Top News:

Sources: Amazon might carry “a significant number” of Thursday night NFL games exclusively on Prime Video, with only teams' local markets also showing games — TV networks are expected to pay nearly twice as much for new rights to Sunday, Monday games
Discussion:
The Wrap, Awful Announcing, Insider, @jbflint, Reuters, Cord Cutters News, Engadget, @realmnchiefsfan, @benfritz, @jennmatthews57 and @matthewkeyslive, Thanks:@beet_tv

Study: far-right pubs get 65% more engagement on Facebook when they publish fake news; liberal and centrist pubs get less engagement if they publish misinfo — Far-right pages that publish misinformation get the most interactions by far compared to other news sources, new research shows.
Discussion:
Cybersecurity for Democracy, Protocol, CNN, Gizmodo, @ryanlcooper, @ryanlcooper, @rasmus_kleis, @dfreelon, @caitlin__kelly, The Week, @jason_kint, @b_fung, @giladedelman, @hackintimseeley and Boing Boing

Former Disney exec Kevin Mayer named chairman of sport streaming service DAZN, replacing ex-ESPN president John Skipper — Service has substantial boxing and international soccer rights and is looking to expand — Kevin Mayer, a former senior executive of the Walt Disney Co. and architect …
Discussion:
Variety, The Streamable, @jbflint, @loudmouthjulia, @taralach, The Wrap, Awful Announcing, @sherman4949, @kevinmayer, Broadband TV News, Sportico.com and Front Office Sports

Facebook says that on Thursday it will lift the ban on political and social issue ads in the US, imposed after the November election — Facebook will finally allow advertisers to resume running political and social issue ads in the U.S. on Thursday, according to a company update.
Discussion:
Facebook, Ad Age, Adweek, The Wrap, Financial Times, @mshannahmurphy, @sarafischer, @drewharwell, @sarafischer, @b_fung and CNBC, more at Techmeme »

Alamo Drafthouse files for bankruptcy as part of an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, and says it will close some of its 40 locations — Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas-based theater chain that has become a favorite with cinephiles for it dine-in service …
Discussion:
Ad Age, New York Post, UPROXX, @brentalang, @wellsdunbar, The Wrap, @alexweprin, Collider, @drewkerr, @hello__caitlin, Insider, @bklynactivemama, @studdedcollar, The A.V. Club, @pkafka, @pkafka, @thebabyguynyc, @nickchester, /Film, @rejects, Hollywood Reporter and austonia

DOJ document: the Trump administration referred a record number of leaks for criminal investigation in a crackdown meant to instill fear of talking to the press — The Trump administration referred a record number of classified leaks for criminal investigation, totaling at least 334 …
Discussion:
@matthewacole, @kenklippenstein and @kenklippenstein

Four female athletes launch TOGETHXR, a media company to elevate women's voices, with a “mid-seven figure investment” by PE holding company Magnet Companies — Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim teamed up to create TOGETHXR, a media and commerce company designed to elevate women's voices.
Discussion:
@tminsberg, @melsil, Front Office Sports and Sportico.com

Filing: ad sales at Disney's DTC businesses like Hulu and ESPN+ rose 47% to $882M last quarter and sales at ABC grew 5% to $984M — - Online ad revenue grew 47% last quarter, with broadcast up 5% — Company has been consolidating teams to create a one-stop shop
Discussion:
MediaPost

NYT's David Brooks draws a salary for work on an Aspen Institute project funded by Facebook, Jeff Bezos' father, and others, without disclosure in his columns — New York Times columnist David Brooks is drawing a second salary for his work on an Aspen Institute project funded by Facebook …
Discussion:
@craigsilverman, @jscros, @jscros, @pareene, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman and @eriksherman

Disney to sell its 50% stake in Europe's largest children's channel Super RTL to RTL Group, which will pivot to become an online-first broadcaster — The entertainment giant held 50 percent of Europe's largest children's channel, but is shifting its focus to its streaming platform Disney+.
Discussion:
Variety, Digital TV Europe, Kidscreen, Broadband TV News and C21Media

Two professors documented the pandemic's effects on local newsrooms, working with press associations to gather histories in seven states in the center of the US — Last year, two journalism professors started an oral history project to document the work of local newsrooms in mid-America.

Kings of Leon to be one of the first bands to debut an album as part of an NFT package, with tokens unlocking perks like limited-edition vinyl and concert seats — The band's revolutionary tokens will unlock special perks like limited-edition vinyl and front row seats to future concerts
Discussion:
Variety, CNBC, @ldrogen, @gramatik, @carlquintanilla, @zoescaman, @aridavidpaul, Cointelegraph, @raoulgmi, @mdudas, @gramatik and @seanoconnz

Facebook exec explains why the company didn't secure rights to extend live sports deals like NFL this year, promoting a free-to-air distribution model instead — We're speeding towards a pivotal moment in the future of sports business. COVID-19 has devastated core revenue streams such as ticket …
Discussion:
@robshawsports, @pkafka, @nllcommish, @zonozi, @richlightshed, @pkafka, @soshnick and @pkafka