Top News:
Dan Shanoff / The Athletic:
Nielsen: the World Cup final drew 38.9M viewers on Fox, and 22M+ on Telemundo; taken together, the US audience size rivaled that of NFL playoff games — After a summer of World Cup TV records in the U.S. being reset over and over, the biggest game delivered one final new standard for soccer viewership:
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Fox Sports, Axios, Variety, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, Deadline, @lucas_shaw, @foxsportspr, Adweek, Variety, Sports Business Journal and Forbes
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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Antenna: the 2026 World Cup drove 2.8M subscriptions to Fox One in June, including 400K on June 11, eclipsing the 1.1M sign-ups during January's NFL playoffs — The World Cup, which smashed records for viewing during its just-concluded five-week run, provided a significant boost to fledgling streaming outlet Fox One.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, @doctorsyntax.bsky.social and Forbes
Andrew Marchand / The Athletic:
Memo: ESPN's Jimmy Pitaro announces layoffs, mostly due to the NFL Network acquisition; sources: on-air personalities Karl Ravech and Ryan Clark are affected — Karl Ravech, one of ESPN's most prominent on-air voices for more than three decades, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero were laid off …
Discussion:
Fox News, USA Today, Awful Announcing, TVLine, Barrett Media, NBCSports.com, @andrewmarchand, Front Office Sports, The American Bazaar, Associated Press, New York Post, The Athletic, Us Weekly, @brettsiegelnba, @draftdeeper, Cord Cutters News, @fos, TMZ.com, Washington Times, @mysportsupdate, @andrewmarchand, The Daily Wire, Los Angeles Times, @richarddeitsch, @andrewmarchand, Mediaite, RedState, @benaxelrod, @andrewmarchand.bsky.social, @mediaite, @arashmarkazi, Hollywood Life, Sports Media Watch, @jackvitashow, Deadline, The Wrap, @stoolpresidente, @schadjoe, Quartz, Sportico, The US Sun, Sandra Rose, @sportsrapport, @manlikeginola, Sports Business Journal, Business Insider, Variety, TheGrio, FOX8 WGHP and Reuters
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Cuts at ESPN are part of larger Disney layoffs; sources: some corporate functions, film studios, and Disney Entertainment Television are expected to be impacted — Pixar and Nat Geo are said to be hit particularly hard in the latest round of cuts, with some high-profile talent also being let go at ESPN.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, Variety, Townhall, The Wrap, 80 Level, Kotaku, Breitbart, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, @martynpedler.com, Chris Heatherly on LinkedIn, Eric Calderon on LinkedIn, Baller Alert, @jbflint, World of Reel, Nicole Renna on LinkedIn, Allyson Goldsby on LinkedIn, Polygon.com, Awful Announcing, @fizzvstheworld.bsky.social, IGN, @benfritz, Us Weekly, @jmrivera.bsky.social, Afonso Salcedo on LinkedIn, New York Post, @donryu.bsky.social, Aftermath, Animation Magazine, Hollywood Life, Barrett Media, Deadline and r/MediaMergers
MJ Franklin / New York Times:
How publishers are cashing in on surging public interest in The Odyssey through splashy reissues; Circana BookScan says sales of The Odyssey rose by 76% YoY — It's the climax of the “Odyssey.” Odysseus, back in Ithaca at long last, finds his home swarming with suitors vying for the hand of his wife, Penelope, and for his throne.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, @levistahl.bsky.social, Greek City Times, Breitbart, Richard Hanania's Newsletter and IGN
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Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
Christopher Nolan's huge Odyssey opening weekend shows why Universal funded the R-rated adaptation, as directors become franchises and viewers tire of sequels
Discussion:
Variety, World of Reel, Tom's Guide, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Gamereactor UK and New York Times
Ella Lee / Financial Times:
Trump nominates FCC general counsel Adam Candeub to lead the DOJ's antitrust unit; Candeub, a longtime Big Tech critic, has long sought to challenge Section 230 — Adam Candeub authored a Project 2025 chapter calling for a sweeping shake-up of US competition enforcement
Discussion:
Bloomberg, @brendancarrfcc, fcc.gov and The White House, more at Techmeme »
Brian Stelter / CNN:
The DOD hasn't held a press briefing in more than two months, as part of a larger effort to control information and avoid difficult questions about the Iran war — The Middle East Federal agencies US military Donald Trump … The public deserves transparency about the US war in Iran.
