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
The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) has signed memoranda of understanding with ROC Esports and Team Stallion to develop Saudi esports talent. The agreements will deliver joint training, specialised programs through the Saudi Esports Academy, and create clearer career pathways for graduates. They are part of a broader Vision 2030‑aligned strategy to build a sustainable, talent‑driven esports ecosystem and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub. The partnerships aim to empower professionals and nurture the next generation of national players.
Savvy Games Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the American University of Bahrain under its Savvy Academy talent‑development program. The MoU will enable Media and Design students to undertake internships, studio visits and hands‑on projects that mirror professional...
Vimto has introduced its new Vimto Rose flavour in the Middle East by partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Fatafeat channel during Ramadan. The collaboration embeds the drink within the channel’s Kitchen Tales programming, positioning it as a natural ingredient for recipes, mocktails...
Taylor Swift’s *The Life of a Showgirl* topped the IFPI’s 2025 global album‑sales chart with 6.05 million units, despite ranking only eighth in streaming. The album’s strength came from 2.34 million vinyl copies, far outpacing the nearest competitor. Asian acts, especially K‑Pop, dominated...
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has named VALORANT 2025 Champions MVP Brock “brawk” Somerhalder as its newest brand ambassador, positioning him to promote the ROG Ace esports hardware line. The move follows ROG’s earlier partnership with CS2 star ZywOo and...
Former Saints Row design director Chris Stockman says the franchise is effectively dead after Embracer Group failed to respond to his pre‑quel pitch. Stockman, now leading Bit Planet Games, proposed a 1970s‑set story that initially sparked online buzz, but Embracer,...
German broadcaster RTL Deutschland and Warner Bros. Discovery have merged RTL+ and HBO Max into a single, cancellable subscription for Austrian consumers. The bundle offers two tiers—a ad‑supported option at €11.99 and an ad‑free version at €17.99—both discounted from the standalone prices. An introductory...
PGAV, a leading destination‑design firm, is establishing a dedicated international hub in Abu Dhabi to serve the fast‑growing immersive tourism markets of the Middle East and China. The expansion, overseen by principal John Kasman, builds on longstanding client relationships and...
Deepdub has teamed up with Love TV Channels to bring AI‑driven dubbing to free ad‑supported streaming (FAST) services across Europe. The partnership will localise Cineflix Rights factual titles into Castilian Spanish, Italian and French, targeting Love TV’s 25 million monthly viewers....
CBS’s fall lineup captured eight of the ten most‑watched broadcast series and nine of the top‑20 titles across broadcast and streaming, according to Nielsen’s live + 35‑day multiplatform data through January 4, 2026. The drama Tracker led the pack with 16.7 million viewers, while new...
Med Media Services has secured distribution for its Mediterranean‑themed FAST channel MED.TV on Rakuten TV, extending the service across 43 European markets. The partnership gives MED.TV access to a potential audience of more than 150 million households, complementing its existing footprint of...
Broadcasters are shifting from traditional on‑site OB trucks to hybrid remote production, where capture occurs at the venue and control functions run from centralized master control rooms. The model, accelerated by pandemic constraints, delivers the same broadcast quality while slashing...
Civic Media is revamping its News/Talk format across Wisconsin under the Civic Media Network brand, launching new local programs on stations in Wausau, Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh‑Appleton. The refreshed schedule features a flagship morning show, Daybreak with Brian and Jamie,...
Tencent has reportedly closed its TiMi Montreal studio, which was founded in 2021 to develop a AAA open‑world, service‑focused game for PC and consoles. The studio never shipped a title in its five‑year run, despite hiring former Assassin’s Creed creative...
Warner Bros. Discovery reported its strongest Olympic streaming performance to date during the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Games, with total hours viewed on HBO Max and discovery+ jumping 103% versus Beijing 2022. European markets delivered triple‑digit growth, and combined platform audiences...
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co‑chairs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca celebrated a landmark year in which their 2025 slate generated over $4 billion at the box office and earned three Best Picture nominations – a feat not seen since...
