GSN President John Zaccario & Sony TV Head Of Comedy Colin Davis Leaving Amid SPE Layoffs; Studio Shuts Down Wardrobe...
Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a wave of layoffs that includes the departure of John Zaccario, president of Game Show Network, after 18 years, and Colin Davis, EVP of Comedy Development at Sony TV. The cuts also signal the shutdown of Sony's costume‑rental department, a business that has operated since 1924. GSN will be merged into Sony's broader game‑show production unit under Suzanne Prete, while the comedy division continues to rebuild its slate with titles like *Platonic* and *Twisted Metal*. The moves reflect Sony's effort to streamline non‑core assets and focus on growth areas.
YouTube, CBS Sports and The Walt Disney Company Are Among the 2026 Digiday Video and TV Award Winners
The Digiday Video & TV Awards 2026 honored brands that are reshaping video through technology, creator collaboration, and immersive storytelling. YouTube took home Best Digital Video Platform and Best UGC Integration, highlighting its global scale and community‑driven content. CBS Sports HQ...
Virgin Music Group Announces Global Distribution Partnership with Ari Elkins and Joey McCarthy’s New Label, Suede Records
Virgin Music Group, the independent services arm of Universal Music, has inked a global distribution and marketing partnership with Suede Records, a new label founded by TikTok music curator Ari Elkins and A&R veteran Joey McCarthy. Elkins brings a 3 million‑follower digital audience...
Why Your Deals Go Cold Before You Ever Get to the Close (Ask Jeb)
Philip, a character‑licensing agent in the Philippines, finds inbound deals close quickly while outbound outreach stalls. The root cause is treating fast, brand‑loving buyers the same as slow, business‑case‑driven prospects. By qualifying early, distinguishing seekers from decision makers, and inserting...
Isabel Klee’s ‘Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About’ Lands At UCP
Isabel Klee, a social‑media star with roughly two million followers, is turning her debut memoir *Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About* into a television series after Universal Content Productions (UCP) secured the rights. The book, slated for an...
Manager J.M. Stodola Joins Arsonhouse Entertainment
J.M. Stodola has joined Arsonhouse Entertainment as a manager after a four‑year stint at Sugar23, where he advanced from assistant to manager. He arrives with a roster of comedy talent that includes London Brown, Erica Rhodes, and several stand‑up creators....
As CFOs Scrutinize CTV Spend, Incrementality Emerges as a Differentiator
CFOs are tightening scrutiny on connected‑TV (CTV) spend because traditional metrics like impressions and modeled ROAS fail to prove incremental revenue. The article argues that the trust problem stems from over‑attributed conversions and fragmented measurement infrastructure. Incrementality testing, which isolates...
Gulf Backers Invest $24 Billion in Paramount’s Deal for Warner Bros.
Paramount Skydance secured roughly $24 billion from Gulf sovereign‑wealth funds to finance its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will provide about $12 billion, while Abu Dhabi and Qatar each pledge $6 billion. The deal also relies on $45.7 billion...
Carrie Healey Joins NAB as VP of Communications
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) appointed Carrie Healey as Vice President of Communications, making her the organization’s primary spokesperson. Reporting to Chief of Staff Michelle Lehman, Healey will direct media relations and advocacy messaging aimed at Congress and the...
Fox to Use Kalshi Predictive Data in News, Weather Forecasts
Fox Corporation has signed a sponsored integration with prediction‑market platform Kalshi, embedding its data into Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather and the streaming service Fox One. The deal excludes election coverage, where Fox will continue to rely on its...
50 Cent Documentary Series Set At Hulu
Hulu has green‑lit a three‑part documentary series on rapper‑entrepreneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, reportedly paying $75 million for the project. The series will trace his journey from Queens streets, through a near‑fatal shooting, to his record‑selling music career and expansion into television...
SDVI Launches Next-Gen Rally Platform For Media Supply Chains
SDVI announced the launch of the next‑generation Rally platform, revamping its media supply‑chain engine with a declarative architecture that separates the control plane from the data plane. The upgrade adds a visual supply‑chain builder, a modular functions layer, and a...
