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1:15 PM ET, May 22, 2024

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 Top News: 
Tom Friend / Sports Business Journal:
Sources: the NBA is formalizing deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon, which may prompt WBD to sue; ESPN may pay $2.8B annually, NBC $2.6B, and Amazon $1.8B to $2B  —  NEW YORK — The NBA is formalizing written contracts with Disney, NBC and Amazon this week, with sources calling it the final stage …
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Nexstar's NewsNation adds an early evening news block to its weekend schedule, completing its transformation into a 24/7 network  —  NewsNation is adding an early evening news block to its weekend schedule, completing its transformation into a 24/7 network.
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
[Thread] In a meeting, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis told staff that the paper lost $77M over the past year, and saw a 50% drop off in audience since 2020  —  Washington Post CEO Will Lewis is introing the paper's new “Build It” plan today. In a meeting with staff, he noted that the paper lost $77 million over the past year, and saw a 50% drop off in audience since 2020: “To be direct, we are in a hole, and we have been for some time.”
Chris Kerr / Game Developer:
Rolling Stone launches RS Gaming, a game vertical in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group, which is owned by Saudi state-backed investment fund PIF  —  Rolling Stone is expanding its coverage of the video game industry with the launch of a dedicated gaming vertical.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Tata Group took full control of subscription TV broadcaster Tata Play after buying Disney's 29.8% stake, valuing Tata Play at about $1B  —  - Tata Group gains full control of Tata Play after Disney deal  — Tata bought out Temasek's stake in platform earlier this year
Max Tani / Semafor:
Email: WaPo newsletter editor Elana Zak asked writers not to link to a story on Prince Harry's allegations that new CEO Will Lewis helped with hacking coverups  —  The Scoop  —  A top Washington Post editor instructed editors Tuesday night not to promote a story about a controversy involving the paper's new CEO Will Lewis.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
SEC filing: Vivek Ramaswamy owns shares and call options worth ~$4M in BuzzFeed, or a 7.7% stake, and seeks a shift in its strategy; BZFD jumps 10%+  —  Ramaswamy has acquired just under 8% of BuzzFeed, with plans to push for “a shift in the company's strategy.”
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
TikTok launches its Symphony AI suite for brands, using generative AI to let marketers write scripts, produce videos, and enhance current assets  —  TikTok is the latest tech company to incorporate generative AI into its ads business, as the company announced on Tuesday that it's launching a new “TikTok Symphony” AI suite for brands.
Alex Ritman / Variety:
UK-based studio Anton raised €100M led by BlackRock-managed funds and accounts to expand its feature film and TV series development and production  —  Anton, the European production, financing and sales group behind “Greenland,” is set to ramp up its output following a significant injection of funds.
Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:
Amid a dispute between music publishers and Spotify, the NMPA asks Congress to change copyright law to give rights holders more options to negotiate royalties  —  The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has called on Congress to make a change to copyright law in the United States …
Charlie Warzel / The Atlantic:
OpenAI's Scarlett Johansson debacle is merely a reminder of AI's manifest destiny philosophy: “This is happening, whether you like it or not”, consent be damned  —  The Scarlett Johansson debacle is a microcosm of AI's raw deal: It's happening, and you can't stop it.
Huizhong Wu / Associated Press:
In a video statement, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan says she was released from prison after serving four years for charges related to covering COVID-19 in Wuhan  —  Zhang Zhan was released from prison after serving four years for charges related to reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan …
Louise Matsakis / Wired:
Google is rolling out a new AI-powered ad format that shows shoppers how items of clothing would look on different skin tones and body types  —  A new breed of online ad allows brands to pay Google to offer shoppers AI-generated images that show how items of clothing would look on different skin tones and body types.
RELATED:
Paresh Dave / Wired:
Google plans to test search and shopping ads in its AI Overviews, drawing from advertisers' existing campaigns; AI Overviews rolled out to US users last week
 
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 More News: 
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
Q&A with Google's Sundar Pichai about new AI features, the future of search and its impact on publishers, providing value for YouTube content creators, and more
Michael Nuñez / VentureBeat:
Generative AI music startup Suno raised $125M from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Matrix, Founder Collective, and others
 Earlier Picks: 
Thomas Buckley / Bloomberg:
Pixar lays off ~175 employees, or around 14% of its workforce, the biggest restructuring in Pixar's history, and plans to stop making original shows for Disney+
Allison Quinn / The Daily Beast:
Russian state-run channel Rossiya24 is broadcasting days-old episodes of Tucker Carlson's show with a Russian voiceover
Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:
Ziff Davis' IGN acquires the UK-based Gamer Network, which includes digital brands GamesIndustry.biz and Eurogamer, and lays off some staff
James Warrington / Telegraph:
ITV starts offering voluntary buyouts as it aims to save £50M/year amid an ad slump and a slowdown in sales of its shows; sources: ITV expects to cut ~200 jobs
Discussion: Broadcast and Deadline
 

 
From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks

Wall Street Journal:
Gina Raimondo says holding back China in the chips race is a “fool's errand”, and investment, more than export controls, will keep US ahead of Beijing

Reuters:
Albania bans TikTok for a year from January 2025, part of a broader plan to make schools safer following the killing of a 14-year-old near a school in November
 
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