Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Midwestern Media Dynasty Faces Internal Power Struggle Over Potential Sale
The Block family, owners of the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette and Toledo Blade, are locked in a feud as twin heirs John Robinson Block and Allan Block clash over the future of Block Communications. John has commissioned a valuation to explore a possible sale, while Allan, the CEO, opposes any transaction, warning he would "destroy" the company.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K‑Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Premium CTV inventory, while more expensive, offers advertisers higher-quality audience engagement. Vevo, partnering with measurement firm Amplified, has produced rigorous attention data demonstrating that premium placements deliver longer view times and stronger brand recall. The partnership’s findings provide concrete evidence that the premium price translates into measurable performance gains. This insight helps marketers justify premium spend within increasingly data‑driven media strategies.
Companies like Meta subsidize third party developers in various ways to help grow their platforms, then take 30% of the developer revenue right back with the platform tax, which is a wasteful churn. Epic’s tax structure of zero for the first...
Coors Banquet has logged five straight years of volume growth, driven largely by Gen Z and younger drinkers. To capitalize on this momentum, Molson Coors is boosting its media budget with a double‑digit increase and re‑entering live‑sports advertising during the 2026 MLB...
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and Pandora Media have each filed opposition briefs in their ongoing lawsuit over whether Pandora’s ad‑supported “Pandora Free” service should be treated as an interactive service subject to mechanical royalties. The MLC argues that three...
Calrec will showcase hybrid workflow solutions at the 2026 NAB Show, unveiling its U.S. debut of the IP‑native Argo M audio console. The 48‑fader console packs up to 356 internal DSP channels and supports SMPTE ST 2110 and cloud connectivity. Calrec will also...
The United States Trade Representative released its 2025 Notorious Markets report, highlighting $40 billion in annual losses from music and sports piracy. The 61‑page document catalogs dozens of high‑profile piracy sites such as DHgate, MegaCloud, Private Layer and The Pirate Bay,...
Valve disclosed that 5,863 Steam titles earned over $100,000 in 2025, more than double the 3,000 games that reached the same threshold in 2020. The platform also reported record user activity, with 42 million peak concurrent users and 13.9 million in‑game concurrent...
Bookwire, a leading ebook distributor, has announced a partnership with AI voice pioneer Eleven Labs to launch AI‑narrated audiobooks. The new titles will be streamed through Eleven Labs' Eleven Reader app and will initially support more than a dozen languages....
Netflix’s two flagship English‑language series are falling short of their own records. Stranger Things Season 5 has logged 132.7 million views after 77 days, 8 million fewer than Season 4’s 140.7 million, and cannot close the gap before the 91‑day window ends. Bridgerton Season 4 sits...
The author of the TRL Substack invites readers to suggest topics for future posts, ranging from query etiquette to industry deep‑dives. The invitation follows a popular piece on residencies that impressed agents, signaling a desire for more community‑driven content. Additionally,...
In 2014 Steve Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for a record $2 billion, turning a financially stagnant franchise into a high‑profile asset. A 2022 endorsement deal between star Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration, which paid the player $28 million while tying payments to...
Azur Games revamped Hidden Objects 2 with a diversified content strategy and AI‑assisted art pipeline, delivering far more levels and visual styles than its predecessor. The changes lifted day‑one retention from just above 30 % to over 40 % on both Android and iOS, and...
Jordan‑based game developer Maysalward has inaugurated a new headquarters on Abdali Boulevard in Amman, marking a new phase after 23 years of development and 14 years of community building. The office will host "The Capsule," an initiative aimed at scaling...
U.S. streaming services now account for about 75% of online video viewing across Europe, according to Mediavision and the Digital Production Partnership. Local platforms collectively hold only around 25% of the market, with notable variation—Finland’s domestic services capture 43% while...
