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☆ A former producer of hit TV show Entourage is launching an altruistic social network and says he doesn't want 'shitty users'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Whether it's misinformation on Facebook, privacy concerns at TikTok, or the perpetual cloud of controversy hovering over Elon Musk's Twitter, social media has an image problem. "Because of the hot mess that is legacy social media, I believe there's a real opportunity for disruption," Weiss said. That's what led him to found Roar Social, a social media startup based on the idea that "humans are hardwired for altruism." So I want the right users and to get the right users, you need to be a little patient." "Nothing is stopping McDonald's from selling filet mignon," he said, "they could do it well, they could do it cheaply, but no one's really gonna gonna go to McDonald's to buy the filet mignon.

Persons: Robert Weiss, Weiss, Melinda Gates, There's, it's, filet mignon, mignon, I'm, Bluesky, Jack Dorsey, he'll Organizations: Elon Musk's Twitter, Roar, MTV, Melinda Gates Foundation, Elon, Twitter Locations: TikTok

☆ TikTok and Candle Media strike deal to co-create content
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - TikTok and Blackstone-backed Candle Media will co-create content and branded entertainment as part of a broad strategic partnership in the United States, the companies said on Tuesday. A key piece of the partnership will be Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon's company that Candle acquired in 2021. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, will also allow advertisers purchase advertisements directly adjacent to Candle content and share that ad revenue as part of the tie-up. Candle Media was founded by former top Walt Disney (DIS.N) executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Reese Witherspoon's, TikTok, HBO's, hashtag, China's ByteDance, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Jaspreet Singh, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Blackstone, Media, Walt Disney, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ HBO's 'The Idol' sees viewership dip as it delivers 'the worst sex scene in history'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Episode two of HBO's "The Idol" brought in 800,000 viewers, per Variety. British GQ declared that episode two included "the worst sex scene in history." The second episode of HBO's controversial new series "The Idol" brought in 800,000 viewers across HBO and Max on Sunday, a 12% decrease compared to its premiere, according to Variety. British GQ declared that in Sunday's episode two, the series delivered "the worst sex scene in history." Discovery told Variety that "The Idol" had scored higher viewership in Latin America and Europe than "The White Lotus" and "Winning Time" had in the same amount of time.

Persons: Sam Levinson, Lily, Rose Depp, Abel, we're, Lucy Ford, Tesfaye, Depp, Levinson Organizations: British GQ, HBO, Max, Variety, Rotten, Warner Bros . Discovery, Stone Locations: British, FlixPatrol, America, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Western Europe, Europe

☆ George Soros hands over his $25 billion empire to one of his sons — and yes, it's a bit like 'Succession'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

George Soros has handed control of his foundation and investment fund to his 37-year-old son Alex. George Soros, 92, has handed the reins of his $25 billion empire to his 37-year-old son in a decision that has surprised some. There are some parallels between the Soros succession and the Roy siblings' battle for control of Waystar Royco in HBO's "Succession." "He's earned it," George Soros told the newspaper. Representatives for George Soros didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: George Soros, Alex, Alex Soros, HBO's, Roy, George Soros's, Soros, Jonathan Soros, Kendall Roy, Jonathan, He's, Roman Roy, Roman, Kendall, George Soros didn't Organizations: Wall Street, Morning, Soros's, Foundations, Soros Fund Management, New York, NBA, Biden White, . Locations: HBO's, White

☆ At a time when most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the 'quiet luxury' trend takes over
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial in Park City, Utah, March 24, 2023. Gwyneth Paltrow may have had the last word at the conclusion of her ski accident trial in March, but it was her head-to-toe "old money" look that is still echoing through society today. Also buoyed by the elite world depicted in HBO's "Succession" and Kim Kardashian's monochrome mega mansion, the "quiet luxury" trend has quickly caught on, even though, these days, most Americans are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck. What is quiet luxury? Fortunately, the quiet luxury trend is less about buying the exact item, but rather replicating the look with clothes that fit well, in neutral tones or monochrome, she said.

