Theater Execs Praise Zendaya, Holland as Next‑Gen Bankables
Movie Theater Operators Weigh In on Fewer Trailers, Too Much Texting and Today’s Bankable Stars: ‘Zendaya and Tom Holland Are the Next Gen’ https://t.co/MgAgJzLmIM via @variety
Joe Buck Aims to Finish Career at ESPN
NEWS: Joe Buck says he wants to remain at ESPN for the rest of his career. His ESPN contract expires at the end of this NFL season. Story for @SBJ: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/10/joe-buck-hopes-to-remain-at-espn-for-the-rest-of-my-career/
Theater Chain's Decline: A Sad Yet Essential Reflection
A sad but necessary essay by @davidehrlich on the new state of my favorite theater chain.
Universal's Romcom Expected to Open Modestly at $6‑9M
On the other hand, #Universal’s new romcom in town #YouMeAndTuscany could come below industry’s projections this weekend at US #BoxOffice, after the romance starring #HalleBailey and #RegeJeanPage grossed timid 750k on THU Previews (vs #SoloMio 744k, #WestSideStory’s 800k) A 6M-9M 3-day...
Cineplex Sees March Box Office Surge After Mini‑boom
Cineplex reports March box office surge @seekingalpha We wrote about the box office mini-boom earlier this week at @wallsthorizon @christinelshort https://t.co/ngUwIEjPh2 https://t.co/5MVG7CwyvI
Coachella Chaos: Brands Bail, Hype Masks Planning Failures
Whaaaat is happening with Coachella: The brands back out because of rising costs? The brands over-invited and have to cut back on RSVPs? The brands never planned to go and just used this for hype? The creators weren't actually invited and are using this...
YouTube Premium and Music Prices Set to Rise
YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Subscription Prices Are Going Up in the U.S. https://t.co/uOQv05VFDo via @variety
Cheaper YouTube Premium Could End Ad‑blocker Usage
Does YouTube realize that the way to get people to *stop* using ad blockers is to make Premium subscriptions *cheaper*? https://t.co/X0ul6PjsvP
Xbox's Promised Shift May Be Marketing, Not Real Change
Will be important to distinguish marketing shifts from actual on the ground changes with Xbox. So far there's every indication this is the same post-platform future the company's been teasing, just with more buying from the community. https://t.co/ReCIHue4iz
CNN Promotes Digital Veteran Alex MacCallum to COO
CNN names Alex MacCallum chief operating officer, a move that appears to boost an exec known for her digital expertise over colleagues who specialize in more traditional journalism.... https://t.co/osNbVzRd7t via @variety
YouTube Hikes Premium Subscription Fees Again in US
YouTube has quietly raised Premium prices again in the US ✅ Details - https://t.co/weytAqTLSb https://t.co/0jq7I4sNSb
AB6IX Goes on Temporary Hiatus After May Concerts
BRANDNEW MUSIC shares that AB6IX's group activities will take a "temporary hiatus" after their May 23-24 concerts BNM says "We are currently engaged in in-depth discussions with the members regarding contract renewals and we will fully respect and support each member’s...
DOJ NFL TV Deal Probe Likely Just a Bluff
Why the DOJ Investigation of NFL TV Deals May Just Be Bravado https://t.co/Xg4GQNDyc1 via @sportico @McCannSportsLaw
YouTube Premium Prices Jump to $15.99, Family $26.99
Oh no! In my April news video, I said I hoped YouTube Premium wouldn't be next for a price hike. Now it's happened. $15.99/month for Premium; $8.99/month for Premium Lite and $26.99/month for the Family plan. https://t.co/IMbFeWK0pf
Guns N' Roses to Play Entire Catalog Globally
Correct. Now think through the next steps. We're taking the full Guns N' Roses catalog on a worldwide tour. 🇺🇸
Make Your Spotify Pitch Cut Through Thousands
Spotify gets hundreds of thousands of pitches a week. Here's how to make yours stand out. https://t.co/x4oWfIVR3s
Adapting Blumhouse for Shifting Consumer Behaviors
I’ll be at The Long Play SF next Tuesday speaking with @pkafka on how I’m continuing to set-up Blumhouse to thrive in a time of shifting consumer behaviors. Register here: https://t.co/bMWAWiAX3R https://t.co/bwhQ1XaWpE
Government Inaction Threatens America’s Free Local TV Heritage
Caving to the blandishments of pay-TV providers destroyed by cord cutting isn't leadership. If government won’t allow the private sector to rationalize local TV stations squeezed by the Big Four broadcast networks and Big Tech, it is guaranteed that a...
