Mediagazer: Netflix says it has recorded a 150%+ YoY increase in upfront ad sales commitments, in line with the company's expectations, including deals around live events (Dade Hayes/Deadline)

11:00 AM ET, August 20, 2024

Top News:

Sources: former Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. has submitted a $4.3B offer for National Amusements and a minority stake in Paramount Global — Bronfman is looking to scuttle a previous agreement to merge Paramount with David Ellison's Skydance Media — Media executive Edgar Bronfman Jr …

Discussion: The Streamable, Ad Age, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Quartz, New York Times, Media Play News, Deadline, Lauren Thomas on LinkedIn, Next TV, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, Variety, Music Business Worldwide and Associated Press

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Source: Edgar Bronfman Jr. has raised $5.5B for a bid for National Amusements, and plans to submit a bid higher than his initial $4.3B offer in the coming days — - It would also draw out an already long and complicated sale process for Paramount. … - Paramount's special committee is expected to review the bid on Wednesday.

Discussion: The Media Leader, The Hill, @sarafischer and The Desk

Daniel Tencer / Music Business Worldwide:

The AGs of 10 states join the US DOJ's antitrust lawsuit seeking to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster; 39 states, plus DC, are now part of the lawsuit — The attorneys general of 10 states have joined the US Department of Justice (DoJ)'s antitrust lawsuit seeking to break off Live Nation …

Omar Oakes / The Media Leader:

Paramount says it will rebrand the UK's Channel 5 as just “5” and no longer merge My5 with Pluto TV, as part of plans to relaunch under one name by April 2025 — Paramount is rebranding Channel 5 to just 5 as part of plans to relaunch the public-service broadcaster across linear …

Discussion: The Desk, Advanced Television, Metro.co.uk, @sphilsmith, @scottygb, @thesimonc90, Broadcast, Cord Busters, WORLD SCREEN, Broadband TV News, Deadline and TVNewsCheck

Stephania Taladrid / New Yorker:

An interview with Univision's Jorge Ramos on his start at Univision, his evolving philosophy of interviewing, how his audience has changed, and more — The legendary newscaster on how the U.S. has changed—and how it has changed him. — For decades, his voice was omnipresent in Latino households.

Discussion: New York Daily News and @jorgeramosnews

Radhika Anilkumar / Reuters:

The UK CMA accepts Meta's changes to its ad rules to ensure Marketplace advertisers' data is not used to improve Marketplace, without having to opt in or out — Britain's competition watchdog said on Tuesday it has accepted Meta's (META.O) proposed changes to the way it uses the data …

Discussion: @cmagovuk and GOV.UK, more at Techmeme »

Ted Johnson / Deadline:

ABC News names Almin Karamehmedovic, executive producer of ABC's top rated World News Tonight, as its next president, succeeding Kim Godwin — ABC News has tapped Almin Karamehmedovic, executive producer of its top rated World News Tonight, as its next president.

Discussion: @bristei, Inside the Magic, @jbflint, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, New York Times, New York Post, Mediaite, Radio & Television …, TVNewsCheck, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Next TV, Associated Press, Barrett Media and Reuters

Mike Barnes / The Hollywood Reporter:

Phil Donahue, a pioneering talk show host whose novel issue-oriented show lasted 29 years, dies at the age of 88 — The 11-time Daytime Emmy winner presided over his program for 29 years and forged a path for Oprah Winfrey and others to follow. — Phil Donahue, the talk show innovator …

Dade Hayes / Deadline:

Netflix says it has recorded a 150%+ YoY increase in upfront ad sales commitments, in line with the company's expectations, including deals around live events — Netflix said it has wrapped up its upfront ad negotiations, posting a 150% increase in sales commitments over 2023, in line with company expectations.

Discussion: AdExchanger, Adweek, Variety, Reuters, The Wrap, MediaPost, Next TV, TVNewsCheck and About Netflix

CNN:

Disney says a wrongful death lawsuit can now proceed to court, after initially arguing that the widower's Disney+ trial contract prohibited him from suing — Disney has reversed course on a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the widower of a woman who died after eating at a resort restaurant, saying the matter can now proceed to court.

Discussion: IndieWire, The Verge, New York Post, @carnage4life, @privacat.bsky.social, @spavel.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, Daily Mail, BBC, @discussingfilm, @scottgustin, @cdavidnorris, @culturecrave, CBR, Reuters and Deadline

Dominic Patten / Deadline:

A New York judge allows Julia Ormond's lawsuit against Disney, CAA, and Miramax over an alleged 1995 sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein to move forward — “Upon the foregoing documents, and oral argument having been held before the court on May 20, 2024, it is ordered that the motions …

Discussion: The Wrap, Inside the Magic, @davidandrews808, The Hollywood Reporter, @effoff1988, Variety, @charterhousesq, @kevinmintzer, @rkylesmith, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, @mattbelloni and Associated Press

Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:

Apple debuts a web app for Podcasts, letting users log in to listen to podcasts, view the Up Next queue and library, and browse new shows, at podcasts.apple.com — Apple Podcasts is expanding to the web, starting today. You can access the new web app version at podcasts.apple.com …

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Jack Reid / Next TV:
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Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
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Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
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Judd Boaz / ABC:
Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen claims their Australian visa application has been denied over Russia's criminal charges of spreading false information

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Gregory Meyer / Financial Times:
Walmart says its US ad business grew 30% in the past year from Q2; eMarketer says Walmart will claim 6.8% of 2024 US retail media spending, for $3.7B in revenue

Discussion: @simondowens@threads.net

Giulia Segreti / Reuters:
Italian state broadcaster RAI says two journalists who angered Moscow with a TV report from Ukrainian-held parts of Russia's Kursk region will return to Italy

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Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
After the 5,000-strong Animation Guild started negotiations with Hollywood studios on August 12, outsourcing jobs and AI are the major points of contention

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Tabby Kinder / Financial Times:
Arize AI: 56% of Fortune 500 companies cited AI as a “risk factor” in their recent annual reports, up from 9% in 2022; 90%+ of media firms cited AI as a risk

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Justine Fisher / CNBC:
Legacy media companies, which entered the streaming market with a focus on gaining subscribers, now are raising prices to earn a return on their investments

Discussion: Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, @albertfong98 and IndieWire

Max Tani / Semafor:
A look at Ezra Klein's rise during this election cycle, from his early call for Biden not to run to his increasingly popular podcast, now #8 on Apple Podcasts

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Katie Robertson / New York Times:
The Star Tribune renames to The Minnesota Star Tribune, and plans to expand its statewide coverage, as part of an effort to boost its paid digital subscriptions

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Liam Reilly / CNN:
Some local news radio stations, like New York's WCBS, face an existential threat as listeners and revenue shift, forcing outlets to cut staff and abandon news

Discussion: Barrett Media, @alexanderrusso, @dicktofel and @tamerspotlight

Lauren Floyd / Axios:
Isaac Hayes' estate says it is suing Donald Trump, alleging copyright infringement after Trump's use of a hit song at campaign rallies from 2022 to 2024

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