Top News:
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Netflix buys the exclusive rights to Raw and other WWE programs, sources say paying $5B for a 10-year deal, airing in 2025 in the US, Canada, and other markets — - Company to be exclusive home for show in US, other territories — Streaming service to air three hours of live wrestling weekly
Discussion:
Next TV, TVLine, New York Post, CNBC, Variety, Reuters, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
MrBeast's first video on X earns $263K+ in ad revenue in one week, but he calls it a “facade” as he thinks advertisers bought ads after noticing its popularity — MrBeast made over $263,000 in ad revenue from posting his latest video on X, but the YouTube icon says he thinks this number is “a bit of a facade.”
Discussion:
The Verge, NBC News, BBC, Business Insider, Business Insider, NDTV, Forbes, Times of India, CNBC, Fortune, Sky News, Dexerto, The US Sun, Wccftech, @mattbinder, @vaushv, @stats_feed, @timthetatman, Mashable, @edzitron, @zacksjerryrig, @greg16676935420, @billym2k, @mrbeast, @couragejd, @mrbeast, Business Insider, Tubefilter, Techdirt and The Messenger
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Sources: popular YouTuber MrBeast is nearing a deal for a reality-competition show with Amazon's Prime Video; the deal is reportedly worth around $100M — MrBeast, the massively popular YouTube creator known for big-money giveaways and outlandish stunts, is nearing a deal for a reality-competition show …
Discussion:
Puck, WNCT, Tubefilter and Cord Cutters News
Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
Union staffers across Condé Nast brands plan a 24-hour walkout on Jan. 23, coinciding with Oscar nominations, to protest alleged unlawful bargaining practices — More than 400 workers at Vanity Fair, Vogue, Condé Nast Entertainment, Bon Appétit and other brands are walking …
Discussion:
Axios, @bootsriley, @condeunion, @erik_hayden, The Wrap, Variety, @condeunion and @katiekilkenny7
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Los Angeles Times managing editors Sara Yasin and Shani O. Hilton have exited less than two weeks after executive editor Kevin Merida resigned from the paper — UPDATED, 11:42 AM: Two more top editors have resigned from the Los Angeles Times ahead of a new round of planned layoffs.
Discussion:
@katie_robertson, @maxwelltani, Poynter, Los Angeles Times, @megjameslat, @meridak, @maxwelltani, @brianstelter, @megjameslat, @lucas_shaw, New York Times and The Wrap
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Netflix film chairman Scott Stuber plans to leave to start a production company; Netflix's Chief Content Officer will oversee films until a replacement is found — - Executive built streaming service's film studio as chairman … Stuber will stay on as global film chairman at least until …
Inside Radio:
Nexstar launches the NewsNation Audio Network to offer “ready to air audio clips” from the news network for participating radio stations and audio platforms — Nexstar Media Group's cable news network NewsNation is branching into the audio business.
Discussion:
The Desk, RADIO ONLINE, Radio & Television …, @chistodotme, @thedeskdotnet, NewsNation and TVNewsCheck
Patrick Coffee / Wall Street Journal:
A look at the challenges Amazon Prime Video faces as it plans to show ads, including attracting large brands that don't already sell products on Amazon — The e-commerce giant must provide more high-quality content and court advertisers that don't sell products on its platform, experts say
Kourosh Ziabari / New Lines Magazine:
A look at the state of journalism in Iran as Ebrahim Raisi, the most hardline president of the Islamic Republic since 1979, cracks down on independent media — President Ebrahim Raisi is leaving no stone unturned to ensure his country dethrones North Korea as the most inhospitable place for reporters
Discussion:
Reporters Without Borders and Committee to Protect …
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Apple will pay up to 10% more per play in Apple Music royalties for tracks where a Spatial Audio version is available, starting with January's payouts — Apple Music is now encouraging artists with a financial incentive to make their music available in Spatial Audio, which offers …
Discussion:
Appleosophy, Billboard, The Verge, Rolling Stone, @shobhitnerd, TechCrunch, AppleInsider, MacRumors and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
Max Tani / Semafor:
The 2024 GOP primary races are failing to lure news audiences back, with ratings down, as media execs reckon with the lack of a “Trump bump” to save ad budgets — The News — For one week every four years, the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire …
Sahil Patel / The Information:
Memo: Verizon chief content officer Erin McPherson, who helped make distribution deals with Netflix, Disney+, and others, is leaving at the end of February — Erin McPherson, senior vice president and chief content officer at Verizon who spearheaded the telecom giant's content and distribution deals …