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
Omnicom Group announced a post‑IPG acquisition restructuring aimed at delivering $1.5 billion of run‑rate synergies, doubling its original target, with $900 million expected in 2026. The company retained a $23.1 billion revenue base, achieving roughly 4% organic growth while planning to divest $2.5 billion of lower‑margin assets. A $5 billion share‑repurchase program was approved, launching a $2.5 billion accelerated buyback that should cut shares outstanding by up to 11% by year‑end. Management highlighted media, precision marketing and commerce as the next growth pillars, with further guidance slated for the March 12 Investor Day.
MS Now is teaming with Crooked Media to launch a weekly compilation show, "Crooked on MS Now," featuring highlights from Crooked’s podcasts such as "Pod Save America" and "Assembly Required" with Stacey Abrams. The program debuts on Feb. 28 and...
In this episode, Matt Belloni and Bloomberg analyst Lucas Shaw dissect the fallout from Casey Wasserman's decision to put his entertainment agency up for sale, exploring the internal Hollywood power struggles that prompted the move. They evaluate potential suitors, ranging...
YouTube’s AdBlitz showcase for Super Bowl 60 identified the most‑viewed and engaging ad campaigns across the event’s week-long window. e.l.f. Cosmetics topped the list with nearly 40 million views, while Budweiser, Michelob, Jeep, Google and Salesforce also earned top spots. The platform...
And in the end, #Paramount got the momentum it wanted luring investors directly, as after active investor #AncoraCapital demanded WBD to reopen negotiations with #Paramount, $WBD announced this TUE it’ll invite $PSKY back to the negotiation table for a 7-day...
Reddit’s advertising team released a seven‑page guide outlining four emerging trends that are boosting brand engagement on the platform. The trends—nostalgia‑driven storytelling, user‑generated content social proof, niche‑inspired campaigns, and multi‑phase “unfolding” activations—are backed by community data and case studies. Brands...
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Global Consumer Products unit has partnered with Sport Star Academy to embed the Looney Tunes franchise into Australian grassroots soccer and basketball holiday camps. The program, aimed at children aged four to twelve, will launch across five...
Longtime producer Jake Weiner has left Good Fear after a 25‑year partnership with Chris Bender to launch his own management and production company, Harvest Hill Entertainment. The new boutique firm starts with a roster that includes Oscar‑nominated writer Allison Schroeder,...
Players Era, the college basketball tournament that pays athletes NIL compensation, is demanding more than $50 million annually for broadcast rights to its expanded early‑season event. Networks have so far rejected the offer, citing the price as far above typical preseason...
The episode examines the clash between AI‑generated video tools like ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 and traditional intellectual‑property enforcement, spotlighting cease‑and‑desist letters from Disney and Paramount. It explains how generative AI can produce near‑identical replicas of copyrighted characters, blurring the line between...
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has established a detailed briefing schedule for the next phase of the Cumulus Media versus Nielsen lawsuit. Nielsen’s counterclaims allege Cumulus illegally shared confidential ratings data with Eastlan Ratings, violating...
The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued two waivers this month allowing broadcasters to temporarily take Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment offline while relocating it. Fort Myers Broadcasting received approval to move EAS gear for three Florida stations,...
The Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance (WMSA), formed in 2025, is lobbying U.S. regulators to protect and expand spectrum for professional wireless microphones used in large live events. Recent data from the Super Bowl 2026 and Paris 2024 Olympics show massive...
ATSC President Madeleine Noland told RBR+TVBR that ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) is now live in the United States, South Korea, parts of the Caribbean and Brazil, where a hybrid broadcast model is used. While adoption has been uneven—some markets lagging and...
Nippon TV has launched a new vertical‑video unit called Viral Pocket, dedicated to micro‑drama and Gen Z‑focused storytelling. The division will develop platform‑native IP, handle end‑to‑end vertical production, and provide KPI‑driven marketing support. It builds on the broadcaster’s micro‑drama hits, including...
