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☆ 43 million watched Walz-Vance VP debate, in significant drop from 2020 matchup
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance scored more than 43 million viewers on TV Tuesday night, according to Nielsen estimates. An unknown number of additional viewers watched the debate on YouTube and other online platforms. Four years ago, 57 million tuned in to the only vice presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle between Harris and then-Vice President Mike Pence. In 2008, a record 69.9 million watched Joe Biden and Sarah Palin face off on television in the most-watched VP debate, according to Nielsen. But Trump continues to shun offers of another debate, so the VP debate may be the last of this election cycle.

Persons: Tim Walz, JD Vance, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Walz, Vance, Harris, Mike Pence, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, pollsters, “, ”, Trump, ” Trump, Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nielsen, CBS, YouTube, ” CBS, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta

☆ Proto’s hologram boxes can beam ‘3D’ video into your living room
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Billing itself as the world’s “first holographic communications platform,” US startup Proto is beaming life-size, “3D” video into universities, hotels and medical centers. The boxes can reproduce pre-recorded video as well as a live feed, and any 4K camera, including an iPhone, can be used as the source. Nussbaum, whose background is in radio and podcasting, started Proto in 2018. In 2023, video of actor William Shatner was beamed from Los Angeles to the Advertising Week APAC event in Sydney, Australia. A similar technology launched by Dutch company Holoconnects has been deployed at hotels in Scandinavia, and used for advertising by BMW.

Persons: CNN —, —, William Shatner, ”, David Nussbaum, Nussbaum, Holoconnects, Gary Burnett, Proto, Clay Jackson, Crystal Freeman, “ Organizations: CNN, Inc, Amazon, Verizon, Siemens, Accenture, Walmart, NFL, JFK, Beverly Wilshire, BMW, Google, HP, Cisco, MIT, Vanderbilt, Stanford, University of Loughborough, Loughborough University, West Cancer Center, University of Tennessee College of Medicine Locations: Los Angeles, Orlando , Florida, Sydney, Australia, New, Beverly Hills , California, Scandinavia, Webex, Central Florida, Memphis , Tennessee, New Jersey

☆ Kamala Harris is doing more press interviews, if you look closely
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Half a dozen interviews later, her media strategy is taking shape, even if viewers in New York and Washington might not be seeing it. In recent days, Harris has granted sit-downs to local media outlets and fielded questions in unconventional forums to target crucial swing state and minority voters. Earlier this week, Harris parried tough questions from the National Association of Black Journalists and taped an appearance with Stephanie “Chiquibaby” Himonidis, a popular Spanish-language radio host and podcaster. Trump’s media strategy is looser – he appears on his favorite Fox shows, gives statements and brief interviews to beat reporters, and holds occasional press conferences. In addition to viewers watching online, Winfrey will invite 400 local voters to join her for the conversation in-person, focusing particularly on voters in battleground states as the election approaches.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Tim Walz, Harris parried, Stephanie “ Chiquibaby, Oprah Winfrey, Harris ’, Ian Sams, “, ”, won’t, Trump, Elon Musk, Sams, Trump’s, —, ” Harris, Walz’s, Dana Bash, Biden, Rickey Smiley, Jessica, –, Walz, Winfrey, TikTok, Elizabeth Wagmeister Organizations: New, New York CNN, Democratic, National Association of Black Journalists, CNN, ABC News, Republican, Fox, Elon, Black, Fox News, MSNBC, America, Democratic National Convention, YouTube, Facebook Locations: New York, Washington, Spanish, Phoenix, Arizona, North Carolina, WPVI, Philadelphia, Georgia , Wisconsin

DirecTV and Disney have reached a deal that brings Disney’s ESPN and other channels back to the pay-tv provider’s customers after a roughly two week blackout. On Saturday, DirecTV and Disney said they reached a deal that called for “market based terms” on pricing. DirecTV will be able to offer Disney’s streaming services in its packages and a la carte, the company said in a release Saturday. The amount of customers DirecTV lost during the dispute was not “immaterial,” said DirecTV Chief Marketing Officer Vince Torres at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia & Technology Conference on Thursday. DirecTV offered its customers a $30 credit, financed by stopping payments to Disney as soon as the blackout began, Torres said.

