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☆ Read the pitch deck for a startup that's aiming to disrupt film production in Hollywood with an app that's 'like fantasy football for film buffs'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Startup production company Legion M is crowdsourcing funds and promising to give movie fans greenlight power. Legion M, founded by Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison, lets investors buy shares for as little as $40. Legion M now has four films in post-production slated to be released in 2023, the cofounders added. Legion MLegion MLegion MLegion MLegion M'A company with a built-in audience for everything it creates'One slide spells out the potential power of one million fan-investors — as consumers, promoters, and predictors of successful projects. Legion MThe Nicolas Cage film 'Mandy' was an early success for Legion MLegion MLegion MLegion MLegion MLegion M says its annual revenue has surpassed $1 millionLegion MLegion MLegion M

☆ Wall St set to open lower on China's anti-lockdown protests; Apple slips
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As China's strict zero-COVID policy aimed at stamping out COVID-19 with lockdowns and quarantines has become a lightning rod for frustrations, protests erupted over the weekend as a show of solidarity with rare displays of defiance. Although there were no signs of new protests in Beijing or Shanghai on Monday, the curbs so far have led to concerns over China's economic growth and its trickle-down effect on global companies. ET, Dow e-minis were down 216 points, or 0.63%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 33.75 points, or 0.84%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 99 points, or 0.84%. On Friday, the Nasdaq closed lower, weighed down by Apple in a subdued holiday-shortened trading session for Wall Street. Reporting by Ankika Biswas and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Apple, DraftKings, Biogen, Williams-Sonoma and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday:Apple — Apple shares fell 2% following a report that iPhone production could take a big hit due to unrest at a Foxconn factory in China, amid protests in China against the nation's zero-Covid policy. Wynn Resorts, Melco Resorts — Shares of casino operators Wynn Resorts and Melco Resorts gained 4.1% and 9.5% respectively, after the Chinese government granted them provisional licenses to continue operating in Macau. DraftKings — Shares dropped more than 5% after JPMorgan downgraded DraftKings to underweight from neutral, saying in a note that the company's competitors are more likely to achieve online sports betting profitability. Biogen — Biogen's stock fell nearly 4% after a Science.org report that a woman participating in an experimental Alzheimer's treatment trial, sponsored by Biogen and a Japanese pharma company, recently died from a brain hemorrhage. Williams-Sonoma — Shares tumbled 4.7% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the home furnishings stock to underweight, saying shares could fall further as demand weakens in a difficult macro environment.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Apple, Taboola, Biogen and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A person familiar with assembly operations told Bloomberg that Apple and Foxconn do expect to be able to make up that shortfall in 2023. Apple slid 1.7% in premarket trading. Wynn Resorts (WYNN), MGM Resorts (MGM), Melco Resorts (MLCO), Las Vegas Sands (LVS) – Casino stocks rallied in off-hours trading after the Chinese government granted the companies provisional licenses to continue operating in Macau. Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX) – These and other energy stocks fell in the premarket as WTI Crude touches its lowest level in 11 months. First Solar (FSLR) – The solar company's stock fell 2.6% in the premarket following a downgrade by J.P. Morgan to "neutral" from "overweight."

☆ American Casino Giants Win 10-Year Macau License Renewals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Elaine Yu | Katherine Sayre | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—Six casino operators in Macau won provisional licenses to continue operating in the Chinese gambling hub for the next 10 years, the local government said, while rejecting a bid from an outsider to enter the market. The winning companies include affiliates of three American casino giants, Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts Ltd. The licenses of three local rivals were also renewed. They are held by Galaxy Entertainment Group , SJM Holdings Ltd. and Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd.

☆ Six Macau Casino Operators Win New 10-Year Licenses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Elaine Yu | Katherine Sayre | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Six casino operators in Macau won provisional licenses to continue operating in the Chinese gambling hub for the next 10 years, the local government said, while rejecting a bid from an outsider to enter the market. The winning companies include affiliates of three American casino giants, Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts Ltd. The licenses of three local rivals were also renewed. They are held by Galaxy Entertainment Group , SJM Holdings Ltd. and Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd.

☆ Macau's 6 casino operators get new licences, Malaysia's Genting out
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Macau's government said on Saturday its six incumbent casino operators would be given new licences to operate in the world's biggest gambling hub from January, with Malaysian operator Genting missing out on a spot. The highly anticipated announcement signals stability and continuity for the Macau operators who have invested more than $50 billion in the Chinese special administrative region in the past 20 years. Officials in Macau, the world's biggest casino hub, told a news briefing the main considerations for granting licences included ensuring local employment, developing overseas tourist markets and developing non-gaming projects. Sands China (1928.HK), Wynn Macau (WYNN.O), Galaxy Entertainment (0027.HK), MGM China (2282.HK), Melco Resorts (MPEy.F), and SJM Holdings (0880.HK), have operated in the Chinese special administrative region since 2002. "We are committed to Macau and its development as Asia's premier tourist destination," Lawrence Ho, chairman and chief executive of Melco, said in a statement.

