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☆ Hollywood writers hold strike vote Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Writers Guild of America is set to hold a strike authorization vote on Tuesday. “The studios need to respond to the crisis writers face,” WGA leadership said in a message to members ahead of the vote. The last writers’ strike was in 2007 and lasted 100 days, bringing Hollywood production to a screeching halt. The WGA-AMPTP negotiation is the first of three contract negotiations with entertainment unions. The Screen Actors Guild contract also expires June 30.

☆ Google TV gets 800 free channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Google announced that starting Tuesday it's adding more than 800 free channels to its Google TV app on the Chromecast streaming device and select TVs made by Sony, CL, Hisense and Philips. Google's aggregation of several existing free TV services like Fox's Tubi, Paramount Global's Pluto TV and Haystack News is a move to differentiate its streaming operating interface from competitors, including Roku , Apple and Amazon . The Alphabet unit said it is integrating free channels into the "Live" tab where users will see content from channels like NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX. The service is launching in the U.S. on all Google TV devices. Eligible Android TV devices will be able to access the new TV guide and free channels later this year.

☆ Paramount Explores Sale of Majority Stake in Noggin Streaming Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Joe Flint | Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘PAW Patrol’ is one of the shows in Noggin’s lineup that caters to young children. Paramount Global is exploring selling a majority stake in Noggin, its online learning service for preschool children, according to people familiar with the situation, part of the entertainment company’s efforts to give priority to its Paramount+ and Pluto TV streaming services. Much of Noggin’s content, including “PAW Patrol” and “Peppa Pig,” is created by Nickelodeon, a cable channel also owned by Paramount, and appears on Paramount+ as well as Noggin’s own direct-to-consumer platform.

☆ Snoop Dogg, his ape and a question of celebrity hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Elle Reeve | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Bored Apes became some of the most famous NFTs after a series of celebrities said they got one. The Bored Ape crazeSnoop Dogg performs with his Bored Ape character, Dr. Bombay, in February 2023. He sold his versions as RR/BAYC with an accompanying website that detailed claims the Bored Apes contained references to racist memes on 4chan, a troll website. In March 2022, Snoop invested in Yuga Labs, and the month after, he invested in MoonPay. In the VMAs video, Eminem turns into a white ape wearing “hip hop clothes,” while Snoop becomes a cheetah-fur ape wearing a “pimp coat,” according to Yuga Labs’ description.

☆ Wells Fargo's top short-term trade ideas for the second quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As the second quarter kicks off, Wells Fargo's equity research team has some favorite long plays. As investors look to keep the winning spirit alive in the new quarter, Wells Fargo's equity research team compiled a list of best long plays. But Wells Fargo said the company could absorb incremental market share following Silicon Valley Bank's closure given its position in the technology sector and sophisticated management. Spotify will likely introduce a price increase within the U.S. in the second or third quarter, Wells Fargo said. Paramount struggles from industry-wide challenges such as the decline of linear, while also struggling to scale its direct-to-consumer offerings to reach profitability, Wells Fargo said.

☆ Who Owns SpongeBob? AI Shakes Hollywood’s Creative Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Sarah Krouse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Paramount Global ’s technology chief Phil Wiser previewed for company leaders the risks and wonders of artificial intelligence, he turned to SpongeBob SquarePants. Mr. Wiser instructed an AI tool called DALL-E to show SpongeBob, one of Paramount’s iconic characters, flying a plane. An image of the rectangular cartoon star doing just that appeared on a large TV screen, during the presentation to Chief Executive Bob Bakish and others earlier this year. Next, Mr. Wiser asked the tool to show “Transformers” character Optimus Prime on the Paramount studios lot. Within seconds, it spit out an image of the towering robot next to the cafe on the lot.

