Top News:
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Netflix agrees to acquire WBD's studios and streaming business in an $82.7B cash-and-stock deal, set to close after WBD splits into two companies in Q3 2026 — As part of the deal, WBD will continue with plan to spin off its cable television networks — Netflix has agreed an $83bn takeover …
Discussion:
CNN, MediaPost, The Streamable, AdExchanger, The Wrap, Sportico, The Guardian, CNBC, Netflix, Inc., Business Insider, TVBEurope, New York Times, BBC, Deadline, NPR, TechCrunch, New Jersey Online, Benzinga, Mediaite, Silicon Valley Business …, Telegraph, Livemint, Tom's Guide, Vulture, The Information, The Daily Caller, The Movie Blog, Marketing Brew, TechRaptor, 9to5Google, RNZ, Inc, ScreenCrush, Fortune, The Hollywood Reporter, GV Wire, Investopedia, Digital Trends, masslive.com, PCWorld, Mobile World Live, Entrepreneur, CGMagazine, BMI, Newswise, Distractify, Irish Examiner, My Nintendo News, New York Sun, Cyber Security News, @austincarr, Fast Company, New York Post, WPXI-TV, Deadline, Bloomberg, Gizmodo, Engadget, Beebom, @jonathancohn.bsky.social, @mgsiegler.com, Finance Magnates, @valiuz.bsky.social, @lewisgoodall.com, Kotaku, @joshsternberg.com, Android Headlines, Cultaholic Wrestling, @uppergwladysblu.bsky.social, @bretbatson.bsky.social, @leafwarbler.bsky.social, @netflix, Spyglass, @droog811.bsky.social, @jakevk.bsky.social, @pkafka, @irishoutsider.bsky.social, @peter-eller10.bsky.social, @kambole.bsky.social, @jackcarterbenjamin …, @thebarrylad.bsky.social, DealStreetAsia, CBS News, The Olympian, City A.M., GameSpot, The Japan Times and Fox Business, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
A look at the hurdles Netflix will have to clear for the WB acquisition to go through, including DOJ and EU approval and a possible response from Paramount — Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told investors on Friday that he was “highly confident in the regulatory process” win approval …
Discussion:
Channel NewsAsia, Media Play News, Mediaite, World of Reel and TVNewsCheck
Scott Roxborough / The Hollywood Reporter:
A European theater owners group says Netflix's Warner Bros. acquisition “represents a double risk” of fewer films being produced and getting theatrical releases — The UNIC, which represents cinema exhibitors across Europe, fears the streamer will downgrade the theatrical experience.
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Sun, Inverse, Den of Geek, Business Insider, Deadline, UNIC, Screen and Irish Independent
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Netflix CEOs say the WBD deal won't fail because “we understand these assets that we're buying” and they're not buying to compensate for business deterioration — Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters sought to reassure investors that their game-changing deal …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Business Insider, Sports Media Watch, The Hollywood Reporter and AppleInsider
Tony Maglio / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix says it “expects to maintain Warner Bros.' theatrical releases for films” but “the windows will evolve to be much more consumer friendly” — Now that that's settled... Netflix just solidified itself as the leading entertainment company (and then some), and all it cost was $83 billion.
Discussion:
Variety, Screen Rant, /Film, Gizmodo, Forbes, CinemaBlend, Mashable, World of Reel, Digital Spy, Cinema United, Far Out Magazine, Screen, Deadline, Empire, Comic Book, The Film Stage and The Daily Upside, more at Techmeme »
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 warns that a WBD merger in any form is an alarming escalation in media consolidation, threatening the entertainment industry and the First Amendment
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Bloomberg, Common Dreams, Variety, ZeroHedge News, Deadline, BIG by Matt Stoller, @jbflint, @tdogmedia.bsky.social, @markruffalo.bsky.social, @philthepill.online, @theankler.skystack.xyz, @jessicapancakes.bsky.social, @timkarr.bsky.social and @labuzamovies.com
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 …
RELATED:
New York Times:
The New York Times sues Perplexity, claiming the AI startup violated its copyrights and kept using its content despite repeated demands over the past 18 months — IDEAS — Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon … Photo illustration by Ricardo Tomas — ADVERTISEMENT — LIVE
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Axios, MediaPost, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Thurrott, The Verge, HotAir, CNBC, GV Wire, Bloomberg, Crypto Briefing, Insurance Journal and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Meta strikes multiyear commercial AI data deals with news publishers, including CNN, Fox News, and Le Monde, to provide real-time answers in its Meta AI chatbot — Meta on Friday said it has struck several commercial AI data agreements with news publishers ranging from USA Today, People Inc. …
Discussion:
Digiday, TVNewsCheck, TechCrunch, MediaPost, Engadget, Forbes Middle East, PR Daily, The Verge, Benzinga, Digital Journal, The Decoder, @mgsiegler, Le Monde, Reuters, Meta Newsroom and Sherwood News, more at Techmeme »
Will Sommer / @willsommer:
The Blaze retracts its article accusing a former Capitol Police officer of being the January 6 pipe bomber after the FBI arrested a different person — The Blaze has finally retracted its story accusing a former Capitol Police officer of being the Jan 6th pipe bomber, after a different person was arrested today. [image]
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.
Discussion:
David Fucillo on LinkedIn
Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
The EU fines X €120M for breaching online content rules, the first fine under the DSA, citing issues like its deceptive blue checkmarks, after a two-year probe — Elon Musk's social media company X was fined 120 million euros ($140 million) by EU tech regulators on Friday …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, The Guardian, Associated Press, Forbes, CBS News, Engadget, Politico, New York Post, The Daily Signal, Quartz, diginomica, Washington Examiner, The Information, The Record, Reclaim The Net, UPI, The Daily Caller, DNYUZ, CyberInsider, Cointelegraph, PCMag, Courthouse News Service, BleepingComputer, Euractiv, Reason, Le Monde, Forbes Middle East, Bloomberg, Axios, The Hill, Financial Times, New York Times, The Verge, European Commission, Benzinga, The Indian Express, TheJournal.ie, Euro Weekly News, Raw Story, Mashable, Daily Sabah, @carnage4life.bsky.social, The Independent, BBC, Reuters, @klonick.bsky.social, The Capitol Forum, CNBC and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
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 …
