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☆ Universal Pictures Dominates the Academy Awards With 'Oppenheimer'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Dawn ChmielewskiComcast Corp's Universal Pictures dominated Sunday's Academy Awards, propelled by the historical drama "Oppenheimer," which won seven Oscars, including best picture. Four of them went to "Poor Things," the reimagining of the Frankenstein story, which earned a best actress honor for Emma Stone. Searchlight also received an Oscar for documentary short film, "The Last Repair Shop." Netflix received a single award, for director Wes Anderson's 39-minute live action short, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." It released best picture nominee "Killers of the Flower Moon," which depicts the murders of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s.

Persons: Dawn Chmielewski, Oppenheimer, Oscar, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Emma Stone, Searchlight, Wes Anderson's, Henry Sugar, Dawn Chimielewsk, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Dawn Chmielewski Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures, Sunday's, Christmas, Searchlight, Netflix, Apple, Osage Locations: New England, Osage Nation, Oklahoma

☆ 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce' tops box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - "Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce" premiered at the top of the U.S. box office, raking in $21.8 million during the typically anemic first weekend of December, according to research firm Comscore. Beyonce Knowles' concert film marked the first time a movie crossed the $20 million mark on this weekend since the 2003 movie "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise, Comscore said. Live Nation reported that the superstar’s 56-stop Renaissance World Tour earned more than $579 million worldwide - a hot ticket that economists say may have fanned inflation in Europe. In addition to the concert scenes, the film gave a rare glimpse at how Beyonce grapples with stardom and motherhood. Although "Renaissance's" box office fell short of Swift's $96 million opening weekend, Comscore's Dergarabedian said the result will likely be the same.

Persons: Beyonce, Mario Anzuoni, Beyonce Knowles, Tom Cruise, Comscore, Paul Dergarabedian, Taylor, Comscore's Dergarabedian, Dawn Chmielewski, Kat Stafford, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Labor, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York

☆ DeSantis board accuses Disney of controlling previous one with gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It found the board was "inverted to serve Disney," which held voting control of the prior board of supervisors. The Central Florida Oversight Board will meet Wednesday to vote whether to accept the report, which was prepared for the board by a group of experts. In what Disney described as retaliation, the Florida legislature in February replaced the old board with a new Central Florida Oversight District, whose five supervisors are handpicked by DeSantis. In April, Disney sued Florida in federal court, claiming DeSantis and his allies of "weaponizing" state government to punish Disney for exercising its free speech rights. The DeSantis-appointed oversight board counter-sued in state court, seeking to void the "backroom deals" favorable to the entertainment giant.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney's, Disney, DeSantis, flagrantly, John Classe, Dawn Chmielewski, Ken Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney, REUTERS, Walt, Disney, DeSantis, Central, Central Florida Tourism, Florida Oversight, Reuters, American Express, Florida, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Reedy, Central Florida, New York

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Activist investor Nelson Peltz is pushing ahead with plans to seek at least three board seats at Disney (DIS.N) as the firm is not satisfied with Disney CEO Bob Iger's changes, several people familiar with the matter said. During a conversation on Thursday morning with Iger, Disney extended an offer for Trian to meet with the company's board but rejected the activist shareholder's request for seats on a board that will soon have 12 members, Trian said in a statement. He wanted the company to come up with a better succession plan, overhaul the streaming business and cut costs. Early this year, Peltz aborted a board challenge to give Iger time to "right the ship." "If they’ve made significant progress," Gadson said of Disney, proxy advisers "are more likely to allow for time to complete the transformation."

Persons: Nelson Peltz, Bob Iger's, Trian, Iger, Peltz, Disney, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Jeremy Darroch, Francis deSouza, Patrick Gadson, Vinson, they’ve, Gadson, Samrhitha, Dawn Chmielewski, Bayliss, Mark Porter, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Disney, Trian, ESPN, Sky, Companies, Exxon, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Dawn, New York, Providence

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger says company is ready to start building
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger attends the Nominees Luncheon for the 95th Oscars in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) CEO Bob Iger told employees that he faced a "myriad of challenges" upon returning to the company but remained upbeat about its prospects. "I feel that we’ve just emerged from a period of a lot of fixing to one of building again," Iger said. The meeting marks the one-year anniversary of Iger's first town hall since rejoining the company as chief executive in November 2022. Disney has undergone a transformation under Iger, who restructured the company and streamlined operations to make the business more cost effective.

Persons: Bob Iger, Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, “, ” Iger, I've, Iger, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D’Amaro, Nelson Peltz, Bob Chapek, Scarlett Johansson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Disney, Dawn Chmielewski, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Walt Disney Company, REUTERS, New Amsterdam Theatre, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Walt, New York Times, Disney, Florida Governor, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Iger's, Burbank , California, New York

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in New York City on Wednesday that alleges he groped a woman at a rooftop bar and restaurant in Manhattan in August 2015. Foxx's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages. The actor is best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of singer Ray Charles in the 2004 film "Ray." Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was likewise sued on Wednesday by an woman claiming he sexually abused her. In the Iovine complaint filed in New York state court in Manhattan, a woman identified only as "Jane Doe" said she was sexually abused, forcibly touched and subject to sexual harassment and retaliation in August 2007.

Persons: Jamie Foxx, Jane Doe, Foxx, Ray Charles, Ray, Jimmy Iovine, Iovine, Douglas Wigdor, Dr, Dre, Russell Brand, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Axl Rose, Sheila Kennedy, Dawn Chmielewski, Steve Gorman, Daniel Wallis, Dan Whitcomb, Robert Birsel Organizations: Interscope Records, West Coast, Universal Music, Beats Electronics, Apple, Thomson Locations: New York City, Manhattan, New York, West, Los Angeles

☆ Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine faces sexual abuse allegation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jimmy Iovine accepts the Ahmet Ertegun Award on stage at the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - Music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was sued on Wednesday by an woman who claims she was sexually abused. A spokesperson for Iovine said they were "quite shocked and baffled" by the alleged claim. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now,” the spokesperson said. The onetime recoding engineer co-founded Interscope Records, a music label associated with West Coast hip hop that is now part of Universal Music Group(UMG.AS).

Persons: Jimmy Iovine, Ahmet Ertegun, Mario Anzuoni, Jane Doe, Iovine, Douglas Wigdor, Dr, Dre, Russell Brand, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Axl Rose, Sheila Kennedy, Dawn Chmielewski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Roll Hall, REUTERS, U.S, Interscope Records, West Coast, Universal Music, Beats Electronics, Apple, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York, Manhattan, West, Los Angeles

The other plaintiff, Kelsey Harbert, accused Gooding of groping her breast in June 2019 at the Magic Hour rooftop bar, also in midtown. Lawyers who have represented Gooding in civil and criminal litigation over his alleged sexual misconduct did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He pleaded guilty in April 2022 to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching Abbay, who was not identified by name at the time but revealed her identity in her lawsuit. The charge was downgraded six months later to harassment, to which Gooding pleaded guilty after complying with a plea agreement that required alcohol and behavior modification treatment and no further arrests. Accusations by Abbay, Harbert and a third woman were the basis for a six-count indictment against Gooding, which his guilty plea resolved.

Persons: Cuba Gooding, Mike Segar, Cuba Gooding Jr, Oscar, underlay, Jasmine Abbay, Jerry Maguire, Kelsey Harbert, Gooding, Gloria Allred, Russell Brand, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Axl Rose, Sheila Kennedy, Jonathan Stempel, Dawn Chmielewski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Criminal, REUTERS, Cuba, Lawyers, U.S, Thomson Locations: New, New York, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles

The logo of Forbes magazine is seen on a board at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017 (SPIEF 2017) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 1, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Forbes' parent company has called off its acquisition by Luminar Technologies (LAZR.O) CEO Austin Russell, as the billionaire could not come up with the financing, an internal Forbes memo seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed. Forbes was valued at $475 million in 2014 when Integrated Whale Media bought a majority stake in the company from the Forbes family and investment group Elevation Partners. Chinese conglomerate HNA Group made an unsuccessful bid to acquire a majority stake in Forbes in 2017, Reuters reported at the time. Forbes, one of the oldest U.S. media outlets, publishes its eponymous flagship magazine, which reaches 5 million readers.

