Top News:
Jessica Toonkel / The Information:
Sources: WarnerMedia is in talks to sell TMZ to Fox — AT&T's WarnerMedia is in talks to sell its TMZ tabloid entertainment company to Fox, according to people familiar with the situation. The talks are the latest move by WarnerMedia to slim down its collection of businesses.
Discussion:
deadline.com, @johncecilprice, @jpooch21, @webbarr, @joefav, @ktran223, @joshua_sisco, The Wrap, @matthewkeyslive, @richlightshed and Insider
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Quartz says it has 27,000 members, up 71% YoY, and is set to generate $3M+ in subscription revenue in 2021, as it refocuses subscription program on newsletters — Quartz is making changes to its three-year-old subscription program, with a new focus on its email newsletters after the publisher found …
Jem Aswad / Variety:
Vivendi sells 7.1% of Universal Music Group to Bill Ackman's Pershing Square for $2.8B, after plans to sell to Ackman's SPAC failed to materialize — France-based Vivendi, parent of Universal Music Group, has sold 7.1% of that company's share capital to Pershing Square Holdings …
Discussion:
Vivendi, Complete Music Update, musically.com, Digital Music News, Reuters and Music Business Worldwide
Kayleigh Barber / Digiday:
Sports publishers like Overtime and Team Whistle are positioning themselves as content partners for college athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals — Overtime is finally able to fill an age gap in the pool of talent it's able to pay to feature in its video series and digital content — college athletes.
Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
Stewart Bainum, who tried to buy The Baltimore Sun from Alden, has posted job listings for a startup news outlet in Baltimore; source: plans are preliminary — Bainum's bid to buy The Baltimore Sun from Alden Global Capital fell through in the spring. Now he envisions taking on the Sun with a new nonprofit.
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, @alanmillernlp, @davetroy, @sifill_ldf, @itsren, @davetroy, @rickedmonds, @jaisalnoor, @carolsott, @ron_cassie and @kerrymflynn
Max Willens / Digiday:
Medium says its Partner Program has 200,000+ enrollees as it launches a referral program that will give participants a ~50% cut of new subscriber revenue — As the creator services arms race intensifies across digital media, Medium is hoping to stand out by sharing more of its spoils with a smaller …
Discussion:
@maxwillens
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Sports-focused FuboTV reports Q2 revenue of $130.9M, up 196% YoY, with ad revenue up 281% YoY, and says it has added 91,291 subscribers for a total of 681,721 — Streaming pay-TV provider FuboTV reported second-quarter results far better than Wall Street analysts expected …
Discussion:
Yahoo Finance and MediaPost
The Atlantic:
Filing: The Atlantic added 280,000 subscribers in the last 12 months, for a total of 833,410, with the average value of a subscription growing 45% since H1 2019 — The Atlantic's paid readership jumped by more than 280,000 in the last 12 months, according to the latest circulation statement filed …
Discussion:
@jeffreygoldberg
Jacob Silverman / @silvermanjacob:
NYT tech workers plan a half-day job walkout at noon Wednesday to demand a fair union election after what they call “union-busting tactics” by NYT management — NYT tech workers walking off the job tomorrow https://twitter.com/...
Helen Davidson / The Guardian:
Chinese state media deletes articles quoting a Swiss biologist critical of the US over COVID-19 origin investigations, after Switzerland says he does not exist — State media quietly erases articles on biologist Wilson Edwards after Switzerland says he does not exist
Discussion:
Al Jazeera
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Tribune names Mitch Pugh, executive editor of Charleston, SC's The Post and Courier, as its top editor; Colin McMahon steps down as EIC after 18 months — A summer of transition for the Chicago Tribune under new hedge fund ownership continued with the announcement Tuesday of a change at the top of the masthead.
Discussion:
@postandcourier, @colinjmcmahon, Poynter, @jslovegrove, @scmitchp, @ctguild, @ctguild, @robertloerzel, @taylormooresays, @monicaeng, @niemanlab, Robert Feder and Editor and Publisher
Tom Tapp / Deadline:
TV Academy moves the Emmys venue to an “indoor/outdoor setting” and limits attendance due to the pandemic, says more changes are possible — Just days after announcing a limited red carpet for the 73rd Emmy Awards, the Television Academy announced on Tuesday that the event's venue …
Discussion:
The Wrap, @filmupdates, @honeymoron, Reuters, Variety and deadline.com