Top News:
Joseph De Avila / Wall Street Journal:
Fox says it is acquiring Roku in its largest deal yet, valued at ~$25B, giving it access to 100M+ streaming households globally; FOX closes down 15.22% — 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:
Fox Corporation, Telecompetitor, Associated Press, Stratechery, @eric_seufert, Matt Barsomian on LinkedIn, @pkafka, @pkafka, Breitbart, Jeff Hackett on LinkedIn, MediaNews4U, Motley Fool, @trungtphan, @mickeyhardy, @therealjchubby, @ddayen, @moreperfectus, @claireatki, @pkafka, @royermattw, @sarafischer, @pkafka, @wander626, @danprimack, @darlinnikkij.blacksky.app, Yahoo Finance, Android Police, @aram@aoir.social, iClarified, @philbaker1@fosstodon.org, 9to5Mac, New York Post, Business Insider, @damon.kiesow.net, @uselessusername.bsky.social, Variety, ScreenRant and r/cordcutters
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Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
Sources: Netflix is interested in buying Lionsgate and bid on Roku, but the deal would have faced tougher antitrust scrutiny than Fox's — The Scene — It failed in a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Then, it lost out to Fox in its pursuit of Roku, according to people involved in the sale process.
Discussion:
Blockonomi, Media Play News and Washington Times
Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Lachlan Murdoch says the “expectation” of Fox, which will own two of the top free, ad-supported streamers, is to keep the Roku Channel and Tubi separate — The $22 billion deal to acquire Roku also gives Fox two of the top free, ad-supported streaming services.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Verge, Axios, TechCrunch, Poynter, Bloomberg, Sydney Morning Herald, Seoul Economic Daily, Mediaweek, The Week, TechRepublic, Tubefilter, TheDesk.net, Deseret News, Streaming Better, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Independent, @damonberes.com, Business Insider, SlashGear, Front Office Sports, Telegraph, PYMNTS, Awful Announcing, Pocket-lint, The Streamable, AFTVnews, CNET, How-To Geek, Variety, Dexerto, 9to5Google, Digital Trends, NBC News, Android Authority, Media Play News, Cord Cutters News, CNBC and Bloomberg Law
James Faris / Business Insider:
Buying Roku would make Fox the third-largest TV distributor in the US, behind YouTube and Disney, but ahead of Netflix, according to Nielsen's March data
Discussion:
Next in Media, The Daily Upside, Forbes, Bloomberg, Sportico, The Wrap, AdExchanger and PCMag
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 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%
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, TheStreet, CNN, FlatpanelsHD, Axios, Financial Times, Ghacks, Baller Alert, Sydney Morning Herald, Sports Business Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, StreamTV Insider, Forrester, Deadline, The Verge, Seeking Alpha, Washington Post, The Streamable, The Tech Portal, The Hollywood Reporter, IGN, @banksyfella.bsky.social, New York Business Journal, TechRadar, Inc.com, Tom's Guide, TechSpot, Bloomberg Law, Financial Post, Daily Sabah, Dallas Express, NBC Bay Area, Mashable, Streaming Better, The Hill, Profectio, Proactive, Fox Business, Marketing Dive, Gizmodo, Digiday, Polygon.com, Fast Company, NBC News, Reuters, MediaPost, Türkiye Today, HotHardware, International Business Times, Los Angeles Times, Screen, Thurrott, Barrett Media, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, The Wrap, Pulse 2.0, Barron's Online, The Next Web, Investor's Business Daily, Benzinga, Sky News, ZeroHedge News, TVNewsCheck, The Information, Yahoo Finance, Cord Cutters News, Blockonomi, Broadband TV News, Bloomberg, Advanced Television, CBS News, WPXI-TV, GSMArena.com, UPI and The Independent
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: the DOJ closed an investigation of Paramount's bid for WBD before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object — Career antitrust officials investigating Warner acquisition were leaning toward recommending a challenge to the merger, people familiar with the matter say
Discussion:
Variety, Deadline, The Wrap, Axios, The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, American Prospect, @brianstelter, @kylegriffin1, @bedoyausa, @brianstelter, @sgurman, CMU, Newser, Raw Story, Straight Arrow, @metronorthcapital.bsky.social, @notaaroncraig.bsky.social, Media Play News and @froomkin.bsky.social
Nieman Lab:
RISJ's 2026 Digital News Report: social media and video networks are now more popular as a source of news than TV and owned and operated news websites and apps — Facebook for news is on the rebound, impartial news isn't dead, and other findings from RISJ's 2026 Digital News Report
Discussion:
Reuters Institute, Press Gazette, University of Canberra, The Guardian, MediaPost, Reuters Institute, Reuters Institute, Reuters Institute, Reuters Institute, Reuters Institute, Election Law Blog, Reuters on YouTube, @rationaldoge@hachyderm.io, GMA News Online, @risj_oxford, Press Gazette, Agenzia ANSA, @risj_oxford, @risj_oxford, @risj_oxford, @ifanmj, @risj_oxford, Australian Financial Review, WAN-IFRA, The Hindu, Advanced Television, @abramjee, Mumbrella, The Japan Times, @ianguider, @risj_oxford, @risj_oxford, BBC, DutchNews.nl, @risj_oxford, VERA Files, Gamereactor UK and Journalism.co.uk
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Meta says Threads now has 500M MAUs, adds a “Your Algo” tool that lets users privately control what they see in their feed, and launches Communities out of beta — Nearly three years after launching as a competitor to Twitter (now X), Threads has reaches 500 million monthly active users, the company announced Tuesday.