NBCUniversal Media Group promoted Gus O’Brien to president of International Networks and Direct‑to‑Consumer, effective April 1, succeeding veteran Ken Bettsteller who moves to an advisory role. O’Brien previously served as managing director for Latin America, overseeing joint ventures and the launch...
had a great chat with the @latimes about everything loud & clear and spotify artist royalties. appreciated the nuanced convo —
Rebel Audio, a Nashville‑based AI podcasting start‑up, has emerged from stealth mode with a $3.8 million seed round and the addition of TV legend Mark Burnett as its first adviser. The company unveiled an invitation‑only beta of its AI‑driven platform at SXSW,...
Australian electronic duo Breathe released their debut album For Your Darkest Days on 30 October, shifting from an initial singles‑only plan to a full album campaign. The pivot was enabled by a partnership with music distribution and artist services firm Group...
OpenX and TVision have introduced OpenX Attention Targeting, the first supply‑side solution that lets advertisers bid on CTV inventory based on real‑time viewer attention scores. The offering merges TVision’s passive, person‑level panel data with OpenX’s bid‑stream signals, delivering predictive engagement...
Banijay Entertainment announced the sixth international adaptation of its reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Italia for Amazon Prime Video. The Italian version will run ten episodes, featuring 50 reality stars locked in a castle under a Lion‑masked Game...
Google has made its Merchant Center for Agencies generally available across the United States and Canada, delivering a unified command‑center interface for managing multiple client product feeds. The redesign, shaped by agency feedback, replaces the legacy Multi‑Client Account system with...
Epic Games will make Fortnite: Save the World free-to-play on Xbox starting April 16, 2026, removing the $18.49 Full Clip Pack paywall that previously blocked access to Xbox achievements. Players can now unlock the full set of Fortnite achievements without...
The surprisingly true story of launching Disney+ (as told by their finance team) 👇 Here are 5 lessons that stuck with me. 1. Even a beloved brand doesn't make the forecast easier 2. A good launch number can hide a...
Platforms and native agent proximity One can’t consider the future of agentic commerce, or agentic advertising, as a competition between nimble upstarts and inflexible, staid incumbents: the largest platforms have embraced agentic interaction models. If you believe that consumers will demand...
The Brewis brothers, frontmen of the cult indie act Field Music, have launched a Doors tribute project called the Fire Doors, performing roughly one show each month. Despite a two‑decade catalog, critical acclaim and celebrity fans such as Prince, the...
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) welcomed the FCC’s Media Bureau public notice seeking comment on the state of sports television, with a comment deadline of March 27, 2026. The inquiry, supported by FCC Chair Brandon Carr and Senator Mike Lee, aims...
The FCC has approved Connoisseur Media’s acquisition of four Bakersfield radio stations from Alpha Media, finalizing a debt‑assumption merger announced in November 2025. The regulatory clearance removes the final hurdle for Connoisseur to integrate the assets into its portfolio. This...
Prince turned down Activision's offer to feature his catalog in Guitar Hero, citing a desire for kids to learn real guitar rather than profit from a video game. The deal would have granted a modest share of the franchise’s $2 billion...
New York lawmakers have introduced the SAFE Platforms Act, which would require social‑media companies to strengthen fraud‑reporting tools, disclose advertisers' legal identities and implement a know‑your‑customer (KYC) verification for advertisers and payment methods. The bill aims to curb online scams...
West Virginia is poised to pass the First Amendment Preservation Act, which would bar state contracts with advertising agencies that rely on media trust‑rating services such as NewsGuard. The measure cleared the House Judiciary Committee and now moves to the...
Bath & Body Works plans to increase influencer activity 10x as part of its brand transformation. 🧴 During its Q4 earnings call, CEO Daniel Heaf said the company wants thousands of creators posting about its products in their own voice. Another sign...
Google Cloud unveiled a new AI‑driven game development engine at GDC, integrating Gemini 3 Pro, Flash, Gemini Enterprise and Vertex AI. The platform introduces autonomous AI agents that automate repetitive tasks such as testing, code generation, and asset pipelines, while offering a...
As the NCAA tournament approaches, major sponsors are already rolling out fresh creative. State Farm debuted a commercial featuring Duke twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer on Selection Sunday, while Unilever’s Degree deodorant enlisted NBA star Chet Holmgren and WNBA legend...
