Top News:
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix secures exclusive US streaming rights to the 2027 and 2031 editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup, plans to produce documentaries around the tournaments — The streaming giant will exclusively stream the 2027 an 2031 tournaments, with documentaries also planned.
Discussion:
MediaPost, The Guardian, Reuters, Awful Announcing, Variety, The Wrap, Sportico, Deadline, Inside FIFA, Cord Cutter Weekly, The Information, New York Times, Axios, Digital Trends, CNBC, UPI, Los Angeles Times, @tvgrimreaper, TVLine, Sports Video Group, Forbes, Media Play News, Front Office Sports, Associated Press, The Sun, The Verge, Sports Media Watch, Barrett Media, @sam__carp, @austinkarp, @sherman4949, Netflix Tudum, WORLD SCREEN and City A.M.
Yahoo News:
Challenger, Gray & Christmas: 14,909 jobs were cut from US broadcast, TV, film, news, and streaming businesses in 2024 through mid-December, vs. 21,417 in 2023 — The sequel to 2023's brutal year for the entertainment and media industries was not much better.
Robert Booth / The Guardian:
The UK ICO criticizes Google as “irresponsible” after the company announced plans to let advertisers employ fingerprinting techniques from February 16, 2025 — ICO says allowing advertisers to track digital ‘fingerprints’ will undermine consumers' control over information
Dylan Byers / Puck:
Sources: Washington Post Publisher and CEO Will Lewis plans to announce acting Executive Editor Matt Murray as the newsroom's permanent chief next year — After six excruciating months, Washington Post C.E.O. Will Lewis is naming acting executive editor Matt Murray as his new editorial leader …
Discussion:
@juwanthecurator.bsky.social, @ericfingerhut and @dylanbyers
Leo Schwartz / Fortune:
Sources: CoinDesk owner Bullish fired three editors, including EIC Kevin Reynold, amid controversy over forcing editors to take down an article on Justin Sun — Bullish, the owner of leading crypto publication CoinDesk, abruptly dismissed three top editors on Friday, according to sources familiar …
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
YouTube plans to start a crackdown on “egregious clickbait”, or videos where the titles or thumbnails make claims the videos don't back up, beginning in India — A lot of YouTube videos have flashy, misleading titles and thumbnails, such as “BREAKING NEWS” or “The president steps down …
Discussion:
Google, Engadget, @steved3, @culturecrave, @mashableindia, Cord Cutters News, Financial Express, The Indian Express, Neowin, Digit, Gadgets 360, Mashable India tech, Tubefilter, @alexhogan.bsky.social, @ianboudreau.com, @moonlitlycan.bsky.social, @tascha.bsky.social, @hushwave.bsky.social, @heroknight.bsky.social, @angelofalls.bsky.social and MEDIANAMA, more at Techmeme »
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
A look at the merchandise, contests, and in-person experiences Netflix has rolled out in advance of the release of Squid Game Season 2 on December 26 — It starts in the gift shop. … Players begin the journey in a room styled as a night market stocked with icons from the series …
Discussion:
Forbes, The Tab, @popbase, @variety, Aftermath, Fortune, Adweek, Neowin, AV Club, SlashFilm, Business Insider, Entertainment Weekly and VentureBeat
Charlotte Van Campenhout / Reuters:
The European Commission opens a probe into Liberty Media's proposed $3.62B acquisition of Dorna Sports, citing possible reduced competition for broadcast rights — The European Commission said on Thursday it had opened an in-depth investigation into the proposed 3.5 billion euro ($3.62 billion) …
Discussion:
Light Reading, Broadband TV News, @motomatters, MotoMatters.com, Advanced Television and Bloomberg
Washington Post:
WaPo names Karen Pensiero as standards editor, a new masthead position reporting to Executive Editor Matt Murray; she earlier worked with Murray at The WSJ — The role is a newly formed masthead position that will report to the executive editor Matt Murray. — By WashPostPR
Charles Ornstein / ProPublica:
ProPublica details its efforts to bolster local investigative journalism, including launching an initiative with The Texas Tribune to cover major state issues — Managing Editor Charles Ornstein explains the many ways ProPublica is trying to help fill the void left by local newsrooms shrinking and closing across the country.
Discussion:
@simondowens@threads.net, @propublica, @smmills1960 and @propublica
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
A survey of 400+ Hollywood insiders: ~50% would sell a show to Netflix over its rivals, Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan is the most in-demand producer, and more — Hollywood insiders answer 20 burning questions about the entertainment business. — For the last 12 months, you've had to read more than 100,000 words of my writing.
Discussion:
@trungtphan and @lucas_shaw
Wall Street Journal:
Sources detail creative differences between the Broccoli family, which has creative control over the James Bond franchise, and Amazon, which owns the franchise — A clash between the Broccoli family, which has creative control over 007, and the e-commerce giant, which owns the franchise, has put Bond's future on pause
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