Persons: Disney, DirecTV’s, Jimmy Pitaro, “, It’s, ESPN’s Pitaro, ”, Vince Torres, Goldman Sachs, Torres, Venu, DirectTV, ESPN — Organizations: DirecTV, Disney, ESPN, ABC, SEC Network, ACC Network, CNBC, U.S ., Hulu, Charter Communications, Technology Conference, Antitrust, Warner Bros, Discovery, Fox Corp, Federal Communications Commission, FCC

☆ WBD scored a crucial cable deal — by making HBO free for millions of people
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Peter Kafka | James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementCharter will end up paying WBD for the right to give away Max with ads (as well as Discovery+, WBD's much-less-popular streamer), which sells for $10 a month. So WBD isn't exactly giving Max away. But by making a version of Max free to millions of Charter subscribers, WBD is basically inviting existing Charter/Max subscribers to trade down. But this time around, LightShed analyst Rich Greenfield calls the deal a "victory" for WBD, given the weakened position of its cable channels. Related stories"Nobody had faith in Zaslav/WBD to get a Charter deal done, especially a deal that was not even up for an entire year," he writes.

Persons: —, WBD, Max, there's, Warner, Rich Greenfield, Nobody, Greenfield, John Malone, Malone, David Zaslav, Goldman Sachs, He'll Organizations: Service, Warner, TNT, NBA, Business, HBO, Charter, Disney, ESPN, Analysts, Comcast, DirecTV Locations: Zaslav, DirectTV's

☆ Trump suggests he won’t debate Harris again, attacks ABC over moderators’ fact-checking
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Harris campaign, exuding confidence after Harris baited Trump on stage Tuesday night, immediately said she would agree to a second debate with the ex-president. “When you win the debate, I don’t, I don’t know that I want to do another debate,” Trump said in a phone interview Wednesday morning on Fox News. Speaking with the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” Trump insulted Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, the two anchors that Fox has pitched as potential debate moderators in October. The Harris campaign, however, wants the vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance to happen next. Trump on Wednesday also assailed ABC after the debate moderators fact-checked the former president in real-time during the prime time Philadelphia matchup.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Harris, ” Trump, Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, “, Bret, Martha, ”, Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham, Jason Miller, ” Miller, Tim Walz, JD Vance, Brian Fallon, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Fox News, “ Fox & Friends, Fox, don’t, Trump, CNN, NBC, CBS, ” NBC, ABC, “ CNN, Disney, FCC Locations: New York, Philadelphia

☆ All the signs Trump lost the debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

By Wednesday morning, there were abundant signs that, frankly, Trump lost his debate against Harris. Our newest ad just dropped pic.twitter.com/DfM044iZ8s — Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 11, 2024Despite the reputation he forged in GOP primary debates, Trump has struggled in general election faceoffs. Here are the signs that Trump added to his debate loss total. Heading into the debate, Trump held a narrow lead on PolyMarket, a crypto-based betting market that counts election forecaster Nate Silver as one of its advisors. Amid a back and forth with Harris over debates, Trump declared that he wanted three face-offs with her.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Harris, DfM044iZ8s — Kamala, faceoffs, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Clinton, Nate Silver, Vox, PredictIt, Rupert Murdoch, Brit Hume, prepped Harris, 7gnMmIVupt, Ms, goading Trump, David Muir, Linsey Davis, Jason Miller, Donald Trump Jr, Trump's, Kamala, Taylor Swift, Biden, Rocky, Creed Organizations: Service, Business, Democratic, Trump, White House, Futures Trading Commission, Trump Media & Technology Group, Truth, Traders, Murdoch Media, Fox News, ABC, York, Street, GOP, ABC News, Boxing, UFC, Fighter Locations: York, Philadelphia