Persons: Gwyneth Paltrow, Rick Bowmer, Kim, Thomaï Serdari, Serdari, Paltrow, Celine, Prada, Terry Sanderson, there's Organizations: NYU's Stern School of Business, Finance, Afp, Getty, Burberry Locations: Park City , Utah

☆ HBO's controversial 'The Idol' starring The Weeknd has divided the world, according to new data about its global popularity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's a hit in Scandinavia and Latin America, but hasn't performed as well in the US, per data from FlixPatrol. HBO's "The Idol" was divisive before it even debuted on June 4, and its popularity around the world has also been uneven, according to new data. But the controversies started for "The Idol" well before the reviews started rolling in. A bombshell story from Rolling Stone in March said the show had gone "wildly, disgustingly off the rails," according to interviews with 13 sources. Tesfaye called the Rolling Stone article "ridiculous" in an interview with Vanity Fair shortly after its publication.

Persons: hasn't, Sam Levinson, Lily, Rose Depp, Abel, Max, Variety's Peter Debruge, Gyarkye, Stone, Levinson, Tesfaye, Depp Organizations: Rotten, HBO, Netflix, Stone, Cannes Film Locations: Scandinavia, Latin America, FlixPatrol, America, Central Europe, Western Europe, Sweden, Hungary, Denmark, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's new streamer, Max, is live — these top 9 execs are helping content chief Casey Bloys take on Netflix and win over subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery driving content at HBO and new streamer Max. WBD has one of TV's most respected executives working to ensure Max's success: Casey Bloys, who's been with HBO since 2004, is chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content. In week one 70% of HBO Max subscribers switched over to the new app, and some Discovery+ subscribers have moved over as well, WBD told The Wall Street Journal. It'll take time for Max to build up the brand equity HBO Max has. As for existing subscribers, most HBO Max users may seamlessly transition to Max and see no change in price.

Persons: Casey Bloys, Max, Barry, WBD, who's, HBO Max —, there's Kathleen Finch, JB Perrette, Harry Potter, HBO Max, Bloys Organizations: Warner Bros, HBO, Max, DC, Netflix, Disney, Hollywood, HBO Max, Wall Street

☆ None of the Roy children deserve to succeed Logan but I'm hoping it's Shiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There are really no good choices for who should succeed Logan Roy in "Succession." She also fakes authenticity — a power move, one expert told Insider. The show revolves around the deeply dysfunctional Roy family and the jockeying to succeed Logan Roy, the recently deceased patriarch played by Brian Cox, as head of the family media empire, Waystar Royco, loosely based on Fox News and News Corp. "Shiv seems to be a person who gets relationships," Gino told Insider. The media baron and inspiration for Logan Roy, Rupert Murdoch, the head of News Corp, also has stirred speculation over which of his children might succeed him at the top of the home of Fox News.

☆ 4 things 'Succession' gets wrong about business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

HBO's hit show "Succession" airs its series finale Sunday night, with Waystar Royco's future in the balance. It captures the spirit of boardroom drama, but takes some liberties with corporate law, experts said. On HBO's hit show "Succession," the beats of a proxy fight are sometimes just as intense as a scheming betrayal from a once loyal lackey. Over four seasons, the show has laid out a thesis about the all-encompassing gravitational force of Logan Roy, the media mogul behind the fictional news and entertainment conglomerate Waystar Royco. "But the failure of the board to engage in any succession planning at all, is a first thing to note," she said.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's new streamer Max is here. Meet the 9 top execs driving content chief Casey Bloys' strategy to compete with Netflix and Disney.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery driving content at HBO and new streamer Max. WBD has one of TV's most respected executives working to ensure Max's success: Casey Bloys, who's been with HBO since 2004, is chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content. It'll take time for Max to build up the brand equity HBO Max has. As for existing subscribers, most HBO Max users may seamlessly transition to Max and see no change in price. But Discovery+ users will have to fork over twice the $5 per month that they were previously paying to get the cheapest version of Max, which is $9.99 per month.

Persons: Casey Bloys, Max, Barry, WBD, who's, HBO Max —, there's Kathleen Finch, JB Perrette, Harry Potter, Bloys, HBO Max Organizations: Warner Bros, HBO, Max, DC, Netflix, Disney, Hollywood

☆ A suspect has been arrested for leaking the 'House of the Dragon' finale episode — and the alleged hacker made a rookie mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two days before the "House of the Dragon" finale aired last fall, the episode was leaked online. The mysterious case of the leaked "House of the Dragon" finale is one step closer to being solved — and the alleged hacker's cat helped tipped off authorities. Last October, two days before the "Game of Thrones" spin-off's series finale was set to air, the episode was leaked to pirating sites. Despite the leak, "House of the Dragon" was quite succesfull with 9.3 million viewers tuning into the series finale legally. That made it HBO's most-watched finale since the "Game of Thrones" finale in 2019, per Variety.