Disney Appoints April Carretta as EVP of Communications
Disney Promotes April Carretta to EVP of Communications, Exec to Lead PR for Dana Walden https://t.co/wy9hbwI6GF
CBS Chooses Vampire Comedy “Eternally Yours” Over Tillbrooks
#CBS has picked up comedy pilot #EternallyYours and is passing on #TheTillbrooks. Eternally Yours is single-cam & from CBS Studios; The Tillbrooks is multicam & from WB. Eternally Yours is a vampire comedy, which is believed to couple well with...
Locking NFL Rights Now Fuels Future Media Consolidation
lol…Here, let me help: Having NFL rights unquestionably locked down will be a strategic asset as the industry proceeds towards future media consolidation, which is coming for everyone, eventually…
BET President Louis Carr Prioritizes Black Culture, Revives Soul Train
“I educate people on Black culture, Black lifestyle, and the influence it has on our broader community,” Louis Carr, the new President of BET tells me. He joined me to talk the business of BET, why 106 & Sports failed,...
Tier‑2 Sports Must Leverage New Non‑Rights Video Revenue
Even though the sports media rights pie will almost certainly grow over the next decade the tippy-top of Tier 1 sports (such as the @NFL) are going consume most of that growth. That means Tier 2 and 3...
Re‑bundling Long‑form Video to Combat Cheap Short‑form Rise
Re-bundling is picking up speed (although there's a long way to go) as connecting high cost low margin long form video to low cost high margin services is part of the solution...Strategic question is will re-bundling & consolidation be enough...
OpenAI CGO and TBPN President Discuss Future Collaboration
🎙️Tomorrow on The Grill Room: A special OpenAI-TBPN deal omnibus featuring back-to-back conversations with: * OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer @chrislehane * TBPN President @DylanAbruscato Follow here: https://t.co/OUrgd2dr7a @PuckNews https://t.co/LNZpsHUAkd
Thai Randolph Launches NILE & Co., Acquires BuzzFeed
Thai Randolph Launches NILE & Co., Creator-Driven Media Company That Has Acquired BuzzFeed’s As/Is and Goodful Brands https://t.co/XyY5sffSyU via @variety
ESPN Layoffs and Masters Preview Dissected on Podcast
I always love going on @PeterHamby's great The Powers That Be podcast. This week, we hashed out ESPN's job cuts and offered a Masters preview. https://t.co/LXZeklVwQZ
Zootopia 2 Smashes Viewership, Nearly Doubles Netflix Rival
ZOOTOPIA 2 debuted with a monster 1.7B minutes viewed in its first five days on Disney+, per Nielsen. That's nearly double the #2 movie that week, WAR MACHINE on Netflix.
Sports Betting Now Dominates Hip‑hop Podcast Ads
The goal is to target young men everywhere. Its deeper than sports. Nearly every hip-hop podcast is now sponsored by sports betting or some gambling app. I miss the days of Mail Chimp and Casper
Comcast Revamps Cable Bundle for Streaming Era
Comcast is continuing on its quest to kind-of, sort-of reconstitute the cable TV bundle for the streaming era. https://t.co/FiEBwSd62i via @variety
AI‑driven India to Add 1
Google projects 1.2B people will come online for the first time by end of 2026—many through AI platforms, not browsers. Bollywood is already making AI films for them. The nightmare for Hollywood: India does not need U.S. IP, U.S. union...
Devil Wears Prada 2 Opens $66M, Beats Original
DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 came on tracking today at $66 million opening, per NRG. First DEVIL opened to $27.5 million in 2006, or $44 million in today's dollars. Good news for @Lucas_Shaw, though MICHAEL (on Team Belloni) is also surging,...
EchoStar's Sling Beats ESPN DTC Price by 33%
⚡️ EchoStar’s Sling Undercuts ESPN DTC Pricing by 33% ⚡️ $DIS $SATS Disney/ESPN are already in litigation - unclear if this will further inflame the relationship https://t.co/UQYCc1M5nb
AI Replaces Human Clip Teams in Influencer Growth
Top Influencers’ Secret Weapon for Engagement Might Be Replaced by AI Influencers rely on armies of clippers to flood feeds with viral short videos Creators spend big: with up to $50K monthly campaign spend, and millions paid via platforms like Whop But now,...
