Entertainment News and Headlines
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Every morning
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MIP London 2026 will run Feb 22‑24 as a three‑day, multi‑genre market attracting over 1,500 industry professionals from 74 countries, including more than 650 international buyers and 62 exhibitors. The program blends private TV screenings with open conferences, round‑tables and showcases covering AI, the creator economy, micro‑dramas, podcasts, brand entertainment, formats, kids, and factual content. New layout features integrated meeting spaces across the IET London centre and The Savoy, plus a dedicated Buyers’ Day to kick‑off market activity. Lucy Smith emphasizes the event’s role as a complementary hub for global content deals and market intelligence.
Public media organizations saw a 42% jump in membership revenue in 2025 versus 2024, driven by higher‑value gifts and a surge in new donors. The High‑Dollar Gifts Index rose 88%, indicating far more $500+ contributions, while the New Donor Index...
ESPN reports a 33% year‑over‑year rise in women’s college basketball viewership, positioning the sport for its strongest season in 17 years, while men’s basketball is up 25% and on track for the best season in 11 years. The network captured...
Latin America’s streaming market is set to generate nearly $19 billion in revenue by 2030, driven by a surge in subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) households from 68 million to about 84 million. Total SVOD subscriptions are forecast to climb from 111 million to roughly 176 million,...
PlayStation’s State of Play unveiled new installments for God of War, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Legacy of Kain, but development has shifted to indie studios such as Mega Cat, Screen Burn Interactive, Motion Twin, and Bit Bot Media. This marks a growing trend where...
Unrivaled, the 3‑on‑3 women’s basketball league, turned a $2 million Philadelphia pop‑up into a springboard for larger NBA‑level venues, moving its March 2 semifinals from Miami to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The Philly stop delivered over $1 million in ticket sales and $400,000...
Former Unity co‑founder and CEO David Helgason left the company on February 5, 2026, while Bernard Kim was appointed as an independent director on the board. Resident Evil Survival Unit has exceeded 5 million downloads after its global launch, yet players criticize its...
South Korean court ruled that HYBE must pay former Ador CEO Min Hee‑jin $17.7 million, confirming the validity of the shareholder agreement that obligates HYBE to purchase her Ador shares at a pre‑agreed earnings multiple. HYBE had terminated the agreement in...
ESPN will broadcast its first Super Bowl in February 2027, followed by another in 2031, marking the network’s debut as the sole carrier of the NFL’s marquee event. Veteran sportscaster Chris Berman, a 46‑year ESPN veteran, expressed amazement and confirmed...
The FCC approved a pro forma reassignment of the UEN‑TV (KUEN) license from the Utah Board of Higher Education to the University of Utah on Dec. 4, placing the station under PBS Utah’s oversight. No money changed hands in the transaction....
The NBA levied a $500,000 fine on the Utah Jazz for benching stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of two games, deeming the action “conduct detrimental to the league.” Coach Will Hardy defended the move as a minutes‑restriction...
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner told Graham Bensinger that he regrets the 1993 Miramax acquisition after witnessing co‑founder Harvey Weinstein’s abusive behavior. Disney bought Miramax for $70 million and later sold it in 2010 for $660 million, recouping a large profit but...
The NBA’s All‑Star Weekend in Los Angeles has become a high‑impact platform for more than 60 brands, ranging from immersive fan experiences at the NBA Crossover to on‑site activations for events like the Slam Dunk Contest. 2024’s lineup showcases a...
Pocket Gamer Connects (PGC) has become a business‑centric conference series that delivers tangible outcomes for the global games industry. Since its 2014 launch, the brand has hosted 57 events in 16 cities, attracting 70,000 attendees and scheduling more than 155,000...
Capcom’s Resident Evil Reload Collection Extra bundles all nine main‑line titles and two DLCs on Steam for $40, a roughly 72% discount. The package includes classics from Resident Evil 0 through Village, but features the original 2005 Resident Evil 4 rather...
A Delaware federal judge recommended granting VideoAmp's motion to dismiss Nielsen's patent infringement lawsuit, effectively ending Nielsen's claim over its proprietary audience measurement technology. The case centered on Nielsen's allegation that VideoAmp used its patented methods without permission. The judge's...
