Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Nintendo and Illumination target $200M-plus Easter opening for “Super Mario Galaxy”
The upcoming “Super Mario Galaxy” film is being positioned to generate more than $200 million domestically over the Easter holiday weekend, leveraging the franchise’s multigenerational appeal. Analysts reference the 2015 “Avengers: Age of Ultron” $191 million opening as a performance benchmark.
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By the numbers: K‑Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Lauren Demarte has been promoted to chief operating officer of GoDigital Music, becoming the company’s first COO. The appointment follows GoDigital’s recent $230 million financing round, which pushes total capital raised above $1 billion and coincides with a brand revamp that splits the business into Music, Networks, and Brands units. Demarte will oversee operational strategy globally, with a particular focus on expanding the firm’s presence in Latin America. Her promotion comes amid a series of high‑profile catalog acquisitions, including a $115 million Latin music deal and the Marc Anthony publishing purchase.
Netflix’s ad‑supported tier is on track to generate $8 billion in advertising revenue by 2030, far outpacing the broader connected‑TV (CTV) market. The company posted $1.5 billion in ad sales in 2025, more than 2.5 times its 2024 figure, and aims to double...
Ziff Davis reported Q4 2025 revenue of $406.7 million, a modest 1.5% decline, as affiliate commerce commissions fell $25 million, half of which occurred in the quarter. Tech and shopping segments saw revenues drop 18‑19% year‑over‑year, driving a 14% share plunge....
Instagram’s Instagram for TV app expands to Google TV devices in the United States, following its December launch on Amazon Fire TV. The TV version lets users watch Reels and browse their Instagram feed on a large screen, with auto‑playing...
AEG International announced John Langford will assume the role of President, Asia‑Pacific, effective April 1 2026. He will relocate to Singapore in September 2026 to steer AEG’s expansion across venues and real‑estate in the region. The appointment follows a robust pipeline that...
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Veteran developers from the defunct Radical Entertainment and Hothead Games have launched New Radical Games, with Ian Wilkinson as CEO and Tim Bennison as COO. Wilkinson, a co‑founder of Radical, sold the studio to Vivendi and later joined Hothead, while Bennison...
Senator Richard Blumenthal has publicly criticized the acting FCC Bureau Chief and the head of the Enforcement Bureau, alleging they have weaponized the commission’s equal‑time rule against political candidates appearing on non‑news programs. The dispute centers on whether talk shows,...
Cookbook Media has been named the global agent for content distribution and consumer‑product licensing of the new CG animated series *Force 5*, created by veteran animators David Marshall and Todd Gallina. The series is in development as a 13‑episode, 22‑minute format...
Atlanta’s BravesVision Grabs Own Media Reins in Wake of RSN Crackup https://t.co/ElyRtrPlBk via @sportico @crupicrupicrupi
Spotify disclosed that Nigerian users logged over 1.4 billion listening hours in 2025, driving playlist creations past 25 million. The platform reports a 163% year‑over‑year increase in average listening since 2021 and a staggering 5,022% surge in Afrobeats consumption. Local artist presence...
Disney and ESPN have sealed a 25‑game exclusive Banana Ball agreement for the 2026 season, more than doubling the 2022‑23 package. Every contest will stream live on the ESPN App and Disney+, with select matchups broadcast on ESPN networks and ABC,...
A new Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) study, conducted with TVision, finds premium video platforms on connected TV outperform YouTube in key engagement metrics. Across Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max and other services, premium platforms deliver 33% higher co‑viewing, 49% longer session...
Comcast Advertising promoted James Borow to general manager of its Universal Ads self‑service platform. Borow, formerly VP of product management and engineering, helped launch the product and will now steer strategy, operations, and execution as the service enters its second...
MARC Radio Group has finalized a purchase of Hall Communications' radio stations in the Lakeland‑Winter Haven market, marking the broadcaster's exit from the region. The deal, disclosed by RBR+TVBR, includes financial terms that reveal the price MARC paid to acquire...
Cyprus, with more than 300 game companies, has formed its own game developers group. https://t.co/cRBeAylwCk
BritBox’s Australian catalogue continues to lag behind UK premieres, with Season 15 of Death in Paradise arriving two months after its BBC debut, a stark contrast to the 11‑day gap for the previous season. While the service fast‑tracks select titles—Call the...
