Top News:
Joseph De Avila / Wall Street Journal:
Fox plans to acquire Roku in a deal worth ~$22B, including debt, giving it access to 100M+ streaming households; FOX drops 12%+ pre-market — Acquisition gives Fox access to more than 100 million streaming households — Fox said it is acquiring streaming company Roku in a deal worth around $22 billion, including debt.
Discussion:
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CNBC:
Fox says it obtained a $12B loan for the ~$22B Roku deal; existing Fox shareholders are expected to own ~73% of the combined company and Roku shareholders ~27% — Fox Corp is buying Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $22 billion in a bet that pairing its sports and news programming …
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Yasmin Khorram / Politico:
The US DOJ approves Paramount's $111B purchase of WBD without forcing divestitures or behavioral remedies; state AGs could still try to block the move — The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paramount did not respond to a request for comment.
Discussion:
Status, CNN, Benzinga, MS NOW on YouTube, Engadget, Los Angeles Times, BMI, @flingjore.com, JURISTnews, @amandamarcotte.bsky.social, Broadband TV News, The Post Millennial, Mediaweek, US Department of Justice, Tangle, @adastra1930@mastodon.social, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, NME, Variety, New York Times, @agrobbonta, The Guardian, RedState, New York Sun, CNBC, Media Play News, LAist, @blumenthal.senate.gov, Mediaite, Blockonomi, @senadamschiff, ABC News, @chrisvanhollen, @bedoyausa, @danprimack, @senwarren, The Next Web, The American Conservative, Deadline, Sky News, The Hollywood Reporter, BBC, TheDesk.net, The Wrap, Townhall, Washington Post, UPI, Reuters, @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social, Forbes, Washington Examiner, @schumer.senate.gov, Breitbart, Front Office Sports, Barron's Online, Mark Lemley on LinkedIn, The Independent, Vulture, Robert Reich, Straight Arrow, @schiff.senate.gov, Associated Press, IndieWire, Polygon.com, Fox Business, The Daily Wire, Jamaica Observer, @normeisen.bsky.social, KTLA, Yahoo Finance, New York Post, NPR, Insider Gaming, @emptywheel.bsky.social, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Newser, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, The Economic Populist, Deadline, Axios, Financial Times, Comic Book, Awful Announcing, TMZ.com, @marklemley.bsky.social, Business Insider, Raw Story, Cord Cutters News, NBC News, NewsMax.com, World of Reel, Bloomberg, @dorismatsui.bsky.social, @stevegiglio.bsky.social, @danielnmiller.bsky.social, Reuters, Barrett Media, Investing.com, The A.V. Club, Collider, Consequence, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Guardian and r/MediaMergers
Liv McMahon / BBC:
The UK's social media ban will cover Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, and more, and will require platforms to stop children from livestreaming — The UK has announced it is going to ban social media for under-16s. — Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the ban would take effect in early 2027.
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Reuters:
Keir Starmer says the UK will ban social media for under-16s in an “Australia-plus model” to “give kids their childhood back”, set to take effect in spring 2027 — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for under-16s …
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Axios:
Sources: WH officials believe NYT's Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings of Situation Room meetings for their upcoming book Regime Change — Top White House officials believe New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings …
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International Business Times, RADAR, @emptywheel.bsky.social, @andrewjweinstein.com, Daily Mail, Wonkette, @unauthorizedbeast.bsky.social, The Independent, NewsMax.com, @swin24.bsky.social, The Wrap, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, Mediaite, @michaelkruse.bsky.social, Raw Story, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, MS NOW, The Nation, PREVAIL and HuffPost
Max Tani / Semafor:
The NYT says it is reviewing columnist Nick Kristof's work that favorably mentioned former donors to his 2022 Oregon governor bid, including Bill Gates — The Scoop — When The New York Times announced that columnist Nick Kristof would return following a scuttled 2021 bid for governor of Oregon, the paper made a promise to readers.
Discussion:
Reason, @maxwelltani and @jeradwalker.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Sources: BBC News will announce hundreds of job cuts next week, in the first part of a broader plan to cut ~10% of costs and ~2,000 jobs across BBC departments — Cuts likely to affect specific radio shows as part of corporation plans to reduce costs — The BBC is set to cut hundreds …
Discussion:
The Guardian and BMI
Assiatou Hann / CNBC:
Electronic Arts launches EA Advertising, letting brands integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, including stadium signage — Electronic Arts announced EA Advertising, a new way for brands to connect with fans through its portfolio of games …
Discussion:
PC Gamer, Dexerto, PocketGamer.biz, TheGamer, Barrett Media, Neowin, Tech4Gamers, Kotaku, Insider Gaming, Video Games Chronicle and GamesBeat
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
A profile of Sarah Longwell, founder of opinion news site The Bulwark; source: its revenue was $20M+ in 2025 and is on track to increase by ~50% this year — Sarah Longwell's profitable startup, the Bulwark, approaches the news with a raw candor subscribers crave
Bloomberg:
South Korean media giant JoongAng files for court rehabilitation after its broadcaster JTBC defaulted on a ~$13M loan tied mostly to sports broadcasting rights — South Korean media giant JoongAng Group has filed for court rehabilitation after its broadcaster defaulted on a loan …
Discussion:
Seoul Economic Daily and The Asia Business Daily
Erica Ryan / Reporters' Lab:
Duke Reporters' Lab reports a global drop in fact-checking projects from 464 in 2024 to 441 in 2025; US projects fell from 65 in 2024 to 61 in 2025 — Three times as many fact-checking projects stopped as started in 2025, but the majority are weathering money woes, political attacks
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Bill Adair on LinkedIn
