Lionsgate Extends CEO Jon Feltheimer’s Contract to 2031
Lionsgate announced that longtime chief executive Jon Feltheimer will remain at the helm through July 31, 2031, keeping his base salary at $1.5 million. The new agreement adds performance‑linked stock options that vest only if the share price hits $17.50, $20 and $22.50. The move follows the studio’s recent spin‑off from Starz and a slate of box‑office hits such as *The Housemaid* and the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. Shares closed at $10.66, down 4%, after hitting a 52‑week high of $11.40 last week.
How Portugal Has Become a Production Hub, From ‘House of the Dragon’ to Local Hit ‘Turn of the Tide’
Portugal is positioning itself as a premier film and TV production hub, a message reinforced at the inaugural StreamTV Europe conference in Lisbon. The Portugal Film Commission has launched a €350 million ($412 million) incentive program running through 2029, emphasizing diverse locations,...
Social Media Powers Online’s Ad Market Dominance, and Meta Eats 70 Percent of That Pie
Online advertising is set to surpass $1.6 trillion by 2030, with social media driving the bulk of growth. Omdia projects online ad spend will reach $1.5 trillion, up from $935 billion in 2025, and grow 13% in 2026 alone. Social ads are forecast...
Blink49 Studios Pushes Into Microdramas (Exclusive)
Blink49 Studios announced the appointment of Tieren Hawkins as vice‑president of vertical content to spearhead a new microdrama division. Hawkins, who produced hits such as Forbidden Bonds that amassed over 150 million views on platforms like ReelShort, will lead the creation...
Earnings Preview: Did Netflix Get the Last Laugh on Warner Bros.?
Netflix walked away from the Warner Bros. Discovery deal, pocketing a $2.8 billion break‑up fee and then raised U.S. subscription prices in March. The streamer is using the cash to fund new content, a kids‑games app, and to double‑down on its...
Delayed Nielsen Gauge Confirms the Olympics Were Great for NBCUniversal (and Versant)
Nielsen’s delayed February Gauge data show NBCUniversal and its spin‑off Versant captured 13.1% of all TV usage, overtaking YouTube for the first time. The surge was driven by the Super Bowl and the 2026 Winter Olympics, which lifted NBCU’s share...
New York Times Shakes Up Senior Exec Ranks as It Leans Into Product, Data and AI (Exclusive)
The New York Times announced a senior leadership overhaul as CTO Jason Sobel prepares to leave and a search for a New York‑based successor begins. Alex Hardiman and Hannah Yang were promoted to executive vice presidents, gaining shared oversight of engineering and data...
Tucker Carlson Launches Book Imprint With Skyhorse
Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and podcaster, has launched a new book imprint called Tucker Carlson Books in partnership with Skyhorse Publishing. Skyhorse, which has issued memoirs by Woody Allen and Melania Trump, will handle distribution and editorial support....
“Streamflation” Might Be Nearing a Crisis Point
Streaming giants are confronting a price‑inflation surge, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a 19.5% rise in video‑subscription costs in December. Major platforms—including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and YouTube Premium—have all implemented price hikes in the past year. Deloitte’s latest...
The Trump Administration Is Setting Its Sights on TV’s Most Valuable Programming
The DOJ and FCC have opened investigations into the NFL’s broadcast agreements, questioning whether the league’s anticompetitive practices violate the Sports Broadcasting Act. The probes come as the NFL renegotiates its TV contracts, seeking higher rights fees from traditional broadcasters...
Liza Burnett Fefferman Joins Anonymous Content In New Chief Comms Role
Liza Burnett Fefferman has been hired as Anonymous Content’s chief communications and marketing officer, reporting to CEO Darren Walker. The veteran executive leaves her EVP communications role at Paramount’s Showtime/MTV Studios after the Skydance merger. She will lead a centralized communications...
States Are Spending Billions Courting Hollywood. Are They Actually Creating Local Jobs?