Persons: Sergei Karpukhin, Forbes, Austin Russell, Mike Federle, Dawn Chmielewski, Helen Coster, Akash Sriram, Maju Samuel, Richard Chang Organizations: Forbes, St ., Economic, REUTERS, Luminar Technologies, Reuters, Forbes Media, The, Integrated Whale Media, Partners, HNA Group, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Russia, Russell's, U.S, Los Angeles, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Music publishers ask court to halt AI company Anthropic's use of lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Three music publishers are asking a federal court judge to issue a preliminary injunction that would prevent artificial intelligence company Anthropic from reproducing or distributing their copyrighted song lyrics. The three publishers filed a suit against Anthropic on Oct. 18, which accused the San Francisco company of "systematic and widespread" infringement of their copyrighted song lyrics. The publishers allege Anthropic "profits richly" from its infringement of their repertoires of copyrighted works, achieving a valuation of $5 billion while paying "nothing" to publishers or their songwriters. "Anthropic must not be allowed to flout copyright law," the publishers said in a court document supporting its request for a preliminary injunction. "If the court waits until this litigation ends to address what is already clear -- that Anthropic is improperly using publishers' copyrighted works -- then the damage will be done."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, ” Anthropic, Anthropic, Claude, Don McLean's, Buddy Holly, Dawn Chmielewski, Mary Milliken, Franklin Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Universal, Concord Music, ABKCO, Reuters, Anthropic, San, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Los Angeles

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., August 22, 2023. Striking writers and actors slashed spending, burned through savings and piled up debt to survive. Sets for movies and TV shows are lighting up again as studios rush to resume filming. Still, Hollywood is unlikely to return to the frenzied production pace of the streaming wars, when studios competed for subscribers and cachet. Hollywood actors won similar gains in a tentative agreement reached with the studios on Nov. 8.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, caterers, Wall, Celia Finkelstein, ” Finkelstein, “, Serena Kashmir, ”, Fran Drescher, Kevin Klowden, ” Klowden, Long, Marc Meyer Jr, I’ve, Meyer, Guy Bisson, Neil Begley, Ampere, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Companies Comcast Corp, Fox, Netflix, Hollywood, Reuters, WGA, SAG, Milken Institute, Sony Pictures, Disney, Global, Ampere, Moody’s, Companies, “, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Hollywood, ” Kashmir, Kashmir, Colorado, North Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ ValueAct builds stake in Disney, adds drama at home of Mickey Mouse -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. ValueAct and Disney declined to comment. Disney's stock price could trade between $120 and $190 a share, far above its current $94.19 price, ValueAct has suggested, the people said. Unlike other activist investors who noisily push for change through public presentations, ValueAct prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. In January, ValueAct CEO Mason Morfit was invited onto Salesforce's (CRM.N) board at a time the company had at least five activist shareholders.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, ValueAct, Mickey, Nelson Peltz's, Peltz, Shaw, Trian, Mason Morfit, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Dawn Chmielewski, Arsheeya, Arun Koyyur, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, ValueAct, Walt Disney, Disney, 13D Monitor, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Fund Management, Management, Capital Partners, Microsoft, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Post-strike Hollywood rushes to get film, TV sets humming
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hours before the Hollywood actors’ strike officially ended, Beth Goodnight’s phone began ringing with opportunity. Studio, after the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to bring an end to the 118-day actors strike, in Burbank, California,. Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool 3,” a high-priority project for Walt Disney, will most likely resume filming before Thanksgiving, after the actors’ strike shut down production in July. Most had been forbidden from promoting films and TV shows during the strike. Studios are eager to have actors promoting Oscar hopefuls such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”“YES!!!