☆ When I started yoga for an injured back, I was the only Black person. Now I have my own studio.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Julie Halpert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

When I was lifting weights, I pulled a muscle in my back, and a friend recommended a yoga class. I became a teacher and wanted Trap Studio to be a place where everyone could learn and be themselves. A friend recommended a yoga class. When I got into yoga, I was going into the Detroit suburbs and I was the only Black person in the class. I want to take the elite factor out of yogaI started The Trap Yoga and Massage Studio in 2016.

Cinemas stocks got a boost Wednesday after a report said Amazon plans to spend $1 billion a year on theatrical film releases. The tech company plans to make between 12 and 15 movies for movie theaters each year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. A smaller number of films will be produced in 2023 as Amazon builds up its output, the report said. Amazon has deepened its investments in original content over the years through its Prime Video streaming unit, as well as its movie and television studios. Earlier this year, the e-retailer bolstered its media ambitions when it acquired legendary movie maker MGM Studios for $8.45 billion.

☆ Wall Street slips as concerns rise of stricter China COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Carolina Mandl | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. casino operators with businesses in China including Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O), Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) and Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd all fell at least 2%. [1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 21, 2022. Energy was the only major S&P 500 sector eying gains for the year, surging around 63%. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.27-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.60-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted 9 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 96 new highs and 220 new lows.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 21, 2022. "That's a piece of what's driving the tech stocks down because we rely so much on China and Taiwan for critical components." Energy was the only major S&P 500 sector eying gains for the year, surging around 63%. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.26-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.57-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted 9 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 76 new highs and 194 new lows.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 21, 2022. Energy was the only major S&P 500 sector eying gains for the year, surging around 58%. Travel stocks including American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH.N) fell 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively. Keeping declines on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) and S&P 500 (.SPX) in check was a 5.8% jump in Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) after Bob Iger's return as chief executive to the entertainment giant. The S&P index recorded eight new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 68 new highs and 156 new lows.

☆ I got my big break as a Lionsgate screenwriter after I moved 2,000 miles from Hollywood. Here's how I made connections and worked my way up from security guard to my dream career.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Ken Miyamoto | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Ken Miyamoto was a security guard at Sony, and worked his way up to story analyst for the studio. In 1996, I took one University of Wisconsin screenwriting class, and that was the extent of my screenwriting education. I moved to California from Wisconsin with my wife in late 1999 to pursue a career in screenwriting. The apartment was way overpriced and much smaller than others we looked at, but we signed the lease that day. Lastly, don't write for free.

The remarks go against expectations in the gaming industry that FanDuel will cede some of its dominance as new players work to grab a bigger share of the sports betting market. Rubin predicts sports betting and Fanatics' other business segments "could be $8 billion, even in the next decade, in profits." And FanDuel boasts a 42% market share, based on published reports by state gaming regulators. Of the 59 sports betting operators in the U.S. in October, only three had double-digit market share. "Almost 90% of the operators have a sub-2% share of the market," Howe said.

"A Christmas Story Christmas" is a sequel to the 1983 holiday classic "A Christmas Story." You can stream the movie on HBO Max with an ad-supported ($10/month) or ad-free plan ($15/month). "A Christmas Story Christmas" is streaming exclusively on HBO Max, and it reunites several members of the original cast. How to watch 'A Christmas Story Christmas'You can now watch "A Christmas Story Christmas" on HBO Max. Before "A Christmas Story Christmas" was released, two earlier sequels were also made to the original movie: "My Summer Story" and "A Christmas Story 2."

☆ Korean-American superhero 'Silk' comes to small screen
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Silk, a Korean-American superhero, will be coming to MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video in a live-action television series based on Sony Pictures' universe of Marvel characters, Amazon said Thursday. Deal terms were not disclosed for this first installment in a multi-series agreement Amazon struck with Sony. It will be distributed globally on Prime Video in more than 240 countries. Angela Kang, a Korean-American television writer and producer who is showrunning "The Walking Dead," will serve as showrunner. She developed the series with "Into the Spider-Verse" producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal, who will serve as executive producers.

☆ Check out the 15-page pitch deck that Legion M, a Hollywood production startup, is using to recruit movie fans as investors for as little as $40
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Macau casinos expected to invest around $12 bln over next 10 years -media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Macau casino operators, vying for a licence in the world's biggest gambling hub, are expected to invest a total of around 100 billion patacas ($12.4 billion) over the next 10 years, local broadcaster TDM reported. Galaxy and Sands may invest more than 20 billion patacas each, while the others will invest less than 20 billion patacas. Altogether the total will be around 100 billion, TDM said. Negotiations with the Macau government are almost complete the broadcaster said, with the bidders having reached agreement about what each of them proposes to do over new 10-year licence term which begins in 2023. The six Macau incumbents have operated in the Chinese special administrative region since 2002, with their current concessions expiring at the end of this year.

☆ Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield to launch 'Holy Ears' cannabis-infused edibles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Boxing legends and former rivals Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are teaming up to launch a line of cannabis-infused edibles called "Holy Ears." The former opponents are reuniting under the newly formed cannabis company Carma Holdings, which also houses Tyson 2.0, Tyson's existing cannabis company. Tyson 2.0 already sells cannabis-infused products called Mike Bites, which are shaped like ears with a bite mark. Carma plans to release Holyfield's own cannabis line in 2023. Tyson 2.0 and Carma said Holy Ears products will be available starting this month online and at retail locations in Arizona, Illinois, Nevada and New Jersey.

☆ Macau Under Spotlight Amid U.S. Inspections of China-Based Audits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

The PCAOB, which began inspections of China-based audits in September, will decide by year-end whether China is complying with the agreement. “We do not know if these firms, especially in the U.S., have been adequately supervising the Macau firms,” she said. The Macau firms’ work isn’t immune from PCAOB inspection. PwC Macau is a separate legal entity, but it is run as part of the firm’s China operations, a spokesman said. “The China firm is taking responsibility, treating it as a branch office,” Ms. McKenna said.

☆ Casino hub Macau heads toward business as usual after COVID tests find no new infections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Gaming machines are seen at the casino of MGM Cotai in Macau, China February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby YipHONG KONG, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Authorities in Macau said the world's biggest casino hub, blighted by a COVID-19 outbreak, is on track to return to relative normality after two rounds of mass COVID-19 tests last week found no new infections. The Chinese territory had been observing COVID-19 safety measures without any strict lockdowns until it found an imported coronavirus case on Oct. 26. "The current round of the epidemic has been effectively controlled... Community safety of Macao has been safeguarded," the government said. People crossing the border still require testing for the virus, and all international arrivals are subject to seven days' hotel quarantine.

☆ Elon Musk is threatening to 'thermonuclear name and shame' advertisers that press pause on Twitter. It's a dumb thing to do to your biggest customers.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

After advertisers paused spending, Musk went on the offensive, tweeting that advertisers were causing a "massive drop in revenue," He continued: "Extremely messed up! Per a Standard Media Index report, total advertising spending was down by 5% year-over-year in September. Other advertising giants like YouTube and Meta reported year-over-year declines in advertising revenue, with YouTube down by 2% and Meta down by 4%. Brand advertising relies highly on "brand safe" outlets where ads won't appear near objectionable content like violence, pornography, or hate speech. To replace the $40 million in lost monthly revenue, Twitter would need to sign up a little over 5 million Twitter Blue accounts paying $8 a month in its first month.

☆ Workato: 2022 Top Startups for the Enterprise
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CEO Vijay Tella built Workato to close a big gap his team saw in the modern enterprise. While business apps became simpler, faster and cheaper, the integration across these apps remained complex and expensive. Workato transforms automation across enterprises with a single platform for data, apps and processes, allowing them to evolve from complex and fragmented architectures of the past. The company differentiates its service by pitching easy-to-use, patented machine learning technology that can be used by both business and IT departments. The 2022 Top Startups for the Enterprise list is powered and inspired by the members of CNBC's Technology Executive Council (TEC).

☆ The K-pop ETF hasn't been doing well, but its creator says Korean content is at 'inflection point'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Since its launch on Sept. 1, the KPOP and Korean entertainment ETF has not performed well — recently trading on the New York Stock Exchange Arca at $15.05 — a roughly 23% drop from its debut. Shares of Korean entertainment companies have been underperforming overall, with YG Entertainment's stock price down around 26% year-to-date and Hybe down more than 64% year-to-date. The fund is a 30-stock index, which includes entertainment companies that manage bands such as BTS, BlackPink, and Twice — their respective agencies being HYBE, YG Entertainment, and SM Entertainment. Shares of Korean entertainment companies have been underperforming overall. Johnny Nunez | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

☆ Fox loses legal battle to buy a stake in FanDuel from parent company Flutter at a lower valuation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fox lost a legal battle to buy an 18.6% stake in sports betting company FanDuel Group from its parent company Flutter at a reduced valuation, according to a ruling Friday from a New York arbitrator. Should Fox exercise its option to take the stake, it would be at a price of at least $3.72 billion. The price that Fox would have to pay is based on a FanDuel valuation of $20 billion, according to the ruling. Flutter, which owns nearly 95% of FanDuel, acquired a 37.2% stake in the company in December 2021 at an implied valuation of $11.2 billion. As part of the arbitration ruling, Flutter cannot pursue an IPO for FanDuel without Fox's consent or approval from the arbitrator.

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