Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Hollywood Reporter: Sony Says a Deal For Paramount “Does Not Fit Well With Our Strategy”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Even though Shari Redstone has inked a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance Media to relinquish control of Paramount Global, the company has until Aug. 21 to mull any other takeover options during a “go-shop” window.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Crumples to All-Time Lows After Huge Q2 Impairment Charge

Story from Variety:

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery slid more than 12% in early trading Thursday to all-time lows after the media conglomerate — heavily reliant on its pay-TV business — announced a whopping $9.1 billion write-down reflecting the loss of value of its linear television networks.

Deadline: Sony Pictures Entertainment Profit Slides Down To $73M In First Quarter

Story from Deadline:

Sony Pictures Entertainment posted first quarter operating income of $73M, down over 36% year-on-year on a U.S. dollar basis.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes Major Impairment Charge Over Linear TV While Streaming Makes Minor Gains

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Discovery posted a quarterly loss for its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) unit, and saw its base of global streaming subscribers rise to 103.3 million at the end of the second quarter, up 3.6 million subs added, compared 99.6 million at the end of the first quarter.

Hollywood Reporter: CNN Launches FAST Streaming Channel Focused On Original Series

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

A slew of CNN Originals, including shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain, W. Kamau Bell, Lisa Ling and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will be available for free to consumers starting today.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes Massive $11.2 Billion In Write-Downs & Charges In Q2 After Losing NBA

Story from Deadline:

Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a hefty non-cash impairment charge, or write-down, of $9.1 billion at its networks division to align the book value of its linear television business with the reality of uncertain advertising and sports rights renewals as the NBA is set to move on.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes $9.1 Billion Balance-Sheet Hit for Massive Drop in TV Network Values

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery reported its second-quarter 2024 earnings Wednesday, which included a $9.1 billion charge related to the devaluation of the company’s TV networks.

Broadband TV News: GAA opens championship games to domestic broadcasters

Story from Broadband TV News:

The GAA has invited “expressions of interest” for broadcast rights to selected championship games currently broadcast by GAAGo.

Variety: ‘Inside Out 2’ Lifts Disney Quarterly Earnings, Overall Streaming Biz Swings to Profit Amid Light Disney+ Subscriber Gain

Story from Variety:

Disney’s latest quarterly results overall sparked joy for the Mouse House — with the record-breaking “Inside Out 2” boosting profits and the company’s consolidated streaming business landing in the black for the first time.

Variety: Disney Says It Might Have to Pay Comcast up to $5 Billion More to Buy Out Hulu

Story from Variety:

Disney and Comcast remain locked in a dispute over what Hulu is worth — and Disney said it might have to pay up to $5 billion more to complete the buyout of NBCUniversal’s 33% stake in the streamer.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Variety: Sony Officially Says It Won’t Bid for Paramount Global to Counter Skydance Deal

Story from Variety:

Sony is not interested in making a new offer for Paramount Global that would challenge Paramount’s deal to merge with Skydance Media, a top exec for the Japanese conglomerate said.

Variety: Paramount+ Domestic and Showtime CMO Michael Engleman to Exit

Story from Variety:

Just over a year after his promotion, Paramount+ Domestic and Showtime chief marketing officer Michael Engleman has decided to exit the company.

Deadline: Disney, Fox & Fubo Lawyers Clash In NY Court As Venu Sports Antitrust Lawsuit Goes Before Judge

Story from Deadline:

Lawyers butted heads Tuesday in a key hearing in the antitrust lawsuit Fubo filed against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery, a case with broad implications for the pay-TV business.

Hollywood Reporter: Charles Barkley Cancels Retirement Plans, Will Stay With TNT Sports for “Years to Come”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Charles Barkley won’t be retiring after all.

Deadline: Disney To Raise Prices On Most Streaming Plans This Fall

Story from Deadline:

Disney will hike the price of most streaming plans as of October 17, the company said today, about a year after its last increase in the fall of 2023.

Deadline: NBCU Ups Jeanne Mau To EVP TV Programming Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Story from Deadline:

NBCUniversal has promoted Jeanne Mau to Executive Vice President, TV Programming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, from her SVP role.

Warner Bros. Discovery: truTV to Exclusively Televise Five Friday Night Savannah Bananas Games, Starting Aug. 16

Story from Warner Bros. Discovery:

TNT Sports’ programming block on truTV continues to expand its offerings, today announcing five consecutive weeks of live Friday night action from the Savannah Bananas’ Banana Ball World Tour this August and September.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis - Broadband TV News: Warner Bros Discovery turns to asset sales

Story from Broadband TV News:

The disposal of Poland’s TVN is one of the options under consideration by Warner Bros Discovery executives anxious to avoid a break-up of the media company.

Broadband TV News: Viaplay rolls out ad supported tier

Story from Broadband TV News:

Viaplay has introduced a new HVOD (Hybrid Video on Demand) tier for its Swedish customers.

Variety: ‘House of the Dragon’ Finale Hits Season 2 Viewership High With Nearly 9 Million Viewers, But Down From Season 1 Ender

Story from Variety:

“House of the Dragon” hit a Season 2 high in viewership with Sunday’s finale, which drew 8.9 million multiplatform viewers across HBO and Max, per Warner Bros. Discovery.