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
PTZOptics announced a Visual Reasoning initiative that fuses its robotic PTZ camera systems with Moondream’s open‑source vision‑language models. The partnership enables real‑time video interpretation, powering features such as auto‑tracking, smarter search, automated indexing, and event‑driven triggers. By offering an open integration path, the solution is aimed at integrators and small development teams seeking to scale broadcast‑grade capabilities with fewer errors. The move positions PTZOptics to extend its hardware reliability into AI‑driven decision making across multiple sectors.
Microsoft announced that longtime Xbox leader Phil Spencer will step down, remaining in an advisory role through the summer, while President Sarah Bond also departs. Asha Sharma, previously president of Microsoft CoreAI, will assume the role of Xbox CEO, and...
Sky News Australia will rebrand as News24 later in 2026, coinciding with its 30th anniversary and a shift toward a digital‑first, globally‑focused news operation. The new name drops the geographic tag to broaden appeal and mirrors News Corp’s worldwide branding....
Apple is expanding its live Formula 1 coverage by partnering with 50 IMAX theatres and integrating the feed into DirecTV’s Apple TV bundle, letting satellite subscribers watch races without launching the app. In the UK, Barb data shows YouTube now ranks as...
Creator capital markets (CCMs) are emerging as a way for influencers to monetize future earnings through equity, revenue‑sharing tokens, or meme‑coins. Early platforms like GigaStar have raised millions by offering fans a stake in YouTube ad revenue, while crypto launchpads...
Artist View Entertainment unveiled four new titles at MIP London, marking its 35th anniversary and signaling a robust 2026 pipeline. The slate includes the AI‑crafted sci‑fi thriller The Great Reset, the Kashmir‑set drama Line of Control, the survival story Hazel’s Heart,...
GIGIL Philippines transformed Manila’s Poblacion nightlife into a full‑scale Hawkins, recreating five iconic bars to mirror each season of Netflix’s Stranger Things 5. Fans toured the immersive bar crawl, sampling themed drinks and encountering the series’ villain Vecna. The activation drove over...
Scoop: MS NOW chief Rebecca Kutler is set to make changes to the network's dayside lineup, I'm told. Details in status.news: https://link.status.news/3MSNqnG
Viaplay Group has signed a multi‑year agreement to broadcast every English Football League Championship match in the Nordic region through 2028. The deal adds the second‑tier league to Viaplay’s existing portfolio of Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and selected...
Spotify announced a new partnership with ticketing platform SeatGeek, extending its concert‑discovery tools into the live‑ticket market. The move follows Spotify’s claim of helping artists generate over $1 billion in ticket sales and its $11 billion payout to the music industry in...
Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja announced that Nioh 3 has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, the fastest achievement in the franchise’s history. The game launched on February 6 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Combined with previous titles, the Nioh series now...
Renowned director James Cameron has written to Senator Mike Lee urging Congress to block Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing it would cripple theatrical exhibition and cause massive job losses. He contends that Netflix’s streaming‑first model conflicts with...
Trade press are trying to present it as either Netflix or Paramount wins the bidding contest. But Warner should obviously remain independent.
All3Media International announced that The Traitors format has now been commissioned in 40 territories, with Indonesia becoming the 40th market for a 10‑episode celebrity adaptation in 2026. Recent roll‑outs include new versions in Slovakia, Estonia, Serbia, and Malta, while earlier...
Burnley FC and X have expanded their partnership with the launch of "Limitless", an eight‑part behind‑the‑scenes docuseries following Burnley FC Women. The series, produced by VSP Studios and Ad Hoc Films, premieres on X on February 20 and will release new...
Skippz positions itself as a modern, cost‑effective alternative to Kaltura for corporate training, offering unlimited video hosting, interactive learning tools, and AI‑driven accessibility. The platform tackles common pain points such as storage caps, static content, complex administration, and global delivery...
