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.
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By the numbers: K‑Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Netflix’s 2016 series *The Get Down* dazzled with Baz Luhrmann’s lavish 1970s hip‑hop aesthetic but was halted after one season due to its staggering $120 million budget. Production hurdles, including a showrunner departure and a reduced episode order, compounded low viewership, making the project financially untenable. Despite its brief run, the series served as a launchpad for its cast, propelling actors like Justice Smith and Giancarlo Esposito into higher‑profile roles. The show remains a cautionary example of high‑cost ambition in streaming.
In early 2026 YouTube executed a massive purge of low‑quality AI‑generated channels, deleting over 4.7 billion views, 35 million subscribers and roughly $10 million in annual revenue. CEO Neal Mohan framed the move as a top priority to curb AI‑spam and restore value...
New research from FMR Associates and Eastlan shows radio’s weekly reach among adults 25‑64 held steady at 84% in 2026, slipping only two points since 2024. Traditional AM/FM still delivers roughly two‑thirds of primary listening, while streaming and app‑based radio...
Disney+ announced it will stream the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, known as March Madness, across Europe and South Africa. The service will carry all 134 games live from March 17 to April 7 as part of the standard...
The article breaks down how influencers partner with brands, outlining the steps from outreach to contract signing. It highlights the role of audience metrics, platform intermediaries, and legal considerations in shaping deal structures. Examples illustrate typical compensation models, including flat...
User‑generated content (UGC) creators are emerging as a core pillar of modern advertising, delivering authentic, peer‑driven narratives that resonate with consumers. Brands increasingly tap these creators through dedicated marketplaces and social platforms, leveraging their niche expertise to produce video ads,...
NuVoodoo will unveil a nationwide country‑music research study at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville on March 20, 2026. The study evaluated more than 400 titles spanning the 1990s to today with a panel of 600 country fans aged 18‑49. Findings...
Social Spider CIC, a nonprofit publisher of four free monthly London newspapers, posted a pre‑tax profit of £30,495 for the year to July 2025, reversing a loss from the previous year. The enterprise distributes about 52,500 print copies across Waltham...
Apple Podcasts is rolling out HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) support, enabling creators to publish identical video and audio versions of episodes that can be switched seamlessly on iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro and the web. HLS will handle video‑enabled podcasts while RSS...
Disney is expanding its multi‑year “Fuel the Magic” partnership with Formula 1 for the 2026 season, adding new merchandise collections, retail tie‑ins and character appearances. A global Disney × F1 apparel line of ten streetwear pieces launches on March 12, while host‑city capsule drops...
Gracenote, the Nielsen‑owned entertainment metadata giant, has launched a CTV advertising business that layers its extensive content data onto programmatic buys. Research cited by the company indicates that about 70 % of bid requests lack basic genre signals, prompting a push...
The M+C Saatchi Group Cultural Power Report 2026 maps eight deep‑seated cultural shifts reshaping the GCC’s emerging trust economy. Influencer growth has exploded to over 263,000 creators, yet trust in influencers has fallen to the region’s lowest‑rated profession, prompting a...
Canal+ has entered a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud to roll out the latter’s generative AI suite across its European and African app markets starting in June. The AI tools will automate video indexing, create a multimodal content database and...
EE announced that the DAZN sports streaming app is now available on its EE TV Box Pro and Box Edge devices, accessible via the Apps rail. The partnership brings live boxing, MMA, football, golf and more to UK households, with over 185...
In this episode of Channels with Peter Kafka, Puck journalist Matt Belloni breaks down the 2026 Oscars, highlighting Warner Bros.’s final big‑budget campaign with films like “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” and the shifting power dynamics after the studio’s...
Spotify started with free music and ads. Ad revenue failed to cover high label fees, and free users saw no reason to upgrade. So Spotify put mobile, offline downloads, and no ads behind Premium. By the 2020s, about 85% of revenue came from...
Veteran director Ram Gopal Varma predicts that the upcoming action sequel *Dhurandhar: The Revenge* could earn between ₹1,500 crore and ₹2,000 crore worldwide, a figure he says would challenge the current dominance of South Indian films in the pan‑India market. The film, starring...
