Mediagazer: Universal Music Group Q2: revenue rises 8.8% YoY to €2.697B, or $2.93B, subscription streaming revenue up 13%, and merchandising up 12.1%; stock climbs 10%+ (Murray Stassen/Music Business Worldwide)

2:10 PM ET, July 27, 2023

Top News:

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:

Sources in Hollywood and Silicon Valley discuss AI's impact: creatives view AI as an existential threat, studios see a cost saver, and both sides need a deal — Adam Conover started to worry a few months ago that a computer could take his job. A comedian in Los Angeles …

Discussion: Screen Rant, @lucas_shaw and @lucas_shaw

Ken Klippenstein / The Intercept:

Netflix lists a $300K to $900K-a-year ML product manager job that points to its plans to use AI to “create great content”, as actors strike for AI protections — Rob Delaney said, “My melodious voice? My broad shoulders and dancer's undulating buttocks? I decide how those are used!"

New York Times:
Despite not being in SAG-AFTRA, many influencers are passing up deals to promote movies and TV shows to avoid online criticism and being barred from the guild

Discussion: @4evrmalone, @rzgreenfield, @maorthofer, @bigmeaninternet, Ad Age and The Drum

The Hollywood Reporter:
With striking actors not doing press, sources say multiple streaming services are discussing potentially moving certain undated fully shot series to early 2024

Discussion: @laceyvrose, @nina_metz and Screen Rant

Financial Times:

Sources: Linda Yaccarino pitched her vision for Twitter/X to talent agencies in LA and met with Disney, in a bid to bring stars and influencers to the platform — Social media app's new chief meets with agents at leading talent agencies amid controversy over rebranding to ‘X’

Discussion: @mshannahmurphy, @filmthepolicela, @xnewsdaily, @yoda and @apocalypticanow.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »

Aisyah Llewellyn / Al Jazeera:
Indonesia restricts X.com, which now redirects to twitter.com after Twitter rebranding to X, as the domain had been previously used by porn and gambling sites

Discussion: The Daily Beast, @Rasta@mstdn.ca, @ryanschultz@mastodon.social, UPROXX, Insider, Engadget, Newslit Daily, Insider, Gizmodo, NBC News and Washington Post, more at Techmeme »

John Ourand / Sports Business Journal:

Yahoo Sports hires former Axios Sports newsletter editor Kendall Baker as its senior writer to oversee its newsletter strategy and launch a new daily newsletter — Yahoo Sports hired Kendall Baker as senior writer, a position where he will head up the company's newsletter and cross-platform strategy.

Discussion: Awful Announcing, @owillis.bsky.social, @turnernovak, @kerrymflynn, @jeffreytracy, @kendallbaker, Business Wire, @howielongshort, @jimvandehei, @danprimack, @pat_trousdale and @jlanzone

Reuters:

Comcast reports Q2 revenue up 1.7% YoY to $30.5B, content and experiences revenue up 4% YoY to $10.9B, and Peacock hit 24M subscribers, up from 22M in Q1 2023 — Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) quarterly revenue beat estimates on Thursday, helped by higher theme park attendance …

Adweek:

Adweek names Will Lee, currently the COO of NPR, as CEO, and former Time Inc. CEO Rich Battista as executive chairman of the Adweek Board — Joining from NPR, Lee will expand Adweek's offerings and chart a new path forward for one of the industry's most iconic brands

Discussion: @jasonlynch, Inside Radio and Current

Max Goldbart / Deadline:

The UK's Film & TV Charity names Marcus Ryder, former BBC news executive and a diversity veteran, as its CEO, replacing Alex Pumfrey, who moved to ITV this year — Marcus Ryder, the British diversity vet and former BBC news exec, has been named CEO of the UK's Film & TV Charity.

Discussion: Variety, @bectu, @alex_pumfrey, The Hollywood Reporter, @dianekemp1, @marcusryder, @screencraftw, @filmtvcharity and Screen

Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:

Universal Music Group Q2: revenue rises 8.8% YoY to €2.697B, or $2.93B, subscription streaming revenue up 13%, and merchandising up 12.1%; stock climbs 10%+ — Yesterday, the world's biggest subscription music streaming service, Spotify, announced its Q2 results.