U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions are pouring billions into film‑subsidy programs to lure Hollywood productions, but a new report shows that most of the spending does not translate into local jobs. Only 30% of Oklahoma’s $100 million annual production spend goes...
Top Influencers’ Secret Weapon for Engagement Might Be Replaced by AI
Influencer marketing has leaned heavily on freelance video clippers who turn long‑form content into bite‑sized TikTok, Reels and Shorts clips. Last year, AI‑powered services such as Overlap and OpusClip began offering end‑to‑end clipping, editing and posting without human involvement. Major...
YouTube Report Details Animation Industry Indie Wave, Reveals Viewership Trends (Exclusive)
YouTube’s Culture & Trends team released the "Animation’s New Wave" report, showing a surge in independent digital animation as traditional studio output declines. The study, based on creator interviews, viewership data for 16‑49‑year‑olds, and a U.S. survey, finds that half...
CAA Wants to Bring More Marketers to Hollywood’s Creative Table
Creative Artists Agency is launching its Entertainment Partnerships team to seat brand marketers alongside writers, directors and talent during the earliest stages of TV development. The initiative is exemplified by the six‑episode series Rider Die, a Crocs‑Complex collaboration that weaves product...
The National Enquirer’s Archives to Be Mined for Microdramas in New Deal (Exclusive)
MediaCo and micro‑drama platform GammaTime have signed a deal to turn the National Enquirer’s historic archives into short‑form vertical series, debuting with a true‑crime drama about Drew Peterson. The partnership leverages the tabloid’s sensational stories, from infamous murders to celebrity...
How the CAA Vs. Range Brawl Was Destabilized By a Leak
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) lost an arbitration ruling that it breached contracts with four former agents who left to launch Range Media Partners, opening the door to multi‑million‑dollar awards for the agents. CAA’s counterclaims alleging trade‑secret theft were also dismissed....
Fanatics Inks Wide-Ranging Sponsor Deal With AT&T
Fanatics announced a broad sponsorship agreement with AT&T that will embed the telecom brand in Fanatics' emerging media and entertainment content, make AT&T an official partner of Fanatics Fest in New York, and power joint watch parties for marquee sporting...
Warner Bros.’ Ex-Movie Chief Is Betting on TV Development In a Tough Market
Former Warner Bros. head Toby Emmerich has launched Fireside, a production banner that will now focus on television development backed by Len Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment. After a five‑year first‑look film deal with Warner Bros., Emmerich sees a gap as studios scale...
Inside the Snappys: Snapchat Launches Inaugural Awards Show, With Kylie Jenner, David Dobrik Among Winners
Snapchat launched its inaugural awards show, The Snappys, live‑streamed from its Santa Monica headquarters. The ceremony honored creators across categories, with David Dobrik taking Creator of the Year and DJ Khaled receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. The event suffered notable absenteeism,...
Writers Guild West Staffers to Lose Health Coverage Soon Amid Strike
Seven weeks into the Writers Guild of America West strike, staffers represented by the Writers Guild Staff Union will lose health‑care coverage on April 1. Coverage under the PWGA Health Plan ends because they did not meet the 31‑hour work threshold...
Taylor Swift Sued For Trademark Infringement Over ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
Taylor Swift faces a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Las Vegas performer Maren Wade, who owns the “Confessions of a Showgirl” mark. Wade alleges Swift’s album title “The Life of a Showgirl” and related merchandising infringe her trademark, which the...
Sony Pictures to Shutter VFX Firm Pixomondo In Production Shift
Sony Pictures announced it will wind down its visual‑effects and virtual‑production subsidiary Pixomondo, moving remaining projects and talent to its Vancouver‑based Sony Pictures Imageworks. The closure affects Pixomondo’s studios in the U.S., Canada, Europe and its LED‑volume division PXO Clara,...
Hollywood Studios Back GOP Effort to Dismantle Canada’s Online Streaming Act
Hollywood studios have thrown their weight behind a Republican‑sponsored bill aimed at overturning Canada’s Online Streaming Act, which obligates U.S. platforms to financially support Canadian film, TV and music production. The Protecting American Streaming and Innovation Act, introduced by Rep....
