Top News:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Paramount acquires the US rights to UFC for $7.7B over seven years, beginning in 2026, making all 43 annual live events available exclusively on Paramount+ — Days after completing its merger with Skydance, Paramount has acquired the U.S. rights to TKO Group's UFC for seven years, beginning in 2026.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, WebProNews, Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, PYMNTS.com, naked capitalism, TheDesk.net, Engadget, StreamTV Insider, @dovysimumma, UPI, @jbflint, Variety, @arielhelwani, Sports Business Journal, Media Play News, How-To Geek, Advanced Television, @sherman4949, Cord Cutters News, @loudmouthjulia, Dana White on Instagram, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, @tvgrimreaper, Deadline, @jeradwalker.bsky.social, @lucas_shaw, The Verge, @loudmouthjulia, Associated Press, @arielhelwani, @austinkarp, @lthomasnews, TV Insider, @robnashville, Daily Mail, USA Today, al.com, Axios, @sherman4949, SPORTbible, LightShed Partners, Decider, The Wrap, Forbes, @tvgrimreaper, The Independent, @chaddundas.bsky.social, @kasey__moore, Wall Street Journal, @acdmma_, @andrewmarchand, Sportico, Los Angeles Times, @heynottheface, TVNewsCheck, WORLD SCREEN, The National Pulse, WPXI-TV, r/MMA, r/MMA and r/sports
RELATED:
Financial Times:
As part of the Paramount-UFC deal, premium fights will be available for free to Paramount+ subscribers, ending the pay-per-view model present on ESPN — Agreement with mixed martial arts promoter is the largest since David Ellison took charge of Hollywood studio
Discussion:
Adweek, TV Tech, Sportico, Breitbart, Cord Cutters News, New York Times, GiveMeSport, Forbes, New York Times, @nakisa_bidarian, Barrett Media, New York Post, @arashmarkazi@threads.com, Streaming Better, Front Office Sports, Paramount Skydance Corporation, @stholeary.bsky.social, The Information, @chuckmindenhall, @jakepaul and Mediaite
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Paramount plans to show select UFC live events on CBS and will explore buying international rights in the future as they become available — - David Ellison closed the deal days after taking over Paramount — Martial arts league more than doubles its annual rights fees
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Business Insider, Tom's Guide, USA Today, Front Office Sports, Barrett Media, @arielhelwani, @jedigoodman, @pkafka, @loudmouthjulia and Variety
Al Jazeera:
Al Jazeera journalists Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh and three colleagues have been killed in an Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City — Al Jazeera staff killed in targeted Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists near al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City.
Discussion:
Committee to Protect …, U2.com, New York Times, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Variety, Zeteo, ABC, Adweek, Poynter, Time, Reuters, ZeroHedge News, Truthout, New York Sun, NBC News, MSNBC, Associated Press, Mother Jones, @malsaafin, @lalarian, @liamthorp.bsky.social, The US Sun, WHDH-TV, @brenttoderian.bsky.social, @MissConstrue@mefi.social, Le Monde, @onemoregoodman.bsky.social, 9News, Financial Times, @brianstelter, @ytirawi, @malsaafin, @jayapal.house.gov, @myhlee.bsky.social, @arutzsheva_en, Media Nation, @karenattiah.bsky.social, @alexcrawfordsky, @manasipathak_, The Sun, @chelseaeharvey.bsky.social, Writers Without Money, @nesrinemalik, @treyyingst, Informed Comment, UPI, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social, @darkskylady.bsky.social, @trumpsatwit.bsky.social, @conniewalker.bsky.social, @mosababutoha, @jonathan-cook.bsky.social, Newsweek, @ryangrim, @dropsitenews, @ashtonpittman.bsky.social, Breitbart, @northwestbylines.co.uk, @saulstaniforth, Mirror, @sanasaeed, Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn, Global News, @sanasaeed, @brian-goldstone.bsky.social, @peterhowitt.bsky.social, @sanasaeed, @lailaalarian, @sanasaeed, @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social, @joolia.bsky.social, @markjacob.bsky.social, The Wrap, @lorak.bsky.social, National Union of Journalists …, Mediaite, Jodie Ginsberg on LinkedIn, @deanobeidallah.bsky.social, @meganotoole.bsky.social, Deadline, The Hill, HuffPost, Washington Examiner, Fox News and Politico
