Top News:
Andrew Marchand / The Athletic:
Sources: ESPN and MLB have a deal framework giving ESPN exclusive rights to sell out-of-market regular-season games digitally and in-market games for five clubs — Major League Baseball and ESPN have a framework agreement that would give the network the exclusive rights to sell …
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: NBCU is in advanced talks with MLB to carry games on NBC and Peacock for close to $200M/year; Netflix nears a deal for the Home Run Derby at $35M+/year — Netflix is also in advanced talks with the league to stream the Home Run Derby in a deal that would be worth more than $105 million
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: ESPN is in talks to license MLB.TV and wants midweek national games, giving up Sunday Night regular season games and the Home Run Derby — Disney's new ESPN flagship streaming app launches Thursday. Here's what we know — Microsoft and NFL announce multiyear partnership to use AI to enhance game day analysis
New York Times:
Veteran anchor Chris Wallace has become a senior adviser for news and media investments at RedBird Capital Partners, a major Skydance investor — The longtime news anchor recently began working for a financial firm connected to CBS's new parent company and has spoken with the network's owner, David Ellison, several times.
Discussion:
Status
Haroon Siddique / The Guardian:
Actor Noel Clarke loses his UK libel case against the Guardian over an investigation in which he was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women — High court rejects actor's claim that accusations against him by more than 20 women were false and part of a conspiracy
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Filing: OnlyFans gross revenue hit $7.2B in FY ending Nov. 2024, up from $6.6B YoY, and paid $5.8B to creators, up from $5.3B; creator accounts grew 13% to 4.6M — Porn streamer paid $5.8bn to content creators last year as Leonid Radvinsky holds talks over offloading majority stake
Discussion:
Variety, The Times, Proactive, The Standard, Benzinga, Bloomberg, Telegraph and The Guardian
Lydia Polgreen / New York Times:
A reflection on Israel's killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif in an airstrike on a press tent, and Israel's weak claim that he was a Hamas militant — Eleven days ago, Israel assassinated a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a young man who had suddenly become the face and voice …
Jason Notte / Adweek:
EDO: the NFL brings in $5.2B annually in national TV ads; in 2024-2025 ads on streaming-exclusive NFL games were 66% more effective for brands than TV ads — New data from EDO finds that ads during football games on Peacock, Netflix, and Amazon last year were more effective than in-game linear
Discussion:
The Streamable, TVNewsCheck, @kennysmith.bsky.social, Business Wire and MediaPost
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Reach plans to “radically reorganize” newsrooms through the creation of a live news network with journalists across its outlets reporting to one leader — Reach has told staff of plans to “radically reorganise” the editorial structure of its newsrooms around the UK and beyond.
Discussion:
Telegraph and HoldtheFrontPage
Julian Wyllie / Current:
South Dakota Public Broadcasting plans to lay off 25% of its staff, affecting public affairs programming; CPB funding made up 20% of its FY24 revenue — Screenshot/YouTube … " id="street-iframe-svdc8d6wzow0000000000 " style="max-width: 100%;"> — “These reductions include the elimination …
Discussion:
@chrisottolnp.bsky.social and Radio & Television …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Wired and Business Insider remove articles by journalist Margaux Blanchard that appear to be AI-generated and feature people who do not seem to exist — Wired and Business Insider have removed news features written by a freelance journalist after concerns they are likely AI-generated works of fiction.
Discussion:
Wired, The Guardian, @drewharwell.com, @ransomwaresommelier.com, @dell.bsky.social, The Overspill, Mumbrella, @benmullin, Kaitlyn Arford on LinkedIn, The Wrap, Futurism, MediaPost, Sarah Scoles on LinkedIn, Matt Allyn on LinkedIn, @scottnover.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, @kbeninato.bsky.social, @grspur.bsky.social, @jaywillis.net, @jetjocko.bsky.social, @AlisonCreekside@mstdn.ca, @seywarddarby.bsky.social, @mjanssen.bsky.social, @stokel.bsky.social, Jem Collins on LinkedIn, @paris.nyc, @ogmcduck.bsky.social, @jamesrball.com, @harryrose.bsky.social, @garethtbij.bsky.social, @oisinmcgann.bsky.social, @katebevan.com, @pressgazette.co.uk and Talking Biz News
Alexandra Bruell / Wall Street Journal:
The Onion has 53K+ print subscribers and expects $6M in 2025 revenue, signaling a market for print media, also shown by print relaunches of Saveur and others — Publications turn to old-style products to appeal to readers and stand out in digital media landscape
Discussion:
Matt Pearce on LinkedIn, Will Flannigan on LinkedIn, @jeff@newsie.social, John Martin on LinkedIn, Jesse Dungan on LinkedIn, @bolson.org, @jocelynl.bsky.social, @mediaevan.bsky.social, @dexanderson.com, @wendysawatzky.bsky.social, @kibblesmith.com, @djlavoie.bsky.social, @bencollins.bsky.social and r/Journalism
