Top News:
Taylor Lorenz / Wired:
How influencers boosting US-based AI and opposing Chinese AI are paid with money tied to Leading the Future, funded by execs from OpenAI, Palantir, a16z, others — Build American AI, a nonprofit linked to a super PAC bankrolled by executives at OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz …
Bloomberg:
Sources: Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro is exploring a “super app” that integrates Disney+ with parks passes, games, merchandise, and cruise and resort apps — Walt Disney Co. senior executives are discussing how to unify the company's disparate mobile apps and turn its streaming service …
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn, @lucas_shaw, Disney News, @queenofthinair.bsky.social and @currentlyquang.xyz
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
Speaking at an event, Sharyn Alfonsi voiced concern about “the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” at CBS News and uncertainty over her job — Sharyn Alfonsi, whose report on Cecot prison was pulled by Bari Weiss, admits uncertainty over her future at network
Discussion:
Puck, National Enquirer, Fox News, TV Insider, Variety, The A.V. Club, @maddow.bsky.social, New York Post, HuffPost, Mediaite, Raw Story, Barrett Media and @justinbaragona.bsky.social
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
USA Today's Q1 “other” digital revenue, including AI partnerships, grew 125.6% YoY to $33.75M; visitors fell 7.7% to 180M; digital ad revenue fell 3% to $80.9M — USA Today Co.'s AI licensing deals helped drive meaningful year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of this year …
Discussion:
Yahoo Finance
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Jacob Bryant / The Wrap:
The Daily Wire undergoes layoffs, and a spokesperson says cuts were mostly in Nashville; the EIC says cuts were nowhere near 50% of staff, as some rumors stated — A company spokesperson says the restructure comes as the company builds out its Northeast and D.C. teams
Discussion:
Barrett Media, @allenanalysis, @brentscher and Raw Story
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
“Podslop” is flooding listening platforms like Spotify; Podcast Index: of ~11K new podcast feeds in a recent 9-day span, ~39% were likely for AI content shows — Over the past nine days, 39% of new podcasts were likely AI-generated, according to the Podcast Index. — Welcome back to Soundbite.
Ethan Gach / Kotaku:
The AV Club pulls away from gaming coverage, eliminating three roles, including two full-time staffers who ran video games coverage, to refocus on film and TV — The A.V. Club is pulling away from full-time gaming coverage to focus on its ‘core strengths’
Julian Wyllie / Current:
Boston's GBH and New England Public Media plan to merge operations, keeping separate branding and headquarters; Susan Goldberg will remain GBH's top executive — GBH in Boston and New England Public Media in Springfield, Mass., announced plans Friday to merge operations.
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, New England Public Media, Inside Radio, GBH, The Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal
Luke Bouma / Cord Cutters News:
Comcast drops the NFL Network from its Xfinity package after the prior agreement expired, and says it's in negotiations with the channel's new owner, Disney — In a development that echoes past carriage battles, Comcast's Xfinity cable and television service has dropped the NFL Network from its lineup …
Discussion:
Front Office Sports, Awful Announcing, @bkoo, Sports Business Journal and Barrett Media
Scott Feinberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Academy tightens rules about AI use for Oscar competitors in 2027, says only human-authored screenplays are eligible, and revises international Oscars rules — The organization also announced changes impacting a host of other categories and its Governors Awards.
Discussion:
Variety, Esquire, IGN, Engadget, PC Gamer, Rolling Stone, France 24, Screen, Deadline, Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, The Wrap, Animation Magazine, Associated Press, IndieWire, Billboard and Consequence, more at Techmeme »
Jazz Tangcay / Variety:
Netflix moves Narnia: The Magician's Nephew from Thanksgiving this year to February 12, 2027, for a wide theatrical release, and to April 2, 2027, for streaming — Previously slated for a Thanksgiving 2026 release, the film is now set to open in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, and on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
Discussion:
IndieWire, Reuters, The Wrap, ScreenRant, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, Comic Book, IGN, Polygon.com, UPI, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Nerdist, ScreenCrush, @netflix, Collider, What's on Netflix, Screen, The A.V. Club, The Playlist, World of Reel and r/boxoffice
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Versant sells its youth sports management app SportsEngine to Playmetrics; NBC bought SportsEngine in 2016 — Versant, the media company recently spun off from NBCUniversal, has sold the assets of SportsEngine to Playmetrics, part of a strategy to refine its holdings and focus more closely on different types of assets.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Bloomberg
Eric Fisher / Front Office Sports:
The Braves say their network is on pace to equal its prior broadcasting revenue from Main Street Sports; other MLB teams using the in-house model are struggling — The Braves say that despite a frenetic move this spring to form their own regional sports network, the MLB club is on pace …
Discussion:
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