Know What's Happening in Television
Know What's Happening in Television
Netflix to Pull Oscar‑Nominated ‘Hell or High Water’ in 2026
Netflix will remove Taylor Sheridan’s Oscar‑nominated neo‑Western *Hell or High Water* from its catalog on May 1, 2026. The 2016 film earned roughly $37 million worldwide against a $12 million budget and holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
DAZN is positioning itself to bid for a domestic NFL package as the league prepares for its next round of broadcast negotiations. The streamer already distributes NFL Game Pass internationally and saw a 24% subscription increase in 2025, signaling appetite for American football. Backed by a $1 billion Saudi sovereign‑wealth investment, DAZN plans to spend more on sports rights in 2026 than any platform except Prime Video. However, with roughly 20 million U.S. subscribers, it must overcome a sizable gap versus entrenched broadcasters and larger streaming rivals.
Paramount announced two senior hires ahead of its upcoming upfront: Danielle Carney, former Amazon Ads head of live sports and video sales, will become head of U.S. ad sales, and Chris Brady, ex‑Tribeca Enterprises president, will serve as EVP of...
At Streaming Media Connect, Chris Pfaff led a panel on the rapid rise of vertical microdramas on free streaming platforms. Panelists highlighted how mobile‑first viewing, bingeable formats and AI‑driven production are turning short‑form vertical series into a potential mass‑media staple....
Fox executives initially expected Chris Carter to pitch a family or teen soap, not a high‑concept sci‑fi thriller. The network was hesitant because it lacked a comparable drama and feared the genre’s risk. Carter’s detailed 15‑page pitch and his insistence...
Paramount plans to merge its Paramount+ service with HBO Max once its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes, creating a single streaming platform with over 200 million direct‑to‑consumer subscribers. The combined service will sit between Netflix’s 325 million global base and...
The cult‑favorite series Dispatches from Elsewhere has landed on the UK’s ad‑supported streaming service ITVX, joining its existing homes on Prime Video and Netflix. The ten‑episode, mind‑bending thriller, starring Jason Segel, Sally Field, André 3000 and Richard E Grant, draws on the real‑world augmented‑reality game...
Goalhanger swiftly launched emergency episodes of its flagship shows after Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed, amassing more than three million views, streams and downloads within 48 hours. The four episodes—The Rest Is Politics, The Rest Is Politics: US, The Rest...
YouTube is rolling out a natural‑language video search that lets users type full‑sentence requests about topics, moods or ideas instead of exact titles. The beta interface offers prompt examples such as “inspire me to pursue new hobbies” and an open...
Saturday Night Live faced backlash after selecting Connor Storrie, a former U.S. men’s hockey player, to host his debut, a move many view as an attempt to deflect criticism surrounding the sport’s recent scandal. The episode also sparked speculation about...
💯 Priceless quote from Ted Sarandos ending his post-mortem interview with @Lucas_Shaw Lucas: "If you feel like this is a rare asset, that also means that an asset like this may not come up again anytime soon, right?" Ted: "Possibly. Or...
Victory+ has launched a free, ad‑supported NWSL Content Hub that aggregates 57 live matches, including the flagship Sunday Night Soccer, with creator‑led shoulder programming. The hub debuts alternate broadcasts hosted by World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara and sports personality Coach...
Irish crime drama "The Vanishings" has risen to #1 on a UK streaming platform's trending chart, outpacing titles like "Rich House Poor House" and "The Curfew." The six‑part series, starring India Mullen and Allen Leech, dramatizes the real‑life "Vanishing Triangle"...
If CNN can't get a decent sub growth push with the recent strikes in Iran, it should be a sign that a standalone CNN streaming app is a Bad Idea, and should be brought back into HBO Max. Then again,...
Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch says he expects Paramount-Warner to continue to sell content to third parties and anticipates that will be a condition of the deal.
Chris McGurk has transformed Cineverse from a modest digital cinema business into a publicly traded studio‑tech hybrid that blends content creation with proprietary streaming infrastructure. The company now delivers over 70,000 titles to 50 million monthly viewers across theatrical, TVOD, FAST,...
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch says at Morgan Stanley conference, "We don’t believe in scale for scales sake, we don’t believe you need to get bigger to get better."
Out @Lmanfredi7 lays out the path for Paramount to clear the Warner deal- the hurdles and the company’s secret weapon.
Zeev Neumeier, the co‑founder of the ACR pioneer Inscape, launched Gray Swan to bring agentic AI to the chaotic world of CTV ad operations. The platform ingests massive ad‑tech datasets, builds contextual models, and automates decisions that previously required hours...
That’s a relief: Ellison said, “Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO. They built a phenomenal brand. They’re a leader in the space, and we just want them to continue doing more of it.“
New: Paramount Will Combine HBO Max and Paramount+, Won’t Sell or Spin Off Cable Assets https://t.co/o9Loe8qBMA
C15 Studio has renewed its multi‑year agreement with Formula 1 to continue operating the free, ad‑supported Formula 1 Channel in the United States. The updated deal adds live broadcast rights for the 2026 F1 Academy Series, the sport’s all‑female development championship. Launched...
Our @mlcalderone drills down into David Ellisons vast new media power. What will he do with it?
