What Really Happens To The Rides After An Amusement Park Closes Forever?
When an amusement park shuts down permanently, its rides face three fates: sale to another park, scrapping for metal, or abandonment. Major operators like Six Flags often relocate functional attractions, saving up to 80% versus buying new coasters that cost millions. Smaller parks and private collectors buy used rides, with prices ranging from a few thousand dollars for kiddie attractions to several million for full‑scale roller coasters. Museums and preservation groups also step in to rescue historically significant rides.
TV Ratings (7/5/2026): Nine’s Tipping Point Edges Out The NRL
Nine’s prime‑time game show *Tipping Point* drew 1.5 million national viewers and an average audience of 783,000, outpacing the network’s own NRL broadcast. The NRL match between the Canterbury‑Bankstown Bulldogs and the Dolphins attracted 1.4 million viewers with a 601,000 average, placing...
IMAA’s Pitch-Chella 2026 Opens Entries for Australia’s Next Generation of Media Talent
Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) has opened applications for its 2026 Pitch‑Chella program, the third edition of the talent‑development initiative for indie agency professionals. The competition invites teams with five years or less experience to create a strategic brief for...
Sky Italia Seeks Damages From DAZN-TIM Soccer Deal
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit in Milan seeking up to €1.9 billion in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streamer DAZN, alleging their 2021 partnership violated Italian antitrust law. The dispute stems from DAZN’s €2.5 billion (≈$2.9 billion) acquisition of Serie...
Video Futures Collective & Omnicom Launch Research Initiative As Ad Industry Hits ‘Inflection Point’
The Video Futures Collective (VFC) has teamed with Omnicom Media Australia to launch a research initiative that will modernise streaming‑video ad planning, measurement and optimisation in Australia. The first phase will focus on establishing evidence‑based frequency guidance that aligns with...
Rupert Murdoch’s High-Stakes Blitz Against the NFL
Rupert Murdoch warned President Trump that expanding streaming rights for the NFL could cripple traditional broadcast networks. Fox, the league’s smallest broadcast partner, faces the prospect of losing game packages to deep‑pocketed streamers like Amazon and YouTube. The NFL is...
Disney by D’Amaro: Earnings, AI, Parks & 88% Streaming Boom
Disney reported a strong second‑quarter beat, with streaming profit soaring 88% to $873 million and the segment finally breaking a 10% operating‑margin threshold. Total revenue climbed 7% to $37.8 billion, propelled by resilient theme‑park attendance. New CEO Josh D’Amaro outlined a "One...
Disney Says FCC Threatens ‘Protected Speech’
Disney filed a petition with the FCC, arguing that an ABC "The View" segment featuring Texas Senate candidate James Talarico falls under the program’s long‑standing bona‑fide news exemption. The company cites a 2002 declaratory ruling that exempted the show from...
Scripps Talks Comcast, Mum on Sinclair
Scripps disclosed that its carriage dispute with Comcast forced its stations off‑air from March 31 to May 5, creating a short‑term hit to second‑quarter gross distribution revenue. CFO Jason Combs highlighted a 5% year‑over‑year increase in Local Media revenue to $342 million, driven...
AMC Global Media Inc (AMCX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
AMC Networks reported $2.3 billion revenue for 2025 and generated $272 million free cash flow, surpassing its raised outlook. Streaming revenue grew 12% year‑over‑year, becoming the company’s largest domestic revenue source and driving the highest‑ever streaming engagement. The firm reduced gross debt...
AMCGM Nixes Streaming Sub Reporting
AMC Global Media announced it will stop reporting quarterly streaming subscriber numbers, shifting its focus to free cash flow. The company said Q1 2026 streaming subs fell 1% YoY to 10.1 million, not including 1.8 million hard‑bundle activations from Charter and Philo, with...
Spectrum Expanded Its Internet Service To Over 262,000 New Homes & Businesses In The First Quarter of 2026
Spectrum added 262,000 new passings in Q1 2026, raising its total footprint to 58.6 million locations—a 1.5 million increase over the past year. The growth is driven by a multi‑year rural fiber initiative funded with over $7 billion in private investment and subsidies....
Agencies Push Video Futures Collective to Simplify Buying and Unify Data
The Video Futures Collective (VFC), a coalition of eight streaming and ad platforms including Amazon Prime, Disney Advertising, Foxtel Media, Netflix, Samsung Ads, SBS, Vevo and YouTube, is under pressure from agencies to simplify the buying process and deliver consistent,...
