Legacy Sequel Proves Fashionable Success at the Box Office
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Shows the Legacy-quel Is Alive (and Fashionable) at the Box Office https://t.co/yGsX7kFACP via @IndieWire
Michael to Debut in Russia via Volga, Not Lionsgate
#Michael will be released in Russia indeed, but not by Lionsgate nor Universal directly. As has been the case since the war, #Lionsgate sold local distribution rights in #Michael’s case to Russian distributor #Volga, which expects to release it in...
Paramount+ Strategy: Path to Streaming Leadership
How Does Paramount+ Become a Streaming Industry Leader? + three other questions for $PSKY https://t.co/2FaqAGBFq4
Parenting a Viral YouTuber: Learning to Let Go
I talked to a mom-ager about what it's like to manage her son's popular YouTube channel — and letting go as a parent @CaseOh__ @caseohs_mom https://t.co/yzngEIKSq8
ESPN Keeps Promise: No Meddling in Inside the NBA
The Vrabel-Russini jab is the latest sign that ESPN is following through on its vow to not meddle in Inside the NBA content https://t.co/mahUPpk3Qs
From $150k to $5B: Bet on Yourself
In 1973, George Lucas was offered $500k to direct Star Wars. His counter: $150k + merch & sequel rights. After minting billions, he sold LucasFilm to Disney for $4B in 2012. Lucas turned $350k into $5B+ and the world's greatest collection...
Reached 250K Subscribers and 1M Monthly Views
Hit two YouTube milestones over the weekend: 250,000 subscribers and the channel's now doing more than 1 million views per month https://t.co/1X7A1COzoi
Netflix Ends The Night Agent with Fourth Season
#Netflix has canceled #TheNightAgent. The upcoming fourth season will be the series’ last. #streaming $NFLX
Paramount+ Viewership Stagnates Despite CEO’s Growth Promises
The Four Paramount Questions We Want David Ellison to Answer Tonight Back in August 2025, PSKY CEO David Ellison laid out his vision for Paramount to be “a fast-growing DTC offering that we expect will be a leading, global streaming...
YouTube Powers Record Live Streams with New Global Features
April was an absolutely massive month for live streaming on @youtube, from @NASA's Artemis II mission 🚀 (which accumulated over 79M viewers) to the iconic stages of @coachella 🎡 None of this scale would be possible without our infrastructure and engineering...
Acorn Launches Creator‑controlled Alternative as X Drops Communities
As X shuts down Communities, Acorn debuts an alternative that puts creators in control https://t.co/S3iCkqizJH
CW and ESPN Extend Legacy with Pacific Northwest Basketball Power
On media column: Pac-12 --> The CW --> ESPN app = the continuation of a longstanding, highly successful relationship between the network and an a certain MBB power tucked away in the PNW -->
Star Wars Movies Outstream Disney+ Originals in 2025
Despite all the original shows on Disney+, the 11 Star Wars movies generated more viewing time on streaming in ‘25, per Nielsen #MayTheFourthDay https://t.co/MQFlEodCst
Star Wars Dominates U.S. Screens with 33B Minutes Streamed
In 2025, U.S. viewers spent 33B+ minutes watching #StarWars content across linear/streaming, streamed viewing accounting for the bulk of that total, per @nielsen. Top 3 Films: 1. A New Hope 2. Phantom Menace 3. Rogue One Top 3 Series: 1. Andor 2. Skeleton Crew 3. Mandolorian https://t.co/nMmfTs1Geb
Lucas's $500k Pay Cut Yielded $20B Merch Empire
George Lucas took a $500,000 pay cut on Star Wars in exchange for the merchandising rights. Fox thought it was a great deal. By 2012 those rights had generated $20 billion. Five Star Wars facts worth knowing on May the...
NFL Rights Renegotiation May Cut Scripted TV by 7%
The @NFL’s media rights re-negotiations may prove so costly that it results in a “7% cut to scripted TV, film, and every other sport,” per @michaelbeach & @xscreenmedia. https://t.co/zxEQOspkCh
OpenAI Begins Selling User Data to Advertisers
Be careful what you ask....OpenAI is Now Sharing Its Users’ Data With Advertisers https://t.co/Fwxb8CcbiD via @Adweek
Know the Event’s Profit, Not Just Your Fee
If someone books you as an artist to play a free college show. You originally quote $5k, they talk you down to $4k. Do you care how much they’re making on the show? Let’s say they had a $10k budget from the school,...