☆ AI Shakes Hollywood’s Creative Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Sarah Krouse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Hollywood film and TV writers are preparing for a strike. Here's how Disney, Netflix, and other entertainment giants could weather a work stoppage.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The writers guild asked its members to authorize a strike, which would come at a risky time for Hollywood. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have content stockpiles that could help them through a work stoppage. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day strike, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

☆ Miramax launched a film development team to resurrect its blockbuster-rich heyday. But a string of key departures has hobbled the vision and frustrated some Hollywood creatives.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Miramax built out a film development team early in the pandemic to bring in new projects and filmmakers. "He's the perfect leader to take the Miramax film team into this next chapter." Hammer's credits as a production executive include "Last Vegas" and "Inside Llewyn Davis." The first source said the film development team had worked to turn the company's reputation around by emphasizing relationships with respected filmmakers. But this person and an independent producer familiar with the Hollywood landscape, agreed that Miramax is no longer a top player in film development.

☆ TikTok's ad business is growing around live sports as platform faces possible U.S. ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The social media platform has been under scrutiny from the U.S. government and faces a possible ban. But the company is nonetheless attracting billions of dollars in advertising revenue as major companies look to reach a younger audience. Hyundai prioritized TikTok this year as many automakers bypassed TV advertising during the Super Bowl to preserve cash or spend on ads elsewhere. TV ads drew more than $7 million for 30-second spots during this year's Super Bowl on Fox's broadcast network. While this makes up about 2% of overall digital advertising spending, the growth of the spending for the platform has been rapid.

☆ A lot of money is on the line for women's pro soccer in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Restore faith in women's soccer and grow the business. The league averaged 37 sponsorship deals per team, which is more than any other women's sport, according to sports data and intelligence platform Sponsor United. Women's pro soccer valuations are also soaring. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman speaks during the 2023 NWSL Draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Culture changeOL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe (15) scores on a penalty kick during the second half of the National Womens Soccer League game between NJ/NY Gotham FC and OL Reign on September 21, 2022 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

☆ From Disney and Netflix to Warner Bros. Discovery, which entertainment giants would be the winners and losers of a Hollywood writers strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A possible Hollywood writers strike is looming at a risky time for the entertainment business. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day stoppage, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider. Paramount also has an extensive live sports offering, which should offer some insulation if writers go on strike.

☆ Streamers are spending big on sports rights from soccer to MMA, and a surge in Spanish-language viewing has 'opened up a whole different market'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fox scored 16.7 million viewers for the World Cup final in November; Peacock had 9 million for its Spanish-language coverage. Soccer's UEFA Champions League offers the next big Spanish-language rights opportunity. "The World Cup has opened up a whole different market for Spanish-language rights," said one sports exec. That gives Peacock Spanish-language streaming rights to this year's FIFA Women's World Cup along with the men's World Cup in 2026, which is being co-hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the US. "Spanish-language rights have been going up consistently," Irwin Raij, the co-chair of law firm Sidley Austin's entertainment, sports, and media group, told Insider.

☆ VideoAmp Hires Its First CMO as Ad-Measurement Race Heats Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VideoAmp is part of a group of media-measurement upstarts aiming to challenge longtime standard-bearer Nielsen. VideoAmp Inc. hired media executive Jenny Wall to be its first chief marketing officer as it looks to further establish its position in the contentious media measurement space. Ms. Wall had been CMO of Paramount Global ’s Nickelodeon and previously held marketing roles at Hulu, Netflix Inc. and Gimlet Media, a podcasting company owned by Spotify Technology S. A.

☆ The next big prize in sports streaming will be Spanish-language rights to soccer and more — here's why NBCUniversal's Peacock has a running start
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Paramount Global mulls sale of majority stake in BET -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Paramount Global (PARA.O) is mulling the possible sale of a majority stake in BET Media Group, which includes the BET cable network, BET Studios and VH1, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. BET drew an immediate expression of interest from Byron Allen, whose Allen Media Group's assets include The Weather Channel. A spokesperson for Allen Media Group said it "will be pursuing the acquisition of the network." Paramount also formed BET Studios in 2021 through a partnership with "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris, actress Rashida Jones and "S.W.A.T" co-creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Paramount was exploring a possible sale of BET as it looks to improve its balance sheet.

