Top News:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: the DOJ is probing whether the NFL uses anticompetitive tactics that harm consumers; regulators and others have raised concerns about streaming deals — Government officials have raised questions about whether the league is engaging in anticompetitive tactics that harm consumers
Discussion:
Sportico, KHOU-TV, RedState, NBC News, ABC News, Sports Media Watch, The Daily Signal, Reuters, Above the Law, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Washington Post, The Boston Globe, CNBC, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Barron's Online, The Athletic, Sports Business Journal, Forbes, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, NewsMax.com, Jessica Toonkel on LinkedIn, @moreperfectunion.bsky.social, MacTech.com, @peark.es, Barrett Media, One America News Network, Insurance Journal, @ericstangel, @senmikelee, The Hill, @jtoonkel, The US Sun, New York Post, Fox News, Front Office Sports, Newser, Newsweek, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News and NBCSports.com
Tom Jones / Poynter:
MS NOW announces financial backing for the Pulitzer Center, and collaborations with The Marshall Project on ICE and States Newsroom to feature state reporting — The network will partner with The Marshall Project, States Newsroom and the Pulitzer Center to power investigative and statehouse coverage
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
YouTube launches a Shorts feature to let creators generate photorealistic AI avatars using a “live selfie” recording of their face and voice, powered by Veo — YouTube is now letting users create an AI avatar that looks and sounds like them for use in Shorts. This feature was teased earlier this year.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
AMC Networks rebrands as AMC Global Media, filing new articles of incorporation in Nevada; CEO Kristin Dolan says streaming is its top domestic revenue source — The media company behind ‘The Walking Dead’ and Anne Rice universes is rebranding itself ahead of what it hopes will be its next genre-defining hit, ‘The Audacity.’
Discussion:
Streaming Better, The Ankler, The Wrap, Yeah, Deadline and Media Play News
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Sources: Paramount is unlikely to appoint a direct successor to Jeff Shell after his departure; Shell had few direct reports and did not lead WBD negotiations — Jeff Shell is unlikely to be directly replaced as president of Paramount, numerous insiders and people who do business with the company tell Deadline.
Discussion:
Variety, Page Six, Variety, @jbflint, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Paramount Skydance Corporation, Mediaweek, The Boston Globe, CNBC, Vanity Fair, MediaPost, New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Screen, Axios, Sportico, Los Angeles Times, Cord Cutters News, New York Post, Sports Business Journal, Adweek, Gamereactor UK, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Barrett Media, NewsMax.com, Media Play News and Deadline
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
The WGA-AMPTP deal includes $321M in studio funding for the writers' health fund, higher health insurance premiums, better residuals, and ongoing talks about AI — TV and film writers will be paying more for their health care in a deal with the major studios unveiled Wednesday by the Writers Guild of America.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Ankler, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Wrap and The A.V. Club
Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Q&A with NYT CEO Meredith Kopit Levien on games, The Athletic, bundling, advertising, aggregators, being a “destination site”, AI, the OpenAI lawsuit, and more — This week's Stratechery Interview is with New York Times Company CEO Meredith Kopit Levien.
Discussion:
@thestalwart, @talmonsmith, @max_spero_, @bendreyfuss, @nic_carter, @thestalwart, @bendreyfuss, @thestalwart and @jhweissmann
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline:
Advisory firm ISS recommends WBD shareholders support the sale to Paramount but advocate for a symbolic “no” vote against David Zaslav's potential $886M payout — WBD stockholders will vote April 23 on both the deal and the payment at a special meeting.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Variety, Benzinga, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Media Play News, Fortune and Bloomberg
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Daily Beast surpassed 100K subscribers to its site in January and has launched paid offerings on Substack, where it has four newsletters, and YouTube — ‘Highbrow tabloid’ has more than 100,000 paying subscribers plus thousands on Substack and Youtube.
Dan Primack / Axios:
Meta begins removing dozens of Facebook and Instagram ads that trial lawyers placed to reach eligible plaintiffs, after social media addiction trial losses — Meta on Thursday began removing advertisements from attorneys who were seeking clients that claim to have been harmed by social media while under the age of 18.
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:
Prime Video offers Masters Tournament coverage for the first time, with two hours of live broadcasts Thursday and Friday plus feeds from “Amen Corner” and more — Often called “a tradition unlike any other,” the Masters golf tournament has a non-traditional media partner this year.
Daryna Antoniuk / The Record:
Russian authorities detained a former Radio Free Europe freelancer on treason charges; security services also have searched Novaya Gazeta's newsroom in Moscow — Russian authorities detained a former freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe on treason charges, accusing him of passing information …
Discussion:
Radio Free Europe/Radio …, THE INSIDER, Reuters, Novaya Gazeta Europe and Bloomberg
