Top News:
New York Times:
Penske Media announces a strategic investment in Vox Media; sources: Penske acquired a ~20% stake for $100M, becoming the largest shareholder of Vox Media — The deal is the latest in a series of acquisitions and investments made by Penske Media, the owner of a swath of entertainment …
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Tom Brady plans to join Fox Sports as the lead NFL analyst in the fall of 2024, “take some time to really learn” the job, and catch up on his personal life — The quarterback signed a deal with Fox Corp. last year to become an NFL broadcast analyst.
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Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
AMC Theatres introduces ticket prices based on seat location, pricing seats in the middle of the auditorium higher, coming to all US theaters by the end of 2023 — At your next visit to AMC Theatres, getting a prime seat may cost you a little extra. — The country's largest exhibition chain …
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Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
GB News presenter Mark Steyn quits after the channel told him he has to pay Ofcom fines for breaches of the broadcasting code over his COVID-19 vaccine comments — Mark Steyn could face sanction by media regulator after he cast doubt on safety of Covid vaccines
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@davideledingue, @shentonstage, @rj_abel, @vexwerewolf, @eddierobson, @troyliss, @juwanthewriter and @john_castlevale
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John Ourand / Sports Business Journal:
The Super Bowl won't have crypto ads in 2023 as FTX and others back out after buying several spots early; crypto companies had around five spots in 2022's game — Fox Sports officially sold out Super Bowl LVII inventory, selling its final in-game spot in the week before the NFL conference championship games.
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The Verge, New York Post, Awful Announcing, Adweek and Insider, more at Techmeme »
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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Fox Sports EVP Mark Evans says the outlet sold all its Super Bowl LVII ad inventory the week of January 23, with some peak 30-second spots selling for $7M+
Fox Sports EVP Mark Evans says the outlet sold all its Super Bowl LVII ad inventory the week of January 23, with some peak 30-second spots selling for $7M+
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MediaPost, Sportico, @parkerdelrey, @larakiara, Associated Press, @rachyljones, Cointelegraph, @ericjackson, @ourand_sbj, Fortune, Insider, Front Office Sports, The Big Lead, Variety, Ad Age and Barrett Media
Carrie Blazina / Online News Association:
The Online News Association appoints LaSharah S. Bunting as its CEO and Executive Director, effective March 13; Bunting was most recently a Simon & Schuster VP — Journalist, transformational leader, equity advocate will lead organization — The Online News Association …
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The Daily Beast:
Sources: ex-The Hill owner Jimmy Finkelstein plans to name former People EIC Dan Wakeford as the editor of The Messenger, a “Washington Post-Daily Mail hybrid” — This reporting is one of several scoops featured in this week's edition of Confider, the newsletter pulling back the curtain on the media.
Discussion:
@lachcartwright, @justinbaragona and @scottnover
Mélissa Godin / The Guardian:
A profile of Elaíze Farias, the editor of Amazônia Real, a digital media outlet focused on covering marginalized people and their rights in the Brazilian Amazon — Elaíze Farias, editor of news outlet Amazônia Real, wants her ‘post-colonial’ journalism to put the voices of marginalised people first
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@thecelticist, @risj_oxford, @janebsinger and @melissagodin21
David Smith / The Guardian:
How AI de-aging VFX are increasingly used on actors, including Harrison Ford in the new Indiana Jones movie, and the possible impact on Hollywood's economics — Stars like Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford are being rendered younger digitally but voices in the industry express concern about where we might be heading
Discussion:
@paul_franklin_ and @adribbleofink, more at Techmeme »
Loree Seitz / The Wrap:
Nielsen: the 2023 Grammys attracted 12.4M viewers across CBS' live broadcast and Paramount+ livestream, up 30% YoY and drawing its largest audience since 2020 — The 2023 Grammys bounced up 30% from the 2022 awards show broadcast, drawing 12.4 million viewers - the most since 2020.
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Jason Koebler / VICE:
Twitch suspends an AI version of Seinfeld for 14 days after Larry Feinberg, a Jerry Seinfeld clone, made transphobic and homophobic statements in a standup bit — “Nothing, Forever,” has been banned for at least 14 days. — Jason Koebler — “Nothing, Forever,” the infinitely-generating AI version …
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James Vincent / The Verge:
Getty Images sues Stability AI in the US for allegedly copying 12M+ images without permission or compensation for training data used to create Stable Diffusion — Getty Images has filed a lawsuit in the US against Stability AI, creators of open-source AI art generator Stable Diffusion, escalating its legal battle against the firm.
Ed Meza / Variety:
Israeli filmmakers criticize the new government's plan to reserve state funding for films that don't allegedly tarnish the reputation of Israel or its military — The Israeli government's efforts to reserve state funding only for films that uphold the regime's far-right agenda is causing growing alarm among local filmmakers.