☆ Paramount Global Explores Sale of Majority Stake of BET Media Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An episode of ‘Sistas’ on BET. Paramount Global is exploring a sale of a majority stake of BET Media Group, which includes the cable channel. Paramount Global is exploring a sale of a majority stake of BET Media Group, which includes the cable channels BET and VH1, people familiar with the matter said. The decision to consider selling a majority stake of the assets, which cater primarily to Black audiences, is part of the entertainment giant’s effort to shore up resources to bolster its flagship Paramount+ streaming service and its advertiser-supported free streaming platform Pluto TV, some of the people said.

☆ Tyler Perry Expressed Interest in Buying Majority Stake of BET Media Group From Paramount Global
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tyler Perry is a prolific producer who has made more than a dozen television series and more than 20 movies. Actor and producer Tyler Perry has expressed interest in acquiring a majority stake of BET Media Group from Paramount Global , according to people familiar with the situation. Mr. Perry and Paramount have had a longstanding relationship. The media mogul, who has his own production studio, has an overall deal to create shows for Paramount and also has a minority stake in Paramount’s BET+ streaming service.

☆ Paramount Global mulls sale of majority stake in BET
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Paramount Global (PARA.O) is mulling the possible sale of a majority stake in BET Media Group, which includes the BET cable network, BET Studios and VH1, a source confirmed. The company believes BET, an entertainment brand focused on the Black community and culture, would attract substantial interest from Black investors or institutions, the source said. Paramount hopes to maintain a minority stake to benefit from any value that might be unlocked by the transaction. Previously, the media company partnered with the actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry to launch the BET+ subscription service in 2019, and he retains a minority stake. It also formed BET Studios through a partnership with "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris, actress Rashida Jones and "S.W.A.T" co-creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.

☆ Paramount Global considers selling majority stake of BET Media Group, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount Global is considering selling a majority stake of BET Media Group, the owner of the BET cable network and studio, VH1, and the streaming service BET+, according to people familiar with the matter. While other assets at Paramount Global are closely intertwined with its flagship streaming service Paramount+, BET has its own streaming service, its own ad sales team, and an investment from actor and producer Tyler Perry. Selling a majority stake in BET Group would allow Paramount Global to get added capital to spend on programming for Paramount+ and Pluto TV, its free ad-supported streaming service. Paramount moved VH1 into BET Media Group in October. BET Media Group is run by BET CEO Scott Mills.

☆ For women's sports, the media buys are becoming a big deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A recent Ally Financial ad buy with Disney 's ESPN focused on women's sports may be the biggest deal yet — in importance as much as the dollars attached. The one-year, multimillion-dollar deal requires 90% of its investment to be put to women's sports, through expanding game highlights, branded content and features across ESPN. "It is rare that brands buy media deals, or buy sponsorship deals, where they are as skewed toward women's sports as this one," she said. The bank is the first-ever title sponsor for both the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament and the ACC Women's Soccer Championship, and will also be the exclusive presenting sponsor for the 2023 ACC Women's Lacrosse Championship. A big money year for women's sports in 2022Ally's deal with Disney follows a successful year for women's sports on the media front, with sponsorship deals growing 20% year-over-year, according to sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited.

☆ Paramount Turned Down $3 Billion-Plus Offer for Showtime From Former Executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Paramount Global executive David Nevins offered to buy Showtime for more than $3 billion in recent weeks but was turned down by Paramount executives, according to people familiar with the situation. Mr. Nevins’s approach, which was backed by private-equity firm General Atlantic, was the latest in a number of offers Paramount has received over the past few years for Showtime, people familiar with the matter said. Other suitors included Mark Greenberg, another former Showtime executive who most recently ran the premium network Epix, and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., some of the people said.

☆ ‘South Park’ lawsuit: Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount for $500 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery filed a lawsuit against Paramount Friday, claiming the rival media company breached its half-billion-dollar exclusivity contract with HBO Max by airing “South Park” on its own streaming platform, Paramount+. Nearly all “South Park” episodes air first on Paramount-owned Comedy Central. Then came the pandemic, and WarnerMedia was told that the new production of “South Park” would be halted, according to the complaint. In March 2021, Paramount launched Paramount+, and Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

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