Ubisoft announced the creation of five internal Creative Houses to centralise its flagship franchises, with Vantage Studios already backed by Tencent for €1.16 billion. The company will appoint external industry veterans to lead these houses starting in March, aiming to accelerate...
Japanese developer DRIMAGE announced that its anime‑style RPG Oz Re:write will cease operations on April 21, 2026, just one year after its August 2025 launch. The title never received a global release and will disable the Tailstone shop, though players can request refunds...
Gary Shapiro is stepping down as chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association after a 35‑year tenure, moving into an executive chair role on May 1. Current president Kinsey Fabrizio will assume CEO responsibilities while retaining her board seat. Shapiro’s final...
Canal+ chief executive Maxime Saada warned that France’s digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform could vanish within the next decade as streaming‑centric platformisation erodes linear broadcast relevance. He cited the recent Arcom decision to suspend C8 and NRJ12 from DTT and...
Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association, publicly condemned ByteDance’s new AI service Seedance 2.0 for massive unauthorised use of U.S. copyrighted works. He urged the company to halt the infringing activity immediately, emphasizing the threat to creators’ rights and...
Talks between Sky and ITV over the £1.6 billion sale of ITV's Media and Entertainment division have slowed, according to Reuters sources. The deal was intended to create a top‑three UK streaming player capable of challenging global services such as Netflix...
Nineteen MENA game studios have graduated from the second cohort of Exel by Merak, an $80 million gaming accelerator launched by Merak Capital. Each studio receives $300,000 in seed funding plus mentorship and global network access. Cohort 2 has already produced $1.2 million...
The European Commission has cleared Universal Music Group’s purchase of Downtown Music Holdings, but only after the companies agreed to fully divest Downtown’s royalty‑accounting platform Curve. The conditional approval removes UMG’s ability to access Curve’s data on rival labels, which...
TF1 Group posted 2025 revenue of €2.297 bn, a 2.5% decline driven by a softening advertising market, especially in Q4. Media division revenue fell 4.5% to €1.921 bn while Studio TF1 grew 9.2% to €376 million. The digital platform TF1+ delivered a 35.8% jump...
Industry experts highlight how technology is fundamentally reshaping the live‑music ecosystem, from data‑driven marketing to streamlined tour logistics. First‑party fan data is now seen as essential for personalized campaigns, yet many artists lack full appreciation of its value. Human connection...
Bectu has warned that the BBC’s proposed £600 million, 10 percent spending cut over the next three years will cripple its core public‑service role. The corporation’s total public‑service budget last year exceeded £4 billion, making the cuts proportionally significant. Bectu’s head Philippa Childs...
The latest Patch Notes roundup highlights three headline developments: indie rogue‑like Mewgenics recouped its development budget within three hours and sold half a million copies in 36 hours; Nexon’s Arc Raiders achieved “blockbuster” status with 14 million units sold and a peak...
NBA star Anthony Edwards is turning his on‑court fame into a media empire through Three‑Fifths Media, which now produces the unscripted series *Year Six* and the viral Believe That Awards. The company, co‑founded with manager Justin Holland, secured a production...
TVB’s 2026 Sports Survey reveals that traditional linear television continues to dominate sports consumption among enthusiasts, despite the rise of streaming platforms. The study shows 90% of sports fans consider local broadcast TV essential, and 75% tune in at least...
Sega Sammy’s Q3 report outlines a plan to launch four major new games for its core franchises by March 2027, alongside a push to boost sales capabilities. The only confirmed date is the Switch 2 release of Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage...
The European Commission approved Universal Music Group’s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, conditional on divesting the Curve royalty‑accounting business. The decision ends a year‑long antitrust review and clears the way for UMG to integrate Downtown’s distribution and publishing services,...
Stuart Ford, veteran indie financier, warned that a Netflix‑Warner merger would likely harm the film ecosystem, likening future talent roles to “Uber drivers” for tech giants. He stressed that preserving proper theatrical windowing and backend participation is essential to keep...
Live broadcast is transitioning from SDI to IP workflows built on SMPTE ST 2110, raising the bar for performance and reliability. Purpose‑built media switches now incorporate redundant power, precise PTP timing and boundary‑clock support, eliminating the compromises of repurposed data‑center...
