Top News:
On Substack:
Substack launches its Substack TV app for Apple TV and Google TV in beta for free and paid subscribers, with access matched to their current subscription levels — Today we're launching the Substack TV app for Apple TV and Google TV. Substack is the home for the best longform …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Like & Subscribe …, Deadline, @caseynewton.bsky.social, PCWorld and Pocket-lint, more at Techmeme »
Deadline:
A breakdown of 2026 Oscars nominations by movie and studio: WBD leads with 30 nominations, tying its own record, Neon gets 18, Netflix earns 16, Apple gets 6 — Sinners is up for Best Picture, Actor Michael B. Jordan, Supporting Actress Wunmi Mosaku, Supporting Actor Delroy Lindo …
RELATED:
Clayton Davis / Variety:
Ryan Coogler's Sinners breaks the Academy Awards' nomination record with 16 nominations, surpassing the previous record of 14, held by three films — Ryan Coogler has officially rewritten Oscar history. — Coogler's “Sinners” shattered the Academy Awards' all-time nomination record Thursday …
Discussion:
Variety, Screen Rant, Forbes, Adweek, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Gold Derby, San Francisco Chronicle, Deadline, Benzinga, Inverse, Tom's Guide, AllHipHop, NPR, Screen, Entertainment Weekly, Mashable, Times Now, Elle, Vanity Fair, LaineyGossip, W, New Republic, Dread Central, Consequence, Associated Press, Axios, Offscreen Central, FemaleFirst, Mercury News, Comic Book, Marin Independent Journal, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Global News, Dexerto, CBC News, Decider, Rolling Stone, Essence, The Indian Express, Kotaku, The Oaklandside, Bossip, Queerty, TV Insider, PinkNews, ABC, Page Six and Collider
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Filing: Paramount extends the deadline for WBD shareholders to vote on its $30-per-share offer to February 20 — Paramount has extended the deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to throw their support behind the company's hostile takeover bid. — The initial deadline of Wednesday has now been pushed to February 20.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and WBD Chief Strategy Officer Bruce Campbell plan to testify in February at a US Senate committee hearing on the WBD sale — Netflix Inc. co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos is planning to testify in February at a US Senate committee hearing looking …
Discussion:
Reuters, Variety and Telecompaper
Liz Hoffman / Semafor:
Sources: the US and China approve a deal to sell TikTok's US business to a group of mostly US investors led by Oracle and Silverlake, set to close this week — The US and China have signed off on a deal to sell TikTok's US business to a consortium of mostly US investors led by Oracle and Silver Lake …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, iPhone in Canada, Fox Business, Investing.com, Benzinga, Hypebot, Crypto Briefing and Anadolu Ajansı …, more at Techmeme »
Hannah Rabinowitz / CNN:
Source: a federal judge rejected the US DOJ's initial attempt to charge Don Lemon for appearing alongside protesters that interrupted a Minnesota church service — A federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department's initial attempt to bring charges against journalist Don Lemon …
Discussion:
NBC News, Fox News, TMZ.com, The Guardian, @kristinoem, Daily Caller News Foundation, @nicksortor, CBS News, Scripps News, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @freedom.press, The Gateway Pundit, @janainelson.bsky.social, The Parnas Perspective, Raw Story, Straight Arrow News, WBAL Baltimore News and Washington Examiner
Alisa Vasquez / Politico:
Politico names Tessa Berenson Rogers as Politico Magazine's editor and Giuseppe Macri as Playbook editor — Announcement from Senior Executive Editor Alex Burns, Deputy Executive Editor Julia Marsh, States Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins, and California Editorial Director Christopher Cadelago:
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Mia Sato / The Verge:
Cate Blanchett, Cyndi Lauper, and 800+ creatives launch “Stealing Isn't Innovation” to protest unauthorized AI training, backed by RIAA, SAG-AFTRA, and others — Cate Blanchett, Cyndi Lauper, George Saunders, and other creatives say that AI companies are …
Discussion:
Variety, Rolling Stone, Mashable, PetaPixel, Billboard, Deadline, Fast Company, The Hollywood Reporter, Music Ally and Music Business Worldwide, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify expands its AI-powered Prompted Playlists beta to Premium subscribers in the US and Canada, following initial testing in New Zealand — Spotify is rolling out Prompted Playlists, a new AI playlist creation tool, to Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
Discussion:
WebProNews, Reuters, PCMag, XDA Developers, Thurrott, Android Central, ZDNET, Android Authority, Engadget, How-To Geek, Digital Trends, Hypebot, MakeUseOf, Mashable, 9to5Mac, Pocket-lint, The AI Economy and CNBC, more at Techmeme »
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Adobe rolls out Firefly Foundry, which creates AI-generated “commercially safe” images, video, and more grounded in a brand or franchise's creative universe — Adobe is rolling out a new AI offering aiming to create common ground among major talent agencies, top filmmakers …
Discussion:
Investor's Business Daily, The Verge and The Information
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
The UK's Future acquires social-first publisher Sheerluxe and Blush Talent MGMT for an initial £39.9M, rising by an additional £40M based on performance — Magazine giant Future is attempting to grow its share of creator-led digital marketing spend by acquiring social-first publisher Sheerluxe.
Discussion:
Future, A Media Operator and BusinessCloud