Production Park secured planning approval to expand its campus to nearly 30 acres, adding two new studios and over 70,000 square feet of commercial space. The development will also house a training and performance centre and enlarge the teaching facilities...
California’s SB 576, effective soon, mandates that ads in streaming content be loudness‑matched to the surrounding program, extending the CALM Act principles to digital platforms. The law places compliance responsibility on the entity delivering the ad to California viewers, exposing the...
The article highlights that Hispanic listeners are the most engaged radio audience, making accurate Hispanic sampling crucial for Nielsen’s PPM and diary ratings. It explains Nielsen’s three‑ethnicity tracking (Black, Hispanic, Other) and the need for balanced panels, noting that clients...
Sunset+Vine has secured a new four‑year deal to produce Channel 4’s Crufts coverage, extending a partnership that began in 2010. The broadcaster will deploy a 150‑person crew, three outside‑broadcast trucks and 22 cameras to deliver 17 hours of televised programming and...
Microdramas have become the fastest‑growing mobile video format, now out‑watching Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video in daily minutes per user in the US. Omdia estimates the segment generated $11 billion in 2025 and will reach $14 billion by 2026, with the United...
Final Fantasy 7 Remake climbed to No. 2 on the US Nintendo charts for January 2026, trailing only Pokémon Legends: Z‑A. The title’s multi‑platform launch on Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation boosted its visibility after a modest December ranking. At a $39.99 price point, the...
King Art Games told PC Gamer it isn’t anxious about Creative Assembly’s upcoming Total War: Warhammer 40K, likening the overlap to the internet’s “two cakes” meme. The studio says Dawn of War 4 will stick to tight, cover‑based squad combat while Total War...
Virgin Media O2 will add Sky Atlantic to its Virgin TV platform at no extra cost starting April 1. Existing Virgin TV 360 and Stream box customers who already receive Sky Entertainment channels will automatically gain access to the channel, bringing popular...
Vodafone Deutschland is offering a permanent €2 monthly discount on Netflix subscriptions for its internet, TV and mobile customers, cutting the ad‑supported Standard plan to €2.99 and reducing higher‑tier plans by the same amount. The discount applies to both new...
Roblox creators are actively pursuing film and television adaptations of their original intellectual property, viewing entertainment deals as a lucrative new revenue channel. The platform’s user engagement is nearing that of major streaming services, with Q3 2025 user hours reaching...
HBO Documentary Films announced acquisition of worldwide TV and streaming rights to the documentary "The Slightest Touch." The film, directed by Rachel Fleit, chronicles Emma Fogarty, a 40‑year‑old living with Epidermolysis Bullosa, as she trains for the Dublin Marathon with...
Netflix has pledged a £1 million donation to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) to launch the Netflix Lounge, a new creativity hub on its Beaconsfield campus. The contribution is part of Netflix’s Generation N programme, which aggregates over £30 million spent...
Warner Bros Discovery reported a record streaming audience for the 2026 Milano‑Cortina Winter Games across Europe, with total hours viewed jumping 103% versus Beijing 2022. Viewer counts more than tripled, rising 234% over the previous Games, and the platform attracted more subscribers in...
Meta has launched the Agency Growth Collective, a pilot program for independent agencies in the United States. The initiative replaces the traditional single Meta representative with a shared alias that routes communications to a rotating bench of specialists and offers...
The $100 million whistleblower lawsuit filed by former GroupM CEO Richard Foster has resurfaced as WPP filed a motion to dismiss, attaching internal documents that reveal the scale of GroupM’s proprietary media deals. Foster’s 36‑page “Project Claridges” report shows that only...
While it seems likely that next 24 hours will see news on Paramount - WBD - Netflix, the Monday deadline is the negotiating window between Paramount and WBD. It is not a deadline for an offer so in the unlikely...
Paramount Is Expected to Raise Price of Warner Bros. Discovery Bid. Will Netflix Walk Away? https://t.co/rRAxVO21Ls via @variety
Gary Borman, the veteran Nashville manager behind Keith Urban’s 25‑year partnership, announced his retirement and the closure of Borman Entertainment, a firm he founded 50 years ago. The company, with offices in Nashville and Los Angeles, represented a roster ranging...
