Samba TV: ‘The Crash’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through May 24
Netflix’s true‑crime documentary *The Crash* claimed the top spot on Samba TV’s weekly streaming rankings for May 18‑24, surpassing Amazon Prime’s *Jack Ryan: Ghost War* and HBO’s *Euphoria* season 3. The film, released on May 15, dramatizes an Ohio teen’s alleged high‑speed crash that killed two passengers. Prime’s *Jack Ryan* movie debuted on May 20 and secured the No. 2 position, while the third‑season return of HBO’s teen drama held third. The rankings illustrate shifting viewer appetites across major streaming platforms during a competitive week.
Roku’s Home Screen Redesign Shows Why Streaming Discovery Is Moving Upstream
Roku unveiled its biggest home‑screen redesign in over a decade, reshaping how content, apps, and recommendations appear at the point of entry. The update underscores a broader industry shift that moves streaming discovery upstream to the operating‑system layer, giving Roku...
Russell Crowe Thriller ‘The Get Out’ Debuts Digitally June 30
Action thriller *The Get Out* starring Russell Crowe will hit digital platforms for purchase and rental on June 30, following a four‑day limited theatrical run that begins June 26. The film follows a nightclub owner forced to confront masked gunmen,...
PBS Kids Renews ‘Lyla in the Loop’ for a Second Season
PBS Kids has renewed the animated series “Lyla in the Loop” for a second season, slated for a 2027 launch. The new season will feature 24 half‑hour episodes, a family‑reunion special, and additional digital games that teach AI‑literacy and computational...
HBO Max’s Roland-Garros Tennis First Two-Day Viewership Up 25%
HBO Max reported a 25% increase in total hours streamed during the first two days of the 2026 Roland‑Garros tournament, which is covered under a 10‑year, $650 million global rights deal. TNT Sports, the network’s sports arm, saw audience numbers rise...
Netflix Launching ‘Instadocs’ Genre, Starting With Program on Disgraced Lawyer Alex Murdaugh on May 30
Netflix is launching a new "Instadocs" format—quick‑turn docuseries that chase breaking‑news stories—in a strategic move to extend its documentary dominance. The debut episode, "Alex Murdaugh, Unconvicted," arrives on May 30 and chronicles the South Carolina lawyer’s overturned murder convictions and ongoing...
Lionsgate Joining Movies Anywhere Digital Locker Service
Lionsgate will integrate its film catalog into the Movies Anywhere digital locker starting June 2026, initially offering 225 high‑profile titles. The studio plans to add roughly 100 additional movies each month through early 2027, expanding the service’s library to nearly...
Germany Passes Law Mandating Streamers, TV Networks Invest Minimum 8% of Local Revenue in Local Content
German lawmakers approved the Media Investment Obligation Act, requiring both domestic and foreign streaming services and TV networks to allocate at least 8% of their German‑derived revenue to locally produced content starting Jan. 1, 2027. The law supplements the EU’s 30% European‑content...
MPN’s Weekly Video Podcast: Inside AI on the Lot 2025: Amazon’s Project Nara, Google Gemini and Hollywood’s AI Revolution
At AI on the Lot 2025, Amazon unveiled Project Nara, an end‑to‑end AI production suite now available to independent filmmakers through a grant program, and Google demonstrated Gemini Omni Flash, a multimodal tool that creates video, audio, text and images from...
‘Project Hail Mary’ Tops DEG Digital Transactions Chart for Week of May 17
Amazon MGM Studios’ sci‑fi adaptation Project Hail Mary topped the Digital Entertainment Group’s transactional digital sales chart for the week ending May 17, according to GfK Entertainment data. The film, released for premium digital purchase and rental on May 12, outperformed a...
WBD Bondholders Approve Change in Fiscal Rules to Facilitate Paramount Merger
Warner Bros. Discovery secured bondholder and lender consent to amend its fiscal covenants, clearing a key hurdle for the $110.9 billion Paramount Skydance acquisition. The vote covered $16.6 billion of debt, with approval rates between 79 % and 99 % across note classes. Paramount will...
Lionsgate’s ‘My Best Friend’s Dead’ Now Available for Digital Purchase and Rental
Lionsgate released the horror title *My Best Friend’s Dead* on May 26, 2026 for digital purchase and video‑on‑demand rental. The film, written and directed by Bruce Wemple, follows a grieving woman who resurrects her dead soulmate, unleashing a demon that terrorizes a...
‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Eyes $102 Million Memorial Day Weekend Tally; $165 Million Globally
Disney/Lucasfilm’s first original Star Wars film in nearly seven years, *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, opened to $82 million in domestic ticket sales through May 24, including $12 million from preview screenings. The theatrical version is projected to reach $102 million domestically and $165 million worldwide, matching...
Samba TV: ‘Roast of Kevin Hart’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through May 17
Netflix's "The Roast of Kevin Hart" claimed the No. 1 spot on Samba TV’s weekly streaming rankings for May 11‑17, outpacing HBO’s season 3 of "Euphoria." The comedy special, filmed at the Kia Forum, featured a star‑studded lineup of roasters. Netflix’s drama "Remarkably...
Doc ‘Eyes of the World’ Due Digitally May 26 From BayView
BayView Entertainment will digitize the 2003 documentary *Eyes of the World* for VOD purchase, rental and subscription streaming on May 26. The film, a New York Times Critics Choice and AFI/Discovery Channel Silver Docs nominee, follows award‑winning photojournalists like Ron Haviv as they...