Hollywood Reporter: Katina Arnold Named Senior VP of Disney Advertising Communications

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The Walt Disney Co. is turning to a veteran executive from its ESPN business to lead communications for its ad sales division.

Deadline; Media Stocks, Markets Soar As Fed Chief Signals September Rate Cut: “The Balance Of Risks Appears To Be Shifting”

Story from Deadline:

It’s been a long wait but Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell energized stocks today as he cracked open the door to a possible interest rate cut at the Central Bank’s September meeting.

Variety: Disney’s Asad Ayaz to Oversee Entertainment Marketing, Shannon Ryan Duties Expand to Include Streaming With Hulu-Disney+ Merger

Story from Variety:

With Disney+ and Hulu set to merge in 2026 — and Hulu’s standalone app going away — Disney is reshuffling the marketing leadership of its entertainment division.

Variety: Disney’s Move to Merge Hulu Into Disney+ Could Save Company Billions of Dollars

Story from Variety:

In 2026, Disney expects to shutter Hulu as a standalone app and service — and fully merge Hulu into Disney+.

Deadline: Hulu To Become International Tile On Disney+, Replacing Star, As Speculation Swirls About U.S. App’s Stand-Alone Future

Story from Deadline:

Hulu will replace Star as a tile on the international Disney+ service.

Deadline: Disney Sees Q3 Profit, Upside “Where It Matters Most” At Theme Parks & Streaming Amid ESPN Flurry

Story from Deadline:

Disney’s theme parks, which had a few wobbly quarters, blew past Wall Street estimates as streaming profits advanced in the June quarter, vying with red ink at the film studio and declines at linear networks.

Deadline: Fubo Sees Disney, Hulu + Live TV Deal Closing Earlier Than Anticipated

Story from Deadline:

Fubo has accelerated the expected timeline for closing its sale to Disney, now anticipating the transaction will close in the fourth quarter of this year or the first three months of 2026.

Deadline: ‘Jeopardy!’ & ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Streaming Deals Are “Completely Separate” To Syndicated Pacts, Says Sony Pictures TV Boss

Story from Deadline:

Sony Pictures Television raised a few eyebrows earlier this month when it unveiled a trio of streaming deals for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune right as it was in the middle of litigation with CBS over the rights to the shows.

Deadline: Decades After Its Joint-Venture Journey Began, Hulu’s Sole Ownership By Disney “Finally Resolved” With $439M Payment To NBCU, Bob Iger Exults

Story from Deadline:

The long and winding road of Hulu, which started in the pre-smartphone era as a streaming joint venture involving NBC and Fox, has concluded with the finalizing of Disney‘s buy-out of Comcast.

Hollywood Reporter: Disney Plans to Use Its Brands and IP to Get Preschoolers Moving

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The Walt Disney Co. wants to use Marvel, Mickey Mouse, ESPN and ABC News to get kids moving.

Advanced Television: Fubo, DAZN sign US partnership

Story from Advanced Television:

FuboTV, the sports-first live TV streaming platform, and DAZN, the sports streaming platform, have announced a multi-year partnership in which both sports streaming companies will distribute their owned-and-operated linear channels, which include exclusive sports rights, on each other’s US platforms.

Hollywood Reporter: Disney Lays Off Several Hundred Employees in Cost-Cutting Measure

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Disney is laying off several hundred employees globally as part of cost-cutting measures.

Advanced Television: Fubo launches Women’s Sports Zone

Story from Advanced Television:

Fubo, the sports-first live TV streaming platform, has launched a dedicated Women’s Sports Zone, with custom branded activations for advertisers.

Deadline: Streaming Ad Tiers Catch Fire, Make Up Nearly Half Of U.S. Subscriptions For SVODs That Offer Them, Study Says

Story from Deadline:

Ads on streaming are smoking.

Hollywood Reporter: FuboTV Sheds Subscribers In First Quarter

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The sports streaming platform FuboTV reported it ended the first quarter with 1.47 million paid subscribers in North America, down from 1.67 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 and 1.61 million at the end of the third quarter that year.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Hollywood Reporter; Streaming Profit Report: Netflix Leads, Disney Rises, Warner Grows. Is Consolidation Next?

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

It has taken a few years, but more legacy Hollywood studios’ streaming businesses have started turning annual profits, with the rest touting progress toward that goal.

Variety: Disney Branded TV and Nat Geo Marketing Chief Pam Levine Exits Amid Restructuring

Story from Variety:

Disney Branded Television and National Geographic head of marketing Pam Levine is exiting her role at the company as it restructures to move her responsibilities under Disney Entertainment Television president of marketing Shannon Ryan‘s team.

Deadline: FCC Chair Opens Investigation Into Walt Disney Co. Over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs

Story from Deadline:

The Walt Disney Co. is the latest media conglomerate to be targeted by Donald Trump‘s FCC chairman over its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices.

Hollywood Reporter: Fubo TV Adds Texas Rangers to Sports Lineup

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The Texas Rangers’ new regional sports network, Rangers Sports Network, has signed a streaming deal with Fubo TV to see its live games for the 2025 season carried across five regional U.S. states.

Hollywood Reporter: Disney Cuts Nearly 200 Jobs at ABC News and Entertainment Networks

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

The Walt Disney Co. is slashing just under 200 jobs at ABC News and at its Disney Entertainment Networks division as the traditional TV business continues to face economic headwinds, a source familiar with the decision tells The Hollywood Reporter.