D.C. Memo: @POTUS Trump Demands @Netflix Fire Board Member and Prominent Democrat Susan Rice 'Immediately' | @NFLX https://t.co/jxMX8MYG3j
🇺🇸 it’s a clause in his contract that he insisted on before taking the job
Meta has added a one‑tap sharing option that lets Threads users push public posts straight to Instagram Stories without leaving the Threads app. The feature automatically formats the Thread into a full‑screen Stories frame, but it does not allow any...
AMC Networks reported a strong 2025, with streaming becoming its largest domestic revenue source and free cash flow of $272 million surpassing the $200 million target. The company cut gross debt by nearly $600 million, lowering net leverage to 3.1 x while maintaining $675 million...
Bob Ross paintings are being auctioned to rescue public television after the federal government cut $1.11 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, threatening PBS stations nationwide. American Public Television partnered with Bonhams Skinner to sell original Ross works, raising nearly...
Wall Street analysts are circulating a theory that Netflix’s primary goal in the Warner Bros. deal is not to acquire the studio but to block Paramount Skydance from obtaining it. The speculation hinges on Netflix’s willingness to spend billions, potentially triggering...
Mel Gibson’s *The Passion of the Christ* will leave Netflix at the end of February 2026, ending its annual Easter streaming run. The departure has sparked fan backlash over the upcoming recasting of Jesus, as Jim Caviezel will not reprise...
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, released March 2024, has become one of HBO Max’s most‑watched titles, topping the platform’s Top 10 chart. The film pushes the MonsterVerse deeper into Hollow Earth mythology, delivering neon‑lit kaiju battles that outshine its 2014 predecessor. At the box office...
The episode breaks down the latest domestic weekend box office, noting a modest dip for *Wuthering Heights* and a strong second‑week hold for *GOAT*. It highlights Disney’s *Zootopia 2* soaring to $423.9 million in the U.S., just shy of the top...
Kristen Welker is the face of a new pitch from NBC News for its recently launched subscription product, which touts 'exclusive briefings' for SOTU and 'regular video briefings from my expert colleagues' https://t.co/SMpEmiJZeo
Global #BoxOffice Top10 2025 releases ONLY #NeZha2🇨🇳$2.2B #Zootopia2 🇺🇸$1.85B #AvatarFireAndAsh 🇺🇸$1.47B #LiloAndStitch🇺🇸$1.04B #AMinecraftMovie🇺🇸$958.3M #JurassicWorldRebirth 🇺🇸$869.1M #DemonSlayerInfinityCastle🇯🇵792M #HTTYD🇺🇸$636.4M #F1🇺🇸633.2M #SUPERMAN🇺🇸616.8M https://t.co/htLsp8tXQh
Vicarious Visions, teetering on the brink of insolvency, secured a $1 million loan and pitched a handheld Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to Activision using fabricated screenshots. The studio overcame the Game Boy Advance’s storage limits by rendering 3D polygonal skaters at...
This question by @MarkRuffalo is critical. Right now there's an attempt to force people to pick either Paramount or Netflix as the right acquirer, but both are wrong answers. An acquisition by either firm would consolidate the market and is...
The episode reports that Tencent has shut down its TiMi Montreal studio, which never released a game during its five-year existence. The closure was hinted at for weeks, confirmed by a programmer’s LinkedIn post, and reflects a broader retreat by...
PGL and the Romanian city of Cluj‑Napoca have extended their partnership through 2029, confirming the BT Arena as the permanent venue for the CS2 flagship tournament. Dates for the 2027 and 2028 editions are locked in for mid‑February, with the...
PlayStation announced a strategic shift toward younger gamers during its February State of Play, unveiling titles such as Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Horizon Hunters Gathering, and a T‑rated God of War: Sons of Sparta. Sony is publishing indie‑developed Kena directly,...