This year, advertisers and ad agencies may well use the strike as a bargaining tool, said Erin Firneno, vice president of business intelligence for researcher Advertiser Perceptions. The writers’ strike, which has entered its third week, is also injecting a new element of uncertainty for ad buyers, at a time when television viewership is declining and the possibility of recession looms. While the TV networks have long contended with splintered viewership amid the rise of social media and streaming, the writers' strike puts content production at risk, said Rishad Tobaccowala, a former executive at advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe and advisor on business transformation. Last year, NBC’s upfront presentation emphasized star power as the network returned to a live event after a COVID-19-imposed hiatus. Ahead of the upfront presentations, media executives sought to reassure investors about the strike’s impact.

☆ We identified the 112 top executives at Warner Bros. Discovery under CEO David Zaslav as the year-old company takes aim at Netflix and Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | Taylor Tyson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. One year after Discovery acquired WarnerMedia, WBD CEO David Zaslav faces economic headwinds and an ad slump. Insider mapped out the 112 most powerful people under Zaslav leading WBD film and TV studios, HBO, CNN, and more. One year after the merger that created Warner Bros. While Kathleen Finch has joined the mix with her portfolio of Discovery channels, top TV execs from the WarnerMedia regime — HBO's Casey Bloys and Warner Bros. TV studios chief Channing Dungey — are still in place.

☆ Is it possible to have compassion for billionaires? 'Succession' fans and 'empathy scholars' weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The list of deplorable acts carried out by the Roy family is lengthy — blackmailing, covering up sexual assaults, murder. With what we know about the Roy family and the people who orbit them, one might find it hard to muster any compassion for these characters. He doesn't believe the show will inspire empathy for the ultra-wealthy, but it could for some of the struggles the Roy family has. 'I shouldn't have empathy for them, but I feel like do'For Succession fans, the Roys' wealth is a mental hurdle, but not an insurmountable one. Chase Shiflet 'Succession' fanMandy Weiss, 34, can conjure empathy for all the characters, including some of the more peripheral ones.

NEW DELHI, May 13 (Reuters) - Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s streaming platform JioCinema announced premium pricing of 999 Indian rupees ($12) a year, its first step to move away from a free content model to fight global rivals such as Netflix and Disney in the country. The JioCinema website on Saturday showed the new premium pricing for Hollywood content, with the much-awaited Succession series available for streaming. JioCinema has become popular for showing the IPL cricket tournament on the platform for free in the ongoing season. The new pricing, according to the website, is only for premium content, while the matches continue to stream for free. Viacom18 won the IPL digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027 for around $2.9 billion, rights which Disney previously held.

☆ 'I got a check the other day for $8': TV and film writers share why they're on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

TV and film writers at the picket line in New York on the first day of the WGA strike, May 2, 2023. Every three years, the Writers Guild of America, the TV and film writers' union, negotiates a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "You go from job to job," and each contract can look different from writer to writer depending on their experience, for instance. TV writer Sheri Holman on strike in New York. TV and film writer Chisa Hutchinson.

☆ The funniest joke suggestions for Elon Musk's Twitter CEO successor, from Elizabeth Holmes to Meghan Markle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk announced Thursday he would be handing over the Twitter CEO role to a woman. But Twitter users have been having fun suggesting several joke candidates. Months after Twitter users voted for Elon Musk to step down as the company's CEO, the billionaire announced Thursday that he'd found someone to takeover the position. Musk tweeted. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Yaccarino is in talks to take over as Twitter CEO.

☆ Film and TV writers 'should not fear' AI, the chairman of UCLA's screenwriting program says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The chairman of UCLA's film program said writers may find AI tools useful despite their flaws. "Writers should not fear it," Walter told Insider regarding AI. "Writing and the writing process evolves," Walter, who has been "writing professionally for over half a century," said. He compares the advent of generative AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT to the invention of writing tools like Microsoft Word, saying they could potentially make the jobs of writers easier. For Walter, the more "profound" question is less about the current capabilities of AI and more about what's to come.

