Barry Diller’s IAC to Change Name to ‘People Incorporated,’ Plans to Lay Off 77 Staffers in Consolidation of Corporate Functions
Barry Diller’s IAC announced it will rename itself People Incorporated by its Q2 earnings in August, reflecting a strategic focus on its People publishing portfolio and its growing stake in MGM Resorts. The rebrand follows a consolidation plan that will eliminate 77 IAC roles—about 2% of the combined workforce—while integrating corporate functions to achieve roughly $40 million in annual cost savings. The new public entity will trade under the ticker “PPLI.” CEO Neil Vogel and CFO Tim Quinn will lead the renamed company, with Diller remaining chairman and overseeing the MGM investment.
Viral Comedian Matt Buechele Launching Podcast ‘That Sounds Like a Lot,’ About Culture, Politics and the ‘Increasingly Strange Rhythms of...
Comedian Matt Buechele is debuting a weekly video podcast, “That Sounds Like a Lot,” on May 1, produced by Vox Media and AND Media. The show opens with Buechele’s walk‑and‑talk monologue before moving into a comedic yet thoughtful interview with guests...
Oprah Inks Amazon Deal for Her Podcast, Book Club and Original TV Show
Oprah Winfrey has signed an exclusive multiyear agreement with Amazon’s Wondery network to bring her podcast, Oprah’s Book Club, Favorite Things franchise, and the 25‑season back catalog of The Oprah Winfrey Show to Amazon platforms. The deal expands The Oprah...
‘SpongeBob Tower Defense,’ Highest-Earning IP-Based Game on Roblox, Launches 2.0 Version in Partnership With Paramount (EXCLUSIVE)
SpongeBob Tower Defense 2.0 launched on Roblox, cementing its status as the platform’s highest‑earning branded game. Since debuting in December 2024, the title has logged more than 633 million visits, peaked at 9.6 million monthly active users and 191,984 concurrent players. The 2.0...
Connor Tomlinson to Launch Video Podcast in First Project After ‘Love on the Spectrum,’ Part of PAVE Studios’ New Slate...
Connor Tomlinson, known from Netflix’s *Love on the Spectrum*, is debuting a history‑focused video podcast with indie network PAVE Studios. The series will launch under PAVE’s new Rewind brand, which aims to deliver high‑production storytelling that goes beyond textbook narratives....
Trump Media Appoints Kevin McGurn, Former Hulu and Vevo Exec, Interim CEO as Devin Nunes Exits Company
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) announced Kevin McGurn, a former Hulu and Vevo executive, as interim CEO, succeeding Devin Nunes. McGurn, who has advised the firm since December 2024, inherits a company preparing for a $6 billion all‑stock merger with nuclear‑fusion firm TAE Technologies....
The Hideaway Entertainment Options Johnathan Walton’s True-Crime Podcast ‘The Handyman of West Texas’
Johnathan Walton Media has signed a deal with The Hideaway Entertainment to adapt the true‑crime podcast “The Handyman of West Texas” for screen. The six‑episode series, which debuted in January, follows a male sex worker posing as a handyman for...
Rockstar Games Co-Founder Dan Houser Unveils Cast of His Sprawling ‘Absurdaverse’ Video Game-TV Series Franchise; First Animated Shorts to Premiere...
Rockstar co‑founder Dan Houser announced the first voice cast for his new “Absurdaverse” franchise, a comedy‑satire universe that will span an untitled animated series and a AAA open‑world video game. The initial lineup—Rachel Dratch, Dan Soder, Ari Matti, Annie Lederman,...
Studio71 Sold to Fixated, Giving Company Network of 1,000-Plus Digital Creators
Los Angeles‑based Fixated has purchased creator‑media company Studio71, merging their talent representation, production and distribution capabilities. The combined entity now serves over 1,000 digital creators across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Twitch, and inherits Studio71’s podcast network and long‑standing...
Garcelle Beauvais Sets New Memoir ‘Protecting My Peace… at All Costs’ at Audible (EXCLUSIVE)
Actress and author Garcelle Beauvais will release her second memoir, “Protecting My Peace…at All Costs,” as an Audible Original on May 7. The 2024‑2025 release, written and narrated by Beauvais, delves into her decision to leave “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”...
ReelShort, Endemol Shine Brasil Launch Hit Microdrama ‘Married at First Sight’ in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE)
ReelShort and Endemol Shine Brasil are debuting a Brazilian adaptation of the global micro‑drama hit “Married at First Sight,” retitled “De Repente Casados,” on April 18 exclusively on ReelShort. The original series has amassed more than 227 million views worldwide, and the localized version stars...
‘Mouse: PI for Hire’ Star Troy Baker on Jack Pepper’s Narration Quirk, Why He Keeps Taking on New Video Game...
Troy Baker, famed for roles in "The Last of Us" and "Indiana Jones," stars as Jack Pepper in the newly released black‑and‑white first‑person shooter "Mouse: P.I. for Hire" from PlaySide Studios and Fumi Games. In a Variety interview, Baker explains...