GM declined to discuss details of the spending, including how much of that amount is specifically tied to NFL advertising, but reiterated it remains significantly lower than historic levels. “The impact of the NFL on the automotive advertising industry is really very, very substantial,” said Alberto Leyes, head of product strategy at Guideline. Guideline reports viewership of NFL broadcasts grew about 7% over the past season, whereas ad spend in NFL programming doubled that pace at 14%. Automotive ad spend increased 17% over the past two seasons and is expected to increase again this year, according to Leyes. Stellantis is expected to soon launch new ads for the NFL season, including around its Jeep brand, but a spokeswoman declined to provide additional details.

Persons: ”, Ryan Briganti, Alberto Leyes, “ We’ve, we’ve, ” Leyes, Andrew Messina, Messina, Mark Marshall, Jenny Wall, Dedra DeLilli, That’s, ” DeLilli, “, DeLilli, Stellantis, Randy Parker, NBCUniversal Organizations: National Football League, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Detroit, NFL, Toyota, CBS Sports, CBS, Paramount, General Motors, GM, Nielsen, Disney, ESPN, Disney Advertising, Hyundai, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan Motor, Chrysler, Brands, Sunday, NBC, Automotive, Toyota North, Olympics, Hyundai Motor America, CNBC, Comcast, NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, Games Locations: Messina, U.S, Toyota North America, Paris

Disney and DirecTV are not likely to reach a deal in time for "Monday Night Football" according to people familiar with the matter. As a result of the fight, DirecTV customers were unable to see the U.S. Open and the first full weekend of the college football season. DirecTV alerted customers on Friday to competitor alternatives for watching ESPN and also said it would provide a $30 credit to customers. However, Charter and Disney reached a deal hours ahead of "Monday Night Football" that allowed customers to tune in that night. The dispute between DirecTV and Disney has led to mudslinging between the two companies reminiscent of most carriage fights.

Persons: Rob Thun, Venu —, Venu, Disney, It's, Jimmy Pitaro, Nielsen, Pitaro, Adam Schefter, DirecTV's Thun Organizations: ESPN, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, EverBank, DirecTV, Disney, FX, ABC, U.S ., CNBC, Walt Disney Co, Fox Corp, Warner Bros, NFL, Federal Communications Commission, Charter Communications, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, American, U.S

☆ There's tons of hiring activity in media ad sales right now, but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

While it might look like there's a flurry of advertising hiring, industry insiders say the reality is more sobering. AdvertisementLegacy media companies have sharply cut staff in recent years, including sales, and those jobs aren't coming back. Disney has said it plans to automate half its ad sales. "The number of good job opportunities are few and far between because the large media companies are not hiring as quickly. "Ad sales is no longer ad sales," said Gary Stolkin, global CEO of The Talent Business, a global executive search firm specializing in the creative industries.

Persons: —, they've, Jean, Paul Colaco, aren't, Dave Morgan, Lisa Valentino, David Lawenda, David Zaslav, David Ellison's, Christopher Vollmer, Simon Francis, Peter Naylor, Brian Lesser, Lesser, WPP's, Roku, Harry Kargman, Kargman, Krishan Bhatia, Gary Stolkin, Stolkin, who's Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, NBA, Companies, MediaLink, TV, Media, Flock Associates, Progressive, Mobile, The Talent Locations: Teads, NBCUniversal

GM declined to discuss details of the spending, including how much of that amount is specifically tied to NFL advertising, but reiterated it remains significantly lower than historic levels. Last NFL season, automakers were the most-seen brand industry, with more than 10% of TV ad impressions, according to ad data company iSpot. Guideline reports viewership of NFL broadcasts grew about 7% over the past season, whereas ad spend in NFL programming doubled that pace at 14%. Automotive ad spend increased 17% over the past two seasons and is expected to increase again this year, according to Leyes. New ad campaignsToyota, as the "Official Automotive Partner of the NFL," launched a new ad campaign for the NFL season this week called "Roll Deep."