In 2026, roughly 40 % of Spotify streams originate from algorithmic playlists such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar, making them a primary growth engine for music. A study shows that about 9,200 streams from 4,100 unique listeners within 28 days push...
UK’s largest pub operator, Stonegate Group, has appointed Fifty as its strategic media partner to manage media strategy and buying across its 4,500‑venue portfolio. The partnership, chosen for Fifty’s AI‑enabled audience‑intelligence platform, will cover more than 15 addressable channels, including...
Sony Pictures' comedic remake of Anaconda topped the Digital Entertainment Group's weekly digital sales and rentals chart for the week ending March 1, according to GfK Entertainment data. The film rose five spots to claim the No. 1 position, displacing Disney's Zootopia 2,...
Playboy announced Phillip Picardi as its new chief brand officer and editor‑in‑chief, marking a high‑profile editorial overhaul. Picardi, who reshaped Teen Vogue and founded the queer‑focused publication them, previously served as chief brand officer at Weight Watchers and consulted for...
Netflix’s "Bridgerton" Season 4 Part 2 topped Samba TV’s weekly US streaming chart for Feb 23‑Mar 1, reclaiming the #1 spot. HBO Max’s pre‑Game of Thrones series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" fell to second place, while its drama "The Pitt" secured third. Netflix’s...
Sky and Canal+ have entered a three‑year co‑commissioning partnership to develop English‑language scripted series, committing to at least two new projects each year. The deal pools StudioCanal’s resources with independent producers, allowing both companies to co‑finance green‑lit titles. By targeting...
Two Broke Chicks, a female‑led Australian podcast hosted by Sally McMullen and Alexandra Hourigan, is joining Nova Podcasts. The show, which offers practical advice on money, career, identity and relationships, reaches over 1.1 million followers across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Nova’s...
Spotify, once criticized for low royalty rates, now reports paying over $11 billion to the music industry in 2025, with royalties growing more than 10% annually. The platform added a record 38 million monthly active users, reaching 751 million listeners, and half of...
YouTube’s ad revenue in 2025 was $40.4B. More than Disney, NBC, Paramount, and WBD’s combined. (@THR)
India now has 313 million digital‑only viewers, with rural adoption outpacing metros, fueling a surge in multi‑screen content consumption. The explosion of hours, languages, and formats is stressing a media‑tech stack that remains fragmented and largely dependent on foreign infrastructure. Sunil...
The creator economy is reshaping media as independent journalists, newsletter writers, podcasters and livestreamers build audiences that rival traditional outlets. Recognizing a structural gap, a group of creators launched the Journeyman Media Network (JMN), a creator‑owned collective that links independent...
College basketball rivalry matchups delivered strong ratings in the final weekend of the regular season. The UNC‑Duke game on ESPN attracted 3.43 million viewers, a 14 % increase and the third‑largest audience for the series since 2019. Michigan’s win over Michigan State...
.@BTS_twt is teaming up with @Spotify to ensure #ARIRANG is more than just a passive listening experience with their 'SWIMSIDE' campaign Full details via @Forbes: https://t.co/eoJU7dgNsJ
Sega says it will not release standalone versions of the retro games hidden inside the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series because modern distribution costs are high and the market for individual classic titles is limited. The company embeds titles like Daytona...
The Venetian Resort launched "Brackets at The Stadium," a three‑day pop‑up viewing and betting hub for March Madness running March 19‑21. Tickets range from $199 to $750 and include food, an open bar, and access to William Hill and Yahoo...
The FCC’s Media Bureau has opened a docket to examine the fragmented sports‑broadcasting ecosystem, inviting comments through March 27. Early filers include One Ministries, which urges the commission to extend must‑carry rules to virtual MVPDs so independent stations like KQSL...
CuriosityStream reported a 40% revenue jump to $71.7 million in 2025, propelled by a surge in AI‑training licensing and a solid subscription base. Gross margins rose to 60% in Q4, delivering a fourth straight quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA and a...
