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
PlayDucky announced that its mobile sandbox game Melon Sandbox paid out more than $1 million to creators in 2025. The platform’s in‑game Workshop lets users upload mods and custom experiences, which other players purchase with the virtual currency Mels. Top‑earning creators are under 20 years old, with a few individuals earning close to $80,000. The payout milestone signals a rapidly maturing creator economy that rivals larger ecosystems such as Roblox.
TikTok Canada reached a settlement with the federal government, allowing the platform to keep its local operations and resume sponsorships of major cultural events. The agreement includes commitments to support Canadian, Francophone and Indigenous creators, invest in cultural organizations, and...
Vicky McClure’s three‑part thriller *The Replacement* will disappear from Netflix on 19 March, ending a year‑long streaming window. The BBC drama, which debuted in 2017, has earned a perfect 100 % Rotten Tomatoes rating from eleven critics, drawing praise for its Hitchcock‑style tension and...
Hearst Media Production Group announced that Bryan Curb will assume the role of president on July 1, succeeding retiring founder Frank Biancuzzo. Curb, currently executive vice president and general manager of educational and informational programming, brings over a decade of...
Letter writers argue that the BBC’s traditional TV licence fee is increasingly untenable, citing a 12.5% non‑compliance rate and a 30% drop in funding during 2024‑25. They propose replacing the licence with a hypothecated council‑tax levy, similar to Switzerland’s universal...
Informa posted 2025 results showing revenue of £4 billion, up 13.7% year‑on‑year, and adjusted operating profit of £1.1 billion. CEO Stephen A. Carter said the Iran‑related war will have limited impact, having moved six Q2 events to Q4 and securing the LEAP...
UK recorded‑music wholesale revenue hit £1.57 billion in 2025, a 5% rise and the first time the market topped £1.5 bn. Growth was driven by a surge in new British talent, a rebound in physical sales—especially vinyl—and continued streaming dominance. However, subscription...
Saga Communications reported a Q4 2025 net loss of $6.9 million, driven by a $20.4 million non‑cash impairment that turned what would have been $8.2 million of profit into a loss. Full‑year results showed a $7.9 million loss versus a $3.5 million profit in 2024,...
Disney Advertising announced that its entire ad inventory for the 98th Oscars has been sold out, driven by strong marketplace demand after last year’s broadcast. The company raised 30‑second spot prices to $1.7‑$2.3 million, a double‑digit increase over 2024, and secured...
Music’s biggest catalogs are selling at a premium, but music’s biggest stocks are trading at a discount.
Concord announced the acquisition of London‑based independent label Ninja Tune, bringing both its recorded‑music catalog and publishing arm Just Isn’t Music under Concord’s umbrella. The deal adds a roster that includes The Prodigy, Bonobo, Flying Lotus and many other electronic...
Listen Now | @charliejaneanders joins the usual gang of idiots (@scott_alan_mendelson, Lisa Laman and Jeremy Fuster) to discuss the apparent end of a near-decade-long Pixar/Disney cold streak alongside the decisive end of a nearly year-long WB hot streak.
Newzoo’s 2026 report projects PC gaming revenue will overtake console revenue by 2028, driven by a 6.6% CAGR versus 4.4% for consoles. The combined PC‑console market is expected to reach $103.7 billion, with total revenue climbing from $88.3 billion in 2025 to...
Fox has ordered a new animated series centered on Stewie Griffin, the infant mastermind from Family Guy. The spinoff, created by Seth MacFarlane and longtime Family Guy writers, received a two‑season commitment from the network. Production is slated to begin...
Universal Pictures announced it will lengthen its theatrical windows, guaranteeing at least five weekends for 2026 releases and seven weekends starting in 2027, except for Focus Features titles. The policy reverses the pandemic‑era shortcut to premium VOD and signals a...
Universal Music Publishing Group has signed Baltimore synth‑pop band Future Islands to an exclusive global publishing deal covering their back catalogue and future works. The agreement coincides with the band’s 20th anniversary and the UK Top 10 entry of their 2024...
