration makes Airwave’s podcasters hosts of paid tours that align with their show topics, offering fans immersive experiences in destinations such as France, Italy,...
Madison and Wall raised its 2026 U.S. ad‑spending forecast to 8.1% but warned the assumptions were made before the Middle‑East conflict erupted. The war introduces new geopolitical, inflationary and supply‑chain risks that could dampen growth, especially in the second half...
Omnicom Media Group appointed Bradley Rogers as OMD USA chief executive, effective March 23, succeeding Chrissie Hanson. Hanson is moving to Dentsu to lead its North America media operations and serve as global brand president of Carat. Rogers arrives with...
Canal+, the French media group owned by MultiChoice, announced that it will integrate generative AI tools from Google Cloud and OpenAI into its StudioCanal production pipeline. CEO Maxim Saada said the technology will enable the creation of scenes that were previously...
The NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas has added three radio‑focused panels to its Broadcast Management and Monetization track. The "America 250: Owning the Moment" session will explore how stations can leverage the nation’s 250th‑anniversary celebrations to deepen audience engagement and advertiser...
YouTube has been declared the world’s largest media company by MoffettNathanson, overtaking Netflix, Disney, Warner, Comcast and Paramount. A shift of roughly $4 billion in ad spend from legacy TV to YouTube underscores the platform’s growing dominance. The article argues this...
Amagi’s March 2026 Airtime Report shows FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) viewership rising 21% YoY in Q4 2025, with ad impressions up 27%. The growth was strongest in LATAM, where hours of viewing jumped 66% and ad impressions 77%. A survey of...
German broadcaster Sportdigital has secured broadcast rights to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, beginning coverage with the quarter‑finals in Australia. The 12‑team tournament also serves as the Asian qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, granting direct berths...
Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) secured an $18.75 million default judgment against William Freemon, a U.S. operator of illegal IPTV services such as Streaming TV Now, Instant IPTV and TV Nitro. The Northern District of Texas court awarded statutory damages for willful copyright infringement,...
Coca‑Cola’s Middle East lead Ben Sadek explains how the company is shifting from pure brand‑awareness ads to immersive, experience‑driven marketing. The strategy leans on live events, creator collaborations, and high‑profile sports ties such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy...
Quincy Jones' estate has sold his extensive music and publishing catalog to HarbourView Equity Partners, encompassing his production stakes in Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, as well as iconic compositions like “Soul Bossa Nova,” “Give Me the Night,”...
Streaming giants are adding conversion APIs (CAPIs) to bring performance‑driven measurement to connected TV. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku and Comcast have introduced self‑serve APIs aimed at SMB advertisers. CAPIs promise to bridge the attribution...
Streaming giants are bringing conversion APIs (CAPIs) to connected TV as advertisers demand measurable performance. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku, Comcast and LinkedIn already provide similar APIs for CTV measurement. CAPIs promise to close the...
The NFL is moving away from selling the Week 1 Melbourne International Series game on a stand‑alone basis, opting instead to bundle it with four or five additional contests. This packaging aligns with a broader inventory of nine International Series...
Byron Bay's Bluesfest, a 36‑year‑old music festival, has been cancelled just weeks before its scheduled April 2‑5 run. Organizers cite poor ticket sales as the primary reason, marking the first cancellation in the event’s history. The line‑up featured high‑profile acts such...
DAZN is adding All Elite Wrestling pay‑per‑view events to its global sports lineup, excluding India. The first title‑fight, AEW Revolution, streams on March 15, followed by Dynasty, Double or Nothing, and All In later in the year. Viewers can buy each event...
Savvy Games, a Saudi‑backed conglomerate, has consolidated about $12 billion in equity across Nintendo, Take Two, Square Enix and other top publishers, each representing roughly 5‑10 % of the companies. CEO Brian Ward told GDC that the stakes are an investment vehicle, not a...
NFL star Travis Kelce has been appointed Six Flags' official brand ambassador for the 2026 season, leveraging his personal fan history and recent investment in the company. The deal includes digital promotion on Kelce's social channels and the use of...
Thursday’s VOZ ratings show the NRL’s Round 2 clash between Brisbane and Parramatta pulling 772,000 average viewers, edging out the AFL’s Round 1 Carlton‑Richmond game at 675,000. Seven Network captured the night with a 30.9% total‑TV share and a 31.3% consolidated share,...
The Varsity * NFL media rights update. * That time the NCAA was about to expand to 96 teams. * Fallout from a Disney antitrust lawsuit. Plus, during the ’90s, Michael Jordan helped the NBA ascend to new heights of global popularity and profitability....
"3 Steps. Today, Universal led the way on the first one… no more VOD window under 30 days…. then 45 days. Hopefully by 2028, that will be 60 days and we can stop fighting over the issue." THB #811:...
Kim Kelleher has been elevated to President while retaining her Chief Commercial Officer role at AMC Networks. The board has been enlarged from eleven to twelve members, reinstating CEO Kristin Dolan as a Class B director. Recent senior‑leadership moves also...
TikTok is launching TikTok Radio live from SXSW on March 13, leveraging its partnership with iHeartMedia. The service will stream on the iHeartRadio app and 28 iHeart broadcast stations, delivering TikTok‑driven music hits, creator storytelling, and weekly countdowns. Simultaneously, TikTok...