Persons: Ryan Briganti, Alberto Leyes, we've, Leyes, Andrew Messina, Messina, Mark Marshall, Jenny Wall Organizations: NFL, National Football League, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Detroit, Toyota, CBS Sports, CBS, Paramount, General Motors, GM, Nielsen, Disney, ESPN, Disney Advertising, Hyundai, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan Motor, Chrysler, Brands, NBC, Automotive, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs Locations: Messina, U.S

☆ The NFL is here to save TV, again. But it's going to get harder every year.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

We can't stress this enough — increasingly, the chief reason for some TV networks to exist is to transmit NFL games. And at Fox, NFL games and "shoulder programming" accounted for an astonishing 63% of the time viewers spent with the network. MoffettNathansonBut those trends should still worry both the NFL and the TV networks that pay it many billions of dollars every year. But to state the obvious: TV networks pay the NFL many billions of dollars because the NFL delivers TV eyeballs, not because it delivers Instagram eyeballs. And if younger viewers are starting to tune out of the NFL — again, like they have tuned out of everything else on TV — that's going to be a problem for the league and the TV guys.

Persons: —, Robert Fishman, Per Fishman, NFL — Organizations: Service, NFL, Kansas City, Baltimore, Business, MoffettNathanson, CBS, Fox

In 2021, the National Football League signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal. In July, the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year, $77 billion deal of its own. Welcome to the sports media rights doldrums. It will also be a significant driver of future NFL team valuations. The average NFL team is now worth $6.49 billion, according to CNBC's Official 2024 NFL Team Valuations.

Persons: What's, Daniel Cohen Organizations: ESPN, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, EverBank, National Football League, National Basketball Association, U.S, NFL, Octagon, Sunday, Fox, Paramount, CBS, Apple, YouTube Locations: Jacksonville, Fl

☆ DirecTV is on the warpath against Disney in a battle it says is existential for cable TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

They really just want to disintermediate all of pay TV and drive everyone to themselves. Fresh off a vicarious victory over Disney, Thun is still looking for revenge. For DirecTV, it's skinny bundles or bustDirecTV believes these strict bundling requirements are to blame for putting pay TV on life support. Disney is "completely responsible" for the fall of pay TV, Pachter said, "because they think the only direction that retransmission fees should go is up." Without skinny bundles, pay TV is 'going to die'If skinnier bundles can't solve pay TV's woes, it's unclear what could.

Persons: —, Venu Sports, Venu, Rob Thun, Thun, Venu didn't, DirecTV's, Geo, They've, Venu wouldn't, Margaret Garnett, I'm, Michael Pachter, he'd, Pachter, Brian Wieser, Puck's John Ourand, Rich Greenfield, Greenfield, — we're, Wieser Organizations: Service, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros ., DirecTV, Business, ESPN, balk, YouTube, Wedbush Securities, Madison, Cable, Paramount, LightShed Partners, Charter Locations: Thun, Wall

☆ How David Zaslav can save Warner Bros. Discovery as the cable bundle collapses, according to a top media analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThose moves show just how rapidly the cable TV business is unraveling. WBD's direct-to-consumer segment still loses money, and its streaming revenue actually declined 6% from last year — even though Max added 3.7 million subscribers. WBD added 3.9 million streaming subscribers abroad last quarter, thanks to its rollout across Europe ahead of the Olympics, which the company broadcasts outside the US. If that service attracts enough cord-cutters, it could help stop the bleeding in WBD's fast-declining pay TV business in a best-case scenario. Join forces with other media firmsAdvertisementAlthough WBD is struggling as the pay-TV business shrinks, the silver lining is that it's not alone.

