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
Australian entrepreneurs Cam McMaster and Chris McLoghlin launched InboxAgents.ai and Guardii.ai in 2025 to give creators a unified AI‑powered inbox and abuse‑filtering layer. The tools aggregate direct messages and emails, surface high‑value brand inquiries, and quarantine harassment, helping creators recover missed six‑figure deals. Early testing revealed that inbox overload costs top creators millions, prompting a shift from pure safety to revenue‑capture. The companies target the 1 % of the estimated 100‑200 million creators who lack professional management.
Kai Battaglene, founder of Jetpak Media, argues that creator campaigns underperform because brands prioritize convenience over contextual relevance. Drawing on a decade in Australian media and senior roles at Spotify and ARN, he launched Jetpak in October 2025 to craft...
Mary Kish, Twitch’s Head of Community, argues that the platform’s competitive edge lies in deep, real‑time community interaction rather than algorithmic distribution. In 2025 Twitch welcomed 9 million new streamers, prompting the community team to embed engagement tools—badges, raids, and moderation...
LOST iN has launched *Subway Food Tour*, a creator‑led travel series that follows food influencer Jeremy Jacobowitz as he explores off‑beat eateries along a single subway line. The show is co‑produced with Andrew Zimmern’s Intuitive Content, giving the venture production...
Two major sports titles are slated for a March showdown: WWE 2K26 arrives on March 14 (or as early as March 6 for premium editions) as the franchise’s first current‑gen‑only release, featuring a new physics engine and a roster exceeding 400 wrestlers. MLB...
April 2026 will host a packed lineup of creator‑economy conferences across Dubai, New York, London, Lisbon, Los Angeles and more. Events such as the Dubai Creator Summit, Social Media Week, NAB Show and Canva Create bring together nano‑to‑macro influencers, brands, marketers and...
Mercedes‑Benz USA teamed with Amazon Ads to launch a series of custom creative spots that aired during Prime Video’s NBA broadcasts in January and February, featuring Dirk Nowitzki showcasing GLS features. The campaign targets younger, diversified luxury buyers by leveraging live‑sports...
Australia’s Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) held its first summit and the 2025 AiMCO Awards in Sydney, celebrating creators, brands, agencies and technology partners. The event highlighted the “Creator Era” theme and featured keynotes from major players such as MECCA, Tourism...
Symphonic Distribution has promoted Guji Lorenzana to Director of A&R and Client Development for the Asia‑Pacific region, adding Arie Legowo as A&R Client Development Lead in Indonesia and Abegail Ungab as Senior Manager of Content, UGC & Rights Management. Lorenzana will now...
Prediction: this will make the Disney / Hulu / ESPN DTC integration, which has taken 5+ years and with a lot of tough decisions to make along the way, look like a walk in the park. And that's before considering...
Shuffly has opened The Grand Shuffle in Utrecht, the Netherlands' first fully dedicated shuffleboard bar featuring eight bespoke digital tables. The venue, developed with Brothers Horeca Groep, uses proprietary hardware and software for automatic scoring and fast‑paced play, eliminating the...
If CNN can't get a decent sub growth push with the recent strikes in Iran, it should be a sign that a standalone CNN streaming app is a Bad Idea, and should be brought back into HBO Max. Then again,...
Spike Chunsoft and Kadokawa have opened the Danganronpa 15th Anniversary Exhibition in Tokyo’s Matsuzakaya department store, running March 6‑16, with a second phase slated for Osaka’s Daimaru Umeda from March 28‑April 20. Visitors can view series artwork, meet a greeting from headmaster Monokuma...
YouTube’s platform is being flooded by low‑quality, mass‑produced AI videos, dubbed “AI slop,” which now appear in roughly one‑in‑five Shorts recommendations to new users. A Kapwing analysis identified 278 dedicated AI slop channels that together generated 63 billion views, 221 million subscribers...
Chris McGurk has transformed Cineverse from a modest digital cinema business into a publicly traded studio‑tech hybrid that blends content creation with proprietary streaming infrastructure. The company now delivers over 70,000 titles to 50 million monthly viewers across theatrical, TVOD, FAST,...
Zeev Neumeier, the co‑founder of the ACR pioneer Inscape, launched Gray Swan to bring agentic AI to the chaotic world of CTV ad operations. The platform ingests massive ad‑tech datasets, builds contextual models, and automates decisions that previously required hours...
C15 Studio has renewed its multi‑year agreement with Formula 1 to continue operating the free, ad‑supported Formula 1 Channel in the United States. The updated deal adds live broadcast rights for the 2026 F1 Academy Series, the sport’s all‑female development championship. Launched...
The FCC granted a waiver allowing DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting to purchase Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV from Scripps for $83 million, exceeding the agency’s two‑stations‑per‑market rule. Media Bureau Chief Erin Boone ruled the exception would not harm competition and would protect local...
Paramount Skydance’s horror sequel “Scream 7” opened with $64.1 million in U.S. box‑office revenue and $97.2 million worldwide, marking the strongest debut in the franchise’s history. The film achieved this with a modest $11.8 million national TV advertising budget, anchored by a $10 million Super...
Nintendo’s new Switch 2 hardware dominated Japan’s weekly software chart for February 16‑22, 2026, with Mario Tennis Fever leading at 14,577 units. Legacy franchises such as Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Mario Kart World also posted strong numbers, while Switch 2‑specific editions of Animal...
Walt Disney Imagineering shelved a decade‑old Disney Villains land for Disney California Adventure, opting instead for a Pixar Pier makeover that debuted in 2018. The shift transformed California Screamin’ into the Incredicoaster and re‑themed several classic rides as part of a...
Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming has issued a request for information (RFI) to gauge developer, investor and operator interest in a large‑scale theme park for the Niagara region, with submissions due by March 9, 2026. The proposal is a centerpiece...
Policyband Headlines ■ @FCC Merger Approval a Breeze for Charter-Cox ■ How Far Can @BrendanCarrFCC Go to Keep @NFL on Free TV? ■ @FSFthinktank's Long Calls for New Cable Rules if 39% Cap Goes ■ Malone Seeks @FCC Approval to Take Control of...
Paramount boss David Ellison confirms their @ufc agreement enables them to put fights on @HBO, sorta brings HBO back to its fighting roots @BrandoLightShed $PSKY $WBD https://t.co/Dph8xQXjcP
Tickets for Good has launched an API integration with AXS across the UK, allowing promoters and venues to channel unsold ticket inventory to its verified community‑member network of more than 620,000 healthcare workers, teachers and charity staff. The platform, which...
the only analysis on this, imo, outside of "efficiency savings" through mass layoffs (🤮🤮🤮🤮) and tech stack consolidation is what percentage of "churn and return" customers from these two cohorts would extend their subscription lifetime with very little CAC increases.
"We have no intention to pull back on production," says Paramount CEO David Ellison, who adds combining streaming requires investing in content to achieve growth goals.
Fertitta Entertainment, the Houston Rockets’ owner, is in talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment, a $5 billion market‑cap casino operator. If the deal closes, conflict‑of‑interest rules would force Caesars to drop all Rockets betting lines from its online and brick‑and‑mortar sportsbooks, echoing...
Meet Bruce. He’s Got a Long Line of Advertising Mascots to Honor in Quest to Sell for Procter & Gamble https://t.co/CEGcvtR0UM via @variety
Procter & Gamble has backed ad mascots ranging from Mr. Clean to the Charmin bears. Now it's hoping to add another one to its roster --- for weed-killer? https://t.co/CEGcvtR0UM via @variety
Live Nation, along with other major live‑music firms, reported zero federal income tax for 2025 despite record revenues. The tax outcome stems from the 2025 One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which grants 100 % bonus depreciation on new venues, creating...
"HBO should stay HBO," promises Paramount CEO David Ellison. Praises Casey Bloys and says "Game of Thrones" is his favorite HBO show." I'd get to negotiating a new deal for Bloys then ASAP.
Paramount CEO David Ellison says no asset sales planned at this time if WBD deal goes through.
ARRI and HONOR have formed a strategic partnership to embed ARRI’s cinematic imaging principles into HONOR’s upcoming ROBOT smartphone. The collaboration will debut later in 2026, bringing professional colour science, highlight roll‑off, and depth cues to a consumer device. By...
Paramount CEO David Ellison calls deal to acquire Warner, "a unique and thrilling moment." Alas he said it with the enthusiasm of a parking attendant telling you to head to the roof for a space. Pre-recordings never sound exciting.
On investor call, Paramount confirms it plans to put P+ and HBO Max together, making one service from the two.
Suno AI announced a $300 million annual revenue run‑rate backed by 2 million paying subscribers, averaging $150 per user and highlighting strong demand for its Premier tier that allows 2,000 songs per month. The platform’s rapid growth coincides with a surge in...
Combined Par-WBD estimated to have $69 billion in proforma revenue and $18 billion in EBITDA.
Paramount COO Andy Gordon says $6 billion in synergies can be realized in three years from consolidating streaming structures, optimizing real estate holdings, combining various units, etc.
Bango’s new report, unveiled at Mobile World Congress, finds that 43% of U.S. consumers feel they are paying for unused subscriptions, driving demand for more flexible pricing. The survey shows strong interest in usage‑based billing, binge‑watch incentives, and cross‑platform credits....
Paramount CEO David Ellison commits to 30 theatrical movies and a 45-day window and says HBO will continue to have the resources and independence to "do what it does best."
Paramount CEO David Ellison says deal with Warner is opportunity to help shape the future and build the next generation media and entertainment company.
Arknights: Endfield generated $46 million in its debut month, with iOS accounting for 61 % of revenue. Blizzard announced Overwatch Rush, a mobile‑first spinoff built by a team with deep mobile expertise. Turkey introduced a unified incentive framework to boost user‑acquisition funding for...
Paramount investor call to discuss merger w Warner is about to begin.... $PARA $WBD https://t.co/fMPs2jSr2O
Hispanic consumers now make up roughly a quarter of U.S. adults under 30 and wield $2.6‑$2.7 trillion in buying power, driving over 70% of the nation’s population growth between 2022‑2023. Despite this scale, they receive only about four cents of every...
The PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports have renewed their media‑rights agreement through 2033. The extension secures broadcast of the Ryder Cup, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and PGA Professional Championship on NBC, Peacock, USA Network...
Netflix UK has assembled a dedicated commissioning team for live unscripted programming, headed by longtime Netflix executive Daisy Lilley. The unit added Claire Horton, known for The Masked Singer UK, on a fixed‑term contract and will oversee upcoming live events...
Paradox is marking the 11th anniversary of Cities: Skylines with a free Steam weekend, series‑wide discounts, and a new Race Day expansion launching March 10. The original game also receives a free patch adding roadside fences and an Employment Info View, while...
Polus Capital Management has purchased a 26.54 percent stake in Arqiva from Macquarie, becoming the company’s largest external shareholder. Polus, which manages roughly $14 billion in assets, highlighted Arqiva’s role in the UK’s national communications backbone and its stable, sustainable growth trajectory....
Greg Flanagan has been appointed Head of Client Services at UK ticketing agency Gigantic, a senior role created to reinforce the firm’s service offering as its client base expands. Flanagan arrives with more than two decades of ticketing experience, most...
