Deadline: The CW’s New Owner, Nexstar Media, Updates Investors On “Offensive And Defensive” Reasons For Its Acquisition Of The Broadcast Network

Story from Deadline:

Nexstar Media Group, which last year acquired 75% of The CW, updated investors on the “offensive and defensive” rationale for the acquisition.

Digital TV Europe: Paramount unveils Showtime integration plan, hints at job cuts

Story from Digital TV Europe:

Global media company Paramount has announced plans to integrate its flagship Showtime brand into its streaming service Paramount+.

Deadline: CBS Sets Global ‘FBI’ Crossover With ‘Most Wanted’ And ‘International’ Spinoffs

Story from Deadline:

FBI will host a global crossover event with its two spinoff series, FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted via CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on April 4 beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Variety: ‘The Last of Us’ Viewership Soars 12% to New Series High With Heartbreaking Episode 3

Story from Variety:

“The Last of Us” has become a bona fide hit for HBO.

Variety; Roku and Tubi to Launch Warner Bros. Discovery Free, Ad-Supported Channels, Featuring HBO’s ‘Westworld’ and More

Story from Variety:

Roku and Fox Corp.’s Tubi are set to bring a big bucket of free, ad-supported content from Warner Bros. Discovery to their streaming platforms.

Variety; Dave Bautista Spoke to James Gunn About Playing Bane in New DC Universe, and It’s Not Going to Happen: ‘You Need Younger Actors’

Story from Variety:

Dave Bautista’s pursuit to play Bane is over. The actor revealed in April 2021 at JusticeCon that he met with Warner Bros. to demand he play the Batman villain in an upcoming movie.

Deadline: Jason Bateman On The Case To Direct ‘The Pinkerton’ For Warner Bros & Bad Robot

Story from Deadline:

Jason Bateman is set to direct The Pinkerton, a supernatural revenge-western hybrid that Warner Bros. and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot acquired two years ago.

Deadline: CNN To Show Bill Maher’s ‘Overtime’ Segments As Part Of Friday Night Programming

Story from Deadline:

CNN will start showing the post-show Overtime segments from HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher as part of its Friday edition of CNN Tonight.

BBC News; Annie Wersching: The Last of Us video game and 24 actress dies at 45

Story from BBC News:

Actress Annie Wersching, who played the character Tess in the hit video game The Last of Us and was in 37 episodes of TV drama 24, has died aged 45.

Deadline: Nicole Kidman & Maya Erskine To Headline & EP ‘The Perfect Nanny’ Limited Series In Works At HBO From ‘Pen15’ Co-Creator & Legendary

Story from Deadline:

Nicole Kidman is back at HBO with another high-profile limited series based on a novel, The Perfect Nanny.

Hollywood Reporter: ‘The Last of Us’ Renewed for Season 2 by HBO as Premiere Hits 22M Viewers

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Not a surprise, but certainly marking a victory for HBO: The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season.

Hollywood Reporter: ‘Tomb Raider’ Film in the Works as Amazon Makes Rich Rights Deal for Marvel-Like Franchise

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Amazon is building a Tomb Raider franchise.

Variety; Original ‘Blade’ Star Stephen Dorff Is Sick of Marvel’s ‘Worthless Garbage,’ Mocks MCU’s Blade: ‘We Already Did It and Made It the Best’

Story from Variety:

Stephen Dorff is no stranger to railing against Marvel. The actor went viral in 2021 after telling The Independent that “Black Widow” looks “like garbage” and that he was “embarrassed” for its leading star, Scarlett Johansson.

New York Post: Netflix will put a stop to password sharing by end of March

Story from New York Post:

Netflix plans to bar users from sharing passwords for free by the end of March of this year, according to a recent company announcement in a letter to shareholders.

Deadline: James Gunn Responds To Questions On Who Doomed ‘Doom Patrol’ And ‘Titans’

Story from Deadline:

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that both shows will end with their fourth seasons, offering two legs of six episodes for a total of 12 shows to close things out.

