Top News:
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Filings: Roku reveals a breach that compromised 15K+ accounts between December 2023 and February 2024 and tells users hackers didn't get sensitive personal info — Hackers gained access through login credentials obtained by third-party sources and in some cases tried to buy streaming subscriptions
Discussion:
BleepingComputer, Roku, The Desk, Business Insider, The Verge, The Hollywood Reporter, The Streamable, BGR, UPROXX, PCMag, Variety, Android Authority and Next TV
Sara Fischer / Axios:
The Associated Press plans to launch AP Buyline, a product recommendations site powered by Taboola, on March 18, part of plans to attract more consumer revenue — - The company, which has historically made most of its money from licensing its content to other media organizations …
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: Apollo Global Management has reached out in recent days to a special committee formed by Paramount Global about a possible takeover or asset purchase — - That rival group, which includes private equity firms KKR and RedBird Capital Partners, is evaluating an all-cash bid for Paramount's parent …
Discussion:
The Streamable, @jyarow, @tvgrimreaper, The Wrap and Cord Cutters News
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
In a video, Disney warns shareholders that adding Nelson Peltz and former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo to the company's board would be “disruptive and destructive” — Walt Disney Co. is stepping up its campaign against activist investor Nelson Peltz, warning shareholders in a new video that it would be …
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
G/O Media sells Deadspin to European company Lineup, which won't keep the sports news outlet's staff; CEO Jim Spanfeller says G/O didn't actively shop Deadspin — The beleaguered media company has sold its key sports property off to a European publisher who will gut the website and replace its staff.
Discussion:
New York Post, @juliedicaro, Axios, New York Times, @sarafischer, @justinbaragona, Variety, @megreenwell, Defector, @megreenwell, Sports Media Watch, @michaelharriot, @justin_mcisaac, @dougdirt24, @jwsthomson, @jcbaggee, @williamasclarke, @biettetimmons, @joelevard, @cboehm, @ereller25, @mrmillerrussell, @justinmoris, @scott_fontana, @pnutfinger, @kevin_glueck, @jakemhs, @kthorjensen, @timothypmurphy, @mattsmusings1, @bkoo, @sarafischer, @lordravenscraft, @transgamerthink, @tomgara, @emilybell, @matttomic, @justinbaragona, @papabearstweets, @hamiltonnolan, @playmakerdavid, @tcopain, @jakegar90171920, @torqpenderloin, @xoxogossipgita, @megreenwell, @film_girl, @matthewkeyslive, @justinbaragona, @shortformernie, @sarafischer, @film_girl, @mathewi, Sara Fischer on LinkedIn, Newser, CNN, Fox News, Slate, @ernie@writing.exchange, The Hill, Adweek, @kennysmith@mstdn.social, The Desk, Awful Announcing, MediaPost and The Wrap
Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Nielsen: the 96th Oscars averaged 19.5M viewers in the US, up 4% YoY, the biggest audience for any awards show since 2020, when the Oscars drew 23.64M viewers — The 96th Academy Awards draw 19.5 million viewers, the most for any awards show since 2020. — The 2024 Oscars were the most watched in four years.
Discussion:
IndieWire, Variety, World of Reel, TVLine, Media Play News, @r0bwatson, @jbflint, Bloomberg, Agence France-Presse, The Playlist, New York Times, The Walt Disney Company, IndieWire, Reuters, Vulture, CNN, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Adweek, Associated Press, Deadline, Next TV and TVNewsCheck
RELATED:
Steve Dent / Engadget:
Netflix won only one Oscar award, for Wes Anderson's short film, and Apple TV+ won zero, despite 32 combined nominations; Universal won big with Oppenheimer
Netflix won only one Oscar award, for Wes Anderson's short film, and Apple TV+ won zero, despite 32 combined nominations; Universal won big with Oppenheimer
Discussion:
SlashFilm, The Playlist, Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, IndieWire, @fleetstreetfox, @xpangler, @lucas_shaw, @frankieboyle, @carnage4life, @judysquirrels, @andrew__boley, @pooroldrolotony, @beckyjane02, @robdenbleyker, @carnage4life, @lucas_shaw, Looper, The Hollywood Reporter, Media Play News, The Wrap, Forbes, GoldDerby, What's on Netflix, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, Deadline, NME, iMore, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Bloomberg
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Warner Bros. Discovery renews its multiyear agreement with movie distributor GKids to extend Max's exclusive US streaming rights for Studio Ghibli films — Hayao Miyazaki's “The Boy and the Heron,” which just won the Oscar for feature animated film, is streaming to Max in the U.S.
Discussion:
The Streamable, Consequence, The Wrap, UPI, Deadline, Media Play News, The Hollywood Reporter, Polygon and UPROXX
New York Times:
Puck, Semafor, and other news startups are finding success with a mix of revenue sources, as opposed to predecessors like Vice, which relied on investor money — A handful of digital start-ups are finding success — so far, at least — by learning lessons from their troubled predecessors.
Kayla Cobb / The Wrap:
Tubi report: 62% of people surveyed said they prefer ad-supported streaming over paid, 74% of Gen Z and millennials said they prefer originals to remakes — Additionally, 71% of younger people say they want to see more content from independent and smaller creators
Discussion:
Advanced Television, New York Post, WORLD SCREEN, Next TV, Forbes, IndieWire, Media Play News and The Streamable
Becky Lucas / The Hollywood Reporter:
Ireland attracts film producers by offering experienced crews, versatile locations, and tax incentives letting producers claim back 32% of spending up to $134M — Whether it's last year's Oscar champ ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ the Apple TV+ hit ‘Bad Sisters’ or this year's Berlinale opener 'Small Things …
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
A profile of Donna Langley, NBCUniversal's chief content officer and studios chairwoman, who has led Universal to creative dominance and commercial supremacy — Under Donna Langley's leadership, Universal has managed the rare feat of achieving creative dominance and commercial supremacy at the same time.
Discussion:
@thehofstatter, IndieWire, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
Dan Wakeford, former editor-in-chief of The Messenger and People, is named editor-in-chief of Us Weekly — ‘PROVEN TRACK RECORD’ — Dan Wakeford, the editor-in-chief of defunct “centrist” news site The Messenger, has landed a new job: Top editor of Us Weekly.
Discussion:
New York Post, PR Newswire and Press Gazette
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation:
Saga Communications, which owns radio stations in 27 markets, is planning to launch local news sites in 18 of them by the end of Q2 — This one comes in via former WBZ Radio (AM 1030) news director Peter Casey, who's now a communications consultant and part of the team at the local startup Winchester News.
Discussion:
Inside Radio and @margotsusca
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
Scholastic invests $186M to acquire full economic interest in 9 Story Media Group, a Canadian children's content producer and distributor — The book publishing giant proposes taking 100 percent of the economic interests and a minority of voting interests in the Canadian kids and family content producer.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, Publishers Weekly, Canada NewsWire Group, Eric Calderon on LinkedIn and Deadline