Persons: ’, Beth Goodnight’s, Mario Anzuoni, ”, “, Sisyphus, Ridley, Walt Disney, Todd Garner, “ We’re, “ It’s, Pam Elyea, “ Oppenheimer, “ Abbott, Leonardo DiCaprio’s, Bradley Cooper’s “ Maestro, Kumail Nanjiani, Nanjiani Organizations: ANGELES, Reuters, Hollywood, Warner Bros ., SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, REUTERS, Marvel Studios, Disney, Producers, Hire, Broadcast, “, ABC Studios, ABC, CBS, Sony Pictures Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hollywood, Malta, Coast of Australia

☆ Elon Musk biopic rights clinched by A24, Darren Aronofsky to direct - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 10 (Reuters) - A biopic on Elon Musk is in the works at New York-based studio A24 with "Black Swan"-filmmaker Darren Aronofsky as the director, according to a source familiar with the matter. A24 secured the rights to Walter Isaacson's biography on the world's richest person, according to the source, who added the Musk biopic will be produced by Aronofsky's production company, Protozoa Pictures. He is one of the best," Musk said in an X post on Friday. The book on Musk was released by private equity firm KKR-owned book publishing powerhouse Simon & Schuster in September. The billionaire bought social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, last year for $44 billion after a six-month saga.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Darren Aronofsky, Walter Isaacson's, Darren, Musk, Brendan Fraser, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Michael Fassbender, Simon, Simon & Schuster, Dawn Chmielewski, Harshita Mary Varghese, Akash Sriram, Shinjini Organizations: Elon, SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Walt, Apple, Universal, KKR, Simon &, Reuters, Boring Company, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, New York, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

The 118-day work stoppage will end officially just after midnight, the SAG-AFTRA union said in a statement after its negotiating committee voted unanimously to support the deal. "We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers," the union said. George Clooney and other A-list stars voiced solidarity with lower-level actors and had urged union leadership to reach a resolution. While WGA members returned to writing scripts in late September, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA work stoppage left many productions dark. It also led movie studios to delay big releases such as "Dune: Part 2" because striking actors could not promote them.

Persons: Jim Kulick, Mario Anzuoni, Fran Drescher, Walt Disney, I'm, Fanny Grande, It's, Jessica Payne, Rati Gupta, Anu, George Clooney, Lisa Richwine, Stephen Coates Organizations: SAG, Paramount Studios, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Hollywood, CBS, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Milken, United Auto Workers, Detroit carmakers, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, California

Actors secured these new safeguards as part of a deal announced late on Wednesday, according to Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for the SAG-AFTRA actors union. The proposed agreement sets a minimum compensation level for AI uses, Crabtree-Ireland said. Crabtree-Ireland said the proposed contract also included safeguards around the use of generative AI to create synthetic actors. "They are being ultra cautious," said Scott Mann, co-CEO and founder of Flawless, a company that uses AI for film dubbing and editing. Film and television writers also won protections around AI use after a five-month-long strike by the Writers Guild of America this year.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree, Carlos Osorio, Crabtree, Walt Disney, Scott Mann, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Bill Berkrot Organizations: National, SAG, The, Toronto, Film, REUTERS, Actors, Reuters, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, Technology, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: Ireland, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Crabtree, Hollywood, Los Angeles

To studio executives who negotiated with the SAG-AFTRA president, the former star of "The Nanny" prolonged a strike while she relished her high-profile role. As president of the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union, Drescher won widespread praise from performers for her tenacity in fighting for better wages and protections against the rising threat of artificial intelligence technology. Drescher framed her actions as part of a broader labor movement battling Corporate America, where, in her view, executives place Wall Street's approval and their own compensation ahead of the welfare of workers. Studio executives, who declined to criticize Drescher publicly to avoid inflaming labor talks, said the 66-year-old Drescher delivered similar unvarnished critiques to industry leaders during closed-door negotiations. "Her interest as the union president is to see all performers, from background to the top 2%, succeed in a vibrant industry for the next century and beyond."

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Fran Fine, Drescher, Kate Bond, Jill Morgan, AFTRA, Wall, Norma Rae, Ivy Kagan Bierman, Loeb & Loeb, Shari Belafonte, Belafonte, Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Kimberly Westbrook, Fran, Westbrook, Justine Bateman, Alex Plank, Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Ezra, She's, Plank, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Netflix, Broadway, CBS, Corporate America, Loeb &, NBC, Walt Disney, Amazon Studios, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, ANGELES, Queens, Ireland

Toy figures of people are seen in front of the displayed Disney + logo, in this illustration taken January 20, 2022. For the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, Disney reported adjusted per-share earnings of 82 cents, topping an average forecast of 70 cents, according to LSEG data. The company said it added nearly 7 million Disney+ streaming subscribers in the quarter, with the inclusion of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar together boast 150.2 million subscribers, ahead of Visible Alpha's estimate of 147.4 million. "Our results this quarter reflect the significant progress we've made over the past year," Iger said in a statement.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Walt Disney, Bob, Kevin Lansberry, Iger, Disney, Nelson Peltz, Trian, Paolo Pescatore, Paul Verna, Verna, We've, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Chavi Mehta, Peter Henderson, Sayantani Ghosh, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, ABC, Disney, Guardians, Trian, Management, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, Insider Intelligence, Hulu, ESPN, Shanghai Disney, Walt Disney, Disney's Entertainment, Star, Big Ten, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Florida, India, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

The SAG-AFTRA union posted a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, saying its negotiating committee is determined to secure the best deal and bring a responsible end to the strike. "We need a fair contract to make sure this career is viable now AND in the future." Last week, union leaders expressed "cautious optimism" that a deal could be reached soon but also said there were gaps between the two sides on various issues including the use of AI. Actors are seeking assurances that their digital likenesses will not be used without their permission. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles Editing by Mary Milliken and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree, Fran Drescher, Walt Disney, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Amazon, Hollywood, Walt, Netflix, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles

[1/2] A smartphone with displayed "Disney" logo is seen on the keyboard in this illustration taken March 24, 2020. Disney said it expected to pay NBCUniversal (NBCU) parent Comcast about $8.61 billion by Dec. 1. Hulu had 48.3 million subscribers at the end of Disney's third quarter, compared with 28 million paid subscribers for Comcast's Peacock streaming service at the end of Comcast's third quarter. Disney+ had 146.1 million global subscribers at the end of Disney's third quarter. If the value is determined to be greater than the guaranteed floor value, Disney will pay NBCU the difference.

Persons: Dado, Walt Disney, Disney, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, Brian Roberts, Dawn Chmielewski, Helen Coster, Sriraj Kalluvila, Sayantani Ghosh, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, ANGELES, Wednesday, Disney, Comcast, Hulu, Goldman, Thomson Locations: Hulu, Burbank , California, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Striking Hollywood actors pass counteroffer ahead of further talks with studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAG-AFTRA members walk the picket line on the 100th day of their ongoing strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 27 (Reuters) - Striking Hollywood actors have made a comprehensive counteroffer to the major studios, the SAG-AFTRA performers' union said in a post on social media platform X. Ahead of Friday's talks, a group of SAG-AFTRA members published an open letter to the union leadership, urging the negotiating committee to continue fighting for improved compensation, royalties and workplace protections. The latest counteroffer submitted by the actors union on Thursday comes after media companies and the union representing striking U.S. actors returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday. Members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors and other media professionals, have been on strike since July.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Friday's, we’ve, Gursimran Kaur, Dawn Chmielewski, Clarence Fernandez, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Paramount Studios, REUTERS, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney, Netflix, Solidarity, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

