Top News:
New York Times:
Court docs detail a smear campaign against actor Blake Lively via media articles and social media posts after she accused director Justin Baldoni of misconduct — Last summer, as the release of “It Ends With Us” approached, Justin Baldoni, the director and a star of the film, and Jamey Heath …
Discussion:
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Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
A deep dive into Paramount's sale to Skydance; sources: Skydance may integrate Pluto into Paramount+, and CBS head George Cheeks is expected to be head of TV — An $8 billion deal Shari Redstone struck with Skydance Media must go through the FCC next year; new owners seek over $2 billion in cost cuts
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, @mattzeitlin, @nkulw, @tvgrimreaper and @jtoonkel
New York Times:
In a first, Telegram is set to be profitable in 2024, with $1B+ in revenue, up from ~$350M in 2023, and 12M subscribers; source: 50%+ of its revenue is from ads — Even as Telegram faces legal scrutiny and grapples with billions in debt, it is set to be profitable for the first time as it tries cryptocurrencies, subscriptions and ads.
Discussion:
The Wrap, TechCrunch, Beyond Search, Bloomberg, @durov and @qui_oui@mastodon.social, more at Techmeme »
Kimberly Nordyke / The Hollywood Reporter:
News Corp and Telstra agree to sell Australian pay TV company Foxtel Group to sports streaming platform DAZN in a deal worth ~$2.1B — The Foxtel Group is owned 65 percent by News Corp. and 35 percent by Telstra. … Under the terms of the agreement, shareholder loans in the amount …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Advanced Television, Broadband TV News, Benzinga, Bloomberg, Barrett Media, Media Play News, Yahoo Finance, RTÉ, The Guardian, Mumbrella, Deadline, News Corporation, Sydney Morning Herald, Variety, TVNewsCheck, ABC, The Wrap, Business News Australia, Financial Times, The Desk, Cord Cutters News, The Times and 9News
Jack Dunn / Variety:
Trump appoints Mark Burnett, the British TV executive who created and produced the reality show The Apprentice, as a special envoy to the UK — Donald Trump has appointed British television producer Mark Burnett, who produced the president-elect's reality show “The Apprentice,” as a special envoy to the United Kingdom.
Discussion:
TVLine, @realDonaldTrump …, CBS News, Newsbusters, Twitchy, Daily Mail, GB News, Politico, WTSP, New York Times, Raw Story, The US Sun, Mediaite, HuffPost, NBC News, New York Post, @cynblogger@sfba.social, USA Today, Washington Examiner, TVNewsCheck, UPI, @1gregtodd.bsky.social, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Deadline, RedState, Fox News, The Hill, The Post Millennial, The Hollywood Reporter and djt.nucleusemail.com
Ben Smith / Semafor:
A look at Trump's defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize board, which has gone from a curiosity to a source of real concern in some top US newsrooms — There's an unusual tradition in Florida courts: a judge deciding on a motion will sometimes ask each party to submit their own version of the ruling.
Discussion:
Mediaite, @semaforben, @brianstelter and Alternet.org
Financial Times:
SEC filings: senior Spotify executives have sold $1.25B in stock in 2024, including CEO Daniel Ek selling ~$350M and co-founder Martin Lorentzon selling $550M+ — Company co-founders reaped $900mn in gains this year — Senior Spotify executives and board members have sold $1.25bn worth …
Discussion:
Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Ankush Khardori / Politico:
Trump may erode press protections but the ABC case is not evidence of that as the decision to settle appears reasonable given Stephanopoulos' imprecise remarks — It doesn't mean the press is caving to Trump. — Donald Trump's antagonism toward the media takes many forms, but until recently …
Discussion:
The Hill, emptywheel, Politico, American Thinker, Orlando Sentinel and The Federalist
Om Malik / On my Om:
AI platforms are unlikely to become a major source of traffic or ad revenue for media outlets, with content deals offering only a short-term revenue boost — I recently wrote about the future of the browser and Surf, a new app from the creators of Flipboard.
Discussion:
@om.co, Media Play News, @dwightsilverman.com and Nieman Lab, more at Techmeme »
Thomas Buckley / Bloomberg:
US film and TV production languishes below 2021-2022 levels after streaming losses and strikes, while the rest of the word has seen production spending recover — - Production has recovered faster in Canada, Australia, UK — US industry is adjusting to new norms post-pandemic, strikes
Bloomberg:
A look at Crunchyroll's challenges, including current and former employees saying its management is out of touch, as Disney and Netflix's expand into anime — Disney and Netflix are expanding in the popular Japanese cartoon genre — At first glance, Sony Group Corp.'s $1.2 billion acquisition …
Cecilia D'Anastasio / Bloomberg:
Riot Games says it spent $250M on an unusual deal to finance two seasons of League of Legends show Arcane on Netflix; sources: there was no plan to recoup costs — ‘Arcane’ drew a big audience, but didn't bring in enough gaming revenue — When Riot Games first decided to make a TV show inspired …
Discussion:
Screen Rant
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Memo: WaPo's Matt Murray lays out plans for WP Ventures, the “third newsroom”; Krissah Thompson will be editor and Samantha Henig will be general manager — New: In a note to staff, WaPo lays out details about the third newsroom, WP Ventures. The company announces that Krissah Thompson will lead WP Ventures, Samantha Henig will be GM. Video, audio, newsletters, special initiatives, other verticals will be part of WP Ventures. [image]
Discussion:
@benmullin, @dylanbyers, @bybethrankin, @benmullin, @davidfolkenflik, Talking Biz News and The Wrap
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