Word that Universal will be expanding its theatrical exclusivity windows starting today (just before what should be a very big year at the box office) is hopefully a signal that major studios with a greater vested interest in multiplex revenues...
Court TV is undergoing a major restructuring after its sale to Jellysmack’s Law&Crime Network, announcing sweeping layoffs and a reduced on‑air schedule. Anchor Julie Grant and crime correspondent Matt Johnson are among the high‑profile departures, while roughly two dozen behind‑the‑scenes...
Netflix ANZ’s director of marketing Tony Broderick champions "uncomfortably exciting" creative risks, exemplified by the large‑scale Wednesday Island event that turned Cockatoo Island into a fan festival. He emphasizes a title‑led strategy where bold cultural moments drive broader business metrics,...
Apple’s senior VP of Services Eddy Cue announced that viewership for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix on Apple TV+ rose year‑over‑year, surpassing both Formula 1 and Apple’s expectations. While exact numbers were not disclosed, the increase follows Apple’s acquisition of U.S....
Ticketmaster and Live Nation are the absolute worst. I hope the trial goes forward. https://apple.news/AiqvnrK72QEGXAyboKMDwQg
Illumination, Nintendo and Universal expect The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to open with more than $160 million in its first five domestic days, positioning it as the biggest box‑office performer of 2026 so far. The sequel surpasses the 2023 Mario Bros launch, which earned $204.6 million...
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has formally asked the Department of Justice to block the $111 billion Paramount‑Warner Bros. merger unless enforceable worker protections are included. Union leaders highlighted concerns that the deal could trigger layoffs and diminish domestic production for...
Netflix’s legal drama “The Lincoln Lawyer” reclaimed the Nielsen streaming top spot for the week of Feb 9‑15, amassing 2.54 billion minutes across its 40 episodes, with 74 % of that consumption coming from the freshly released Season 4. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” secured...
Premeditated Productions has secured a five‑year extension of its first‑look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, extending the partnership through summer 2032. Launched in 2024 as the production arm of Entangled Publishing, Premeditated has already greenlit over a dozen adaptations of New York Times...
The NFL’s 2026 schedule is shaping up to be markedly different, emphasizing more standalone broadcast windows and a possible Wednesday kickoff to accommodate the league’s first regular‑season game in Australia. The Thanksgiving lineup may expand with a Thanksgiving Eve matchup,...
Globo will present a diverse slate of scripted and unscripted series at Series Mania, Europe’s leading TV‑series market event. The lineup includes the telenovela "The Life We Lead," the horror‑fantasy "Blood Red – Under the Moonlight," and reality formats like...
When was the last time the two films in a legitimate race for Best Picture both earned more than $200 million at the box office before nominations were announced? 2011 with THE SOCIAL NETWORK and THE KING’S SPEECH? I’m not...
Teamsters Union Says DOJ Must Block Paramount’s Warner Bros. Takeover Unless There Are ‘Enforceable’ Job Protections https://t.co/omvw2m3xrr via @variety
ExpressVPN is launching a major esports initiative, securing official partnerships with the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) in EMEA and the Americas, G2 Esports, and the European World of Warcraft guild Method. The deals...
Am projecting that #Scream7 will break $100M at North American #boxoffice tomorrow FRI on its 15th day of release. First 2026 film to join century club and fastest #Scream movie to ever reach this milestone. https://t.co/FV1mznQKjr
Disney Wraps Oscars Ad Sales; Event Will Feature Burger King Shout-Outs and Mazda-Backed Movie Makers https://t.co/fPUedlV0O0
Netflix announced the launch of Eyeline Studios, a 32,000‑sq‑ft visual effects and virtual production hub in Hyderabad. The facility will operate on a hybrid cloud architecture and join Eyeline's existing sites in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seoul and London. By leveraging...
All competition enforcers will find our deal is pro-competitive says Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim of Warner deal. This is opportunity to build a "true champion" for the creative community that can compete effectively global stage and streaming market.
Paramount added $1.5 billion to its Paramount+ programming budget, says Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim. And yet its most successful producer jumped ship to NBCU.
The article warns that AI music platforms have built their models on unlicensed recordings, especially from independent artists, and are now proposing “walled‑garden” licensing schemes with major labels. While Warner has struck a dual‑use deal, Suno and other firms reject...
Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim says "we want customers in theaters" and to compete most effectively against "highly scaled" streaming competitors.
Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim says Netflix - Warner deal would have had "serious consequences for the future of Hollywood." A Paramount-Warner deal is about "increasing the amount of content."
LTN and Appear have formed a partnership to deliver a scalable, IP‑native live video contribution and distribution solution for premium events. The offering combines Appear’s X Platform, which supports JPEG XS, JPEG 2000, AVC, HEVC and ST 2110 codecs, with LTN’s fully managed...
It’s ONE studio and it’s still less than HALF what windows were in the past Your do-nothing CEO is to blame for not getting REAL windows REINSTALLED years ago But do go on with your $AMC propaganda as theaters are literally bulldozed https://t.co/q5lB5ULkaw
“Paramount is spending 110 billion dollars to take out a rival” — antitrust attorney Ethan Litwin at Capital Forum conference.
