Top News:
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
BBC DG Matt Brittin says the BBC and UK public service broadcasting face “real jeopardy” as license fee erosion drives BBC's third consecutive annual deficit — The BBC closed out a year that included its most-watched title in “The Celebrity Traitors” and its best drama debut in three years with …
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Max Goldbart / Deadline:
The BBC reports license fee payers fell 539K YoY to 23.3M in 2025-26, the biggest fall since 2020-21; license fee income rose £36M to £3.9B after the fee uplift
Discussion:
The Guardian, BBC, Mirror, Radio Times, Telegraph, BBC, Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter, TVBEurope, BBC and BBC
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
BBC Commercial reports 2025-26 revenue flat YoY at £2.2B, EBITDA up 17% to £267M, £377M returned to BBC, down from £391M; DTC and consumer products drove growth
BBC Commercial reports 2025-26 revenue flat YoY at £2.2B, EBITDA up 17% to £267M, £377M returned to BBC, down from £391M; DTC and consumer products drove growth
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter
Steven McIntosh / BBC:
Scott Mills was the highest-paid BBC presenter in 2025-26, earning ~£745K before his exit in March, followed by Greg James, Stephen Nolan, and Laura Kuenssberg
Scott Mills was the highest-paid BBC presenter in 2025-26, earning ~£745K before his exit in March, followed by Greg James, Stephen Nolan, and Laura Kuenssberg
Discussion:
Deadline, Press Gazette, Radio Times, The Standard, Daily Express, Mirror, The Sun, Daily Star, Sky News, ITV News and GB News
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
A coalition of 12 US states led by California files an antitrust lawsuit to block Paramount's WBD merger, alleging it lessens competition in three markets — A coalition of 12 states filed an antitrust lawsuit on Monday to block the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. …
Discussion:
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Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
Sources: David Ellison's advisers are urging him to move Paramount's HQ and much of its spending out of California if AG Rob Bonta sues to block the WBD merger
Discussion:
CNN, Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, The American Bazaar, Techdirt, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, CNBC, American Prospect, Puck, The Wrap, Bisnow, The Ankler, Blaze Media, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @tedstew, Ars Technica, Washington Examiner, KARK, CBS News, Fox Business, @annmlipton@esq.social, @annmlipton@esq.social, New York Times, New York Post, The Post Millennial, Media Play News, @karlbode.com, The Streamable, The Jim Acosta Show, Chris Heatherly on LinkedIn, @matthewstoller, @william_fitz, @trevorcroker, @chrismurphyct, The Gateway Pundit, The A.V. Club, HuffPost, BIG by Matt Stoller, @plaintanjane.bsky.social, The Information, RedState, @repdarrellissa, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, @artisny.bsky.social, @discussingfilm.net, @hammbear2024.bsky.social, The Daily Caller, @williamfitz.bsky.social, @markruffalo.bsky.social, r/MediaMergers and r/MediaMergers
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Paramount says US states' lawsuit “reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws” and the delay “will only harm entertainment workers”
Paramount says US states' lawsuit “reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws” and the delay “will only harm entertainment workers”
Variety:
Sources: David Ellison has, for several months, been meeting about a bill to launch a US federal film tax incentive, which is said to have bipartisan support
Sources: David Ellison has, for several months, been meeting about a bill to launch a US federal film tax incentive, which is said to have bipartisan support
Discussion:
New York Times, @danielnmiller, @lucas_shaw, The Wrap, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Lionsgate's Michael crosses $1B at the global box office, its first film to reach the milestone, per Rentrak, reviving Hollywood's last major independent studio — Shunned by bigger studios as too risky, “Michael” and other hits have revived Hollywood's last major independent studio. But is it enough?
Discussion:
Variety, UPI, The Wrap, Gamereactor UK, Media Play News and Deadline
Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist Pat Oliphant, 90, has died in Santa Fe, NM; at the height of his career, he was syndicated in as many as 500 newspapers — The winner of countless awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, he was described in 1990 as “the most influential political cartoonist now working.”
Discussion:
The Daily Cartoonist, The Indian Express, Washington Post and The Wrap
Reuters:
Thomson Reuters says it is cutting “a small number of” engineering roles; a source says it plans to cut up to 500 jobs, or 5.2% of its operations and tech unit — Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO) on Monday said it is cutting “a small number of roles” in engineering …
Discussion:
Silicon Republic, Motley Fool and NewsBlues.com
Scott Roxborough / The Hollywood Reporter:
RoseBerry Media launches vertical streamer Epis, featuring originals and versions of BBC, Fremantle, and All3Media shows adapted for vertical viewing — The premium mobile-first streamer is launching with more than 100 titles, including adapted versions of Fremantle, BBC and All3Media formats.
Discussion:
Advanced Television and Deadline
Reuters:
Germany's media regulator says Google's AI Overviews and Perplexity are subject to media law, after a court said Google may be liable for inaccurate AI content — Germany's media regulator said on Tuesday that Google's AI Overviews and Perplexity AI are subject to the country's media laws …
Trishla Ostwal / Adweek:
eMarketer: chatbots like ChatGPT and Google AI Mode will make <$1B in ad revenue in 2026; OpenAI projected $2.5B in ChatGPT ad revenue in 2026 and $100B by 2030 — OpenAI is projecting $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030. Emarketer puts the ceiling for the entire chatbot ad market at just $5.41 billion.
Discussion:
Forbes, John Battelle's Search Blog, @rustybrick, @mgsiegler, @edzitron.com, @garymarcus, @edels0n and @glenngabe, more at Techmeme »
Ben Strauss / ESPN:
Fox will reportedly make $250M on World Cup hydration break ads alone; the new ad slot may be appealing to European national leagues whose revenue is flat — The legacy of this summer's World Cup is not likely to be political interference or referee conspiracies that benefit Lionel Messi.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing and Renew Economy
Joe Mandese / MediaPost:
The Media Rating Council's quarterly accreditation status updates show VideoAmp and Nielsen One have pulled out of the accreditation process — In moves that have implications for both the “alternative” ad currency marketplace, as well as cross-media measurement, VideoAmp and Nielsen …
Denise Petski / Deadline:
Netflix adds Alan's Universe to its library and will carry new episodes the same day they appear on YouTube, expanding its partnership with Alan Chikin Chow — Under the collaboration, members globally can watch new episodes dropping day-and-date with YouTube, alongside a library of Alan's Universe episodes.
Discussion:
YouTube, South China Morning Post, mxdwn Television, Tubefilter, Podnews and The Streamable
Natalie Korach / Status:
Memo: NYT CEO Meredith Kopit Levien says the five reporters subpoenaed by the DOJ, and the whole newsroom, have the “full weight of The Times” behind them — Over the last few days, as The New York Times braces for a potential precedent-setting legal showdown with the Trump administration …
Discussion:
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