FOX Entertainment Studios has entered a development commitment with comedian Frankie Quiñones to create an untitled scripted comedy series, where he will co‑write and star. The deal underscores FOX’s push for bold, creator‑driven voices across its scripted and unscripted platforms....
TikTok announced a partnership with Apple Music that lets Apple Music subscribers play full tracks directly within the TikTok app via a new “Play Full Song” button. The integration uses Apple’s MusicKit, so playback occurs in Apple Music and streams are counted as...
Creator marketing has become a primary growth engine, with U.S. ad spend projected at nearly $44 billion this year, outpacing other digital media. However, the measurement infrastructure lags, relying on fragmented platform metrics, affiliate links, and isolated brand lift studies that...
Policyband Headlines ■ @BrendanCarrFCC: @Disney’s ABC Insisting The View is a Bona Fide News Show ■ @NFL’s Antitrust Exemption Might Not Cover Streaming Deals, Carr Suggests ■ Key House Democrats Want Answers from @ArielleRothNTIA on BEAD Billions ■ @GrayMediaGTN Explains Why Free TV Is...
excited to publish our annual loud & clear report today, sharing troves of 2025 royalty data. 5+ years in, we're still the only streaming service that shares transparent $$ data like this — including exactly how many artists are generating different...
Creator Camp, a digitally native media company, is reshaping film production by converting online creator followings into theatrical audiences. Its debut feature, *Two Sleepy People*, generated 2.5 times its production budget within a week, driven by an organic campaign that...
In 2019, I wrote a piece titled the Slow Death of Hollywood. People have caught up, but still draw the wrong conclusions. The choice is re-regulating the industry, or letting the whole thing die. https://t.co/q35U4DXR0S
AI Podcast Start-Up Rebel Audio Launches App With Invite-Only Access, Taps Mark Burnett as Adviser (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/C0nR4IG3VQ
NumberEight, an ID‑less audience intelligence firm, has teamed up with audio monetization platform SoundCast to embed its predictive Affinity Audiences across SoundCast’s European podcast inventory. Early tests show a 132 % lift in addressability and a 78 % improvement in targeting accuracy...
" Paramount Skydance Chief David Ellison addressed Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav as “Daivd” over text last year while trying to strike a deal" https://t.co/MuseqOSmYe https://t.co/v8pi9V4wvQ
New: The NFL is plotting a new Thanksgiving Eve game and other potential new windows as it continues to dominate the TV landscape. https://t.co/5gWYad1A2P
Peer39’s latest research reveals that roughly 60% of open‑market CTV programmatic bid requests contain no program‑level metadata, while about one‑quarter are classified as fake content, primarily originating from concealed mobile‑app inventory. The remaining bids often feature shallow or inaccurate genre...
New pod: Former Turner chief David Levy gives his view of the sports media business--from the streaming rights arms race to the sports implications of the Paramount –WBD deal to the continued growth of women's sports. https://t.co/tMMRVrLN2f
Google Cloud unveiled the next phase of its “Living Games” platform, embedding autonomous AI agents into its cloud infrastructure. The suite combines Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini Enterprise, Flash and Vertex AI to automate testing, code writing and asset generation for developers. Demonstrations...
Horizon Media, one of the world’s largest independent ad agencies, announced a restructuring that eliminates 50 positions from its more than 2,000‑person global workforce. The cuts span several departments and affect some long‑tenured staff, while the firm simultaneously launches a...
Israeli pay‑TV operator YES, part of the Bezeq Group, has chosen Synamedia Iris to power advanced advertising across its linear TV and streaming services. The Iris platform will enable addressable, server‑side ad insertion that unifies delivery on set‑top boxes and...
Hari Nair will step down as CEO of publicly listed Tips Music on April 30, ending a 17‑month tenure that began in September 2023. During his time, Nair steered the company toward a software‑led, data‑first digital model and delivered consistent...
