Top News:
Bloomberg:
Sources: WBD begins exclusive talks with Netflix to sell its film and TV studios and HBO Max; Netflix is offering a $5B breakup fee if the deal isn't approved — Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. has entered exclusive negotiations to sell its film and TV studios and HBO Max streaming service to Netflix Inc. …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, Advanced Television, New York Times, Variety, The Wrap, The Guardian, Reuters, Financial Times, Netflix, Inc., Gizmodo, Telegraph, Deadline, Shortlist, Business Standard, Arabian Business, Polygon.com, Superman, Spyglass, CNN, The A.V. Club, Screen, Lawyer Monthly, Yahoo Finance, Far Out Magazine, Variety, Cultaholic Wrestling, @thespaceshipper.com, Engadget, Benzinga, Beebom, Benedict Evans on LinkedIn, @jessmatthewsproductions.com, @jim.londoncentric.media, Reuters, @brianstelter, Hypebeast, Oman Observer, TVBEurope, @sharonk.bsky.social, @davidharper.bsky.social, @jessmatthewsproductions.com, @jbflint, Sports Media Watch, @newsnerd.bsky.social, The Information, @mccdave.bsky.social, Reuters, @lucas_shaw, @sampalmeri.bsky.social, @jessmatthewsproductions.com, @lucas_shaw, @imjeffreyrex.bsky.social, The Olympian, Wall Street Journal, @stevensantos.bsky.social, @jonathanmb32.bsky.social, @brianstelter, World of Reel, Sharecast, The Verge, Forbes, Deadline, The Wrap, Washington Examiner, Barchart.com, Consequence, New York Post, Awful Announcing, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Just Jared, CNBC, TechCentral.ie, Trusted Reviews, Metro.co.uk, The Business Times, Bloomberg Law and r/MediaMergers, more at Techmeme »
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Jane Fonda / The Ankler:
Jane Fonda warns that a WBD merger in any form is an alarming escalation in media consolidation, threatening the entertainment industry and the First Amendment — Jane Fonda is a two-time Oscar-winning actress, producer and activist. She earlier appeared on The Rushfield Lunch to announce …
CNBC:
Letter: Paramount expresses concern to WBD about the “fairness and adequacy” of the sales process, accusing WBD of favoring Netflix's offer
Letter: Paramount expresses concern to WBD about the “fairness and adequacy” of the sales process, accusing WBD of favoring Netflix's offer
Discussion:
Status, Wall Street Journal, BBC, mxdwn Television, Mediaweek, Deadline, @lucas_shaw, Sports Media Watch, The Daily Upside, New York Post, Adweek, The Ankler, Variety, The Wrap, NewsMax.com, Screen Rant, Defector, Collider, Benzinga, The A.V. Club, The Independent, Los Angeles Times, Barrett Media, Mediaite, Cord Cutters News, The Streamable, The Hollywood Reporter, Bloomberg, Media Play News, Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social and @lorak.bsky.social
The Guardian:
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands exit Eurovision after Israel received an all-clear to compete; the BBC and Germany's SWR plan to participate — Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands pull out after decision not to hold vote on Israel's participation
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Deadline, Reuters, RTÉ, The Times of Israel, PinkNews, Associated Press, @adachika192@hcommons.social, Agence France-Presse, DAWN.COM, One America News Network, GB News, The Daily Caller, @petemarchetto.bsky.social, Australian Financial Review, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Sun, @dacig@mastodon.social, Mirror, @mgb5000.bsky.social, TV Tonight, @tryangregory.bsky.social, The Wrap, @charlieangus104.bsky.social, Politico, CNN, @ptfen.bsky.social, Al Jazeera, Rolling Stone, Sky News, NBC News, The Japan Times, @englishmanadam.bsky.social, The Scottish Sun, Daily Star, HuffPost, @b9AcE@todon.eu, Haaretz, Financial Times, nltimes.nl, @nemobis@mamot.fr, Lapresse.US, Algemeiner.com, @victinibcn.bsky.social, @Miro_Collas@masto.ai, Euro Weekly News, Billboard, DutchNews.nl, New York Times, Digital Music News, KVIA-TV, TheJournal.ie, France 24, KDFX-TV, Middle East Monitor, Semafor, Associated Press, EVOKE and Stereogum
David Pierce / The Verge:
Yahoo launches Game Breakdowns in beta, offering AI-generated game summaries, stats, and play recaps, all updated live, to Yahoo Fantasy Plus subscribers — AI models are very useful for mining stats to see exactly what's going on in the game you're watching.
James Faris / Business Insider:
Kalshi strikes a deal with CNBC that will integrate Kalshi's prediction data into CNBC's channel, site, and app starting in 2026, days after striking a CNN deal — - CNBC is partnering with prediction site Kalshi to integrate its data, starting in 2026. — Kalshi and Polymarket …
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
The Chicago Tribune sues Perplexity for copyright infringement, alleging Perplexity's platforms lift Tribune content verbatim and divert traffic from the paper — The Chicago Tribune filed a copyright infringement lawsuit Thursday in New York federal court against Perplexity AI …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, MediaPost, Tech Times, TechCrunch, nextbigwhat and Decode TV
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: Atlas Obscura's co-founders were pushed out of the company amid clashes with CEO Louise Story, who has trimmed staff and changed editorial strategy — The Scoop — Several months into Louise Story's tenure as CEO of Atlas Obscura, co-founders Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras seemed pleased enough …
Discussion:
@ellenenders.bsky.social
Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Bloomberg Media COO Julia Beizer is leaving the company, a source says to lead Microsoft's AI news product, working under Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman — The longtime media veteran will work under Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman — The chief operating officer of Bloomberg Media …
Discussion:
Mark Stenberg on LinkedIn and Talking Biz News
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
CBS Evening News co-anchor Maurice DuBois will exit CBS News on December 18, as EIC Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski overhaul the evening newscast — DuBois follows his co-anchor John Dickerson, who will leave CBS at the end of the year. — CBS Evening News co-anchor Maurice DuBois …
Sara Fischer / Axios:
MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, plans to launch membership subscriptions in the summer of 2026, offering events, curated insights, and moderated community spaces — MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, plans to launch a membership-based, direct-to-consumer product next summer, the network's president Rebecca Kutler plans …
Kim Chandler / Associated Press:
The University of Alabama suspends two student-run magazines, one focused on Black students and another on women's issues, citing federal anti-DEI guidance — The University of Alabama has suspended the publication of two student-run magazines — one primarily focused on Black students …
Discussion:
Washington Times, al.com, The Crimson White and NewsMax.com
Wendy Davis / MediaPost:
The New York Times, AP, RCFP, and other media organizations back an effort to block a new Texas law requiring app stores to verify users' ages — The New York Times Company and other news organizations are asking a federal judge to block a new Texas law requiring app stores like Google …