Bill Ackman Strikes a Chord with Universal Bid
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square has unveiled a multi‑billion‑dollar bid for Universal, offering a premium that exceeds the current market valuation. The proposal targets Universal’s music‑streaming, publishing and recorded‑music divisions, which Ackman argues are undervalued. The bid, if accepted, would represent...
Christina Hendricks Signs With Independent Artist Group
Actress and producer Christina Hendricks has signed with Independent Artist Group (IAG) for representation across acting, producing, and brand endorsement work. IAG will collaborate with Hendricks to broaden her producing slate and secure new commercial partnerships. Hendricks, known for her...
Eluvio Launches Next-Gen Content Fabric ‘Bucharest Release’ Ahead Of NAB Show
Eluvio has made its next‑generation Content Fabric, dubbed the Bucharest Release, commercially available ahead of the NAB Show. The platform introduces a zero‑copy, any‑to‑any routing architecture that replaces satellite and point‑to‑point fiber links for live broadcast distribution, delivering sub‑500 ms global...
Influencer Collabs Account for 50% of an Indian Soundtrack’s Promotional Budget, Says Report
Indian film soundtrack promoters are allocating roughly half of their promotional budgets to influencer collaborations, according to a recent Economic Times report. Paid YouTube advertising has slipped to about 30% of spend, while the remaining budget supports audio‑streaming discoverability. Promotion...
Bell Media, Ottawa Senators Extend Regional Broadcast Rights Agreement
Bell Media and the Ottawa Senators have signed a long‑term extension that keeps TSN and its French counterpart RDS as the regional television broadcasters for Senators games. TSN Radio 1200 also remains the exclusive English‑language radio partner, delivering live play‑by‑play...
Public Media Management Names Christian Siebeneck VP, Technology & Innovation
Public Media Management appointed Christian Siebeneck as Vice President of Technology & Innovation to accelerate its cloud and master‑control services for public television stations. Siebeneck previously served as chief technology officer at Twin Cities Public Television and chief technologist at...
Laufey Renews Global Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music
Icelandic‑Chinese singer‑songwriter Laufey has renewed her global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music, extending a partnership that began in August 2023. In the interim she released two additional albums, earned a second Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and embarked...
Atlantic Music Group Enters ‘Multi-Level Partnership’ with Fader Label, Including 50/50 Joint Venture
Atlantic Music Group announced a multi‑level partnership with independent Fader Label, creating a 50/50 joint venture to sign and develop both new and established artists while providing distribution support for Fader’s existing catalog. The agreement also expands the capabilities of...
The Shifting Balance of Power in Gaming | GamesBeat Crossfire Recap
GamesBeat’s Crossfire panel explored how power in the gaming ecosystem is diffusing across developers, platforms, regulators, and players. Speakers highlighted recent regulatory shifts—such as Apple’s external payment links and Google Play’s alternative billing—giving developers new monetization levers. They also examined...
The Devil Wears Prada 2 North America Box Office Projection: Could Deliver The Second Biggest Opening Weekend This Year?
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is projected to open in North America between $80 million and $95 million, potentially securing the second‑largest debut of 2026 after the $131.7 million Super Mario Galaxy opening. The sequel, featuring the original cast plus newcomers Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh, is slated for...
ESPN Layoffs Connected to Disney’s YouTube TV Dispute, Report Says
Disney’s ongoing fallout from its YouTube TV carriage dispute is prompting ESPN to announce a new round of layoffs. The two‑week standoff last year cost Disney roughly $100 million in lost distribution and advertising fees as millions of viewers were cut...
Amagi Launches New Tool to Help Stations Turn Newscasts Into Social Clips
Amagi introduced Newspulse, an AI‑driven platform that turns live and archived news broadcasts into ready‑to‑post social media clips. The system automatically identifies story segments, reformats video into multiple aspect ratios and adds captions and platform‑specific metadata. Human‑in‑the‑loop controls let editors...
Kalshi to Peddle Its Wares to Fox News' Famously Temperate, Disciplined Audience
Kalshi, the leading U.S. prediction‑market platform, has signed a multi‑channel partnership with Fox Corporation to embed its markets on Fox News, Fox Business, Fox One and Fox Weather. The arrangement mirrors existing collaborations with CNN and CNBC, positioning Kalshi’s odds...
AXS Welcomes ‘Super Smooth’ Céline Dion Paris Artist Presale
AXS reported a "super smooth" artist presale for Céline Dion’s Paris residency, marking the first use of its Fair AXS bot‑mitigation system in Europe. The presale opened on April 7 and attracted up to 9 million registration attempts, though AXS says that...
Michael Will Conclude the King of Pop's HIStory at a Very Opportune, Legally Approved Point
The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" is set to open this month with studios targeting a $700 million global box office, but the film’s finale was completely re‑shot to remove any reference to the child‑abuse allegations. The Jackson estate spent roughly $50 million...
AMO Summit New York 2026
The AMO Summit New York 2026 will take place October 20‑21 at The Times Center, gathering over 225 media operators and senior executives from B2B and B2C sectors. The two‑day event will explore emerging business models, audience‑engagement tactics, AI‑driven technology,...
Nonprofit Newsrooms Have Grown, but They Still Generate a Fraction of What Newspapers Once Did
Nonprofit digital‑first newsrooms now number about 400 and generated roughly $650‑$700 million in 2024, which is only about 1% of the advertising and circulation revenue the newspaper industry earned two decades ago. Earned revenue—subscriptions, ads, memberships—covers just a quarter to a...
Chad Doerge Named President and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Round Hill Music
Round Hill Music, which oversees a $1.1 billion portfolio of over 200,000 song copyrights, has appointed Chad Doerge as President and Deputy CEO. Doerge joins from AI‑driven financial platform Aiera after more than 30 years in institutional finance, investment research and...
Melvin Benn Says Pepsi Originally Approved and “Signed Off” On Kanye West Headlining Wireless Before Pulling Out as Sponsor
Festival Republic announced Kanye West as headliner for all three nights of Wireless Festival, a decision initially signed off by lead sponsor Pepsi. The announcement sparked backlash over West’s anti‑Semitic history, prompting UK politicians, Jewish groups, and the Home Office...
David Melhado of Jive Records: Brands Need to Find Artists Before Their ‘Tipping-Point’ Moment
David Melhado, co‑president of Jive Records and former UnitedMasters executive, advises brands to seek authentic partnerships with musicians before they reach a tipping‑point moment. He stresses that genuine alignment, not just financial incentives, creates campaigns that resonate with audiences. Melhado...
Sony to Acquire Machine Learning Company Cinemersive Labs
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the acquisition of UK‑based machine‑learning firm Cinemersive Labs, a developer of six‑degrees‑of‑freedom 3D capture technology. The deal, disclosed on April 2, adds the startup’s portable rig and smartphone‑based generative‑AI capture system to Sony’s Visual Computing Group. Sony...
The Team Elevates Kevin Shivers to Music Group Co-President
THE TEAM has elevated Kevin Shivers to co‑president of its global music group, joining president Lee Anderson in overseeing strategy, operations, and growth across the live‑music business. Shivers, who joined the agency in early 2025, brings a roster that includes...
Quantic Dream's Star Wars Eclipse Is Reportedly Still 'Years Off'
Quantic Dream's Star Wars Eclipse, announced at the 2022 Game Awards, remains in development with progress described as "very slow going." Insider Gaming reports that the studio's financial health now drives the project's outlook, as NetEase may reconsider funding if...
‘Music Tourism’ Map App Charts US Live Sector
Music Roadtrip, a fan‑focused map app launched by Amy and Ronnie Wright, now charts more than 100,000 live music events and festivals across the United States. The platform displays venues, record stores, and music‑heritage sites while offering one‑click booking for...
Google Tests AdSense Privacy Updates In Two Phases
Google is piloting a two‑phase update to AdSense that begins on April 20 and rolls out a second wave in June, targeting the European Economic Area, the U.K. and Switzerland. The rollout introduces a shortcut list of ad‑technology partners, letting publishers...