I backed a 25-year-old first-time founder who wanted to digitize music. This was 1988. I was excited by the prospect. I knew it was possible, but to most, the idea sounded insane. Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooke had started Digidesign, and I...
What should be the business objectives behind any future M&A deal by Netflix $NFLX? @Adweek s Mark Stenberg (@MarkStenberg3) asked me for specific deal predictions. A few of my answers are in the On Background newsletter below, alongside some other smart...
Five years into its record $111 billion TV and streaming agreement, the NFL has reopened negotiations to secure a larger share of broadcast revenue. The league’s move follows the NBA’s recent $75 billion rights deal, which set a new market benchmark. Analysts...
Century Games’ mobile strategy game Kingshot marked its first anniversary with $811.9 million in gross player spending across Google Play and the App Store. The title posted explosive growth, rising from $5.9 million in March 2025 to a peak of $102.2 million in January 2026...
The Elis James and John Robins podcast will launch a commercial feed on 7 April 2026, introducing advertising while its free version remains on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. The move follows the BBC Audio Release Policy, which permits independent producers to...
Edison Research reports that moving just 5 percent of a TV‑heavy media budget into podcasts can dramatically boost audience reach. In a case study, a pharmaceutical brand shifted a small portion of its broadcast‑and‑cable spend to podcast ads, raising reach among...
Sky Sports has entered a new PGA TOUR rights cycle, establishing a permanent production hub inside PGA TOUR Studios. The arrangement gives Sky two commentators and an on‑course reporter direct access to the world feed, while also providing permanent transmission...
As studios finally start to see the damage of the short theatrical windows are making long term, #Universal is changing their strategy and will keep #universal released titles exclusively in Theatres for at least 45 days, regardless of performance at...
California AG Rob Bonta blasts proposed Nexstar-Tegna deal, saying if deal goes through a "a single massive company will have outsized influence" and consumers will suffer higher prices and less access to news and sports.
At this year’s Academy Awards, industry observers noted that AI, streaming, and media fragmentation are reshaping the economics of acting. While the ceremony retained its traditional glamour, the underlying market dynamics are shifting, with digital platforms demanding more flexible talent...
CA AG Rob Bonta says his office will be vigorous in its review of Paramount - Warner deal. Concern of higher consumer costs, job loss, etc.
CA AG Rob Bonta says Live Nation settlement is "very weak" and "inadequate." Live Nation "acted illegally and created a monopoly." Says State AGs will continue trial if it can't reach a more fair settlement."
Nielsen announced the termination of its long‑standing SIGMA Radio service, effective March 31, 2026, with the final daily and weekly reports slated for April 1 and April 6. The service has been a cornerstone for broadcasters, advertisers, and agencies to verify radio ad...
This why media companies need to tax PR. Want to send your “earned media” pitch, pay a toll. No idea why the value should be entirely skimmed by middlemen.
Internal Slack messages from Live Nation employees surfaced as exhibits in the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit, revealing jokes about "robbing" fans for parking and VIP upgrades. The exchanges, spanning 2021‑2023, describe fans as "stupid" for paying inflated fees and were...
During the Feb 23‑Mar 1, 2026 mid‑season premiere week, CBS secured the top three spots among broadcast series and placed seven of the ten most‑watched titles in the broadcast‑only ranking, according to Nielsen’s live‑plus‑7‑day multiplatform data. The network’s flagship drama “Marshals” led with...
Rickey Smiley has signed a five‑year extension for The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, keeping the program on Urban One’s roster of 89 affiliate stations. In parallel, Urban One is launching a new original video podcast, Rickey Smiley On The Spot,...
PBS CEO Paula Kerger urged the Arkansas TV commission to pause its planned disaffiliation from the national PBS network, arguing the decision should involve public input. Arkansas TV, citing unsustainable dues after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting lost federal funding, voted...
