Top News:
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Twitter rolls out its updated “interim” X logo, replacing the iconic bird, following Elon Musk's weekend announcement; X.com now redirects to twitter.com — Twitter has removed the iconic bird logo and adopted ‘X’ as its official logo. This move comes after Elon Musk announced the change over the weekend.
Discussion:
The Verge, @elonmusk, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Fox News, NPR, Insider, @lindayacc, TMZ.com, Gizmodo, @mabintou, Poynter, @martingrasser, The San Diego Union-Tribune, @lindayacc, The Register, Fortune, Daily Herald, @elonmusk, CNN, Agence France-Presse, The Hollywood Reporter, KGET 17, @levie, The Guardian, @tomcoates, @carnage4life@mas.to, @parkerortolani@threads.net, @tedlieu, @jdcmedlock, @elonmuskaoc, @emilcdc, @bendreyfuss, @yosephpaulos, @jamestobyne, @lindayacc, @karaswisher, @loupas, @jujuujba, @benedictevans, NewscastStudio, @killedbygoogle, The A.V. Club, Rolling Stone, @lindayacc, Consequence, Vanity Fair, Insider, UPROXX, Forbes, Ad Age, New York Times, New York Post, Al Jazeera, Slate, The Week, Bloomberg, Metro, Billboard, New York Daily News, Washington Post, Reuters, The Hill, Boing Boing and Sydney Morning Herald, more at Techmeme »
Lisa Richwine / Reuters:
The much-hyped “Barbenheimer” opening weekend netted $155M for Barbie and $80.5M for Oppenheimer, for $300M in total in the US and Canada for just the 4th time — The much-hyped “Barbenheimer” box office battle over the weekend proved to be a win for movie theaters that needed to add some sizzle to their summer.
Discussion:
Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Deadline, Fast Company, New York Daily News, @tim_bays, @sauthoff.bsky.social, @fracturcritical.bsky.social, @darthbluesky.bsky.social, CNBC, Forbes, New York Times, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, BBC, @tuckerteague@mastodon.social, Bloomberg, The Week, SlashFilm, @aleciabatson@mastodon.social, Screen Rant and MediaPost
Brian Merchant / Los Angeles Times:
Studio executives embraced Silicon Valley's magical thinking of hypergrowth and disruption for the past 10 years, only to slash worker pay as the boom times end — In one respect, the actors and writers of Hollywood uniting on the picket lines in a historic, industry-shaking strike is a tale as old as time …
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Spotify confirms raising US Premium to $10.99/month, up from $9.99, the first increase since its US launch in 2011; Duo rises by $2, Family and Student by $1 — After 12 years, the price of Spotify Premium is increasing in the US. The subscription will now cost $10.99 a month, the company announced today.
New York Times:
Sources: Jeff Bezos is taking a more active role in The Washington Post's operations as staff morale craters and the newspaper is on pace to lose ~$100M in 2023 — The Amazon founder, who purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has taken a more active role in the paper's operations this year.
Discussion:
@bostonradio, @cernovich, @bmorrissey, Media Voices, @dankennedy_nu, @bendwalsh, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @rlocker12, @katie_robertson, @katie_robertson, @andrewgiambrone, @jayrosen_nyu, @varunstweets, @mediaevan, @jasonshevrin, @sarthakgh, @emilybell, @smilotweets, @ankaman616, @lpolgreen, @dhume, @dicktofel, @brianstelter, @benmullin, Insider, @dankennedy_nu@journa.host, Fox News and @benjaminmullin@threads.net
Jean Yamamura / The Santa Barbara Independent:
The Santa Barbara News-Press, which has published a paper since 1868 and received a Pulitzer, ceases publication and files for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy — Publisher Ampersand Claims Few Assets and Many Creditors — More than 150 years of history ended on Friday when the Santa Barbara News …
Patrick Sykes / Bloomberg:
Turkish shows, initially made for domestic audiences, are at the forefront of state broadcaster TRT's global expansion, as Turkey tries to extend its soft power — - New state streaming site brings drone wars to global viewers — Government backs TV export drive worth up to $1.5 billion
Natalie Pressman / CBC News:
Canada's smaller news outlets, like Cabin Radio, the Northwest Territories' only entirely-online news organization, worry about the Online News Act's impact — ‘Obviously we will take as many steps as we can to protect our interests,’ said Cabin editor Ollie Williams
Discussion:
@gregorytaylor1 and Globe and Mail
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
Q&A with Josh Goldstine, Warner Bros. president of global marketing, on Barbie's marketing campaign, which rival studio execs estimate to have cost ~$150M — Unless you've been trapped in a plastic toy box, there's no escaping the Barbie-core movement that's sweeping the globe …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Insider, Screen Rant and The Hollywood Reporter
Variety:
A look at the actors' and writers' strikes that are plunging Hollywood into chaos, causing pricey movie delays, pay battles, AI anxiety, and more — It was a typical day on the set of “Gladiator 2” in Malta. British director Ridley Scott was orchestrating a complex sequence featuring the film's star …
Discussion:
The Week, @marcblitstein, @royalwhisper, @lerouxdb, @lauridonahue, @harpercreates, @bookspotlight, @nextbestpicture, @variety, @doctorcreative, @filmupdates, @seiu, @bfishbfish, @filmupdates, @thegeekster4, @netw3rk, @discussingfilm, Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, CNN, IndieWire, The Guardian, The Wrap, Insider, Financial Times and SlashFilm
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Josef Adalian / Vulture:
By letting the Hollywood strike drag on, legacy companies like Disney, NBCUniversal, and Paramount risk the devastation of the traditional network TV model
By letting the Hollywood strike drag on, legacy companies like Disney, NBCUniversal, and Paramount risk the devastation of the traditional network TV model
Discussion:
@thisisweber, @kwatt, @jbflint, @jasonhirschhorn, @whitstillman, @kimbenabib, @jbflint, @petergould, MediaPost and Wall Street Journal
David Robb / Deadline:
In a 23-page document, the AMPTP disputes SAG-AFTRA's “misleading” claims of the negotiations status as of July 13, before talks broke off and the strike began
In a 23-page document, the AMPTP disputes SAG-AFTRA's “misleading” claims of the negotiations status as of July 13, before talks broke off and the strike began
Discussion:
The Wrap, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @jbflint, @jbflint, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter
New York Times:
Sources: Altice USA is exploring a sale and other strategic options for Cheddar News; Altice USA acquired the streaming news network for $200M in 2019 — Rebranding the social network as X marks the billionaire's latest gamble to reinvent the company, after buying it last year for $44 billion.
Discussion:
@bmorrissey, @sherman4949, @scottnover, @ryanvailbrown, @seangriffey, @dannygroner, @benmullin, Fortune, Complete Music Update and Politico
Jesse Whittock / Deadline:
Internal memo: WBD President of International TV Distribution Robert Blair plans to leave the company after 25 years due to a “necessary structural change” — Warner Bros Discovery President of International TV Distribution Robert Blair is leaving after 25 years with the company.
Discussion:
Variety, @variety, @jelmes_tv, Broadcast, The Hollywood Reporter and Cord Cutters News
BBC:
BBC newsreader George Alagiah, who joined the broadcaster as a foreign correspondent in 1989 and presented BBC News at Six for the past 20 years, dies at 67 — George Alagiah, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most respected journalists, has died at 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer.