Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Block family power struggle threatens sale of Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette empire
Twin heirs John Robinson Block and Allan Block are locked in a battle over the future of Block Communications. John has ordered a valuation to explore a possible sale, while Allan, the current CEO, says any transaction would destroy the family legacy.
The Daily Express has launched a new Express Premium subscription, offering ad‑lite reading, exclusive journalism, and perks like the Daily Expresso newsletter and enhanced commenting. New subscribers can try the service for £1 in the first month and receive priority event access and special offers. This move follows Reach plc's broader rollout of paywalls at titles such as the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, and Wales Online. The premium tier is positioned to deepen reader‑journalist relationships while diversifying revenue beyond advertising.
Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison, is still courting Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) even though a shareholder vote is set for March 20. Netflix, the rival bidder, gave WBD a one‑week waiver on exclusivity, allowing direct talks with Paramount but...
Chipotle topped spot‑cable advertising for the week of Feb 16‑22, 2026, ranking only behind NCAA basketball promos on iHeartMedia’s Media Monitors. The fast‑casual chain out‑performed traditional advertisers such as Liberty Mutual, Progressive, and Chase, which also posted strong activity. Spot‑television rankings...
Radio stations face mounting obsolete gear as technology advances, prompting a shift toward leaner facilities and consolidation. The article outlines a step‑by‑step plan for inventory audits, staff communication, and systematic removal of outdated equipment. It emphasizes documentation, recycling, and potential...
MSC Cruises is overhauling its 2026 entertainment slate, adding AI‑powered robotic dogs and humanoid robots, new original game shows, and refreshed music and production shows across its fleet. The pilot on MSC Bellissima will expand to Asian sailings and the...
Penn Entertainment announced the appointment of three independent directors—Heather Ace, Jeffrey Fox and Fabio Schiavolin—expanding its board from eight to eleven members and ending a two‑year dispute with activist investor HG Vora Capital Management. In exchange, Vora withdrew the lawsuit it...
NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution used this year’s London TV Screenings to debut three flagship series – the ensemble drama The Five-Star Weekend starring Jennifer Garner, the high‑octane thriller Prisoner featuring Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle, and the character‑driven comedy Dog Park....
HeartMedia’s new study defines a growing audience – bicultural Latinos who identify equally as American and Hispanic – and highlights their media habits. Radio remains dominant, reaching nine‑in‑ten of this group each month, while 90% regularly consume English‑language content and...
SPI International has rolled out its FilmBox+ streaming service in Bulgaria and Serbia through a partnership with telecom operator A1 Group. The launch builds on FilmBox+'s existing presence in Poland, Hungary and Romania, extending the brand’s reach in Southeast Europe....
Maryana Brown has been appointed head of content at Creatorville, bringing a multi‑award‑winning background in platform‑native productions across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and podcasts. Previously, she held senior roles at LADbible Group and Strong Watch Studios, where she launched high‑view formats....
ABC has ordered a six‑part crime drama titled Pilli Sisters PI, created and written by actress‑author Tasma Walton. The series follows Indigenous sisters running a private investigation firm in Fremantle, Western Australia, and will be filmed across the state. Production...
World of Warships: Legends will hold its final closed beta on Steam from March 12‑16, featuring full cross‑play and live‑server matchmaking. Players who participated in earlier tests receive automatic invitations, while new applicants can request access via the Steam page. Simultaneously,...
Team Vitality announced it will exit the RENNSPORT R1 series and shift its sim‑racing focus to the upcoming ERL VCO championship while building a dedicated division. The French esports group retained R8G Esports as manager and added three drivers—Kaj de Bruin,...
Cobalt Digital will unveil a suite of new end‑to‑end IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 solutions at the 2026 NAB Show, including the blueCORE 1RU processor family, upgraded PACIFIC ULL‑DEC decoder with dual SDI/ST 2110 output, a factory‑installed DVB‑S/S2 demodulator, and hybrid satellite‑internet...
Keep in mind in the Netflix vs. Paramount contest for Warner Bros... Netflix does not propose to absorb CNN, TNT, TBS. It would spin them off in a new company like Comcast did with MSNBC. Whereas the Ellisons want to show...