Nielsen: HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt’ Remained No. 1 Across Weekly U.S. Streaming Television Households Through April 12
Season two of HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” stayed atop Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart through April 12, logging 1.13 billion minutes and marking its ninth straight week above the billion‑minute threshold. Amazon Prime Video’s “The Boys” held the No. 2 spot with 899 million...
Twitch Has New Penalties for Streamers Caught Viewbotting, CEO Says
Twitch announced a new enforcement mechanism aimed at streamers caught viewbotting, capping their concurrent view count (CCV) for a set period. The cap will be calibrated using each creator’s historical non‑bot traffic and will lengthen with repeated offenses. CEO Dan Clancy...
Starz Exits Universal Pictures Pay-2 Deal After 5 Years
Starz announced it is terminating its five‑year Pay‑2 licensing agreement with Universal Pictures, ending exclusive access to Universal theatrical releases after their run on Peacock, Prime Video and Netflix. The decision, explained by CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, targets cost reduction amid...
New ITV Show Hosted by Graham Norton Gets Schedule Shake-Up Following Disappointing Ratings
ITV’s new reality series "The Neighbourhood," hosted by Graham Norton, is moving to later evening slots as its debut season nears its end. The show, which pits households against each other for a £250,000 (≈$310,000) prize, saw viewership dip below...
Sama Jordan TV Joins Es’hailSat Video Neighborhood at 26° East
Qatar’s Es’hailSat has added Jordanian news channel Sama Jordan TV to its 26° East video neighborhood, broadcasting via the Es’hail‑2 satellite across the Middle East and North Africa. The direct‑to‑home service is uplinked from the Tier 4‑certified Al Ghuwayriyah Teleport in Doha. This...
Jason Derulo Wins ‘Savage Love’ Copyright Trial: Session Guitarist Can’t Get Royalties
A Los Angeles jury ruled on May 7 that Jason Derulo and Columbia Records owe no royalties to session musician Matthew Spatola for the 2020 hit “Savage Love.” Spatola, who was paid a $2,000 fee for two studio sessions, claimed...
TikTok Users Are Motivated by Affiliate Links
TikTok’s shopping ecosystem is accelerating, with affiliate links prompting deeper consumer research. Donte Murry reports that 77 % of viewers who encounter affiliate content immediately search for additional product information. Comments from other users serve as a powerful social‑proof layer, influencing first‑time...
Orlando Von Einsiedel’s ‘The Cycle Of Love’, Exec Produced By Priyanka Chopra, Gets U.S. Deal; Dogwoof Locks In Overseas Pacts
Orlando von Einsiedel’s new documentary *The Cycle Of Love*, executive‑produced by Priyanka Chopra‑Jonas, chronicles a 23‑year‑old Delhi street artist’s 6,000‑mile bicycle trek across Europe and Asia to reunite with his love. Variance Films has secured U.S. theatrical distribution for August 2026, while...
Heads of BMG, Concord Talk Major Indie Merger: ‘We Have a Very Clear Vision’
BMG and Concord announced a merger that would create the largest independent recorded‑music and publishing company since Universal’s acquisition of EMI in 2011. CEOs Thomas Coesfeld and Bob Valentine, who took the helm of their respective firms on the same...
NFL’s Next Media Move Could Put More Games on YouTube & Netflix
The NFL is set to allocate four of its streaming‑rights games between YouTube and Netflix, while adding a fifth game for a major global streamer. Netflix will air two Christmas Day games in the final year of its three‑year deal...
48% of UK Venues Launched in 2025 Have Already Closed, New Report Claims
A TicketSource report shows that 48% of UK live‑music venues opened in 2025 have already closed. Analysis of Companies House data reveals an average lifespan of just 2.1 years, with 73% shuttering before three years and 89% before nine. Although...
Scripps Posts 8% Revenue Gain In Q1
E.W. Scripps Co. posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $587 million, an 8% year‑over‑year increase. Growth was led by Local Media, which rose 10% to $455 million, and Digital, which climbed 17% to $58 million, while National Media fell 12% to $132 million. Adjusted EBITDA...