YouTube Denies Existence of 90‑second Unskippable Ads
YouTube says it does not have 90-second unskippable ads despite user reports YouTube denies its running 90-second unskippable ads despite widespread user reports Users have shared screenshots showing “skip in 90+ seconds” prompts on TV YouTube says the feature isn’t live or in...
NFL+ $15/Month Covers Games; Sunday Ticket Adds Extras
This is not true. It’s just the cost of Sunday Ticket and NFL+. NFL+ has every standalone game and Redzone for $15 a month, Sunday Ticket has everything else.
Warner Revives TNT Boxing with Monthly DAZN Partnership
HBO got out of the TV-boxing arena in 2018, but Warner Bros. Discovery is putting TNT back into the ring with a monthly boxing showcase under a new partnership with DAZN https://t.co/TelewKL1dV via @variety
Earn $1M on YouTube with Just 1K Subscribers
How do you actually make significant money on YouTube? @TintinSmith is the ex-manager of Ali Abdaal. In this YouTube business masterclass we cover: - How you can hit $1M with just 1,000 subscribers - The exact system you should use - Who to hire and...
Amazon Prime Video Joins Elite Masters Broadcast Partners
We’re about an hour away from Amazon Prime Video’s debut as a live Masters broadcast partner. Amazon is just the fourth media partner ever in the Masters’ history. https://t.co/qUkOz2jivs
Alexia Explores Media Norms Post‑TPBN Acquisition
So fun to have the brilliant @alexia join @greatchatpod this week and school us on media norms in the wake of the TPBN acquisition and concerns re: objectivity. https://t.co/mhEgz5tgKg
Griffin Debut Draws 260K, MLBN Out‑of‑market up 46%
MLB Network’s out-of-market telecast of Pirates SS Konnor Griffin debut Saturday averaged 260,000 viewers 🔲On par with Paul Skenes debut on MLBN (253,000 on 5/11/24) 🔲Through Sunday, @MLBNetwork out-of-market live games are +46%, led by Guardians-Dodgers (447,000) on April 1
Media Value Equals Audience Size, Buying Power, Influence
Media value = audience size * buying power * how influential you are over them.
Interscope's Odd Choices Stalled Nicole Scherzinger's Solo Potential
nicole scherzinger probably could've had a pretty good solo career if interscope wasn't like "we gave a record deal to a burlesque show for some reason and need someone to be the face of it"
Kids Films Lead Theatrical Hits; Netflix Animation Lags
I found that Kids Entertainment made up the 2nd-largest share of 40 successful original/new-to-screen theatrical films (2021–2025). Meanwhile, Netflix’s original animation still struggles to break through. Given Brad Bird's talent, I'm hoping he changes that.
TikTok Live Viewership Plummets 12% as Twitch Gains
TikTok lost nearly 12% of its live viewership in Q1 of 2026! Twitch +4.46% Kick +1.79% YouTube -0.24% TikTok -11.92% Stats via StreamsCharts
O'Leary Warns Netflix Narnia Gamble Will Shutter Theaters
Cinema United Chief Michael O’Leary on Netflix’s ‘Narnia’ Gamble and Why Paramount’s Deal to Buy Warner Bros. Must Fail: ‘Theaters Will Close’ https://t.co/27oShjrvOd
Jeff Shell Slated for $5M+ Paramount Severance
Jeff Shell to Receive at Least $5 Million in Severance From Paramount https://t.co/1K7sdWKY6F via @variety
90‑second Non‑
A Reddit user is exposed to a 90-second, non-skippable YouTube ad in a 40-minute video on CTV. https://t.co/BukQnrjahx
Louis Carr Unveils Bold Vision for BET's Future
Going inside the business of @BET with new President Louis Carr. He joined me on The Enterprise Zone at @Nasdaq. We talk restoring the Soul Train Awards, his new vision for the legacy cable network, and he reflects on growing...
Red Flags Emerge in Khaby Lame's $975M TikTok Deal
Exclusive: new red flags are popping up around @tiktok_us star @KhabyLame's $975M deal. Details from @dwhate & I: https://t.co/LRbQpJI28n