Paramount Skydance (PSKY) has satisfied the DOJ’s second request, causing the 10‑day Hart‑Scott‑Rodino waiting period to expire. The filing notes that no statutory barrier remains to close a potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), but a definitive merger agreement...
MSG Networks and YES Network have lowered prices on their Gotham Sports direct‑to‑consumer platform and added a Yankees season pass. The pass, priced at $119.99, grants access to Spring Training, regular‑season games, and related programming from Feb. 21 through Sept. 27. YES...
Harmonic reported record quarterly broadband bookings of $346.9 million in Q4 2025, driving total net revenue to $157.3 million. Continuing operations generated $98.2 million in revenue and a modest $2 million net income. The company deployed its cOS broadband platform to 146 commercial customers, covering...
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr launched the voluntary “Pledge America” campaign, urging broadcasters to air patriotic, pro‑America programming in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary. He frames the pledge as a way to address declining civics education and fulfill public‑interest...
Nielsen announced that the final audience metrics for Super Bowl 60 have been revised upward to a 39.7 rating and 125.6 million viewers, up from the originally reported 39.4 rating and 124.9 million viewers. The adjustment stems from a Big Data provider’s...
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) filed reply comments urging the FCC to limit the upper C‑band reallocation to the statutorily required 100 MHz, rejecting the commission’s proposal to clear up to 180 MHz. NAB argues the 3.98‑4.2 GHz band is already operating...
The episode examines why Hispanic‑focused streaming platforms like TelevisaUnivision’s Vix are absent from Nielsen’s streaming audience metrics despite the overall Hispanic market outpacing the general U.S. audience in streaming consumption. It explains Nielsen’s measurement thresholds, the lack of direct log‑file...
A federal judge refused to dismiss the DOJ’s antitrust suit against Live Nation and granted summary judgment on the core claim that its promotion and booking activities constitute a monopoly, meaning the facts overwhelmingly favor Live Nation. The case now...
Midsummer Studios, founded in May 2024 by veterans of Civilization, XCOM and The Sims, announced it will shut down in February 2026. Co‑founder Jake Solomon expressed pride in building the studio and delivering a single title, Burbank. The game, described as a...
Inside Warner Bros. Discovery, Mood Among Many Staffers Shifts in Favor of Netflix Sale vs. Paramount Takeover https://t.co/cEaoy72PQb via @variety
Secretly Distribution has promoted longtime COO Chris Welz to Partner, marking his elevation to ownership after two decades. Welz, who built the company’s global physical distribution and digital services, will now co‑lead scaling efforts with CEO Darius Van Arman. The...
HYBE America has rebranded its Nashville division, formerly Big Machine Label Group, as Blue Highway Records and appointed veteran Jake Basden as CEO. Basden, who previously led Sandbox Management and served as SVP of Communications at BMLG, brings a manager‑first...
Live Shopping—also called video commerce—combines real‑time video, interactive chat, and instant checkout to turn product demos into sales. Success hinges on four essentials: attracting viewers through pre‑event promotion and multi‑streaming, offering exclusive incentives that compel purchase, keeping audiences engaged with...
Signiant has established a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) to bring together key media‑industry clients and shape the future of accelerated content flow. The board will serve as a two‑way forum where participants gain early visibility into Signiant’s product strategy while...
Live Nation Entertainment posted a record $25 billion in 2025 revenue, a 9% increase over 2024. Quarterly earnings reached $6.3 billion, surpassing analysts’ $6.1 billion estimate. Concert sales climbed to $20.9 billion, while sponsorship revenue grew 11% to $1.33 billion, and the company reported a...
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is championing the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) as a resilient alternative to GPS, citing growing concerns over satellite signal vulnerability. Sam Matheny joined the effort as BPS Executive Vice President at the start of...
🚨NEWS: Moelis has been retained to sell Wasserman, source tells Sportico. Moelis has been active in the space. Presided over, among others, Goldman buy of Excel Sports and Athlete’s First sale to General Catalyst.