The British Film Institute has unveiled a £33.5 million audience funding package for 2026‑2029, a 20 percent increase over the previous cycle. The plan allocates £10.8 million to the Film Audience Network, £3 million to the Open Cinemas/ESCAPES programme, and £19.7 million to the National...
Meta has broadened its Facebook Reels affiliate program, adding a self‑serve tool in the Professional Dashboard that lets creators embed brand affiliate links directly in their videos. The platform now offers thousands of products from partners such as Amazon and...
Snapchat released a study with Omnicom Media and Ipsos showing social platforms heavily influence TV viewership. Two‑thirds of viewers say ads on social make them more likely to watch, while 65% are driven to watch trailers after online discussions. The...
Fox is embroiled in a cross‑border trademark dispute in Mexico after a football broadcast blackout, leading to injunctions and mounting contempt fines. The Ninth Circuit is hearing an appeal that could restore the NFL’s $4.7 billion Sunday Ticket penalty. Disney is...
Starz Entertainment has implemented a limited‑duration shareholder rights plan, commonly known as a poison pill, that activates when any party acquires 17.5% or more of its common stock. The plan grants existing shareholders the right to purchase additional shares at...
Broadpeak will unveil a suite of live‑streaming and monetisation tools at NAB Show 2026, highlighting premium‑performance delivery, advanced ad insertion, and anti‑piracy safeguards. New offerings include Multiview for simultaneous event viewing, Media over QUIC (MoQ) for lower latency, and AI‑powered...
Disney announced Thomas Mazloum as Chairman of Disney Experiences, succeeding Josh D’Amaro, who will become CEO after Bob Iger. Mazloum brings luxury‑hospitality and cruise‑line experience, having overseen Disney’s Signature Experiences and the recent launch of Disney Adventure in Singapore. The...
UFC made its CBS debut with UFC 326, drawing an average of 2.47 million viewers across a two‑hour window that included prelims and portions of the main card. The one‑hour segment featuring the main card (excluding the main event) averaged 2.81 million...
Macro: Disney reshuffles; Thomas Mazloum named Chair of Disney Experiences as D’Amaro becomes CEO. Risk: parks/cruise execution, capex. Trade: buy DIS on dips—parks expansion underpins cash flow. 📈 — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Disney announced Thomas Mazloum will succeed Josh D’Amaro as chairman of Disney Experiences, the division that drives the bulk of the company’s profit. Mazloum, who has overseen Disneyland Resort and Disney Signature Experiences, steps in as D’Amaro prepares to become...
Globo and Paraguay’s leading free‑to‑air channel Telefuturo have signed a new five‑year agreement (2026‑2030) to broadcast Globo’s flagship drama slate, beginning with the telenovela “Anything Goes,” which amassed over 150 million viewers and is Globo’s highest‑grossing prime‑time production. The renewal builds...
And guess who’s back at the director’s chair? #JamesWan has just signed with #Paramount to Co-produce & direct the remake of Korean 2019 action thriller hit #TheGangsterTheCopTheDevil, which starred #DonLee aka #MaDongseok, who will reprise his role in the American remake...
Paramount’s David Ellison Addresses Warner Bros. Execs at Town Hall: CEO Says ‘Turbulent’ Deal Process Is ‘Now Behind Us,’ Praises HBO as ‘Gold Standard’ in TV https://t.co/lNtW2mfuLg via @variety
Rising production costs are forcing American theater companies to stage new works in London, where venue rentals are cheaper than Broadway. The Kennedy Center’s two‑year closure leaves a cultural void, yet Washington National Opera successfully mounted Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha shortly...
🎙️ NEW @PuckNews: A CNN-CBS News tie-up is 40 years in the making... curious how it would work? @SamFeistDC, the C-SPAN C.E.O. and 33-year CNN veteran, breaks it down: https://t.co/mPte9ax0DE
Gracenote, the leading entertainment metadata provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT was trained on its proprietary data without permission. The complaint asserts that OpenAI reproduced Gracenote’s detailed descriptions and the relational framework that organizes its...