‘The Sims 4’ Marketplace Launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Making UGC Available for the First Time on Consoles (Gaming News Roundup)
EA announced that The Sims 4 Marketplace is now available on PlayStation and Xbox as of April 16, letting console players browse, purchase, and download community‑created Maker Packs and Kits directly in‑game using Moola. The launch removes the need to restart a...
How Ebay’s Trading Card Marketplace TCGPlayer Is Using Xerox to Expand, Maintain ‘Trust’ With Magic: The Gathering, ‘Pokemon’ and ‘One...
eBay‑owned TCGPlayer launched the Roca Sifter, an automation device that identifies, prices and sorts trading‑card‑game cards without damaging them, thanks to a partnership with Xerox. The company says the Sifter works through sleeves, lowering costs for game stores and expanding trust...
Netflix Expands Video Podcast Slate With Shows From ‘Rotten Mango’ Creator Stephanie Soo, Evan Ross Katz, NBC News’ Ellison Barber...
Netflix is bolstering its original video‑podcast portfolio with five new series, adding to the slate it began building in 2025 through distribution deals with Spotify, iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports. The lineup includes a pop‑culture interview show with former NBC anchor...
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Maker Launches Official Actual-Play Show Amid Growing Popularity of ‘Critical Role,’ ‘Dimension 20’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary, is debuting “Dungeon Masters,” its first official Dungeons & Dragons actual‑play series. The two‑episode launch drops on YouTube on April 22, with new episodes released weekly. The show’s inaugural storyline is tied to the...
Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hires Joanne Bradford as President to Lead Expanded Executive Team
Unwell, the Gen Z‑focused media company behind Alex Cooper’s hit podcast “Call Her Daddy,” has appointed Joanne Bradford as president to lead an expanded executive team. Bradford, a former Honey president and SoFi COO with over three decades in media...
Kelly Marie Tran, Rob Benedict Lead iHeartPodcasts Scripted Drama ‘Saigon’ Set During Vietnam War
iHeartPodcasts is launching "Saigon," an eight‑episode scripted drama set against the Vietnam War, starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict. The series adapts Anthony Grey's bestselling novel and is produced by Thoroughbred Studios, a joint venture that includes former media...
Roblox to Launch ‘Kids’ Accounts for Users Ages 5-8, New Selection Process for Games Available to Players Under 16
Roblox announced the rollout of two new age‑based account tiers—Roblox Kids for ages 5‑8 and Roblox Select for ages 9‑15—scheduled for early June. The tiers use the platform’s facial‑estimation age‑check technology to automatically assign users and shift them to standard...
True-Crime Podcasts ‘Disgraceland’ and ‘Hollywoodland’ Join iHeartMedia Network Alongside ‘My Favorite Murder’
True‑crime host Jake Brennan’s podcasts “Disgraceland” and its spin‑off “Hollywoodland” are moving to Exactly Right Media, the network behind “My Favorite Murder,” which is partnered exclusively with iHeartMedia for sales, marketing and distribution. The shows, previously hosted on Audacy, will...
Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform’s Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing
Patreon reported that podcasters earned $629 million in 2025, a 33% year‑over‑year rise, making podcasts its top‑grossing category. More than 47,000 creators now earn on the platform, supported by 7.6 million paid memberships. The company’s 10% fee model and new podcast tools,...
‘The Boys’ Sets ‘Call of Duty: Mobile’ In-Game Collab Ahead of Final Season (Gaming News Roundup)
Sony Pictures Consumer Products announced a major in‑game collaboration between the TV series “The Boys” and Call of Duty: Mobile, set to launch this summer ahead of the show’s fifth and final season on Prime Video. The crossover will introduce...
Sam Altman Felt ‘Terrible’ Telling Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro About OpenAI’s Decision to Kill Off Sora, Says Companies Still Looking...
OpenAI announced the shutdown of its Sora video‑generation platform, a move that caught Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro off‑guard and halted Disney’s plan to let fans create AI‑generated versions of over 200 characters. The cancellation puts a $1 billion Disney investment on...
Creator Platform Beehiiv Launches Podcast Hosting and Distribution
Beehiiv, originally a newsletter platform, has launched a full‑stack podcast hosting and distribution service. The new tool lets creators upload MP3, M4A or WAV files, automatically generate transcripts, and push episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast and Castro. Beehiiv charges...
CreateAI CEO Cheng Lu on Why the AI Debate in Animation Is Already Settled: ‘AI-Assisted Production Is Just Going to...
CreateAI has inaugurated Asia’s largest motion‑capture studio in Beijing, equipped with 130 Vicon VK26 cameras across a 2,000 sq m facility. CEO Cheng Lu says the studio will use AI to automate post‑capture data treatment, making high‑quality animation cheaper for smaller studios. The...
Instagram to Sell Reels Ads for Viral TV and Movies Content, ‘Cultural Moments’ Like NFL Games and Black Friday
Meta announced that Instagram’s Reels Trending Ads will now include a "TV & movies" category and dedicated line‑ups for cultural moments such as NFL games, Black Friday and Fashion Week. A limited‑alpha reserve‑buy option will let brands secure up to...