Counterplay Games and publisher Fictions announced a limited‑time demo for their roguelite third‑person shooter Armatus, debuting on PC via Steam on February 23 as part of Steam Next Fest 2026. The demo runs through March 2, giving players a taste of the...
Alan Mruvka, co‑founder of E! Entertainment, has unveiled Filmology Labs: Content Creation Studios in Paterson, New Jersey. The 250,000 sq ft campus represents a $250 million investment and houses 21 purpose‑built sound stages optimized for vertical micro‑drama storytelling, including his Verza TV platform, which aims...
The Department of Justice has launched a wide‑ranging investigation into Netflix’s planned $82.7 billion merger with Warner Bros., citing antitrust concerns over media consolidation. Critics argue the probe is a political maneuver to aid billionaire Larry Ellison’s competing bid for Warner’s...
Fremantle UK has entered a strategic partnership with Flowstate, a new creative agency founded by Premier League star Eberechi Eze. The collaboration will produce premium entertainment, factual and brand‑funded scripted and unscripted series across sport, music, fashion and broader culture. Both...
Sinclair Media announced the launch of "Criminally Obsessed," a daily true‑crime video podcast that will air Monday through Thursday on YouTube and major audio platforms. Hosted by veteran investigative journalist Anne Emerson, the series promises in‑depth coverage of high‑profile cases,...
The article argues that YouTube has upended traditional television’s control over intellectual property (IP) value creation by moving discovery to algorithmic, platform‑driven encounters. Unlike broadcast, where schedules and repetition were deliberately engineered, YouTube places content where attention already exists, fostering...
VIDAA, now rebranded as V, is set to launch its V Index measurement platform in Q2, blending traditional linear TV data with streaming‑app viewership. The solution will initially roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, leveraging the company’s...
Roku reported a robust Q4, with revenue rising 16% to $1.39 billion and EPS flipping to a profit of $0.53, beating expectations. Platform revenue surged 18% to $1.22 billion, driven by video ads and premium subscriptions, while device revenue barely grew. Adjusted...
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has appointed Oak View Group’s Global Partnerships division as its exclusive sponsorship sales partner. Within days, the league secured its first multiyear deal with Global Industrial, marking the inaugural partnership under the new commercial...
Network18 Media & Investments has rolled out Grass Valley’s Playout X, powered by the AMPP OS, across its linear TV, OTT, and web services. The unified platform replaces a patchwork of legacy vendor solutions, consolidating playout, ingest, ad‑replacement, watermarking and delivery under...
Riot Games announced the VALORANT VCT 2026 Season Capsule, dropping on Feb 19 at 1 pm CT and staying in the store until Masters Santiago concludes on Mar 15. The limited‑time bundle includes a VCT Sigil melee skin, four regional playercards, and a VCT‑themed Flex...
Television viewing in the United States rose to a 12‑month high in January 2026, with total TV usage up 3.7% from December. Cable captured the largest monthly gain, representing 21.2% of all TV consumption and adding a full share point....
United Talent Agency’s Production Arts division is steering top crafts talent—cinematographers, production designers, costume artists—into non‑film projects such as hospitality design, international backlots, and publishing. Agents Pete Franciosa and Mike Rubi view these gigs as creative extensions that keep artists...
Sinclair Inc. CFO Narinder Sahai will present at two investor conferences in March, using the platform to promote the company’s transition to ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology. The appearances aim to showcase Sinclair’s growth strategy, its portfolio of stations—including flagship WBFF‑TV in...
AEG’s ticketing arm AXS has appointed Henrik Berndtson as Head of the Nordics, placing him in Stockholm to steer regional operations. The move aligns with AXS’s aggressive European rollout, complementing recent hires in Europe and a joint venture in Japan. Berndtson...
Axios CTO Dan Cox reports that AI‑driven “agent teams” compressed a three‑week engineering project into just 37 minutes, prompting a rapid productivity surge. The company trimmed its product and tech staff from 63 to 43, saving millions in salaries while...
