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AMC and Universal agree to shorten the theatrical window for films to 17 days, or 3 weekends, before Universal can release them onto premium on-demand platforms — New York (CNN Business)Universal and AMC are mending their frayed relationship in a deal that not only reverses the theater chain's ban …
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Spotify reports Q2 revenue of €1.89B, up 13% YoY, with MAUs up 29% YoY to 299M, premium users up 27% to 138M, and ad-supported MAUs up 31% to 170M — In addition, ad revenue fell 21% — which Spotify blamed on the coronavirus pandemic — but the drop wasn't quite as bad as forecast.
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TechCrunch, Ad Age, The Wrap, VentureBeat, Variety, Fast Company, Business Wire, The Wrap, @markdistef, @thr, 9to5Mac, @kerrymflynn, @lucas_shaw and Spotify, more at Techmeme »


Lionsgate and BuzzFeed announce a motion picture partnership for a slate of socially relevant and high-concept feature films, with plans to launch in 2021 — EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and BuzzFeed are partnering on a new venture to develop, produce and distribute a multi-picture slate …
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@laura_kramer, @awallenstein and The Wrap


NHL partners with Twitter and Disney Streaming Services to offer live “look-ins” to some Stanley Cup qualifying and playoff games, showing four minutes per game — Hockey is returning to the ice — and Twitter is getting live “look-ins” for the NHL's Stanley Cup qualifying and playoff games.
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MediaPost, Deadline, Cord Cutters News, The Streamable and Adweek


Turkey passes law extending sweeping powers over social media platforms, ordering those with 1M+ DAU to open offices in the country and store user data locally — The legislation extends control over social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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@senmarkey, @satariano, @m_clem and @chrchristensen, more at Techmeme »


Digital Spy, UK's biggest TV and movies website, launches its first digital magazine, available exclusively on Apple News+ in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia — The #1 entertainment website in the UK unveils interactive magazine custom-designed for Apple News+
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Digital Spy

Condé Nast's healthcare advertising unit introduces Obsidian, a cookie-less audience tracking tool available through CitizenNet, its marketing service — Conde Nast's unit for healthcare advertising last week touted its new technology to track its digital audience without using cookies …


Talent agency CAA says it will lay off about 90 agents and execs and furlough about 275 assistants, of whose health plan premiums will still be paid in full — The Century City-based firm had been the last of the major talent agencies to undergo staff cuts.
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Deadline, Publishers Lunch, @yashar, @mmonticolo, @erinsk8, @danielleweisber, @richlightshed and The Wrap


Sources: Russian intelligence services are using a trio of English-language websites by an information agency called InfoRos to spread disinfo about COVID-19 — WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian intelligence services are using a trio of English-language websites to spread disinformation …
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New York Times, Business Insider, @brooklynmarie and @megkinnardap

Access Intelligence, which owns AdExchanger and others, announces layoffs and furloughs affecting 35 staffers and the folding of Folio into AdMonsters — News: Access Intelligence, which owns several B2B media brands including PRNews, Cablefax and AdExchanger, announced a mix of layoffs and furloughs today. 35 staffers were affected (about 16% of staff). Also, Folio is being folded more into the AdMonster brand
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@pbannist, @tonysilber and @seangriffey


Some journalists debate the safety and ethics of using TikTok for publishing news, amid concerns about how China could influence their content — This week, Bloomberg reported that members of Joe Biden's presidential campaign were instructed to delete the social media app TikTok from their phones.
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Los Angeles Times, @cjr, Los Angeles Times, @latimes, @bgrueskin, @taylorlorenz, The Wrap, Fox News, Mediaite, Business Insider and New York Post


At least three streamers banned or suspended from Twitch and Facebook following accusations of sexual harassment have moved to YouTube — When a handful of streamers were recently banned or suspended by the live-streaming platforms Twitch and Facebook following accusations of sexual harassment, their careers didn't end.
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@lucas_shaw


WarnerMedia says that 23% of HBO Max users are between 18 and 24 and that Friends is the most watched show on the streaming service — Although not providing any actual data, WarnerMedia yesterday released a few more statements about the performance of its two-month-old HBO Max streaming service …
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Multichannel News
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