A Blockbuster Video-Simulator Game Is Flying Off the Shelves
Independent studio Blood Pact Studios launched Retro Rewind, a Blockbuster‑style video‑rental simulator that debuted at number one on Steam and quickly entered the platform’s top‑10. The game lets players manage a 1990s‑era store with 14,000 procedurally generated movie titles, handling...
David Ellison Sends Letter to CA Lawmakers Outlining Plan to Keep Hollywood Jobs Local (Exclusive)
David Ellison, head of Paramount, wrote to California lawmakers outlining how the planned Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger will protect and expand Hollywood jobs. He pledged each studio will maintain a 15‑film annual slate, a 45‑day theatrical window, and longer VOD windows,...
NBC News Links Up With Tech Journalist Joanna Stern As It Pursues Creator Deals
NBC News has signed a deal with prominent tech journalist Joanna Stern, appointing her as chief tech analyst and contributing correspondent as the network expands its subscription‑streaming product. Stern, who recently left The Wall Street Journal to launch her own...
Josh Pyatt Joins Patrick Whitesell’s WTSL as Firm Gets Into Management With WIN Artists (Exclusive)
WTSL, the Silver Lake‑backed firm led by Patrick Whitesell, has launched a new management division called WIN Artists, hiring former WME Sports co‑head Josh Pyatt as partner to lead the effort. WIN Artists will represent athletes and other talent, helping...
NBCUniversal and ABM Industries Rehire More Than 100 Union Janitors, Averting Major Protest
NBCUniversal and its facilities contractor ABM Industries agreed to rehire more than 100 union janitors they had dismissed earlier this week. The layoffs, affecting night‑shift workers at Universal City Plaza, DreamWorks and the Universal Studios Lot, sparked a planned SEIU‑USWW...
TikTok to Resume Local Sponsorships After Deal to Stay in Canada
TikTok Canada reached a settlement with the federal government, allowing the platform to keep its local operations and resume sponsorships of major cultural events. The agreement includes commitments to support Canadian, Francophone and Indigenous creators, invest in cultural organizations, and...
Google and Range Media Partners Tap Veteran TV Producers for Microdramas Slate
Google and Range Media Partners have unveiled the 100 ZEROS initiative, a slate of microdramas created by veteran TV producers such as Mike Fleiss, Simon Fuller and McG. The vertical‑video series will debut on the Google TV app for Android...
Sony Pictures TV Nonfiction Heads Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman Departing Studio
Sony Pictures Television announced that Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman will leave the nonfiction division they have led since 2022. The unit will be folded into President Katherine Pope’s portfolio, joining her scripted and kids businesses. Sony originally acquired Holzman...
Josh D’Amaro Sets New Leadership at Disney’s Lucrative Experiences Division
Disney announced Thomas Mazloum will succeed Josh D’Amaro as chairman of Disney Experiences, the division that drives the bulk of the company’s profit. Mazloum, who has overseen Disneyland Resort and Disney Signature Experiences, steps in as D’Amaro prepares to become...
Ben Affleck Quietly Founded a Filmmaker-Focused AI Tech Company. Netflix Just Bought It.
Netflix has agreed to acquire InterPositive, an AI‑powered filmmaking technology firm founded by Ben Affleck. The deal brings the startup’s proprietary tools that assist directors with visual logic, editorial consistency, and production challenges into Netflix’s tech portfolio, and places Affleck...
As Broadcast Slowly Dies, Niche-Casting Is on the Rise
Broadcast morning shows have lost roughly half their audience over the past fifteen years, prompting a shift toward livestreaming. Creators like Malcolm Harris, Warner Bailey, and TBPN are launching niche‑focused shows for logistics, Hollywood, and tech professionals on platforms such...