Discussion:
Engadget, Reuters, The Economic Times, The Next Web, Mashable, Dow Jones Newswires, Hypebot, Meta Newsroom and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
Substack hires former Roku exec Dan Robbins as its first head of brand sponsorships, and launches Creator Kits for publishers interested in brand collaborations — Substack has hired former Roku and PayPal executive Dan Robbins as its first head of brand sponsorships, he exclusively tells Axios.
Michel Rose / Reuters:
France's media regulator orders CNews to comply with pluralism rules, putting Vincent Bolloré's conservative channel one step away from disciplinary action — France's media regulator on Monday ordered rolling news channel CNews to comply with rules on pluralism and diversity of opinion …
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and Reporters Without Borders
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix expands its iHeartMedia partnership to stream video episodes of podcasts from Martha Stewart and others; the episodes will no longer be on YouTube — In an extension of Netflix's existing deal with iHeartMedia, Netflix has secured exclusive rights to the video versions of podcasts from Stewart, Pons and the Hudsons.
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:
In a note to partners, Disney says Disney Branded Television is rebranding itself as Disney Kids & Family to reflect the nature of the division's content — OConnell and Davis shared the renaming news in a note to Disney Branded television creative partners, which you can read in full below.
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
Around 31 UK websites adopt “Search-Only Contracts” setting payment rates, typically £500/article, for unauthorized AI scraping, paving the way for legal claims — Google's new $1bn London headquarters could be receiving a visit from the bailiffs this summer after publishers opened …
Discussion:
@polemicdigital.com
Bloomberg:
How South Korean film industry is adopting AI after its worst downturn in years; Korean Film Council: 13 out of 72 high-budget films broke even in 2023 and 2024 — Two films built largely with generative AI tools are on view in South Korean theaters — Good afternoon from Orient, New York.
Discussion:
The Korea Times
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.
Discussion:
Advanced Television, TechSpot, Central Florida Public Media, Ghacks, Benzinga, Reality Tea, City A.M., @jsrailton, GOV.UK, Barron's Online, Reason, iPhone in Canada, NewsMax.com, Town & Country, Spyglass, The Guardian, Insider Gaming, Deadline, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, The Daily Caller, The Daily Wire, Mirror, PocketGamer.biz, Fox News, 9to5Mac, Scroll.in, New York Times, Newsweek, Daily Trust, BBC, Daily Star, PetaPixel, LADbible, TechRadar, The Tab, Euro Weekly News and Business Today
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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
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
Discussion:
Business Standard, Game Developer, PC Gamer, Android Police, Silicon UK, GB News, Baller Alert, The Cyber Express, Gamereactor UK, City A.M., Social Media Today, The Irish Sun, The Indian Express, Mirror, @scottygb, The American Bazaar, The Guardian, Mediaweek, BBC, Axios, Courthouse News Service, Gizmodo, Dallas Express, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Jezebel, Associated Press, The Independent, CMU, TechCrunch, Telegraph, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Daily Sabah, Reuters, The Sun, Straight Arrow, MediaNama, Bloomberg, Neowin, Seoul Economic Daily, Joe.My.God., Metro.co.uk, ComputerWeekly.com, IGN, Al Jazeera, HuffPost, The Spectator, Daily Record, New York Times, The Economic Times, GSMArena.com and Variety
