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, TheDesk.net, StreamTV Insider, naked capitalism, @dovysimumma, Engadget, UPI, Daily Mail, @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, 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, Forbes, GiveMeSport, New York Times, 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, 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, Time, New York Sun, ZeroHedge News, Poynter, Truthout, Reuters, MSNBC, NBC News, 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, Global News, Mirror, Writers Without Money, @nesrinemalik, @treyyingst, Informed Comment, The Wrap, UPI, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, @lorak.bsky.social, @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, @joolia.bsky.social, @sanasaeed, Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn, @sanasaeed, @brian-goldstone.bsky.social, @peterhowitt.bsky.social, Jodie Ginsberg on LinkedIn, @markjacob.bsky.social, @sanasaeed, @lailaalarian, @sanasaeed, @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social, @deanobeidallah.bsky.social, National Union of Journalists …, Mediaite, @meganotoole.bsky.social, The Hill, Deadline, HuffPost, Fox News, Washington Examiner 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:
StreamTV Insider, MediaPost, UPI, Fortune, Spyglass, How-To Geek, @espnflora, The Streamable, Awful Announcing, The US Sun, TVNewsCheck, TV Tech, Pocket-lint, TheDesk.net, The Wrap, Variety, Front Office Sports, Fox News, Bloomberg, Sports Business Journal, PCWorld, CNBC, The Verge, The Hollywood Reporter, Fox Corporation, The TV Answer Man!, @logandobson, Cord Cutters News, @tvgrimreaper, @andrewmarchand, @nolelifestyle, Barrett Media, 9to5Mac, @sportsontvguy, @tvgrimreaper, Streaming Better, @aagave, Media Play News, @jacobfeldman4, @sherman4949 and @derekcody
Amy Thomson / Bloomberg:
Martin Sorrell's S4 says it is in early talks to combine with private equity-owned MSQ; S4 has a ~£130M market cap after its stock has declined ~35% in 2025 — S4 Capital Plc, the advertising agency founded by Martin Sorrell, is in talks to combine with private equity-owned MSQ Partners.
Discussion:
PRWeek, Adweek, The Times, The Drum, The Independent, Financial Times, Proactive, Telegraph, The Standard, Sky News and Reuters
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
LAPD officers struck and injured UK photojournalist Nick Stern twice while he was covering LA immigration protests, and assaulted multiple other journalists — The latest Los Angeles protest march against President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation arrests took off from the city's …
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 ONLINE, Inside Radio, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartMedia, Radio & Television … and Barrett Media
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation:
The Associated Press plans to end its weekly book reviews, beginning September 1, citing low audience engagement, but will continue to cover books as stories — Terrible news from The Associated Press. Media Nation correspondent J.A. passes along this note from Anthony McCartney, the AP's global entertainment and lifestyle editor.
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Future launches a Tom's Hardware premium membership for £51 per year, as the UK publisher aims to diversify its revenue beyond ads and e-commerce — Future plc is testing a membership model on tech brand Tom's Hardware in a significant expansion of its online paid content efforts.
Discussion:
Tom's Hardware and r/hardware
