Top News:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: ESPN in talks with sports leagues and media partners about offering a live sports guide with direct links, possibly in exchange for a subscription cut — - ESPN has talked with major sports leagues and media partners about launching a feature that would link users directly …
Tim Rogers / D Magazine:
The Dallas Morning News fired a reporter for violating its social media policy after she called the mayor “bruh” on Twitter; her union filed a NLRB complaint — Meghan Mangrum moved to Dallas to cover education. — Meghan Mangrum moved to Dallas last summer to cover education …
Mia Sato / The Verge:
Sources: CNET lays off around a dozen people, or 10% of its staff, including several longtime employees; the cuts follow revelations of AI use to create content — Just weeks after news broke that tech site CNET was quietly using artificial intelligence to produce articles …
Discussion:
Variety, @jessicalessin, @sdw, @klawls, @chrishayner, @chrishayner, @bcmerchant, @jaredbkeller, @stevenewing, @karlbode, @karlbode, @karlbode, @jake_k, @paleofuture, @miarsato, @miarsato, @miarsato and Futurism
Reuters:
African pay TV company MultiChoice signs a deal with Comcast to create a pan-Africa streaming service built on Showmax, MultiChoice's streaming service — Africa's biggest pay TV company, MultiChoice Group (MCGJ.J), said on Thursday it had entered into an agreement with U.S.-based media conglomerate Comcast …
Discussion:
Light Reading, WebWire, Deadline and Broadband TV News
Josh Dickey / The Wrap:
Ozy Media suspends operations due to “operational and legal challenges” following the arrest and indictment of its CEO Carlos Watson on federal fraud charges — Ozy Media on Wednesday said it was suspending operations, days after founder Carlos Watson was indicted on federal fraud charges.
Discussion:
Variety, @sharonwaxman and Deadline
Center for Public Integrity:
The Center for Public Integrity acquires The Accountability Project, which lets journalists search and organize 1.8B public records on campaign finance and more — The Center for Public Integrity will steward and grow a powerful tool that puts public records at the fingertips of journalists across …
Discussion:
@publicintegrity, @mattderienzo, @pennyriordan1, @publicintegrity and @jinkding
Mike Janssen / Current:
An analysis of 461 CPB-funded stations' FY21 financial reports: nonfederal financial support peaked at ~$2.2B, surpassing 2019's prepandemic total by $118M — To understand how the disruptions of COVID-19 affected public media's financial health, Public Media Company analyzed CPB's station revenue data …
Discussion:
@eaxlr
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Netflix dominates in subscriptions and ARPU, followed by Disney+/Hulu, and WBD's HBO Max/Discovery+; Amazon and Apple don't disclose Prime Video and TV+ numbers — Netflix continues to dominate but Disney, Paramount, Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery all expect big DTC growth this year and next
Discussion:
Wine Binge TV and Slate
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
ITV reports 2022 revenue up 7% YoY to £4.3B, external revenue up 8% YoY to £3.7B, ITV Studios revenue up 19% YoY to £2B, and digital revenue up 18% YoY to £411M — U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV's annual results for 2022 were revealed Thursday and the picture is robust.
Discussion:
The Drum, ITV, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
RELATED:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Chartbeat, acquired by Cuadrilla in July 2022, acquires social video analytics company Tubular Labs and digital revenue management company Lineup Systems — Chartbeat, a digital publishing software company, has acquired Tubular Labs, a social video analytics company, and Lineup Systems, a digital revenue management company.
Discussion:
@bradrstreicher, @saroff_nyc and Cuadrilla Capital
Jon Lafayette / Next TV:
Report: Comcast rejected a proposal to run the regional sports networks Warner Bros. Discovery plans to close; MLB hired three executives for a local media unit — Leagues seeking ways to keep regional sports network revenue flowing — Comcast is not interested in running …
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
In a memo, Daily Mail editor Ted Verity says DMGT is proposing layoffs at the print titles and bringing the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday “much closer together” — Mail Newspapers editor-in-chief Ted Verity said future growth would come from digital.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Telegraph and Bloomberg