Discussion: Billboard, MarketScreener, Universal Music Group, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, Digital Music News, Music Ally, Billboard and Bloomberg

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Several major streaming companies form a group to fight local broadcasters over a provision that lets streamers bypass distribution negotiations with stations — Several of the country's biggest entertainment and streaming companies are teaming up to fight hundreds of local broadcasters …

Discussion: The Streamable and @sarafischer

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

The White House condemned Fox News over comments made by host Greg Gutfeld, who said some Jews “had to be useful” as a means for survival during the Holocaust — The White House denounced Fox News this week over comments by one of its hosts, Greg Gutfeld, that some Jews …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, @decodingfoxnews, @justinbaragona, @decodingfoxnews, @andrewjbates46, RADAR, Poynter, Insider, Media Matters for America, Mediaite, UPROXX and The Wrap

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Netflix is reworking its tech deal with Microsoft for its ad tier to reduce the revenue guarantee and has discussed selling ads through other partners — Streamer asks for patience as it tries to jump-start $6.99 a month ad tier — Netflix is restructuring its advertising partnership …

Discussion: The Streamable, Reuters, @jtoonkel, Broadband TV News and @jordannovet, more at Techmeme »

New York Times:

A group of booksellers, publishers, and authors sue to stop a new Texas law that is taking effect in September and requires stores to rate books' sexual content — With a book-rating law set to take effect in September, a group of booksellers, along with publishers and authors, filed suit to argue that it is unconstitutional.

Discussion: Publishing Perspectives, @lailalalami.bsky.social, @JaneRLaForge@mstdn.social, New York Daily News, The Hill, Publishers Weekly and Fox News

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

Producer Scott Zabielski and entrepreneur Adam Mosam plan to launch an AI-dependent, 30-minute weekly news show in 2023 for a FAST channel, hosted by AI anchors — Channel 1 News, from former ‘Tosh.0’ veteran Scott Zabielski and entrepreneur Adam Mosam, plans to use generative AI to create personalized newscasts.

Discussion: Axios

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More News:

Brian Steinberg / Variety:
ESPN plans to air a SportsCenter show with an all-female anchor team and a female-led production crew, as it aims to serve brands that support women's sports

Discussion: Barrett Media and ESPN Press Room U.S.

K.J. Yossman / Variety:
A UK judge sends Prince Harry's lawsuit against The Sun's publisher over alleged unlawful information gathering to trial, but barred phone hacking claims

Discussion: Press Association, RTÉ, New York Post, Deadline, Associated Press, Page Six, Sky News, CBS News, @archewellbaby, @tvkhaleesi, @pagantrelawney and @archewellbaby

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
BBC News' Yalda Hakim leaves just months after becoming a chief presenter to join Sky News to be the lead world news presenter and lead a new primetime program

Discussion: Variety, @bbcyaldahakim, @nickbryantny, Broadband TV News, @davidgrayrhodes, Deadline, @daveleebbg, @davidgrayrhodes, @markaustintv, @back_the_bbc, @bbcyaldahakim and @jake_kanter

Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
ITV reports H1 2023 revenue down 2% YoY to £1.63B, digital ad revenue up 24% YoY to £179M, Studios revenue up 8% YoY to £1B, and ITVX MAUs up 29% YoY to 12.5M

Discussion: Broadband TV News, Deadline, Bloomberg and Hollywood Reporter

Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
Libro.fm, an audiobook retailer and listening app for local bookshops, launches internationally; the company has partnered with over 2,200 independent bookshops

Discussion: @librofm, @librofm, @bookishcrick and Publishing Perspectives

Earlier Picks:

Srishti Jaswal / Rest of World:
Political parties in India court big and small social media influencers ahead of 2024 elections, offering to pay for political messages that have no disclosures

Discussion: The Drum, The Hollywood Reporter and Sydney Morning Herald, more at Techmeme »

Paige Williams / New Yorker:
How Oklahoma's McCurtain Gazette investigated the local sheriff and obtained a recording of officials talking about killing reporters and lynching Black people

Discussion: @evandawson, @dbcurren, @ranakabbani54, @michaelluo, @williams_paige, @emilynussbaum, @rcfp, @rcfp, @rcfp, @rcfp, @rmathieson, @andover_gary, @bryancurtis, @annaknicolaou, @stribs and @catmck

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
UK-listed online retailer THG agrees to acquire London business newspaper City AM, which was put up for sale this month; all City AM employees will join THG

Discussion: Media Voices, Bloomberg, City A.M., Sky News, @pressgazette, The Guardian, The Guardian and London Evening Standard

Todd Spangler / Variety:
Verizon partners with YouTube to offer some new and upgrading wireless and home internet customers free access to the NFL Sunday Ticket

Discussion: 9to5Google, Verizon, Front Office Sports, Tubefilter, Barrett Media, Light Reading, TechCrunch, Media Play News, The Streamable, CNET, The Verge, Deadline, Cord Cutters News and Wall Street Journal

From Techmeme:

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority:
Source: Google has canceled the development of a second-generation Pixel Tablet, planned for release in 2025, due to concerns that it wouldn't sell very well

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is testing a more conversational version of Siri, dubbed “LLM Siri”, with plans to release it in spring 2026 as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16

The Information:
Sources: OpenAI considered making a browser, discussed deals to power AI features on Samsung devices and search on sites and apps from Condé Nast and others

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