☆ Taylor Swift helps fuel Universal Music Group's third-quarter revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Universal Music Group logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - Cultural phenomenon Taylor Swift helped fuel revenue at Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) in the third quarter, the world's largest record label said on Thursday. Universal Music and a number of its artists also partnered with YouTube on a Music AI Incubator, to explore how to use the technology to enhance artist creativity. EBITDA for the quarter fell 11.3% to 478 million euros, reflecting the impact of non-cash share-based compensation expenses of 103 million euros during the quarter. Revenue from music publishing rose 17.5% to 491 million euros, while merchandise sales increased 20.1% to 227 million euros.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Taylor Swift, Swift, Lucian Grainge, Grainge, we're, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, King, Prince, Dawn Chmielewski, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Universal, REUTERS, Universal Music, YouTube, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Silver Lake working to take entertainment giant Endeavor private
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Trading information and logo for Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Silver Lake said on Wednesday it was working on a proposal to take talent and media company Endeavor Group Holdings (EDR.N) private, after Endeavor announced it had begun a review to explore alternatives that better value the company. "Silver Lake is currently working toward making a proposal to take Endeavor private," it said. Endeavor Group, which has diversified holdings in talent-management, live sports and festivals, is valued at around $8.4 billion. The private equity firm acquired a minority stake in the William Morris Endeavor talent agency in 2012, and Silver Lake Co-CEO Egon Durban and managing partner Stephen Evans serve on Endeavor's board of directors.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Silver Lake, Francois, Henri Pinault, Ari Emanuel, Emanuel, William Morris, Egon Durban, Stephen Evans, Jaspreet Singh, Dawn Chmielewski, Devika Syamnath, Shailesh Kuber, Rod Nickel, Tom Hogue, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Silver, Endeavor, Creative Artists Agency, Endeavor Group, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group, PGA, Reuters, William, William Morris Endeavor, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

Almost 9 million subscribers joined Netflix around the globe in the third quarter, surpassing Wall Street analysts' forecast for 6 million, according to LSEG. The strong performance showed Netflix was thriving despite Hollywood labor tensions that shut down a large swath of U.S. production. Netflix increased the U.S. price of its premium ad-free plan by $3 per month to $22.99. Substantial subscriber gains came in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where Netflix added nearly 4 million subscribers. Netflix programming accounted for 8% of television screen time, second only to YouTube, the company said, citing Nielsen data.

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Paolo Pescatore, Mike Blake, Prince Harry's, Meghan Markle, Lisa Richwine, Aurora Ellis, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: Netflix, Wall Street, Comcast, Brothers, Investors, REUTERS, USA, YouTube, Nielsen, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain, France, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Europe, East, Africa

Smartphone with Netflix logo is placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken April 19, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES Oct 19 (Reuters) - Streaming pioneer Netflix (NFLX.O) showed resilience by gaining more quarterly subscribers than in the past three years despite strikes by Hollywood's writers and actors, sending its shares up 13.5% in premarket trading on Thursday. Shares rose to $393.45 in an indication that the company was set to add nearly $21 billion to its market capitalization. "The management deserves an Emmy for managing investor expectations," Bernstein analysts wrote in a note, adding that paid-sharing has opened up a bigger-than-expected market of potential subscribers for Netflix. "Due to its large international presence, Netflix is positioned better than most entertainment companies in plugging programming gaps from the writers' and actors' strikes," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Ross Benes.

Persons: Dado, Bernstein, Walt Disney, Ross Benes, Benes, Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Sophie Lund, Yates, Hargreaves Lansdown, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Chavi Mehta, Gerry Doyle, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Netflix, REUTERS, Paramount Global, Warner Bros Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Intelligence, vise, Netflix's U.S, USA Network, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Bengaluru

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