Warner Bros. Discovery has begun stripping live HBO linear channels from its ad‑supported Max bundles, affecting users who access Max through the Disney+ Trio bundle with Hulu. The cuts remove niche channels such as HBO Family and several Cinemax offshoots,...
Griffin Media has deployed Bitcentral’s Core News platform across its flagship stations KWTV in Oklahoma City and KOTV in Tulsa. The rollout, which began on Nov. 2, 2025 at KWTV and Nov. 16 at KOTV, includes Bitcentral’s Precis, Oasis, Create and Fusion Hybrid...
Frog Box and Red Monk Studio have launched production on a 26‑episode CG adaptation of Bonnie Bryant’s bestselling The Saddle Club series. The European co‑production, backed by France Télévisions, Rai and ZDF, will be split between France and Italy, with Superprod...
Disney+ has appointed Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman as head of original content for Latin America, starting March 25. Burman will lead creative development, talent cultivation, and integrate Latin American storytelling into Disney’s global portfolio. He brings experience from founding Oficina...
CBS Sports has secured exclusive English‑language U.S. rights to all CONCACAF women’s competitions through the 2029‑30 season, delivering more than 250 matches via Paramount+ and select broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and Golazo. The agreement covers the W Qualifiers and...
IAG has secured representation for The Struts' North American touring activities, assigning Peter Pappalardo, Dennis Arfa and Adam Kornfeld as booking agents. The British rock outfit has logged 127 headline reports on Pollstar since 2009, moving 132,377 tickets and generating...
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has hired London‑based agent David Bradley, formerly a partner and co‑head of WME’s pop division. Bradley arrives with a decade‑plus track record representing artists such as Dua Lipa, LCD Soundsystem, and Greta Van Fleet. His expertise...
YouTube announced that its Premium Lite tier now includes Background Play and video Downloads, features previously exclusive to the full Premium plan. The affordable $7.99‑per‑month subscription, launched in the U.S. in March 2025, continues to offer mostly ad‑free viewing but still...
Stingray has launched a suite of free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channels on Whale TV+, the free streaming platform operated by Singapore‑based Whale TV. The new lineup includes eight video channels—covering nature, wellness, art and ambience—and four audio channels ranging from...
Square Enix launched an updated PC version of the original Final Fantasy VII on Steam and GOG for $11.99. Existing Steam owners receive the upgrade at no extra cost, while the older 2013 Edition remains accessible but is no longer purchasable....
PlayStation and Insomniac Games have set a release date of September 15, 2026 for the highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine on PS5. The launch lands two months before Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6, which is slated for November 19, 2026. Wolverine represents...
Marvel’s Wolverine, an original action‑adventure starring Logan, is set to launch on September 15, 2026 exclusively for PlayStation 5. The title is developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind the acclaimed Marvel’s Spider‑Man series, and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in...
NEWS: Bruin Capital Hires Managing Director to Focus on Fan, Media Opportunities 👇https://t.co/PF2Kr0t9a4 via @sportico @LuisaRBeltran
Bruin Capital announced the hiring of Adam Hasiba as its first Managing Director, tasking him with expanding the firm’s sports, media and fan‑engagement platform. Hasiba leaves consumer‑focused private‑equity giant L Catterton after more than a decade, bringing deep experience scaling media‑centric...
Valve’s upcoming hero‑shooter *Deadlock* has reached a peak of 171,490 concurrent players, matching the active user count of Blizzard’s *Overwatch 2* despite being in a closed, invite‑only test. The game, still in a placeholder state with grey‑box maps, is attracting massive attention...
Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish completed its 8th e‑auction, collecting Rs 642 crore for FY26‑27, down from Rs 780 crore the prior year. Only 55 MPEG‑2 slots were sold, compared with 61 previously, reflecting a slimmer inventory and a revamped auction framework. The new...
U.S. subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) growth stalled in 2025, with new subscriber additions dropping 33% to 18 million versus 27 million in 2024, according to Antenna data. Quarterly growth slowed to 7% in Q4, down from 12% a year earlier. Netflix remained the...