Discord will showcase its Social SDK at Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco on March 9, 2026, where senior developer Anthony Tešija will present strategies for acquiring, retaining, and monetising mobile gamers via Discord. He will outline how the platform’s community...
U.S. video game consumer spending is projected to hit $62.8 billion in 2026, a 3% rise from the previous year, according to market‑research firm Circana. The growth is anchored by strong hardware demand for the Nintendo Switch 2 and the launch of...
At Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, Aurora UK Awards highlighted women and non‑binary leaders, featuring an interview with former Monument Valley director Jennifer Estaris. Estaris emphasizes designing inclusion into hiring, mentorship, and leadership culture, arguing it drives creative and commercial...
Contractor management platform Mellow has introduced Indie Launchpad, a support program for independent game studios. The initiative offers eligible teams of up to 15 developers six months of full access to Mellow’s platform and its AI Scout freelancer‑matching tool, with...
diymusicbiz Good morning Here's another music publisher you can submit music to for sync licensing opportunities 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 --- diymusicbiz Author Lemon cake (add your own dot com) --- diymusicbiz Author 100% Save them all. I'll be adding a few more to the portal as well. Be on the look out for...
GAIM, a Nashville‑based operator of five digital multicast networks, announced a major expansion during its self‑described "transformative period." CEO Joel Wertman and Co‑President/COO Otto Padrón are guiding the growth, which includes a new studio in the Marathon Village district. The...
Snapchat is launching Creator Subscriptions. Creators will be able to set their own pricing using Snapchat’s recommended tiers and offer subscribers: 🔒 Exclusive content, including subscriber-only Snaps & Stories 💬 Priority replies to a creator’s public Stories 🚫 An ad-free experience within that creator’s...
WGA will need to negotiate with WGA first --> WGA Staff Go on Strike Weeks Ahead of AMPTP Negotiations https://t.co/6a3cYzRhff via @variety
The iconic 8x10 music venue in Baltimore is up for sale or lease as owners Brian and Abigail Cascella retire. Listed at roughly $450,000, the deal includes the 4,000‑square‑foot property, a BD‑7 liquor license, sound and lighting systems, and the...
Paramount Skydance ‘Prepared to Engage’ With Warner Bros. Discovery on Takeover Talks, but Doesn’t Indicate Whether It Will Raise Price of Its Hostile Bid https://t.co/UtIQUrAntR via @variety
Why Paramount needs to bid north of $35 to win Warner Bros. Discovery $WBD $PSKY $NFLX The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 301. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/x9YASRJ98h
CD Projekt Red announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition will arrive on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Premium this Thursday, covering both Xbox One and Series consoles. The bundle adds the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine...
New: Paramount is taking Warners up on its offer. Says in statement that it's "prepared to engage in good faith and constructive discussions" while also proceeding with tender and proxy fight.
🚨 News: @followarmstrong Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire @MCTVOhio from the Gessner family | https://t.co/fFOMiRLbGY https://t.co/VATsTCCLBE
Apple Music is testing an AI‑powered playlist generator called Playlist Playground in the iOS 26.4 beta. The tool lets users type natural‑language prompts—such as “morning coffee music” or “disco songs that defined the 1970s”—to create 25‑track playlists with custom titles and...
The FTC has signed off on Sony's $460 million deal to acquire the Peanuts franchise, per a Hart-Scott-Rodino filing. Deal was announced in December. https://t.co/Y9ayPm2bI8
News: Night, a leading talent representative for creators like @KaiCenat, has raised $70 million to expand its business in gaming (and other areas).
New: @Hearst says it had record revenues ($13.5B) & profits last year, thanks to the continued growth of its B2B arm, which now makes up 60% of its entire biz https://t.co/Uofy5iRA8A
Netflix on Tuesday called Paramount’s “antics” in the bidding process an “ongoing distraction” for Warner shareholders. https://t.co/qxzp2o4uzj