Grammy‑winning rap duo Salt‑N‑Pepa have filed a notice of appeal after a district judge dismissed their lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking to terminate UMG’s ownership of their master recordings. The lower‑court ruling held that the duo never owned the...
Com2uS announced a partnership with SHIFTUP to revive the Destiny Child franchise as an idle RPG, targeting a global mobile launch in 2026. Development is handled by Com2uS’s TikiTaka Studio, known for high‑quality visuals in titles like Soul Strike and Arcana Tactics....
National Student Esports (NSE) has named student‑accommodation provider Vita Student its headline partner for 2026. The partnership will back the British University Esports Championship and enable NSE to deliver more content, competitive events and enhanced player experiences throughout the academic...
Duetti just raised $200 million. It built the infrastructure to invest in the music rights that other companies may overlook. My latest episode on Trapital sits down with Duetti CEO @ltibon to discuss. Check out our latest episode: "Follow The Money:...
TiVo has pivoted from its legacy DVR brand to a data‑infrastructure player, leveraging its deep content metadata and household viewership signals. The company emphasizes independent, comprehensive data that uniquely combines the "what" (metadata) and the "who" (audience behavior) across linear...
Animaj, a digital‑first kids media company, has signed a global music partnership with Magic Star, The Orchard’s children’s division, and Sony Music Publishing. Magic Star will distribute Animaj’s recordings worldwide while Sony will administer publishing rights for its song catalog....
A French court rejected ProtonVPN’s arguments against mandatory blocking of sports piracy sites, compelling the Swiss VPN provider to enforce the order in France. ProtonVPN claimed the block violated the EU’s Open Internet Regulation and would cause technical overreach, but...
Spotify is extending its AI‑powered Prompted Playlists to Premium users in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Sweden after earlier tests in New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada. The feature lets listeners generate custom playlists by typing natural‑language prompts that describe...
Apple’s recent rollout of native video in Apple Podcasts marks a pivotal shift, turning video into a core podcast format and introducing Apple’s first large‑scale video ad revenue share. This move accelerates the “liquid content era,” where shows fluidly switch...
Atlantic Music Group announced a joint venture with indie label Today Is Vintage, founded by Swedish entrepreneur Rebin Shah. Today Is Vintage, operating from Stockholm, London and Los Angeles, has generated over 20 billion streams and more than 80 gold and platinum...
Lemonada Media is hiring a part‑time, temporary Video Growth Lead to boost its YouTube and short‑form video presence. The role, reporting to the SVP of Content & Production, will create, edit, and optimize video assets for shows like *Don’t Listen...
Dentsu Entertainment announced a strategic partnership with Iconic Arts to develop original, brand‑centric intellectual property, emphasizing anime and serialized formats. The collaboration will initially serve Dentsu’s Japan‑US synergy initiatives, helping Japanese and global brands launch cross‑market franchises. Leveraging Iconic Arts’...
User‑generated content (UGC) is reshaping modern marketing by leveraging authentic consumer voices across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and review sites. Brands that showcase real experiences see higher engagement, expanded reach, and improved SEO, as search engines favor fresh, user‑authored material....
Microsoft Gaming announced its most significant leadership overhaul in a decade, with longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring and Xbox president Sarah Bond exiting. Core AI product president Asha Sharma will now lead the division, while Matt Booty steps up...
Arknights: Endfield earned $46 million in its first month on mobile, with iOS accounting for $28.3 million and Google Play $17.7 million. Japan and China drove 39% and 28% of global spend respectively, while the U.S. contributed about 10%. Player spending peaked on...
The National Rugby League reported a record AUS$845.6 million in revenue for 2025, a dramatic jump from AUS$100.7 million the year before. Media, merchandise and betting rights contributed AUS$520 million, while sponsorship, ticket sales and government funding grew 41% to AUS$286.7 million. Club distributions...
Manchester United led the UK Instagram surge in January 2026, adding 497,000 followers to reach 66.1 million total. Harry Styles, Owen Cooper, Olivia Dean and other entertainers followed, each gaining between 191,000 and 419,000 new followers. The growth was driven by a...