The Summer of 1999: How Instacart & Linqia Unlocked Full-Funnel Results via Nostalgic Creator-Led Storytelling
Instacart teamed with performance‑marketing platform Linqia to launch a summer‑1999 nostalgic creator‑led campaign that blended retro storytelling with shoppable video. The initiative leveraged a network of micro‑influencers to produce authentic, era‑specific content that was distributed across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and...
James Norton's Highest-Rated Drama Is Being Removed From BBC iPlayer Very Soon
Nowhere Special, starring James Norton, is set to leave BBC iPlayer on 1 June after a 25‑day notice. The 2021 drama, which premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, holds a perfect 100 % Rotten Tomatoes rating from 63 critics. Norton plays...
Who Should Host the Emmys on NBC? Keke Palmer, Alan Cumming or — Wait for It — the Cast of...
Variety editor Michael Schneider notes that NBC’s current Emmy broadcast agreement ends after the September 14, 2026 ceremony, leaving the future of the primetime awards uncertain. He proposes a “roadblock” simulcast that would air the show simultaneously on all broadcast networks and...
Genesis Launches First-Ever Hispanic Campaign
Genesis Motor America is rolling out its first culturally centered campaign aimed at Hispanic consumers, titled “El Lujo Está en Ti” (“Your Purpose is the Ultimate Luxury”). The campaign spotlights the GV70 SUV and will run 30‑ and 15‑second bilingual...
Pattison Media Brings Programmatic Radio Options To Canada
Pattison Media, Western Canada’s largest multimedia firm, launched "Resonate," a programmatic platform that lets advertisers purchase over‑the‑air radio inventory through DSPs such as Google DV360. The company demonstrated the first confirmed programmatic‑bought ad delivered via broadcast radio at Radio Days...
Starz Extends First Quarter Loss on Lower Revenues
Starz Entertainment reported a first‑quarter loss for 2026, with revenue slipping to $307 million, down from $330.6 million a year earlier. Streaming revenue fell to $211.1 million while linear TV revenue dropped to $95.8 million, contributing to an operating loss of $152.8 million and a...
This Week’s MPN Video Podcast: Big Media Earnings, Vertical Drama Market, OpenAI Trial and the Future of Hollywood
The Media Play News podcast highlighted Disney’s strong Q1 results, Paramount’s aggressive 30‑film‑a‑year plan, the launch of the LA Vertical Drama Market, and the escalating legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI. It also examined shifting ad spend as social...
How to Measure Influencer Marketing Success: A Complete Guide for Brands
Influencer Marketing Hub released a comprehensive guide on measuring influencer marketing success, outlining the key performance indicators brands should track. The guide highlights benchmarks such as average engagement rates, cost‑per‑engagement, and a 5.2‑times return on investment reported in the 2026...
Expanded Basketball Tournaments Will Yield NCAA $50M a Year
The NCAA approved expanding both the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams, launching the new format next season. CBS and TNT will fund the expansion with a $50 million annual sponsorship commitment through 2032, unlocking beer, wine,...
Cannes 2026 Movies Sold So Far: ‘Paper Tiger,’ ‘The Devils’ 4K Restoration, and ‘Minotaur’ Find Homes Early
At Cannes 2026, several high‑profile titles have already been sold ahead of the festival. Warner Bros.’ new indie label Clockwork will release the restored Ken Russell classic “The Devils,” while Neon has picked up James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” its first collaboration with the...
Mark Ruffalo Calls on State AGs to Stop Paramount-WBD Merger
Actor Mark Ruffalo and antitrust analyst Matt Stoller have published a New York Times op‑ed urging state attorneys general to block the pending Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger. They argue the deal would further consolidate Hollywood, reducing the number of studios that foster risky,...
Live Sports Streaming Ad Market Rife With Fraud, Experts Say
The rapid shift of live sports to streaming platforms has created a fragmented ad marketplace where third‑party aggregators resell inventory they don’t directly control. Experts from Good Karma Brands and Digital Remedy warn that these middlemen often misrepresent placement guarantees,...
Steam Controller Will Be Restocked Soon And Valve Has A Plan To Stop Resellers From Buying Everything Up
Valve announced that the newly launched Steam Controller, priced at $100, sold out within 30 minutes and will be restocked starting May 8. To curb scalpers, the company is introducing a reservation queue that limits each buyer to a single unit...
