Mediagazer: FilmLA: from April through June 2024, the number of on-location filming days in LA fell 12.4% YoY, driven by a 56.9% drop in reality TV production (Lisa Richwine/Reuters)

Sources: WBD weighs splitting off its streaming and studio businesses from its legacy TV networks including CNN, leaving most of its debt with the TV networks — Group behind CNN and HBO has discussed options including spin-off of its streaming service and movie studio

Bloomberg:

Sources: Apple has spoken to many of the largest Hollywood studios about acquiring more programming from their libraries to offer customers in the US and abroad — - Apple TV+ has relied on original series like ‘Ted Lasso’ … The iPhone maker has spoken to several of the largest studios …

Discussion: The Streamable, Spyglass, AppleInsider, Reuters and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Lisa Richwine / Reuters:

FilmLA: from April through June 2024, the number of on-location filming days in LA fell 12.4% YoY, driven by a 56.9% drop in reality TV production — Los Angeles experienced a hefty decline in reality TV production as Hollywood worked to recover from dual labor strikes last year, according to statistics released on Wednesday.

Discussion: The Wrap, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline

Emma Roth / The Verge:

Apple is launching new immersive video content for the Vision Pro over the next few months, including content from The Weeknd and the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend — Apple is launching new “immersive” video content for the Vision Pro over the next few months, including one from The Weeknd …

Discussion: AppleInsider, Apple and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

An Italian court orders a journalist to pay PM Giorgia Meloni €5K for mocking her height; in 2023, journalist Roberto Saviano was fined €1K for insulting Meloni — A Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni damages of 5,000 euros ($5,465) …

Discussion: The Guardian

Committee to Protect Journalists:

The CPJ supports an urgent appeal filed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture on behalf of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, imprisoned since 2022 — The Committee to Protect Journalists supports the urgent appeal filed to UN officials by an international legal team …

Discussion: @pressfreedom, @pressfreedom, @pressfreedom and doughtystreet.co.uk

Adam Crafton / New York Times:

CBS Sports secures a four-year deal to air at least 250 English Football League matches per season, starting in August 2024 — CBS Sports is the new home of the English Football League (EFL) and Carabao Cup in the United States after agreeing a four-deal to prise coverage of the competitions away from ESPN.

Discussion: Awful Announcing, Radio & Television …, Variety, The US Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, Boris Gartner on LinkedIn, Deadline and TVNewsCheck

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Verizon offers customers who subscribe to Peacock Premium at the new $79.99 per year rate one year of Netflix Premium for free — Verizon keeps reshuffling its deck of various and sundry streaming bundle deals, aiming for new ways to appeal to bargain hunters — and to cater to particular sign-up goals of its content partners.

Discussion: StreamTV Insider, The Streamable, MediaPost, Next TV, Deadline, ComingSoon.net, The Hollywood Reporter, @tvgrimreaper, Media Play News and TVNewsCheck

New York Times:

A profile of Carlos Espina, who has 9.4M TikTok followers, posts in Spanish about immigration and politics, and whom the White House treats as a broadcaster — Carlos Espina is among a new kind of social media personalities whom politicians, especially those in the Biden White House, view as modern-day broadcasters.

Discussion: @taylorlorenz, TVNewsCheck, @sapna and @sapna

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

WPP's GroupM names Brian Lesser, a veteran Madison Avenue operative who has worked in senior media investment roles on both sides of the table, as global CEO — Brian Lesser, a veteran Madison Avenue operative who has worked in senior media-investment roles on both sides of the table …

Discussion: MediaPost, Ad Age, Radio Ink, Digiday, Mumbrella, The Information, TVNewsCheck, Adweek, AdExchanger, Next TV and The Media Leader

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:

Publicis reports H1 2024 revenue up 7.7% YoY to €7.7B and raises revenue growth guidance from 4%-5% to 5%-6% for 2024, as US tech clients' ad spending picks up — Paris-based advertising agency nudges up annual forecast on recovery in marketing budgets

Discussion: Ad Age, The Drum, Adweek, Publicis Groupe, Publicis Groupe, Publicis Groupe, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and MediaPost

Mike Vorkunov / New York Times:

Sources: the WNBA's media rights deals mirror the NBA's, and the league is set to get at least $2.2B over 11 years or $200M/year, up from the current ~$50M/year — The WNBA's next national media rights package has come into shape. The league is set to receive roughly $2.2 billion …