☆ There's a real-life 'Succession' drama playing out among the children of Bernard Arnault, the world's richest person and head of luxury behemoth LVMH
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But there's a similar legacy battle going on inside LVMH, the French luxury house run by Bernard Arnault. The children of the world's richest man are vying for influence within LVMH in a "Darwinian" fight. Showrunner Jesse Armstrong says his fictional Roy family is inspired by several famous dynasties, such as the Hearsts — the family behind Hearst Communications — and the Redstones — the controlling influence behind Paramount Global. There's still plenty of rivalry between the progeny of Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury goods behemoth LVMH and world's richest person. The Roy family of "Succession."

☆ Warner Bros Discovery's surprise loss clouds strong streaming unit show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The exterior of the Warner Bros. Warner Bros Discovery reported a per-share loss of 44 cents, while analysts had expected a profit of 1 cent, according to Refinitiv data. Warner Bros Discovery's new streaming service, christened "Max," is set to launch on May 23, combining HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. Warner Bros Discovery reported revenue of $10.70 billion for the first three months of 2023, compared with analysts' estimates of $10.78 billion, according to Refinitiv data. The Warner Bros studio segment missed on its revenue forecasts, as its big March release "Shazam!

☆ Wells Fargo is pushing for quantity over quality in its private bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Which brings us to a fantastic story about Wells Fargo's decision to reorganize how it serves its ultra-rich clients. And while many understood some changes were necessary, nearly everyone agreed the bank didn't go about it the right way. Read more about Wells Fargo's chaotic reorganization of its private bank. It's the latest move in what has been an active 12 months for the bank's tech division. The accounting firm had signed off on financial statements from Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic, the Financial Times reports.

☆ Creators of HBO's Watergate series 'White House Plumbers' on why the show's fresh take on historical events is 'the greatest story never told'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Teddy Farkas | Fahiemah Al-Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCreators of HBO's Watergate series 'White House Plumbers' on why the show's fresh take on historical events is 'the greatest story never told'Carl Quintanilla sits down with Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, co-creators, writers and executive producers behind HBO's five-part mini-series "White House Plumbers" based on the true story of Nixon's Watergate "masterminds," E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy. The two discuss balancing historical fact and satire, the painstaking process behind recreating real-life locations, and why both Gregory and Huyck believe the show's fresh take on the famous robbery is "the greatest story people have never heard."

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery plans to take on Disney and Netflix with new streamer Max, according to WBD's top marketing exec
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"HBO had its limits," Patrizio Spagnoletto, Warner Bros. WBD research showed that to attract new subscribers, the HBO brand was too nichePatrizio "Pato" Spagnoletto is Warner Bros. DiscoveryIn dropping "HBO" from the name, WBD is acknowledging HBO Max has a potent but narrow appeal that could turn off a broader audience. The Max logo has the same vibe as the HBO Max logo, however, and incorporates a few elements of HBO's logo. "Right now, we have very limited capabilities" in that regard, he said of the current HBO Max app.

☆ Elon Musk tells Bill Maher he's a 'moderate' who has championed sustainable energy, which is 'not exactly far-right'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Tesla chief said he'd spent a "massive amount" of his life developing sustainable energy. "I spent a massive amount of my life energy building sustainable energy, you know, electric vehicles, and batteries, and solar. Musk wants to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy with electric vehicles as well as renewable energy generation and storage. He's also put free speech at the forefront of why he bought the social media platform. Musk told Maher: "Free speech used to be a left or liberal value, and yet we see from the quote 'left' a desire to actually censor, and that seems crazy."

☆ How HBO survived merger after merger and changed television forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Darren Geeter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The network has survived merger after merger with one of the mergers, AOL Time Warner, considered the worst deal in modern American corporate history. The birth of HBO coincided with the modernization of television across the United States with the emergence of cable in the 1960s and 70s. HBO debuted on November 8, 1972, and it was one of the first paid television networks with 344 total subscribers in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. We're going to have to do original series," Bewkes told CNBC. The Time Warner era ushered in a multiplex model for HBO to reduce churn and debuted original programming "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show."

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