Top News:
Erik Hayden / The Hollywood Reporter:
The NYT says it spent $10.8M on costs associated with generative AI litigation in 2024, one of the few outlets that can afford to engage in yearslong litigation — The paper, buoyed by its 11 million-plus paid subscribers, is one of the few news outlets that can afford to engage in yearslong litigation with Big Tech.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Plagiarism Today, @proggrrl.bsky.social and @tvgrimreaper
RELATED:
The New York Times Company:
The NYT reports Q4 revenue up 7.5% YoY to $726.6M, subscription revenue up 16% YoY to $334.9M, and operating profit up 13.6% YoY to $146.6M — NEW YORK, February 5, 2025 - The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) announced today fourth- quarter and full-year 2024 results. Key Highlights
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
The NYT says 32% of its subscribers do not pay for its news product and subscribe only to either its Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, Audio, or The Athletic products — The number of news-only NYT subscribers dropped 30% year-on-year as the company encouraged them onto “bundled” subs.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Yahoo Finance, @labelbda.bsky.social and The Wrap
Todd Spangler / Variety:
In Q1, Disney+ lost a net 700,000 customers worldwide while Hulu gained 1.6M, and operating income hit $312M, up from a $224M loss in Q1 2024, driven by Moana 2 — Domestic theme parks operating income hurt by hurricane expenses in fiscal Q1 2025 — Animated blockbuster “Moana 2” …
RELATED:
Emma Roth / The Verge:
Bob Iger says an ESPN streaming service will have “some form of betting and fantasy and a high degree of customization” at its fall 2025 launch
Sarah Whitten / CNBC:
Disney reports Q1 revenue up 5% YoY to $24.7B, net income up 23% YoY to $2.64B, and entertainment division revenue up 9% YoY to $10.87B
Disney reports Q1 revenue up 5% YoY to $24.7B, net income up 23% YoY to $2.64B, and entertainment division revenue up 9% YoY to $10.87B
Discussion:
Fast Company, RetailWire, Yahoo Finance, Sherwood News, Motley Fool, Broadband TV News, WORLD SCREEN, Financial Times, Adweek and Walt Disney
CBS News:
60 Minutes publishes transcripts and video from its interview with VP Kamala Harris that the FCC requested, as the agency reviews the Paramount-Skydance merger — We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC.
Liam Reilly / CNN:
As Trump and Elon Musk remake the federal government, traffic surges at Government Executive and other small outlets that specialize in the federal workforce — As President Trump and Elon Musk remake the federal government through firings, orders and brute force, small news publishers …
Discussion:
@brianstelter, @brianstelter and Talking Biz News
Kyle Buchanan / New York Times:
How online Oscar scandals have caught awards strategists who once influenced via whisper campaigns flat-footed, as Netflix struggles to deal with Emilia Pérez — As Karla Sofía Gascón's resurfaced social media posts upend the campaign for the year's most-nominated film, what happens now?
Discussion:
HOLA!, Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, GB News, GoldDerby, Variety, Just Jared, Deadline, IndieWire, Sandra Rose and Oh No They Didn't!
RELATED:
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Lara Trump will begin hosting a weekend show on Fox News on Feb. 22; there is no precedent for a sitting president's relative to host a show on a major channel — There is no precedent for a sitting president's relative to host a show on a major television news channel.
Discussion:
Axios, TVNewsCheck, New York Post, Adweek, Mediaite, HuffPost, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, TVLine, The Boston Globe, The Wrap, Fox News, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, Variety, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, New York Daily News, NewscastStudio, NBC News, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Associated Press, Daily Mail, Deadline, NBC Bay Area, The US Sun, The Independent, @franklinleonard, @poniewozik.bsky.social, @mattgertz, @GottaLaff@mstdn.social, @brianstelter, @keitholbermann, @yashar, @pkafka, The Hollywood Reporter and Barrett Media
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
The foreperson of the Florida jury that found CNN defamed a US Navy veteran says she would've awarded ~$100M, not $5M, and the “public is fed up with fake news” — In a Florida courtroom last month, a plaintiff's attorney asked jurors to “send a message” by holding CNN accountable …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck
Jon Allsop / Columbia Journalism Review:
How Trump shutting down USAID, which boasted in recent years of supporting 6,000+ journalists and 700 newsrooms in 30+ countries, affects journalism globally — What the aid funding freeze means for independent journalism around the world. — Over the weekend, amid spiraling headlines …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The UK's Reach names Digital Spy EIC Laurence Mozafari as editorial director for youth audience, responsible for growing its Gen Z readers and viewers — The editor-in-chief of Hearst UK entertainment website Digital Spy has left to lead the push to attract a younger audience at Reach.
Discussion:
David Higgerson on LinkedIn and Laurence Mozafari on LinkedIn
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
FT Policy Director Matt Rogerson tells a UK parliamentary committee that creating “opt-out” copyright exemptions for AI companies would be “a huge mistake” — Preserving copyright protections for news publishers against theft by artificial intelligence companies is …
Discussion:
@thattimwalker.bsky.social, CMU, The Mirror, Talking Biz News and The Independent
Axios:
WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt, answering claims that USAID spent millions on Politico subscriptions, says DOGE will cancel $8M in Politico subscriptions — - Right-wing personalities are using USAspending.gov to dig up more payments from the government to media organizations …
Discussion:
CNN, TVNewsCheck, The Wrap, Mediaite, New Republic, @kylenabecker, @ike_saul, @willsommer, freebeacon.com, HotAir, One America News Network, The Daily Caller, @scottnover, @_cingraham, @voberoi, @vtg2, @SteveThompson@mastodon.social, Fox News, @ike_saul, Breitbart, Blaze Media, @byrontau, New York Post, The Dispatch, Lead Stories, Twitchy, Shore News Network, The Gateway Pundit and The Post Millennial