Variety: ‘The Bear’ Star Ayo Edebiri Joins Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’

Story from Variety:

Out of the kitchen and into the MCU: “The Bear” breakout star Ayo Edebiri has joined Marvel Studios’ anti-hero team-up feature “Thunderbolts” in an undisclosed role.

Variety: Tobey Maguire Said ‘Finally!’ When Asked to Reprise Spider-Man and Wants to Do a Fifth Movie: ‘Why Wouldn’t I?’

Story from Variety:

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” brought Tobey Maguire back to the web-slinging role for the first time in 15 years.

eOne Takeover - Hollywood Reporter: Hasbro to Lay Off 1,000 Staffers, 15 Percent of Workforce, Amid Cost-Savings Push

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The toy and entertainment giant Hasbro says that it will cut its workforce by 15 percent, or 1,000 employees, in the coming weeks.

BBC News; Justin Roiland: Rick and Morty creator dropped by Hulu as well as Adult Swim

Story from BBC News:

US streaming site Hulu has followed TV channel Adult Swim in dropping Rick and Morty co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland, over charges of domestic violence against an ex-girlfriend.

Hollywood Reporter: Peacock Tops 20M Subs, Quarterly Loss Widens to $978M, Management Sees $3B Peak Loss in 2023

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Peacock, the streaming service of Comcast’s entertainment unit NBCUniversal, grew its revenue and subscribers in the fourth quarter, but its loss widened again compared with the year-ago period. In a conference call, management reiterated that the streamer’s loss would peak this year, predicting a loss of $3 billion.

Digital TV Europe: A+E Networks appoints Bradley to oversee content sales and FAST

Story from Digital TV Europe:

A+E Networks has announced that experienced media exec Deborah Bradley is joining the company in the newly-formed role of EVP of global content sales.

Digital TV Europe: YouTube kids chief departs as Alphabet commences 12,000 job cuts

Story from Digital TV Europe:

Google/YouTube’s parent company Alphabet has started to cut 12,000 jobs across the sprawling tech giant’s workforce.

Hollywood Reporter: The CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’ Adds Ethan Embry, Sunny Mabrey

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The real-life married couple will play husband and wife on the series as well, with Mabrey debuting as Crystal Brown in the show’s fifth episode and Embry first appearing in episode six as Arthur Brown.

World News - Broadcast Sport: Murray heroics help Warner Bros. Discovery to Australian Open audience growth

Story from Broadcast Sport:

Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed that streaming audiences for the first week of the Australian Open have grown by almost a third year-on-year.

Media Guardian: Rupert Murdoch calls off proposed Fox-News Corp merger

Story from Media Guardian:

Rupert Murdoch’s decision to scrap a proposal to reunite his media empire puts the long-term future of the financially stretched titles owned by the newspaper baron at risk.

Hollywood Reporter: Lloyd Morrisett, Co-Creator of ‘Sesame Street,’ Dies at 93

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Lloyd Morrisett, the co-founder of Sesame Street whose curiosity about whether television could serve as a tool to teach children was piqued when he observed his young daughter staring at a TV test pattern, has died. He was 93.

Variety; Oscar Nominations 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere’ Leads With 11 Nods, Followed by ‘Banshees’ and ‘All Quiet’

Story from Variety:

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a twisty sci-fi adventure, led the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards on Tuesday morning, picking up 11 nods.

Variety: ‘The Last of Us’ Scores HBO’s Largest-Ever Viewership Growth for a Drama From Premiere to Episode 2

Story from Variety:

After achieving HBO’s second-most watched series premiere in more than a decade, “The Last of Us” is now reaching an even bigger audience and breaking a new record for the pay TV channel.

Deadline: ‘MILF Manor’, ‘Power Slap’, Restructure, Tax Write-Offs & More: Kathleen Finch Gets Candid On Warner Bros Discovery’s Unscripted TV Strategy

Story from Deadline:

“We’re going to put 2022 behind us and focus on the future,” said Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group.