Disney+ Reveals Its Latest Content Alliance With a Broadcaster – Mexico’s TV Azteca
Disney+ announced a new content partnership with Mexico's free‑to‑air broadcaster TV Azteca, bringing the upcoming season of MasterChef 24/7 to the streaming platform on May 17. The deal also adds three live Azteca channels and a slate of popular telenovelas and reality...
Ticketmaster Is Slashing 350 Jobs — 8% of Its Global Workforce — in Engineering and Design
Ticketmaster, the ticketing arm of Live Nation, announced it is eliminating 350 positions—about 8% of its worldwide workforce—primarily in engineering, product and design roles across 25 countries. The cuts were disclosed by new global president Saumil Mehta, who said the...
No Backlash From U.S. Formula 1 Fans After the Switch to Apple TV: Liberty Media CEO
Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang said the early results of Formula 1’s switch to Apple TV as the U.S. broadcast partner are promising, with viewership up across the first three races and no fan backlash. Apple’s tech‑forward platform delivered multi‑view, data‑feed and...
D-BOX Sponsors SimRacing Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina
D‑BOX has been named the headline sponsor of the inaugural North American SimRacing Expo, scheduled for May 22‑24 in Charlotte, North Carolina, alongside NASCAR’s Coca‑Cola 600. The company will showcase its G5 and G3 motion‑actuator systems through collaborations with eNASCAR, Trak Racer, VRX...
Ella Langley Charts The Second-Biggest Hit Of Her Career — With Some Help
Ella Langley’s duet with Morgan Wallen, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” entered the UK Official Singles Downloads chart at No. 28 and the Sales chart at No. 35, making it her second‑highest‑rising hit after “Choosin’ Texas.” The track’s debut marks Langley’s fifth appearance on the Official Singles chart...
Cord Cutting Today: HBO Max Ends Support For Some Devices, Disney Streaming Surges as Fubo Loses Subscribers & Roku Expands...
Cord‑cutting dynamics shifted sharply this week as Fubo shed over 500,000 North American subscribers in Q2 2026, while Disney reported an 88% jump in streaming revenue that helped offset a broader cable decline. Disney’s new CEO highlighted AI‑driven storytelling as...
Australia’s UNIFIED Music Group Expands Into New Zealand with Matt Harvey Hire
Melbourne‑based UNIFIED Music Group announced its first formal foothold in New Zealand by hiring senior artist manager Matt Harvey. Harvey brings his roster—Shapeshifter, Daily J, Mim Jensen, Spell and former Shihad frontman Jon Toogood—under the UNIFIED umbrella. The move follows UNIFIED’s 2025 joint venture...
You Don’t Have a Film in the Festival. You Still Need a Publicist
Jane Owen, founder of Jane Owen Public Relations, argues that attending major film festivals without a publicist is a costly mistake, even for producers, financiers, tech firms, and actors who have no film in competition. Since the 1980s, festivals like...
Inside Jeans Country: American Eagle’s First-Ever Stagecoach Activation
American Eagle debuted its first Stagecoach activation, "Jeans Country," a denim‑themed desert experience that ran April 24‑26 in Indio, California. The brand attracted roughly 2,000 festivalgoers who explored photo‑worthy touchpoints, including a customization station, an Old West lounge, and a...
G. Schirmer & Wise Music Group Sign Métis-French Canadian Composer Ian Cusson
G. Schirmer and Wise Music Group have inked a publishing agreement with Canadian composer Ian Cusson, whose Métis‑French‑Canadian heritage informs his operatic and orchestral output. The deal precedes the world premiere of his new opera “Empire of Wild” at the Canadian Opera...
CNN Was Ted Turner’s Brainchild. It Faces a Precarious Future | Margaret Sullivan
CNN, launched by Ted Turner in 1980 as the first 24‑hour news channel, now faces an uncertain future. Recent ownership changes—including Paramount Global’s 30% stake and a strategic partnership with Skydance Media—have sparked internal turmoil. Declining cable subscriptions and fierce...
Paramount Signs Film Deal for Potential Biopics With Warner Music Group
Paramount has inked a multi‑year first‑look deal with Warner Music Group, granting the studio access to WMG’s vast catalog for the development of music biopics. The agreement includes collaboration with Unigram, led by Amanda Ghost, and will involve artists or...