Luxury Movie Theater Chain iPic Files for Bankruptcy
Luxury cinema chain iPic Theaters has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting a $20 million loss on $112.5 million revenue and assets between $10 million and $50 million. The filing follows a steep decline in ticket sales, heightened competition from streaming services, and lingering effects...
It’s a Megadeal: Banijay, All3Media to Merge, Creating New Indie Production Giant
Banijay and All3Media announced an $8 billion merger that will combine two of the world’s largest independent TV producers into a single entity. The deal gives each side a 50 percent stake, with Banijay’s Marco Bassetti becoming CEO and Jeff Zucker chairing...
The $100 Million Case Over Kevin Spacey’s Imploded ‘House of Cards’ Season Finally Hits Court
Media Rights Capital (MRC) is suing insurer Fireman’s Fund for up to $100 million after the sixth season of *House of Cards* collapsed following Kevin Spacey’s departure. Spacey agreed to cooperate as a state’s witness, reducing his arbitration award to $1 million...
Movie Theaters to Keep Lobbying Against Warner Bros. Deal, Now Targeting Paramount
Cinema United, the leading exhibitors’ trade group, is ramping up its lobbying campaign against the proposed Paramount‑Warner Bros. merger after Netflix abandoned its $82.7 billion bid. David Ellison’s Skydance‑backed bid to acquire Warner Bros. now hinges on a combined deal that...
David Ellison Wins. It Doesn’t Yet Make Him a Winner.
David Ellison secured a $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., beating Netflix’s $82 billion bid. The deal, financed by a consortium that includes Saudi and Qatari sovereign funds, gives him control of a studio with a $71 billion market cap and a portfolio...
Paramount Says Warner Bros. Discovery Would Be “Accelerant” To Its Goals as It Reports Earnings
Paramount Skydance reported fourth‑quarter revenue of $8.14 billion, a 2% increase year‑over‑year, but posted a $339 million operating loss. Direct‑to‑consumer revenue rose 10% while Paramount+ grew 17% to $1.8 billion and 78.9 million subscribers. CEO David Ellison framed a potential merger with Warner Bros. Discovery as...
Media Deals Value Surges to $250 Billion Last Year, Driven by Netflix-Warner Bros., Premium Content
Media M&A value surged to nearly $250 billion in 2025, more than double the prior year, even as deal count fell 10.1 %. The jump was anchored by two mega‑transactions: Netflix’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and a $55 billion take‑private of Electronic Arts....
James Cameron Sounds Alarm Over Netflix-Warner Bros. Deal, Backs Paramount
Renowned director James Cameron has written to Senator Mike Lee urging Congress to block Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing it would cripple theatrical exhibition and cause massive job losses. He contends that Netflix’s streaming‑first model conflicts with...
Councilmember’s Push to Improve L.A. Filming Conditions Passes Latest Hurdle: “We Can’t Lose Any More Time”
Councilmember Adrin Nazarian secured committee approval for nine filming‑friendly proposals, including faster soundstage certification, a free permit for micro‑shoots, reduced parking fees, and an independent audit of permitting. Amendments trimmed police and fire regulations and removed special‑condition hurdles in neighborhoods like...
Jake Weiner Exiting Good Fear to Launch Production, Management Firm Harvest Hill Entertainment (Exclusive)
Longtime producer Jake Weiner has left Good Fear after a 25‑year partnership with Chris Bender to launch his own management and production company, Harvest Hill Entertainment. The new boutique firm starts with a roster that includes Oscar‑nominated writer Allison Schroeder,...
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner Says He Regrets Miramax Acquisition Due to Weinstein’s Behavior
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...
Roku Sees Higher Revenue, Positive Net Income For 2025 As Platform Makes Gains
Roku reported a strong fourth‑quarter 2025, posting $1.5 billion in revenue—a 16% year‑over‑year increase—and its first positive net income of $80.5 million. Platform revenue surged 18% to $1.2 billion, driven by higher video‑ad sales and a record share of streaming minutes. The company...