A rapid AI‑driven memory boom has pushed DRAM prices up nearly 100% in 2025 and an additional 60% in early 2026, while NAND storage rose 70% in the same period. The surge squeezes console hardware margins, prompting platform holders to...
Sony Music Publishing announced Greg Prata as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective March 31, succeeding Tom Kelly who is retiring after a 35‑year career. Prata, who joined Sony in 2012 after a stint at EMI and has a background in...
Canadian streamer Crave’s original series “Heated Rivalry” has become a breakout hit, pulling in roughly 11.5 million U.S. viewers on HBO Max and ranking as the platform’s top‑acquired series. The show’s success has driven a 26 percent subscriber surge for Crave, adding over...
EMPIRE announced a new publishing agreement with Grammy‑winning artist Shaboozey, extending the partnership that began with his 2021 label signing. The deal follows the massive success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which logged 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard...
Millennial Entertainment, a Beverly Hills‑based 360° talent firm founded in 2017, positions itself as a long‑term career architect for creators, athletes and performers. Co‑founders Jack Reed and Max Litke emphasize a full‑service model that extends beyond brand deals into podcast...
A 1 kW Class C AM station broadcasting vintage 1960s rock from Oregon’s capital is set to change hands, pending Federal Communications Commission approval. The outlet, operating with a single tower, has cultivated a dedicated niche audience that values analog authenticity. Ownership...
Guggenheim Brothers Media has launched a $75 million fund, anchored by Abu Dhabi’s Ethmar International, to fill the middle‑market funding gap in the creator economy. The Los Angeles‑based firm will invest $1‑5 million in 20‑25 early‑ to growth‑stage media and entertainment companies...
Telos Alliance announced a software update (v3.32.47) for its Linear Acoustic AERO series to incorporate the latest Nielsen watermark encoding library and fix a timestamp reset issue that would affect data reporting after Jan 1, 2027. The update covers current AERO models—including...
Suno, a generative‑AI music startup, has hired Jeremy Sirota, former CEO of Merlin, as its chief commercial officer. In the role, Sirota will steer Suno’s commercial strategy, industry relationships, platform partnerships and enterprise solutions, reporting to co‑founder Mikey Shulman. At...
Rewarded user acquisition (RUA) is a mobile marketing strategy that grants players in‑game rewards for completing post‑install tasks such as tutorials or level milestones. By tying incentives to meaningful actions, RUA drives higher engagement, retention, and ultimately better return on...
54 days into 2026 ☕️ How many sync licensing companies have you pitched music to?
Dr. Peter Attia has finally been pushed off the CBS News contributor rolls -- just as parent Paramount Skydance is about to make its 'best and final' offer for Warner https://t.co/Zjfxf7QXbH via @variety
A new Duetti Music Economics Report examined over 6 million tracks from 2025 and found that only about 1.1% of songs achieve a viral spike, defined as a five‑fold stream increase in a month. Sustaining that momentum is even rarer, with...
The president's comments about Netflix/Susan Rice shouldn't have bearing over the approval of any WBD deal — a decision to sue to block would be made by the DOJ which would face an indp judge in court — BUT his...
Donna Summer is hot again thanks to Olympic ⛸️ Alysa Liu’s Olympic Gold Skate Sends Donna Summer Streams Soaring: https://t.co/awwuTGQRmj via @sportico @germanotes w/ data from @luminate_data
Audacy is extending its flagship WGR Sports Radio brand into the Rochester market by simulcasting most of the Buffalo‑based programming on WROC‑AM and its FM translator W239BF. The station will keep its WROC call letters but adopt the WGR Rochester...
Tidal has expanded its Spotlight program to Canada, the UK and several European markets, adding eleven countries in total. The initiative ties directly to Tidal Upload, allowing any publicly posted track to enter an editorial review queue without a separate...
The broadcast industry is shifting toward Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to automate and scale live production. Tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and the emerging SMPTE ST 2138 “Catena” standard promise to unify control across dozens of vendor protocols, allowing entire workflows...