Content Creator Alanah Pearce Launches Charred Pictures in Partnership With Game Devs; ‘Faith: The Unholy Trinity’ Film Adaptation, Two More...
Content creator Alanah Pearce has founded Charred Pictures, an indie production company that partners directly with game developers on film and TV adaptations. The debut slate includes three projects: a pre‑production adaptation of the survival‑horror game Faith: The Unholy Trinity,...
AI Filmmaking Tools Company Flawless Names Amit Kapur Co-CEO
Flawless, an AI‑assistive filmmaking platform, appointed longtime tech entrepreneur Amit Kapur as co‑CEO alongside co‑founder Scott Mann. Kapur, who previously helped grow MySpace and sold AI startup Gravity for $100 million, joins the board‑member‑turned‑executive to scale the company. Flawless, founded in...
YouTube Exec Counters Netflix Rivalry Talk, Highlighting Platform’s Global Reach and $100 Billion in Creator Economy Payout
YouTube’s managing director for France and South Europe, Justine Ryst, highlighted that the platform paid out more than $100 billion to creators between 2021 and 2025, surpassing Netflix’s $79.5 billion content spend in the same period. She emphasized YouTube’s ad‑supported model, which...
Xbox’s ‘Starfield’ to Launch on PlayStation 5 in April (Gaming News Roundup)
Bethesda’s flagship space‑explorer Starfield will debut on Sony’s PlayStation 5 on April 7, ending its Xbox‑only window. The launch coincides with the game’s biggest free update, “Free Lanes,” and the new Terran Armada story DLC, both rolling out across all platforms. Sony...
Variety’s 10 Creators to Watch on Going Independent and Why ‘To Make Something and Own Something, You Have to Sell...
Variety’s inaugural "10 Creators to Watch" convened at SXSW for a panel on forging careers outside Hollywood’s traditional studio system. Moderated by Selome Hailu, the discussion highlighted the growing desire among creators to own their work and the necessity of...
AI Registry to Protect Athlete Likenesses and Digital IP Launched by New Sports-Tech Firm Callandor Group (EXCLUSIVE)
Callandor Group, a new sports‑tech firm, launched the first AI‑focused registry for athletes’ digital identities, enabling licensing and royalty collection for likeness, voice, and biometric data used in AI models. The platform, featuring the Event Horizon API, helps athletes and...
TikTok Radio Sets Relaunch on iHeartMedia App and 28 U.S. Stations After Leaving SiriusXM
TikTok Radio is relaunching on March 13 via the iHeartRadio app and on 28 iHeartMedia broadcast stations after ending its four‑year SiriusXM partnership. The new channel blends music, creator‑led conversation, and signature segments such as ‘Behind‑the‑Charts’ and ‘Hacks on the :20s.’...
AI Podcast Start-Up Rebel Audio Comes Out of Stealth Mode, Taps Mark Burnett as Adviser (EXCLUSIVE)
Rebel Audio, a Nashville‑based AI podcasting start‑up, has emerged from stealth mode with a $3.8 million seed round and the addition of TV legend Mark Burnett as its first adviser. The company unveiled an invitation‑only beta of its AI‑driven platform at SXSW,...
Razer’s VP of Software Quyen Quach Unveils ‘Fully Agentic’ Version of AI Companion AVA, Which Runs on Cloud and...
Razer announced that its AI companion AVA will become fully agentic, capable of running both on a user’s PC and in the cloud. The new version adds multi‑step task planning, third‑party app integration, and a proprietary inference control plane that...
Audible Unveils Nonfiction Podcast Slate Incorporating Wondery Productions, Featuring OnlyFans Investigative Series, New Seasons of ‘Dr. Death’ and ‘Over My...
Audible announced a new nonfiction podcast slate that merges Wondery’s investigative series with its own offerings, featuring season 5 of “Dr. Death,” season 5 of “Over My Dead Body,” and the upcoming “OnlyFantasy” series on OnlyFans. The rollout follows Amazon’s...
Valerie Bertinelli Launches Subscription Direct-to-Fan Platform ‘Valerie’s Place,’ Including New Episodes of ‘Home Cooking’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Former Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli has launched a subscription‑based direct‑to‑fan platform called Valerie’s Place, priced at $2 per month. The service, built on Visible Things’ technology, offers new episodes of her show Home Cooking, original programming, podcasts, live streams,...
NAACP Image Award Nom ‘HipHopGamer’ Gerard Williams on Launch of Gaming Content Category: ‘They Need to Be a Part of...
The NAACP Image Awards introduced an Outstanding Digital Content Creator – Gaming/Tech category for the first time, nominating five creators including Gerard Williams, known as HipHopGamer. Williams highlighted the NAACP’s intent to engage Black audiences in gaming, tech, and AI conversations....
Inside Blizzard Entertainment’s Lofty Goal to Wow the Gaming World Again
Blizzard Entertainment marked its 35th anniversary with a series of Showcase announcements, rebranding Overwatch 2 back to Overwatch and unveiling a year‑long narrative arc. World of Warcraft received a long‑awaited in‑game housing system, while Diablo II got its first update in 25...