DreamWorks’ sequel *The Bad Guys 2* will debut on Netflix US on March 21, 2026 after a brief exclusive run on Peacock. The film will enjoy a ten‑month exclusive streaming window before reverting to Peacock in early 2027. This release is part of Universal’s...
Roy Wood Jr. doesn’t sound like Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper or Erin Burnett. And yet, his importance to CNN could start approaching that of those popular anchors as CNN keeps digging into comedy programming as much as it does the...
Charter Communications has asked the California Public Utilities Commission to render a decision on its proposed acquisition of Cox Communications by July 16, 2026. The request stems from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Hart‑Scott‑Rodino antitrust clearance, which expires on September...
Arch Platform Technologies and Wacom have integrated Wacom Bridge into Arch’s cloud GPU workstation platform, enabling artists to use Wacom pen displays with full driver support and reduced latency. The joint solution, launched on Feb. 24, offers a "local‑like" feel...
Wowza announced Jon Corley as its new chief technology officer, tasked with steering the company’s AI‑driven streaming strategy. Corley will shape the technology vision, engineering roadmap, and product‑innovation agenda to embed artificial intelligence throughout Wowza’s platform. The move aligns with...
Dynamic Talent International has partnered with Madison House, bringing over 100 new clients and pushing its roster beyond 600 artists. Veteran booking agent Adam Bauer joins as a partner, while Jennaya Ramirez is promoted to partner role. The unified agency...
The Trade Desk unveiled the Ventura Ecosystem, a collaborative framework linking global TV operating systems and streaming platforms to streamline connected‑TV (CTV) advertising. The initiative offers participants access to The Trade Desk’s ad‑tech suite—including OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0/EUID, OpenAds, and upcoming...
Beta Film has expanded the distribution of the British hit series *Patience* to over 100 territories, adding AMC Networks as the Latin American broadcaster. The drama, produced by Eagle Eye Drama, saw record‑breaking viewership on Channel 4, with 4.2 million viewers in...
AI won’t build an entire game, but it can dramatically speed up asset creation for indie studios, according to Ludo.ai CTO Jorge Gomes. The technology excels at generating concept sketches, sprite animations, and 3D props, turning tasks that once took...
Steer Studios, a Savvy Games Group subsidiary, is gearing up for a 2026 milestone with the launch of its second title, Tom & Jerry Blast, slated for a global release this year. CEO Yannick Theler was recently named among Saudi Arabia’s Top 100...
Radio Workflow has upgraded its cloud‑native broadcast platform, unifying sales, production, traffic and management for small‑to‑mid‑market stations. The expansion introduces Broadcast Buddy, an AI‑driven assistant that handles meeting prep, email summarization, contract drafting and system navigation. New sales tools let...
Sony Pictures Animation’s “KPop: Demon Hunters,” released on Netflix in June 2025, became the streaming platform’s most‑watched original title, pulling in hundreds of millions of views. Although critics called the sale a financial misstep because Sony gave up theatrical, franchise,...
Blizzard announced Overwatch Rush, a top‑down hero shooter crafted from the ground up for iOS and Android. The title is in early development and currently undergoing a limited geo test in select regions. Gameplay focuses on fast‑paced, bite‑sized sessions with...
Zigazoo, a safe‑social platform for Gen Alpha, has grown to over 10 million users and more than 1,000 kid creators, positioning itself as both a moderated community and a brand activation hub. President Ashley Mady emphasizes a “trifecta” strategy that merges product,...
The Cyprus Game Developers Association (CYGMA) has been launched to serve as a unified voice for more than 300 game studios operating on the island. Its founding members include industry heavyweights such as Wargaming, Gaijin Entertainment, Owlcat Games, My.Games, Helio...
After months of noisy fighting in public, these talks are once again quiet. WBD will take some time to assess the latest Paramount bid and Netflix will have a chance to amend its current agreement (if necessary).
Disney Cruise Line opened bookings for its summer 2027 schedule, featuring the first European deployment of the Disney Wish and a renewed Alaska presence from Vancouver with the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. The lineup also adds extensive Caribbean and...