Vue Creator Management, a Toledo‑based agency founded in 2025 by Cailyn Medley, offers a hybrid service that combines affiliate strategy consulting with full‑time execution. The firm helps creators optimize revenue on platforms such as ShopMy, LTK and Amazon, handling link...
One of the things you guys are missing in the news: Focus Features windows stay at 17 DAYS This is why smaller films are getting BULLDOZED They already don’t demand theatrical viewing and here you are dumping them on streaming in less...
Comcast’s Xfinity is teaming with NBC Sports and Golf Channel to broadcast THE PLAYERS Championship in RealTime4K, a low‑latency 4K format that arrived up to 49 seconds faster than conventional streams. The launch also introduces two interactive features: Fan View,...
This Universal-extending-windows news is fantastic for theaters but your lazy CEOs at the theatrical chains who did not DEMAND THEM back in 2023 when there was LEVERAGE is UNFORGIVABLE That temerity cost many theaters their existence
Erik Bradley has been appointed Brand Manager of Classic Hits‑formatted 98.7 The Spot in Dallas, joining his existing roles as Brand Manager at KS107.5 in Denver and Assistant Brand Manager at B96 in Chicago. Bradley, a radio veteran since 1988,...
Humble Bundle launched two new game‑development asset collections on March 12, 2026: the Synty Sci‑Fi Bundle and the Ultimate Survival Kit Redux. The Synty offering is a $30 tier that includes polygon city, space, particle packs, base locomotion animation, a...
Narcity Media introduced Boost, a self‑serve tool on its Locals.tv platform that lets brands pay local creators to share Instagram Stories. The service taps a network of over 2,000 creators across Canadian cities, allowing campaigns to be launched in minutes...
The European Audiovisual Observatory will host three English‑language presentations at the Series Mania Forum, spotlighting the most recent trends shaping Europe’s streaming and television markets. The sessions will dissect subscription growth, the decline of traditional TV advertising, and the rising...
The French Ministry of Culture’s 2025 festival barometer shows 46% of French festivals posted a negative balance, with an average €78,000 deficit. Only 12% reported a surplus while 42% broke even, and 58% of festivals rely primarily on public subsidies....
Canal Plus reported revenue nearing €7 billion for 2025, marking a strong financial performance for the French media conglomerate. Chairman Maxime Saada highlighted the achievement and announced the next phase of the group’s 2026 strategic plan. The plan centers on expanding...
Gaumont is planning an unusually long theatrical run for Xavier Giannoli’s new World War II epic, Les Rayons et les ombres. The French studio hopes the extended window will maximize box‑office revenue and cultural impact, echoing the success of Giannoli’s previous...
BIScience has launched the TV Intelligence Suite, extending its AdClarity platform to include U.S. linear TV data. The upgrade lets customers monitor more than $174 billion in digital ad spend and $51 billion in linear TV spend from a single interface. Coverage...
Paramount+ and CBS have agreed to jointly broadcast UFC 327, featuring Jiří Procházka vs. Valter Ulberg, on April 11 from Miami’s Kaseya Center. Paramount+ will stream the entire fight card in the United States and Latin America, while CBS will simulcast the...
M&A activity in the United States has slumped, with announced mergers dropping 23% to 1,795 by March 9, while sports and e‑sports deals fell to just five this year versus 57 in 2025. The downturn is driven by the February “SaaS‑pocalypse,”...
Coinbase debuted a new Oscar‑time commercial titled “Your Way Out,” featuring a video‑game non‑playable character who rebels against his scripted existence. The ad, created by Isle of Any and directed by Oscar Hudson, positions the crypto platform as a pathway...
TikTok Radio is relaunching on March 13 via the iHeartRadio app and on 28 iHeartMedia broadcast stations after ending its four‑year SiriusXM partnership. The new channel blends music, creator‑led conversation, and signature segments such as ‘Behind‑the‑Charts’ and ‘Hacks on the :20s.’...