Weekly Music Business Coffee Chat: PR, News, Tips
Think of my newsletter as a weekly coffee chat about the music business. We talk PR, we talk news, we talk about what is working and what is not. Pull up a chair and join us: https://t.co/iQmfNgUw4S
Box Office Unpredictable: Prada 2 Thrives Globally
In 2006, there was 1 release that grossed $1 billion. None in 2005 or 2007. Box office is very different. Prada was the #12 movie of 2006, worldwide. Prada 2 is solid domestically. Extraordinary internationally so far.
Kentucky Derby Sets Record with 19.6M Average Viewers
The Kentucky Derby averaged 19.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, up 11% over last year’s Derby audience That's the most-watched Derby in history. (We note here Nielsen's measurement changes as with other sporting events.) Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from...
Short Netflix Window Demands Restraint on SVOD Strategy
By the way... 49 days to Netflix is 2 weekends too short. Going to SVOD is different than going to PVOD. And there are other open issues about the Narnia release in Feb. I'm not saying it won't lead to...
Model Top Creators, Adapt to Audience Demand
Growing online isn’t a secret: 1. Find 10 top creators in your space 2. Pull their top content from the last 3 months with 3X average views 3. Model how they did it, but modify for you (don’t copy) The audience tells you what...
Indie Platform Vocana Aims to Disrupt Spotify's Payments
Vocana is a US indie streaming platform ready to challenge Spotify's payment system and algorithm. https://t.co/VVE0BdMJVN
Event Films Can Thrive Without Action or Male Focus
The Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep-led decades-later sequel is yet another example that an event movie need not just be a fantastical action franchise flick aimed at boys. (@scott_alan_mendelson's weekend #boxoffice punditry specifically for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2’s domestic...
Michael Poised to Eclipse Oppenheimer as Top Drama
Unless it plays like AMERICAN SNIPER and PASSION OF THE CHRIST, which pulled just ridiculous grosses for the first two weeks before (comparatively) slowing down, #Michael may challenge OPPENHEIMER as the biggest-grossing ($975 million worldwide) straight-up drama ever.
Reddit’s WAU Jumps 50% While DAU Ratio Stays Flat
I'm publishing my full analysis of Reddit's $RDDT Q1 2026 earnings tomorrow, but one thing I find striking is how sticky engagement has remained as WAUq has increased. DAUq/WAUq is essentially flat from Q2 2024 while WAUq is up by...
Prada 2 Delivers $233M Global Opening, M
BOX OFFICE: Prada sequel struts to a $77M opening (domestic) and a massive $233M worldwide. Some stats: - 2nd biggest global opening of 2026 - Biggest opening ever for Meryl Streep - Prada 2 took in over 70% of the original film’s total...
Wrestlers' Revenue Streams Make Stopping Illogical
They have legends deals with the wrestlers they make money from at signings, video games, merch, plus bringing them back for TV. Why would they stop doing that?
The Mummy Grosses $80M on $22M Budget
#TheMummy ascends to $80M globally as profits continue to climb against its $22M budget https://t.co/wCEiWVQpoQ
Michael Movie Nears $1B with Small Drop
The #Michaelmovie dropped only 44% domestic in its second weekend, it’s now at $424M worldwide with Japan yet to open. $1 billion now seems very possible.
Michael Movie Smashes $424M Global, Beats Bohemian Rhapsody
#MichaelMovie moonwalks to $423.9M globally with $54M second weekend stateside (-44%) and giant $80.8M overseas (-21%) Performance after two weekends well above BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY across virtually all European markets https://t.co/l6wOgdavIg
Register with a PRO to Secure Performance Royalties
May Sync Licensing Tip 3 You need this ↴ Sign up with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) Options = ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, etc. Already registered? Find and save your IPI/CAE number. I keep mine in my pitching folder 📂 I also keep a copy...
Angel Studios' Animal Farm Flops with C‑Minus Scores
#AngelStudios hit hard with negative WOM for the first time, after their new animation #AnimalFarm, directed by #AndySerkis and received with a terrible C- #CinemaScore by audiences, grossed timid 3.4M on 3-day Opening weekend at US #BoxOffice over 2.600 theatres...