Variety: Marvel’s Kevin Feige Doesn’t Think Audiences Will Ever Get Tired of Superhero Movies

Story from Variety:

Will moviegoers ever get superhero fatigue?

World News - Digital TV Europe: BBC chairman calls for additional funding for BBC World Service

Story from Digital TV Europe:

BBC chairman Richard Sharp has warned that the BBC World Service, which broadcasts to 360 million people across 70 countries in 42 languages, is under threat of losing its influence unless it receives additional funding from the UK government.

Broadband TV News: Reed Hastings to step down as Netflix CEO

Story from Broadband TV News:

Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters are to become the joint CEOs of Netflix after Reed Hastings announced he was to relinquish the role after 25 years.

Deadline: ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ To End With Season 14 On CBS; Series Finale Date Set

Story from Deadline:

One of CBS’ longest-running scripted shows, NCIS: Los Angeles, will be coming to an end after 322 episodes.

Deadline: Jason Momoa Teases More ‘Aquaman’, DC Universe Future & David Zaslav Sit-Down

Story from Deadline:

“I love [James] Gunn and so there’s gonna be some really cool things, what they’re doing with DC, and I definitely will be in more than just one,” Jason Momoa said Friday at the Sundance Film Festival when asked about his DC Universe future.

Hollywood Reporter; Wall Street’s Streaming Warnings to Hollywood Get More Dire: Can’t “Light Money on Fire”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Hollywood is on the edge of the next phase in the streaming revolution as more and more executives and investors have come to realize how significant the implications of the transformation on the entertainment business and its profitability are.

Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Names Ken Lowe, Former Scripps Networks CEO, to Board

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery, struggling to make the transition to the streaming era, has tapped an old-school cable TV exec for its board.

Deadline: Premieres Of TBS’ ‘Miracle Workers’ & ‘The Cube’, TNT’s ‘The Lazarus Project’ Pushed Amid TNets Original Programming Overhaul

Story from Deadline:

There are hardly any other networks that have undergone more disruption over the past nine months than Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT and TBS have post-merger — and it’s not over.

Deadline: ‘Gossip Girl’ Reboot Canceled By HBO Max After 2 Seasons

Story from Deadline:

Gossip Girl‘s return will not go beyond its current second season. HBO Max has opted not to order a third season of the reboot, with the upcoming Season 2 finale on January 26 serving as a series finale.

New York Post: CNN’s primetime ratings sink as network mulls adding comedian to lineup

Story from New York Post:

CNN’s ratings continue to sink as network boss Chris Licht mulls adding a primetime comedian to juice viewership in order to compete with rivals Fox News and MSNBC.

World News - Digital TV Europe: MBC extends deal with Warner Bros. Discovery

Story from Digital TV Europe:

Saudi broadcaster MBC Group has extended its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to continue bringing the latter’s content as well as adding new Cartoon Network offerings for audiences across the MENA region.

Variety: Sports Comes to CW After Rights Pact With LIV Golf

Story from Variety:

The CW, long known for TV series like “Gossip Girl” or “Arrow” that skew toward younger audiences, is taking a swing for older crowds.

Broadband TV News: DAZN and Amazon Prime Video ink global deal

Story from Broadband TV News:

Amazon and DAZN have agreed a global distribution partnership that will see DAZN’s D2C sports streaming service available as a new Prime Video Channel for an additional monthly fee.

Deadline; Netflix 2023 Film Slate Unveiled: ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’, ‘The Mother’, ‘Extraction 2’, ‘Heart Of Stone,‘ ’The Killer’, ‘Rebel Moon’ & Others Get Premiere Dates

Story from Deadline:

Netflix has unveiled its 2023 feature film slate, consisting of 49 titles.

Variety: HBO Veteran Antony Root Set to Leave Warner Bros. Discovery

Story from Variety:

HBO Europe veteran Antony Root is set to leave Warner Bros. Discovery at the end of March after 11 years spearheading original programming across the continent.