Persons: —, David Zaslav, Patience, WBD wasn't, Max, Fox —, Tim Nollen, WBD, Nollen, Venu, NBA would've, it's Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Business, Paramount, Macquarie Research, Disney, NBA, Comcast's NBC, MLB, NHL, TNT, TBS, Max, Hulu Locations: WBD, Europe, Latin America

☆ Why Apple should buy Warner Bros. Discovery. No, seriously.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So I've got a not-so modest proposal: Time for Apple to jump in with both feet, and buy HBO — along with the rest of Warner Bros. I know, I know: "Apple should buy X, Y or Z" is a long-running piece of techworld fanfic. But now I think Apple should spend real money and buy WBD. And then, boom: Apple's services business — the part of the company Apple needs to keep growing while its hardware business slows — instantly grows by nearly 50%. AdvertisementIt's one thing for a tech company to buy a minor studio and 50% of the James Bond franchise.

Persons: —, I've, that's, Maxes, Warner, James Bond, hoover, It's, Tim Cook, Steve Jobs, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, WBD Organizations: Service, Apple, HBO, Warner Bros, Business, Warner Bros . Studios, CNN, Warner mergred, Microsoft, Activision, Big Tech, Comcast, Paramount, Warners Locations: writedowns

☆ Paramount's TV networks are collapsing in a $6 billion hole
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Discovery just told investors its TV networks were worth $9 billion less than the company thought. Now it's Paramount's turn: It's taking a $6 billion charge on its TV business. Discovery told investors its TV business was in free fall, and that it would take a $9 billion write-down on those assets. On Thursday, it was Paramount's turn: The entertainment conglomerate, which is about to be acquired by David Ellison and a consortium of investors, just took a $6 billion charge on its TV business. For context: Public investors value all of Paramount's equity at $7 billion.

Persons: —, David Ellison Organizations: Warner Bros, Paramount, Service, Warner Bros . Discovery, Business

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery stock falls as it writes down $9.1 billion, misses estimates
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros. Here is how Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Discovery's balance sheet carries a significant amount of goodwill stemming from mergers and acquisitions, namely the combination of Warner Bros. and Discovery in 2022. Warner Bros.

Persons: Discovery, Gunnar Wiedenfels, David Zaslav, Discovery's, —, Zaslav, Disney, Hulu —, Max Organizations: Warner Brothers Discovery, Turner Broadcasting, Warner Bros, LSEG, Discovery, NBA, Warner Bros . Discovery, Amazon, Revenue, TBS, TNT, Hulu, ESPN, Fox Locations: Atlanta , Georgia

☆ Disney beats estimates as combined streaming services turn a profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Disney's combined streaming business, which consists of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, turned a profit for the first time — and it happened a quarter earlier than the company had expected. Executives on Wednesday's earnings call touted the progress of Disney's streaming business toward profitability, a goal for all media companies as they look to chase customers switching to streaming. The combined streaming business posted an operating profit of $47 million compared with a loss of $512 million in the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, in May, Disney highlighted a slightly different metric, noting that Disney+ and Hulu together turned a profit, but when combined with ESPN+, the streaming businesses suffered a loss. "I feel very bullish about the future of this business," Iger said during the call.

Persons: Bob Iger, Hulu, Jaque Silva, Iger, We're, Hugh Johnston, Johnston Organizations: Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Getty, Total Hulu, Revenue, Netflix, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, Star India Locations: PARAGUAY, India

☆ How YouTube Took Over Our Television Screens
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Nico Grant | John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years ago, YouTube abandoned its audacious plan to beat Hollywood at its own game. So it canceled the shows and fell back on the user-created content that had made it a household name. Now, YouTube consistently ranks as the most popular streaming service on U.S. televisions, surpassing the companies it once tried to emulate. Since Netflix started offering original content in 2012, TV networks have jumped into the streaming race, trying to outflank one another with major upfront investments. Netflix alone spends $17 billion a year on new series and movies as well as on older fare from other companies’ libraries.

