Top News:
Annie Palmer / CNBC:
Amazon says it will acquire MGM Studios for $8.45B — - Amazon is buying MGM Studios, the companies announced, marking Amazon's most ambitious move yet into the entertainment business. — The acquisition is Amazon's second-largest acquisition since it paid $13.7 billion for Whole Foods in 2017.
Discussion:
New York Times, Variety, The Wrap, The Wrap, @bradstone, Business Wire, /Film, Observer, @markdistef, The Desk, Ad Age, The Streamable, NBC News, Insider, NPR, @alexweprin, @007hertzrumble, AppleInsider, @kevkoeser, @shiraovide, Paste, @danprimack, @lucas_shaw, @repkenbuck, @claireatki, @ourand_sbj, Associated Press, @mauro_txt, @sonnybunch, @richardlai, @alexweprin, @digitalshields, @psmith, Washington Post, Engadget, @felixsalmon, @sarafischer, @tim_stevens, @dlberes, @edmundlee, 9to5Mac, The Verge, @sizpatel, @kerrymflynn, @richontech, @mattmday, @brianstelter, @kerrymflynn, @lanceulanoff, @rustybrick, Axios, IndieWire, @sherman4949, @thedomino, @dangrabham, @teroterotero, @stevekovach, @realbengilbert, @richontech, @stevekovach, @pkafka, @pkafka, @stevekovach and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
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Peter Kafka / Vox:
With its MGM acquisition, Amazon doesn't want to compete with streamers like Netflix but reduce Prime subscriber churn by providing enough blockbuster content — Amazon isn't competing with Netflix, but it is spending billions trying to figure out Hollywood. Maybe 007 can help.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Wired, CNBC, ZDNet, Gizmodo, @sherman4949, @jesserpound, Protocol, Wall Street Journal, @pkafka, Personanondata, Wall Street Journal and CNN, more at Techmeme »
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
SEC filing: Alden took out two loans, totaling $278M, in the Tribune Publishing deal and removed CEO Terry Jimenez; Tribune was debt-free — It didn't take long for Alden Global Capital to put its imprint — and significant debt — on Tribune Publishing, after closing its $633 million acquisition …
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@lalpert1, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Editor and Publisher, @karenkho, New York Post, @nickconfessore, @jimfriedlich, @tomscocca, @elaheizadi, @maghielse, @mattdpearce, @rhodes_dawn, @joshschwerin, @amlwhere, @karenkho, @ryanchittum, @eric_hontz, @mightygodking, @hartfordcourant, @barry, @danielleiat, @gaufre, @charlesornstein, @joshpcain, @tomscocca, @elyssacherney, @davidrlurie, @jeremylittau, @timothypmurphy, @saragregory, @rumormill, @robertchannick, @jeremylittau, @stacydavisgates, @kevincarey1, @ctguild, @daveweigel, @athertonkd, @byjonharris, @kenbensinger, Columbia Journalism Review, @johnrussell99, The Wrap, New York Post, The Hill and Chicago Sun-Times
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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Facebook and Instagram now give users options to hide Like counts across all posts and to hide their own public Like counts from others — Facebook this week will begin to publicly roll out the option to hide Likes on posts across both Facebook and Instagram, following earlier tests beginning in 2019.
Discussion:
About Facebook, ScreenRant, The Wrap, @mosseri, BBC, The Verge, @instagram, @producthunt, @taylorlorenz, @samsheffer and @kerrymflynn, more at Techmeme »
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Over 200 academics, journalists, and sports figures including UNC alumni sign a letter criticizing UNC's failure to give Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure — More than 200 writers and cultural figures signed a letter opposing the University of North Carolina's failure to give the Times Magazine correspondent tenure with her position there.
Discussion:
The Root, @johnrobinson, @columbiajourn, @kreissdaniel, @mikeogling, @adamserwer, @jelani9, @khalilgmuhammad, @thegrio, New Republic, TheGrio and The Hill
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Emily Wilder was wronged by AP editors, who were less concerned with work product than about “appearances”, defined by groups like Stanford College Republicans — On May 18, the Associated Press reported on the arrest of an arson suspect over a Los Angeles wildfire …
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Axios says its Local program now has 350,000+ subscribers and is on pace to generate between $4M and $5M by the end of 2021 — Led by Axios, local is going national. The “smart brevity” news publisher announced Monday that it planned to expand the number of cities it serves as part …
Discussion:
Medialyte, @dylanbyers, @sarakgoo, @markstenberg3, @djtweets and @thekendallbaker
Javier Espinoza / Financial Times:
Sources: European Commission will open a formal antitrust probe into Facebook to investigate if it's undermining competition in the online classifieds market — European Commission will investigate if Facebook is undermining competition in the online classifieds market
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Post, @valentinapop and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Jake Rudnitsky / Bloomberg:
Ivi.ru, Russia's most popular video streaming service, raises $250M from VTB Group, Roman Abramovich, and others, after pausing IPO plans earlier this year — - New investors contributed about 70% to Ivi funding round — Ivi delayed IPO after proposal to limit foreign ownership
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
In a staff meeting, Jeff Zucker said a CNN streaming platform will launch within the next year, and he defended the lack of a suspension for Chris Cuomo — President Jeff Zucker also said during a town hall that he would consider his future at the cable network given CNN parent company's merger with Discovery
Bloomberg:
Chinese gaming company NetEase's music streaming arm files for an IPO in Hong Kong, that source says could raise ~$1B; filing shows it had 180M+ MAUs in 2020 — - CICC, Credit Suisse and BofA are working on the offering — Co. has secured licensing deals with Universal Music, Sony
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
Ray Schultz / MediaPost:
The Economist launches its first online course, on politics, business, and tech, for £1,475, or $2,087, with experts including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — The Economist is launching its new online executive education program, Economist Education, on Wednesday.
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Journalism.co.uk