Sony announced the abrupt shutdown of Bluepoint Games, the studio behind acclaimed remakes such as Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls. Among its lesser‑known achievements was the technically demanding port of Titanfall to the Xbox 360, released in 2014. Bluepoint...
New York Magazine quietly mailed a limited‑run, Dior‑sponsored book titled “The Parisian Man” to a select group of about 20,000 subscribers in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The digest‑size publication, featuring portraits of 40 French men, is not for sale and was...
Academic research by Rasmus Kleis Nielsen argues that news publishers continue to rely on tech platforms despite vocal criticism because audience reach and incremental revenue outweigh the desire for platform independence. The study cites that only about 4 % of traffic...
Phil Spencer and Xbox president Sarah Bond are exiting Microsoft’s gaming division, ending a decade‑long era of leadership that oversaw the acquisition of Bethesda, Activision and other studios. Asha Sharma, formerly head of Microsoft’s CoreAI product, will assume the role...
The Daytona 500 on FOX rebounded strongly, delivering a 3.8 rating and 7.49 million average viewers—the highest since 2023. Ratings rose 8% and total viewership climbed 11% versus last year, despite competing against the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game....
A source confirms reporting that Bluepoint Games will be shut down in March after five years without releasing a game. A live service project it was working on was canceled in early 2025. https://t.co/iDyik1yFVj
The article argues that influencer campaigns deliver higher ROI when brands give creators genuine autonomy rather than rigid scripts. Data shows Gen Z audiences distrust brands that micromanage creators, and only 10 % of creators feel they have creative control despite 53 %...
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced it will shut down Bluepoint Games, the studio behind the acclaimed Demon's Souls remake, effective March 2026. The closure will affect roughly 70 employees, marking the fifth PlayStation studio closure in recent years. Sony cited an...
United Group has officially launched the Adria News Network (ANN) under Adria News S.à r.l., creating a dedicated governance structure for its news operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. ANN consolidates 14 television, print and digital...
Qiddiya City’s esports subsidiary RTS has acquired the remaining stake in the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) after India‑based NODWIN Gaming sold its equity. The transaction, whose financial terms were not disclosed, makes RTS the sole owner of the premier fighting‑game...
Arc System Works America unveiled *Donutal*, a narrative‑driven alien‑screening adventure slated for a 2026 Steam release, and opened its store page with a free demo today. Players assume the role of a Chief Xeno Inspector in 2206, interrogating groups of...
IAB Tech Lab has opened a public comment period for the Live Event Ad Playbook (LEAP) Forecasting API, a new standard designed to make live streaming inventory visible and actionable for programmatic buying. The API lets broadcasters share structured metadata—schedules,...
CJ ENM’s 2025 slate cemented its status as a global IP powerhouse, with dramas like *Bon Appétit, Your Majesty* topping Netflix’s non‑English TV chart for two weeks and staying ten weeks total. Other scripted hits such as *Typhoon Family* and...
Fox Footy and Kayo Sports unveiled their 2026 AFL broadcast lineup, keeping most shows unchanged but swapping Tom Hawkins for Nathan Buckley on Friday Night Footy. Buckley steps aside due to his coaching duties at Geelong, while Hawkins joins Garry...
Senate Democrats Demand Answers From David Ellison About Paramount Skydance’s Dealings With Trump in Warner Bros. Takeover Bid, Accuse CEO of ‘Pattern of Evasion’ https://t.co/jeeblW2lVw via @variety
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) submitted reply comments to the FCC’s proceeding on the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, urging the agency to accelerate the transition. NAB emphasizes the need for additional licensees to adopt the next‑generation system and ultimately...
New Hampshire PBS (NHPBS) has completed a statewide air‑chain upgrade to support ATSC 3.0, with Heartland Video Systems delivering design, hardware, and remote commissioning. The project replaced legacy ATSC 1.0 encoders with Harmonic XOS units, added HEVC‑DASH capable equipment, and installed a...