Hollywood Reporter; Behind Disney’s Activist Investor Battle: A Marvel Mogul’s Revenge Play

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

In 2004, Roy Disney — Walt’s nephew — summoned Disney shareholders to the company’s annual meeting, asking them to oust then-chairman and CEO Michael Eisner, who had been running the place for 20 years.

Variety: Ousted Disney CEO Bob Chapek Paid $24.2 Million in 2022, Set to Receive More Than $20 Million in Severance

Story from Variety:

Bob Chapek, who was fired as CEO by Disney last fall, received a pay package worth $24.18 million for 2022 and is set to receive severance payments worth more than $20 million.

Deadline: ‘The Last Of Us’ Becomes HBO’s Second-Largest Debut After ‘House Of The Dragon’ Since 2010 With 4.7M Viewers

Story from Deadline:

The Last of Us drew a healthy number for HBO on Sunday night.

New York Post; CNN wants comedian to save it from being a joke in primetime ratings war: report

Story from New York Post:

CNN reportedly wants a comedian to rescue the network from being a laughingstock in the primetime ratings.

Deadline: ‘Magnum P.I’ Will Be “Sexier” On NBC As Stars Weigh In On Move From CBS

Story from Deadline:

Magnum P.I. was saved last summer by NBC after it was cancelled by CBS.

Deadline: ‘Reginald The Vampire’ Renewed For Season 2 At Syfy

Story from Deadline:

Reginald The Vampire has tumbled into a second season at Syfy.

Deadline: ‘Chucky’ Renewed For Season 3 At USA Network & Syfy

Story from Deadline:

Chucky will keep killing it after the series was renewed for a third season.

Variety; James Gunn Says New Superman Actor Won’t Be Revealed in Upcoming DC Universe Announcement: ‘Casting Happens After Script’ Is Done

Story from Variety:

Casting rumors for James Gunn’s new Superman movie are running rampant across social media, but the writer-director and new DC Studios boss says none of it is true considering he’s stilling penning the screenplay.

Variety: CNN Considering Content Contributions From Bill Maher, Warner Bros. Discovery Talent

Story from Variety:

You don’t necessarily have to be a dyed-in-the-wool journalist to get your own roost on CNN.

Deadline: James Gunn Hasn’t Chosen His Superman Yet; Matt Reeves To Meet With DC Bosses About ‘Batman 2’

Story from Deadline:

New DC Co-Boss James Gunn in debunk fashion took the air out of fanboy reports that Euphoria‘s Jacob Elordi is rumored to play Superman in the filmmaker’s early-days iteration of the Man of Steel.

Deadline: Hallie Jackson’s MSNBC Show To End As NBC News Now Expands Her Streaming Program

Story from Deadline:

Hallie Jackson’s MSNBC show will end next month as she expands her daily NBC News Now program by an hour.

Deadline: ‘Flash’ Star Ezra Miller Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Trespass In Vermont Burglary Case, Will Serve One Year Probation

Story from Deadline:

After being charged for stealing liquor from a Vermont neighbor in May, Ezra Miller’s plea deal for a reduced sentence of trespassing was accepted Friday by a Superior Court judge in the Green Mountain state.

Hollywood Reporter: Ezra Miller Trespassing Plea Deal Approved By Court

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Ezra Miller appeared in a Vermont court Friday to agree to a plea deal that resolves a May 2022 incident in which they allegedly stole liquor from a neighbor’s home.

Variety; Matt Reeves Says He’s Meeting James Gunn to Ensure BatVerse and DC Universe ‘Don’t Crash’ Together: ‘We Want to Support Each Other’

Story from Variety:

Matt Reeves confirmed in an interview with Collider that he has an upcoming meeting with new DC Studio bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran to go over their overhauled DC Universe and his ongoing BatVerse.

Deadline: NBC News And MSNBC Undergo Layoffs; Impact Is In “Double Digits” Among Workforce Of 3,500

Story from Deadline:

NBC News and MSNBC were undergoing a round of layoffs on Thursday, although the impact appeared to be less severe than the staff reductions at other media entities.