EXCLUSIVE: Three Top Executives Including Ian Colley Are Leaving The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk announced the departure of three senior executives, most notably chief marketer and executive vice president Ian Colley, who leaves after more than seven years. Colley will be succeeded by Anna Sayre, a longtime marketing leader at the firm. The...
Drumstick Teams with WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes for New Creative Platform
Drumstick has teamed with WWE superstar Cody Rhodes to launch a new creative platform, "Lick it. Flip it. Drumstick it." The campaign, timed for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, combines a national TV spot, social media content, and the return of the...
AfroAnimation Summit Is Quickly Emerging As A Major Talent Pipeline
The AfroAnimation Summit, launched in 2021, has rapidly become a central hub for animation, gaming and digital media talent, especially for Black and Brown creators. Attendance surged from 1,700 in its first year to 4,700 by the second, prompting major...
Evangelion Sapporo Beer Features Eva 01 and 13 on the Cans
Sapporo Breweries has launched a limited‑edition Kuro Label beer line featuring Evangelion Units 01 and 13, with the 350 ml cans showcasing Unit 01 and the 500 ml cans displaying Unit 13. The partnership also includes a range of merchandise—coasters, tote bags, T‑shirts, and a bar glass—priced...
Actor and Podcaster Michael Rosenbaum Relaunches Hit Show ‘Inside of You’ On Daylight Network With Brand New Look
Actor Michael Rosenbaum has partnered with Daylight Media to relaunch his interview podcast "Inside of You" under a fresh visual brand, adding the Smallville‑focused show "Talkville" to the creator network. The rebrand, featuring new cover art and a multi‑channel rollout,...
Inside Walmart’s Creator-Driven Social Commerce Playbook
Walmart is building a creator‑driven social commerce engine that blends shoppable ads, influencer networks, and AI‑powered trend tools. The retailer treats social platforms as search venues, targeting Gen Z and millennial users who spend hours daily online. Its Walmart Creator program,...
Eccho Rights Closes New CEE Deals for Winds of Love
Eccho Rights has sealed new distribution agreements for the Turkish daily drama *Winds of Love* in Bosnia, Lithuania, Serbia and Montenegro, adding to earlier sales in Poland, Israel, Romania, Georgia and North Macedonia. The series, produced by Unik Film &...
Gothic Remake Launches Preorders with Bonus Classic Version
THQ Nordic and Alkimia Interactive have opened pre‑orders for the long‑awaited Gothic Remake, priced at $49.99 for PC and $59.99 for consoles. PC buyers receive an exclusive soundtrack by Kai Rosenkranz, while console pre‑orders include the original Gothic Classic as...
Billionaires Owning The Media - But Do They Rename The Media?
OpenAI announced the acquisition of TBPN, a tech‑focused video podcast network, signaling another billionaire‑backed entry into digital media. The move follows a long history of wealthy owners buying news outlets, from Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post purchase to Microsoft’s 1996 stake...
Source Media Group Launches YouTube Golf Network With Bryson DeChambeau, Grant Horvat
Source Media Group has launched Source Golf, a YouTube‑based network that bundles existing content from top golf creators such as Bryson DeChambeau (2.6 million subscribers), Grant Horvat (1.6 million), and the Bryan Bros (800 k). The platform sells advertising against these pre‑existing videos, eliminating the...
Instagram Now Lets Creators Tag Affiliate Links Directly in Reels
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets creators tag shoppable products directly in Reels, supporting up to 30 items per video. Creators can add products by pasting affiliate URLs or selecting items from a brand’s Meta commerce catalog,...
Brands Won’t Save Indie Film: They’re Changing It
Independent film financing is tightening while brands shift toward storytelling, seeking owned narrative IP rather than traditional ads. Brands view long‑form screen content as a strategic asset, but their budget cycles and marketing goals often misalign with filmmakers' timelines. Intermediaries...
The Future of Music Is Human-Generated
The article argues that AI‑generated music is driving the cost of generic songs toward zero, collapsing their market value. As a result, the industry’s durable asset is shifting from the song itself to the human performer who creates and lives...