Clinic's EP Compilation Drops as 300‑Copy Limited Vinyl
Clinic's self-titled EP compilation is out now via Domino Vault, a strictly limited 300-copy heavyweight vinyl pressing of the acid-punk legends' first three EPs, essential listening for anyone serious about the Domino catalogue. https://t.co/QdeDfUfFhu
Creator Economy's New Stage: Selling Blueprints to Sell Blueprints
We’ve officially hit the Inception stage of the creator economy: people selling blueprints on how to sell blueprints. You’ve seen the posts: 3,000 AI prompts for $10 or the $27 system for passive income. These aren't products. They are entry points into...
IG Head Announces Nerf to Clipped Content
Adam Mosseri (Head of IG) does a pretty phenomenal job of doing Instagram’s version of patch notes. A few days ago, he announced that Instagram is going to start “nerfing” clipped content. https://t.co/aOQfO8LCZL
HOKUM And
HOKUM is set to score the fourth-biggest opening ever for NEON, while Renny Harlin’s DEEP WATER will nab Magenta Light’s biggest (by default, natch) opening weekend yet. However, ANIMAL FARM is indeed doomed to be more talked about than seen.
Mayweather Beats Pacquiao in Historic HBO‑Showtime Collaboration
🥊 May 2, 2015: Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision in a highly-anticipated (but eventually lackluster) 12-round boxing match. Due to each boxer’s respective contracts, it was the first-ever bout co-produced by HBO and Show… https://t.co/ZEewxaZqCh https://t.co/SjQmPviABC
Starlink Spots Ad During Kentucky Derby Broadcast
Interesting… @Starlink runs ad during @NBC coverage of the Kentucky Derby. @SawyerMerritt @elonmusk @SpaceX https://t.co/Fti85qBOAp
Tencent Becomes Sole External Shareholder of Game Science
Tencent has increased its stake in Game Science, the developer of Black Myth Wukong, from 5% to 24%. Hero Games, the original backer of the studio, sold its 19% share in the company. Tencent is now the sole external shareholder....
30 Years of Real PR Delivering Indie Success
Real PR. Real results. 30 years and still loving it. Indie artists, managers, labels — email me for details: Eric@ThatEricAlper.com
Jonah Hill’s “Cut Off” Delayed, July Release Dropped
Been noting for months. But apparently THR had no questions after this Friday non-news dump. Jonah Hill’s ‘Cut Off’ Loses July Release Date From Warner Bros. https://t.co/S1OISmjmQO via @thr
FCC Democrats Repeat Anti‑consolidation Rhetoric, Favor Media Decline
Below is @FCC Democrat Michael Copps @coppsm in about 2003 whinging about new FCC rules allowing local newspapers to acquire local TV stations. This statement has the same analytic rigor used by the Biden administration in killing the Spirit Airlines-JetBlue...
Small Creators Thrive without Millions of Views
Small creators are actually winning right now. 👀 Views are more distributed than ever. And views can be down while income is still up. You don't need millions of views to build a real business. 🎯 https://t.co/M3rDKfNC2Y
Paramount's FCC Request Was Anything but Quiet
Why do some outlets keep saying David Ellison’s Paramount “quietly” asked the FCC to bless its finances for Warner deal which includes lots of Gulf State cash? It’s literally in a regulatory filing which is about the least quiet way to...
Devil Wears Prada 2 Matches Project Hail Mary’s $80
Devil Wears Prada 2' On Pace to Match 'Project Hail Mary' With $80.5 Million Box Office Opening https://t.co/gFPNFHejsQ
Devil Wears Prada 2 Opens Strong,
#TheDevilWearsPrada2 buttons up $32.5M Friday, weekend in $75M range, slightly below expectations but Disney will definitely take it International cash MUCH bigger at $82.1M for $114.6M global haul through Friday https://t.co/ZE97geTGvi
Yahoo's Media Bridge, Wall's Opportunity, Media Rights Challenges
Saturday Goodies; #Yahoo Builds A Media Bridge, Wall Creates An Opportunity, and Digging Into Media Rights Challenges... #sportsbiz #storytelling https://t.co/uHgrXabcWq https://t.co/y36or5tglf
Real Spotify Promotion Boosts Indie Artists' Listeners
Indie artists, stop yelling into the void. I can help your music find listeners with real Spotify promotion. 10 years and counting. Email me: Eric@ThatEricAlper.com