Organizations: YouTube, Hollywood, Netflix, Disney, Paramount

☆ CrowdStrike sent its partners $10 Uber Eats gift cards as an apology for mass IT outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewCrowdStrike, the cyber security firm responsible for last week's global tech outage, is thanking its partners for their extra work in the aftermath of the crash with $10 Uber Eats gift cards. The first email, which was addressed to CrowdStrike partners, was signed by Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at the company. Related storiesAbout four hours after the Uber Eats voucher was canceled, the source got another email with a $10 credit and the message, "You've been sent a Oops! Uber eats voucher!" The CrowdStrike spokesperson told BI that Uber flagged the gift cards as fraud because so many people were redeeming them.

Persons: —, CrowdStrike, Daniel Bernard, Bernard, Uber, You've Organizations: Service, Social, Business, BI, Uber, Windows

☆ 7 things you need to know about the huge CrowdStrike IT outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A widespread IT outage linked to a CrowdStrike update hit global operations on Friday. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe world has been hit by one of the most widespread tech outages in history. The Friday outage, linked to cyber security firm CrowdStrike, affected operations around the world and has been compared to Y2K. "I don't think it's too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history."

Persons: —, Troy Hunt Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Australian

☆ Warner Bros Discovery (basically) admits its merger didn't work
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That's basically the pitch the management of Warner Bros. Discovery is floating to investors today, via a story in the Financial Times: "A dramatic plan to split its digital streaming and studio businesses from its legacy television networks." And would the money from those declining networks be enough to service all that debt? Apple, most notably, inquired about buying HBO way back when its parent company was called Time Warner. If WBD can't split the company the way it's supposedly proposing now, it will end up selling off assets (maybe CNN?

Persons: That's, WBD, I've, hasn't, Pimple Popper, HBO hasn't, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Rich Greenfield, you'll, it's, Time Warner, David Zaslav —, Donald Trump, he's, Zaslav Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Financial, Business, HBO, Max, CNN, Netflix, Big Tech, Apple, Time, Sun, Paramount

☆ More Than 23 Million Watched Biden’s News Conference, Beating the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The swirling questions about President Biden’s age and mental fitness for office have captured Americans’ attention. More than 23 million people — a bigger audience than this year’s Academy Awards — tuned in on Thursday evening to see how Mr. Biden handled his first live news conference since a poor performance at last month’s debate with former President Donald J. Trump. The television audience amounted to roughly 45 percent of the 51.3 million who watched the debate, according to Nielsen. The president’s nearly hourlong appearance, at the NATO summit in Washington, was one of the most-watched telecasts of the year, outside of sporting events. It aired across several major TV networks, with ABC, CBS and NBC all pre-empting regular entertainment programming.

Persons: Biden’s, —, Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: year’s, Nielsen, NATO, ABC, CBS, NBC Locations: Washington

☆ Paramount agrees to merge with Skydance
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global will merge with Skydance, capping off a months-long negotiation that included various twists and turns, and will see the Redstone family step away from control of the storied movie studio and media company. Paramount's special committee agreed to the merger on Sunday, days after Shari Redstone's National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount, once again reached a preliminary agreement with Skydance. The latest iteration of the deal will see the buying consortium, which includes RedBird Capital Partners and KKR, invest more than $8 billion into Paramount and to acquire National Amusements. The deal gives National Amusements an enterprise value of $2.4 billion, which includes $1.75 billion in equity. A completed Skydance merger would mark a major shift for the ownership of Paramount, as well as for Hollywood as a whole.

Persons: Shari Redstone's, it's, Jeff Shell, Ellison, Forrest, —, David Ellison, Skydance, Larry Ellison Organizations: Paramount Studios, Paramount, Skydance, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, National, Shell, Hollywood, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Oracle Locations: Los Angeles , California

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