Discussion:
New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Politico, Daily Mail, New York Magazine, TMZ.com, Al Jazeera, New Republic, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, The Hill, @brianstelter, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter, PoliticusUSA, The Status Kuo, The Independent, Straight Arrow, MS NOW, @brianstelter, CBS News, Raw Story, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Staff Stories
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
The UK's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham keeps Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in post; Nandy is currently overseeing the BBC's royal charter renewal — Despite new Prime Minister Andy Burnham undergoing an extensive cabinet reshuffle, incumbent culture minister Lisa Nandy is set to remain in post.
Discussion:
Deadline, The Sun, The Economic Times and The Indian Express, more at Techmeme »
Alice Brooker / Press Gazette:
BBC register: BBC News on-air journalists received at least £657,000 in external payments from 550 outside engagements in the year to the end of March 2026 — BBC News on-air journalists received at least £657,000 in external payments from 550 outside engagements in the year …
Discussion:
Deadline
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
Australia's biggest media company Nine Entertainment cuts ~30 newsroom jobs at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, blaming AI's “extreme state of disruption” — Staff told positions will be cut via voluntary and targeted redundancies as part of ‘evolution’
Sara Fischer / Axios:
OpenAI renews its investment in the American Journalism Project by committing an additional $5M in funding and $3M in tech credits over the next two years — OpenAI is renewing its investment in the American Journalism Project by committing an additional $5 million in funding and $3 million …
Discussion:
Evan Hirsch on LinkedIn and @deepbassdiplomat.bsky.social
Lance Venta / RadioInsight:
SiriusXM licenses 42 Audacy news and sports radio stations, marking the return of terrestrial radio to SiriusXM; the deal starts Sept. 1 with 23 sports stations — For the first time since iHeartMedia's 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles left the platform in 2022, terrestrial radio stations will be available to SiriusXM subscribers.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Hearst names Chris Berend, most recently chief digital officer at NBC News, as its first chief content and experience officer, starting August 3 — Chris Berend, after leaving NBCUniversal News Group, is joining Hearst Magazines as chief content and experience officer.
Discussion:
Daily Front Row and The Wrap
Anna Betts / The Guardian:
A US judge grants The Guardian's motion to dismiss UnitedHealthcare's defamation suit, filed in June 2025, for an article on secret payments to nursing homes — Healthcare conglomerate pursued a defamation lawsuit against the Guardian over 2025 investigative reporting
Discussion:
New York Sun, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @thaliajuarez.bsky.social, Talking Biz News and The Wrap
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
In the temporary restraining order, a US judge says Paramount's anticipated 27% market share in theatrical distribution is likely to violate antitrust laws — A court issued a temporary restraining order freezing the deal for a short period. Next, it will consider whether to issue …
Discussion:
Ars Technica, 9to5Mac, Bloomberg, AfroTech, New York Times, Deadline, CNBC, The Post Millennial, Telecompaper, Inc.com, The Jersey Vindicator, The Wrap, CNN, Benzinga, Instapundit, Straight Arrow, MediaPost, IndieWire, Washington Post, Kotaku, MS NOW, Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, @kimmasters.bsky.social, The A.V. Club, Los Angeles Times, @chrisyogerst.com, TheDesk.net, Media Play News and Free Press Action Fund Feed
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Gene Maddaus / Variety:
A US judge orders a temporary halt to the Paramount-WBD merger, as a 12-state coalition, led by California, argues it would violate federal antitrust law
Discussion:
State of California, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Axios, @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social, PocketGamer.biz, ByteHaven, The Movie Blog, PCMag, Media Play News, NBC News, Advanced Television, The Wrap, @edmundlee, @maxwelltani, @leehepner, @rogoswami, @jbflint, @brianstelter, Civil Discourse …, @danielnmiller, @sharonwaxman, @balancecrafting, @agrobbonta, @eriqgardner, @danielnmiller, @brianstelter, @eriqgardner, @laurenshirsch, @brianstelter, Puck, Todd Spangler on LinkedIn, JURISTnews, The Ankler, Raw Story, Rolling Stone, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, GamesIndustry.biz, CBS News, Cosmic Book News, CinemaBlend, IGN, @balint.house.gov, Blockonomi, @willmckinley.bsky.social, New Republic, Quartz, BIG by Matt Stoller, Comic Book, The Verge, @juliorvarela.com, @scondrasht.bsky.social, @mhwilliams.bsky.social, @leonenglish.bsky.social, Business Insider, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, ScreenRant and Consequence
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