Top News:
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
In Q1, Disney+ and Hulu had 178M paid subscribers, up from 177.3M at the end of Q4, and streaming had a $293M profit, up from a $138M loss in Q1 2024 — Entertainment giant tops Wall Street expectations on core metrics; streaming push continues — Streaming gains and a strong box office showing by …
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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 posted fiscal first-quarter earnings Wednesday that beat on the top and bottom lines, but revealed the beginnings of expected streaming subscriber losses at Disney+.
Discussion:
IndieWire, The Wrap, Reuters and Walt Disney
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Alphabet reports YouTube Q4 ad revenue up 14% YoY to $10.47B, vs. $10.23B est., driven by the US election as both political parties almost doubled 2020 spending — YouTube, the internet's biggest streaming video platform, delivered a healthy 13.8% increase in global ad revenue …
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
UK news anchor Kay Burley retires from Sky News after 36 years and “over a million minutes of live TV news”; Burley was one of Sky's original presenters in 1989 — Kay Burley, one of the UK's best-known news anchors, is retiring from Sky News after 36 years.
Discussion:
Press Gazette, The Guardian, TVNewsCheck, Variety, The Mirror, Daily Mail, The Independent, Metro.co.uk, Telegraph, Sky News, Guido Fawkes, @scottygb, @gavreilly, Press Association, GB News and City A.M.
Jameel Jaffer / New York Times:
Each legal settlement with Trump by powerful media organizations weakens the freedoms they rely on, damages their credibility, and pressures other outlets — Judge Learned Hand, revered for his eloquent and consequential defense of free speech at the height of World War I, came to fear …
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Sources: Sonos will release an Android-based streaming box in the coming months, priced between $200 and $400, that combines content from Netflix, Max, and more — After the most tumultuous nine months in Sonos' history, the brand is trying to find its footing again.
Sean Burch / The Wrap:
Fox plans to launch a subscription-based streaming service by year-end that will be priced “relatively low” and target those who don't pay for traditional TV — Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch says the SVOD will be priced “relatively low” and target viewers who do not pay for traditional TV
Discussion:
Variety, Advanced Television, @matthewkeyslive, @tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, @by_nathanbrown, @jbflint, @benmillermke, @jbflint, The Desk, Sherwood News, Los Angeles Times, Pocket-lint, NBC News, Australian Financial Review, Awful Announcing, Yahoo Finance, Sports Media Watch, Streaming Better, Cord Cutters News, Wall Street Journal, Adweek, CNBC and Media Play News
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Bloomberg:
Sources: OpenAI has spent months talking to Hollywood's largest studios about the potential of video generator Sora, but no deals have emerged yet — - Startup has met with Hollywood studios about commercial deals — Studios worry about business implications of new technology
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck
Henry Chandonnet / Fast Company:
An interview with Twitch CEO Dan Clancy on competition with YouTube and Kick, exclusivity contracts, content moderation, Twitch's expansion plans, and more — Clancy talks competition with YouTube, content moderation, and the next phase of streaming. — Business leaders are often reluctant to speak about their competition.
Discussion:
Simon Owens's Media Newsletter, @zachbussey.bsky.social and @simonowens, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
PBS-YouGov poll: 65% of Trump voters think PBS is underfunded or adequately funded; 82% of voters value PBS for its children's programming and educational tools — Amid a slew of new efforts by Republicans to revoke funding for public broadcasters, PBS has commissioned a new poll …
Discussion:
Inside Radio, Reuters, @mattmoses.bsky.social, Mediaite, Current and Baltimore Sun
Christopher Grimes / Financial Times:
Netflix hopes its expansion into live programming boosts its nascent ad business; Bernstein estimates its two NFL games generated up to $180M in US advertising — Streaming group hopes boxing, wrestling and other events can also boost nascent advertising business
Max Goldbart / Deadline:
Ampere predicts streamers will outspend commercial broadcasters on content for the first time in 2025, and overall content spend will rise 0.4% YoY to $248B — For the first time this year the streamers will spend more on content than commercial broadcasters.
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Broadband TV News, WORLD SCREEN, Variety, The Desk, IndieWire, TV Tech, Media Play News and TVNewsCheck
Scott Feinberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix distances itself and its Oscar promotions for the film Emilia Pérez from Karla Sofía Gascón after controversy over her earlier posts on social media — The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the film's embattled best actress Oscar nominee Karla Sofía Gascón …