The Public Media Infrastructure, created in November with one of the final Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grants, has announced its inaugural Board of Trustees. The organization was founded just before CPB’s wind‑down, which follows the cessation of federal funding...
Eutelsat’s mid‑year update highlighted a 60% surge in LEO (OneWeb) revenue, now accounting for more than one‑third of its Connectivity earnings. Overall revenue slipped to €574 million, while the Video division fell 12.3% amid continued Russian sanctions. Fixed Connectivity, Government services...
Cineverse announced the acquisition of ad‑tech firm IndiCue for up to $40 million, integrating its advertising and monetisation tools into the Matchpoint platform. The deal adds real‑time revenue optimisation across FAST, AVoD, CTV and other ad‑supported streaming channels. Financing combines cash,...
TV advertising is shifting from probabilistic to deterministic audience data. Recent studies show IP‑based identity links to the correct household only 13% of the time, undermining reach and measurement. Deterministic signals such as authenticated ISP or publisher subscriber data can...
Robert Schildhouse has been elevated to chief executive of BBC Studios' newly branded Direct‑to‑Consumer division, which houses BritBox in North America and the documentary service BBC Select. Previously BritBox president, Schildhouse took charge of BBC Select in 2025, helping it become the...
The India International Music Week conference in Mumbai highlighted a critical shortage of mid‑capacity live‑music venues, specifically spaces for 500‑5,000 attendees. Panelists explained that production costs rise sharply beyond 500 seats, making it financially unviable for promoters to scale up....
Old Spice has revived its 2014 “Mom Song” with a new version titled “Mom Song 2.0: The End of Adolescents,” promoting the Swagger grooming line. The ad, produced by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, mimics an early‑90s R&B video and lampoons over‑protective mothers blaming...
FanDuel appointed Ari Avishay, former Paramount+ SVP of Content Marketing, as its senior vice president of marketing. He will steer brand, creative and consumer‑insights strategy for the sportsbook and FanDuel TV platforms, reporting to President Mike Raffensperger. Avishay brings a track record...
Adweek’s weekly roundup spotlights six standout campaigns, from McDonald’s quirky “Horizontal Breakfast” aimed at post‑Super Bowl viewers to JCPenney and Yahoo’s tongue‑in‑cheek takes on modern Valentine’s relationships. DoorDash’s spot captures the panic of gifting gone awry, while an AI‑powered ad...
Brands turned Super Bowl suites into creator‑centric activations, inviting influencers to attend the game and generate content at a fraction of traditional fees. Agencies reported a surge in last‑minute deals, with suite rentals exceeding $1 million but delivering audience reach that...
Haley Baylee, a creator with 10 million Instagram and 16.4 million TikTok followers, has partnered with Intersection’s LinkNYC to display her existing social videos on more than 4,000 free‑Wi‑Fi kiosks across New York City. The arrangement is exposure‑only, with no fee, and runs...
WPP announced another McKinsey‑guided restructure as its creative agencies continue to miss targets, with revenue at VML, Ogilvy and AKQA down 5.8% in H1 2025. At the same time, independent agencies dominated the Super Bowl ad slate, delivering at least 25...
Global research released for World Radio Day 2026 shows radio reaches nine out of ten people each week, outpacing all other audio formats. The study finds weekly reach rates of 90% in Ireland, 89% in France, and 86‑87% across the...
Taylor Swift has formally asked the U.S. government to block a bedding company’s attempt to register the "Swift Home" trademark, arguing the stylized cursive resembles her own trademarked signature and could mislead consumers. Her legal team submitted the objection to...
Hasbro Entertainment and kids‑media firm Animaj have launched LUMEE, a joint venture that consolidates their digital advertising inventory and audience insights. The platform offers COPPA‑compliant ad placements across YouTube and Connected TV, leveraging AI‑enhanced production for rapid branded content. LUMEE...
iKOMG has partnered with China Global Television Network to distribute three CGTN flagship channels—GlobalBiz TV, China Travel and Discovery China—across its FASTonSAT satellite‑enabled FAST service and the iKOFLIX and MENAFLIX OTT platforms. The rollout makes the channels live simultaneously on satellite and streaming...