Paramount boss David Ellison confirms their @ufc agreement enables them to put fights on @HBO, sorta brings HBO back to its fighting roots @BrandoLightShed $PSKY $WBD https://t.co/Dph8xQXjcP
The FCC granted a waiver allowing DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting to purchase Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV from Scripps for $83 million, exceeding the agency’s two‑stations‑per‑market rule. Media Bureau Chief Erin Boone ruled the exception would not harm competition and would protect local...
the only analysis on this, imo, outside of "efficiency savings" through mass layoffs (🤮🤮🤮🤮) and tech stack consolidation is what percentage of "churn and return" customers from these two cohorts would extend their subscription lifetime with very little CAC increases.
"We have no intention to pull back on production," says Paramount CEO David Ellison, who adds combining streaming requires investing in content to achieve growth goals.
Nippon TV is returning to the Series Mania Forum to debut two new scripted formats, the suspense thriller *The Right to Judge* and the high‑voltage drama *Escape*, each ten 60‑minute episodes. *The Right to Judge* has already logged more than...
"HBO should stay HBO," promises Paramount CEO David Ellison. Praises Casey Bloys and says "Game of Thrones" is his favorite HBO show." I'd get to negotiating a new deal for Bloys then ASAP.
Paramount CEO David Ellison says no asset sales planned at this time if WBD deal goes through.
Channel 4 commissioned a provocative bronze sculpture titled “The fountain of filth” to promote its investigative series “Dirty Business.” The piece, built by 4Creative, Glue Society and Biscuit Filmworks, depicts men, boys, paddles and surfboards spewing water from their mouths. Campaign’s...
Paramount CEO David Ellison calls deal to acquire Warner, "a unique and thrilling moment." Alas he said it with the enthusiasm of a parking attendant telling you to head to the roof for a space. Pre-recordings never sound exciting.
On investor call, Paramount confirms it plans to put P+ and HBO Max together, making one service from the two.
ARRI and HONOR have formed a strategic partnership to embed ARRI’s cinematic imaging principles into HONOR’s upcoming ROBOT smartphone. The collaboration will debut later in 2026, bringing professional colour science, highlight roll‑off, and depth cues to a consumer device. By...
Combined Par-WBD estimated to have $69 billion in proforma revenue and $18 billion in EBITDA.
Paramount COO Andy Gordon says $6 billion in synergies can be realized in three years from consolidating streaming structures, optimizing real estate holdings, combining various units, etc.
Ventum Tech announced a strategic partnership with Oslo‑based Pixotope to become the regional integration and deployment partner for the company’s real‑time graphics and virtual‑production platform across the GCC and Lebanon. The collaboration combines Pixotope’s real‑time rendering and camera‑tracking technology with...
Paramount CEO David Ellison commits to 30 theatrical movies and a 45-day window and says HBO will continue to have the resources and independence to "do what it does best."
Paramount CEO David Ellison says deal with Warner is opportunity to help shape the future and build the next generation media and entertainment company.
Warner Bros. Discovery has promoted Shazia Fazal to Head of Affiliate – South Asia, elevating her after nine years with the company. Fazal previously served as Senior Director overseeing DTH, telecom and digital alliance distribution across the region. Her career...
Paramount investor call to discuss merger w Warner is about to begin.... $PARA $WBD https://t.co/fMPs2jSr2O
BiotechTV is growing today. I’m happy to welcome @WassimLaroussi3 as our newest contributor. I’ve been impressed with his own videos, and he is going to do some very cool stuff for @BiotechTV. https://t.co/LUcm1sTqGz
NBC Sports tapped Imaginary Forces to craft the main title sequence for the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics primetime show, "Primetime in Milan," which aired nightly from Feb. 6‑22 on NBC and Peacock. The cinematic opening blends animated Italian winter landscapes with...
The PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports have renewed their media‑rights agreement through 2033. The extension secures broadcast of the Ryder Cup, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and PGA Professional Championship on NBC, Peacock, USA Network...
Netflix UK has assembled a dedicated commissioning team for live unscripted programming, headed by longtime Netflix executive Daisy Lilley. The unit added Claire Horton, known for The Masked Singer UK, on a fixed‑term contract and will oversee upcoming live events...
South Africa’s VBS Mutual Bank, once a flagship black‑owned lender, was declared insolvent in 2018 after billions of rand were siphoned through a massive fraud orchestrated by senior executives. The scandal, which implicated politicians, auditors and even a former president,...
Polus Capital Management has purchased a 26.54 percent stake in Arqiva from Macquarie, becoming the company’s largest external shareholder. Polus, which manages roughly $14 billion in assets, highlighted Arqiva’s role in the UK’s national communications backbone and its stable, sustainable growth trajectory....
Netflix withdrew its $82 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the way for Paramount‑Skydance’s revised $111 billion offer. The deal would give Paramount control of Warner’s film studio and TV networks, reshaping the media landscape. Meanwhile, Dentsu named Takeshi Sano global CEO...
IAB Europe’s first Attitudes to Digital Advertising report shows programmatic CTV adoption rising but fragmented, with 21% of respondents handling over 81% of their CTV inventory programmatically while 18% cannot gauge their own activity. The survey highlights opaque supply paths,...
John Oliver mocked Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that outbid Netflix after the streaming giant raised its offer to $31 per share. The merger creates a media powerhouse combining Paramount’s film and TV assets with Warner’s extensive library...
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have launched the Partner with Australia (UK) initiative, offering up to $10,000 travel grants to up to 20 Australian production companies and 10 writer‑creators. The three‑day program will take place in London from 16‑18 June 2026...
