Top News:
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline:
CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery plan to launch a CNN Originals hub on Discovery+ starting on August 19, featuring 800+ hours of current and legacy programming — CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery are launching a dedicated CNN Originals hub on Discovery+ domestically starting August 19.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, @ourand_sbj and Variety
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Warner Bros. Discovery reports Q2 revenue of $9.8B, vs. $11.9B est., a $3.4B net loss, and 92.1M subscribers, counting HBO Max and Discovery+ — The company is on a mission to find billions of dollars in cost savings.
Discussion:
ScreenRant, Warner Bros. Discovery, @billkuchman, New York Times, Decider, @barronsonline, Variety, The Wrap, @benmullin, Collider, Media War & Peace, MediaPost, UPROXX, @azalben, @azalben, @azalben, @azalben, @k_trendacosta, @aagave, @masasoncap, @sherman4949, @azalben, @tvmojoe, @aagave, @natjarv, @natjarv, @natjarv, @natjarv, @natjarv, @loudmouthjulia, Dan's Stack, CNBC and Variety
Kim Masters / The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: DC Films President Walter Hamada was on the verge of leaving the studio after Batgirl's shelving, but agreed to stay on at least until October 21, 2022 — The executive has agreed to remain in his post at least until the Oct. 21 release of the Dwayne Johnson film ‘Black Adam.’
Discussion:
SlashFilm, The Wrap, @ray8fisher, The A.V. Club, @nickatina_show, IndieWire, Insider, Breitbart, Looper and Collider
Todd Spangler / Variety:
On its Q2 2022 earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to launch a combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service in the US in summer 2023 — HBO Max and Discovery+ will launch in the U.S. as a single service in the summer of 2023, JB Perrette, CEO and president …
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Adweek, The Wrap, Tom Merritt Tech Newsletter, @variety, The Streamable, MediaPost, Middlebrow Musings, @ericfrancisco24, @cdncapedcrusadr, @dangillmor, @allisonkilkenny, @myronjclifton, @cristalmarie, @makispoke, @emtothea, @hunteryharris, @thekjohnston, @markharrisnyc, Decider, @its_willyu, @thedailybeast, @slangdini, @kirkwrites79, @marcellacomedy, @its_willyu, @scriptsbyjames, @variety, @cheo_coker, @thebexbecbecca, @freeblackgirl, @dylanbyers, @xpangler, @natjarv, @zaackhunt, Breitbart, The A.V. Club, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, TVNewser, The Daily Beast, Collider, UPI and Looper
Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times:
Warner Bros. Discovery's stock closed down 16.53% on August 5, after its first combined financial report revealed disappointing revenue and streaming challenges — Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery sank Friday after the media and entertainment giant reported disappointing earnings …
Discussion:
Deadline, Too Much TV Newsletter, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Barron's Online and Insider
Jack Queen / Reuters:
A jury says Alex Jones must pay two Sandy Hook parents $45.2M in punitive damages, on top of $4.1M in compensatory damages, for claiming the shooting was a hoax — U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre $45.2 million …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, New York Times, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Associated Press, Metro.co.uk, Washington Post, The Verge, VICE, CBS News, @dansolomon, @averytravistv, @averytravistv, @dansolomon, @evacide, @oliverdarcy, @thezhanly, @derrelldurrett, @popehat, @popehat, @andykroll, @annamerlan, @rvawonk, Law & Crime, The Daily Beast, Mercury News, The Wrap, The Week, Boing Boing, Infowars, Variety, Rolling Stone and Deadline
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
Charter and Bright House settle lawsuits by major record labels that accused the ISPs of failing to close accounts that illegally downloaded copyrighted songs — Confidential settlements could lead to more terminations of Internet subscribers. — Charter Communications has agreed …
Discussion:
TorrentFreak
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
AMC Networks names former ViacomCBS CFO Christina Spade as CEO, starting on September 9, and says it had 10.8M paying subscribers in Q2 2022, up from 9.5M in Q1 — Christina Spade, a veteran media executive who was previously chief financial officer of the former ViacomCBS …
Billboard:
Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries and MRC complete split of shared media assets; Eldridge retains Dick Clark Productions and Hollywood publication investments — The companies said that a transition structure will be put in place over the next several months in order to ensure a smooth separation.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:
Consumer Reports Vice President and Content Officer Gwendolyn Bounds is leaving after eight years to become executive director and head of content at SmartNews — Gwendolyn Bounds, vice president and chief content officer at Consumer Reports, is leaving the publication to become head of content at SmartNews.
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Clubhouse starts beta testing private communities called Houses, which can be created by a person or group looking for a more intimate alternative to Clubs — Clubhouse, the social audio app that rose in popularity amid the pandemic, is looking to shake up its platform with the launch of private communities called “Houses.”
Discussion:
@pdavison, @ericrweinstein, @mattnavarra, @garylhenderson, @om, Newslit Daily, @clubhouse, @ericnewcomer, @caseynewton, CNET and Social Media Today, more at Techmeme »
Alex Ritman / The Hollywood Reporter:
Source: Disney will not release Pixar's Lightyear nor the Baymax series on Disney+ in the Middle East due to LGBTQ content — While the platform in the region won't show kid-focused content with LGBTQ references, it will include films such as 'Doctor Strange and the Multitude of Madness …