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Fox and ESPN plan to launch a bundle of their upcoming streaming services, Fox One and ESPN respectively, on October 2 for $39.99 per month — Fox One, which brings together sports, news and entertainment from across Fox's broadcast and cable channels, and ESPN's dramatically beefed-up direct …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, StreamTV Insider, New York Daily News, UPI, TV Insider, Fortune, Spyglass, How-To Geek, @espnflora, The US Sun, Pocket-lint, MediaPost, The Streamable, PCWorld, TVNewsCheck, Sports Business Journal, Bloomberg, TV Tech, CNBC, The Verge, TheDesk.net, ESPN Press Room U.S., The TV Answer Man!, @logandobson, Cord Cutters News, The Wrap, @tvgrimreaper, @andrewmarchand, @nolelifestyle, Barrett Media, Front Office Sports, Fox News, 9to5Mac, @sportsontvguy, @tvgrimreaper, Streaming Better, Variety, @aagave, Media Play News, @jacobfeldman4, @sherman4949, @derekcody and The Hollywood Reporter
Lillian Rizzo / CNBC:
Sources: Sinclair is launching a strategic review of its broadcast business that could lead to a merger and is looking to separate or spinoff its Ventures unit — Sinclair, one of the largest broadcast station owners in the U.S., is launching a strategic review of its broadcast business that could result in a merger, CNBC has learned.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, Business Wire and Cord Cutters News
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Nexstar, which owns or partners with over 200 TV stations, is in advanced talks to acquire Tegna, which has 64 TV stations; Tegna's stock jumps 28%+ — A deal between Nexstar and Tegna could be a litmus test for the FCC's deregulation push
Discussion:
Adweek, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, Broadband Breakfast, TV Tech, Deadline, Yahoo Finance, NewsBlues.com, Matthew Keys on LinkedIn, @matthewkeyslive, @cc_stormwatch, @matthewkeyslive, @tdogmedia.bsky.social, @brianallenc.bsky.social, Reuters, Bloomberg, @sunandstorm.bsky.social and @notaaroncraig.bsky.social
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Reddit says it will block the Internet Archive from indexing most of its pages after it caught AI companies scraping its data from the Wayback Machine — The company says that AI companies have scraped data from the Wayback Machine, so it's going to limit what the Wayback Machine can access.
Sam Tobin / Reuters:
A UK judge dismisses Wikimedia's Online Safety Act challenge over requiring Wikipedia to verify users and contributors' IDs, but says it can file new challenges — The operator of Wikipedia on Monday lost a legal challenge to parts of Britain's Online Safety Act, which sets tough new requirements …
Ray Schultz / MediaPost:
Letter: MNG Enterprises, controlled by Alden Global Capital, has upped its offer for The Dallas Morning News by $1 to $17.50/share, $2.50 more than Hearst's bid — Alden Global Capital's firm, MNG Enterprises, has upped its offer for The Dallas Morning News.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab and US Securities …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
iHeartMedia hires ex-Amazon exec Lisa Coffey in the newly created role of chief business officer, overseeing iHeart's new ad products and digitization efforts — Ad-tech and digital media veteran Lisa Coffey has joined iHeartMedia, the biggest U.S. radio broadcaster and a major podcast producer …
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, RADIO ONLINE, Inside Radio, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartMedia and Barrett Media
Andrew Deck / Nieman Lab:
The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest newspaper by circulation, sues Perplexity, alleging unauthorized reproduction of its articles, and seeks $14.7M in damages — The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest newspaper by circulation, has sued the generative AI startup Perplexity for copyright infringement.
Discussion:
The Japan News, Editor and Publisher, Mlex, Nippon.com, Agence France-Presse, @niemanlab.org and r/japan