Deadline: ‘The Flash’ Star Ezra Miller Cuts Plea Deal Ahead Of Vermont Burglary Hearing

Story from Deadline:

After pleading not guilty to felony burglary charges back in October, The Flash star Ezra Miller has entered a guilty plea for a lesser charge of trespassing after being accused of stealing three bottles of liquor – gin, vodka and rum — from the pantry of Stamford, VT, neighbor Isaac Winokur on May 1.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery on a Roll With Wall Street Analysts After Upgrade

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Just a day after two bullish analyst reports, with one expert touting it as his “favorite media stock,” Warner Bros.

Hollywood Reporter: After Tough Year, Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Gets Thumbs Up From Wall Street

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

After a rocky 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock has started 2023 with a runup. And on Tuesday, the company, led by CEO David Zaslav, also received love from two big Wall Street names.

Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Shares Climb 8% on Goldman Sachs Analyst’s ‘Favorite Media Stock’ Label

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery stock was trading at $12.56 per share as of market close Tuesday, up more than 8% from Monday’s close, up more than 31% since the start of the year and at its highest price since Nov. 2.

Variety: CNN Plans Major Daytime Overhaul With ‘Newsroom Headquarters’ Concept

Story from Variety:

CNN anchors may want to start going to the gym, because they could have a new workout in store.

Deadline: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Live-Action Series Ordered By Paramount+ From Rawson Marshall Thurber, eOne & Paramount Pictures

Story from Deadline:

Paramount+ has given an eight-episode, straight-to-series order to an adaptation of Hasbro’s wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game franchise.

Hollywood Reporter: Greg Berlanti Inks New Megadeal With Warner Bros. Discovery

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

It’s official: Greg Berlanti will remain at Warner Bros. Television through 2027.

Variety: Why Paula Zahn, Guy Fieri and Other Unscripted Notables May Be Marching to TCM

Story from Variety:

Paula Zahn isn’t known for her colorful analysis of America’s great films. And yet, on Monday night, she will appear on TCM with critic Eddie Muller, ready to hash over a series of noir delights such as “In Cold Blood” and “I Want To Live.”

Deadline: Suzanne Malveaux To Depart CNN After 20 Years

Story from Deadline:

Suzanne Malveaux, who has been an anchor and correspondent for CNN for the past 20 years, is leaving the network.

Hollywood Reporter; Warner Bros. Discovery CFO: Hollywood Went “Overboard” With Streaming “Spending Frenzy”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

If 2022 was a year of restructuring for Warner Bros. Discovery, then 2023 “will be a year of relaunching and building,” Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Weidenfels said Thursday morning.

Variety; Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Says Restructuring and Content Write-Off Frenzy Is Over in 2023: ‘We’re Done With That Chapter’

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery is entering a new era in 2023, with this 12-month period set on “relaunching and building” compared to 2022’s “restructuring” focus on layoffs and content write-offs, following the April acquisition of WarnerMedia, according to CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels.

Hollywood Reporter: Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Fox Corp. Face Stock Price Target Cuts

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Macquarie media tech analyst Tim Nollen has lowered his stock price targets for Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Fox Corp., citing weak ad markets and elusive streaming profitability.

Variety: HBO Max Removes 256 ‘Looney Tunes’ Shorts, Three Seasons of ‘The Flintstones’

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery’s content purge of HBO Max continued with a year-end culling of a bucket of classic “Looney Tunes” shorts and “The Flintstones” episodes.

Deadline: CNN Misses Midnight New Year’s Eve Countdown In Central Time Zone

Story from Deadline:

Drinking had nothing to do with it.

Deadline: CNN’s Andy Cohen And Anderson Cooper Don’t Drink Alcohol, But Find A Workaround

Story from Deadline:

“They brought us back for another year,” Andy Cohen crowed at the beginning of CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage from Times Square.