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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Friends” star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family,” the company said in a statement. As Chandler, he played the quick-witted, insecure and neurotic roommate of LeBlanc's Joey and a close friend of Schwimmer's Ross. I ‘was’ Chandler.”Unknown at the time was the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions,” Perry wrote.

Persons: —, Matthew Perry, Chandler Bing, “ Matthew, ” Perry’s, Drake Madison, ”, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Chandler, LeBlanc's Joey, Schwimmer's Ross, Perry, Matthew, Matty, Cox's Monica, “, ’ Chandler, ” “, ” Perry, Aniston, HBO Max, James Corden, Salma Hayek, Bruce Willis, Oscar, Oscar Madison, Walter Matthau, John Bennett Perry, Suzanne, Pierre Trudeau, Keith Morrison, Alicia Rancilio, Janie Har, Hillel Italie, Ryan Pearson, Anthony McCartney Organizations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros . Television Group, Associated Press, AP, HBO, White, CBS, Canadian, Dateline, ___ Associated Press Locations: Los, New York, Williamstown , Massachusetts, ___

☆ It's not just you. It seems like practically every streaming service got more expensive in the last year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple is raising the price of a subscription to its streaming platform Apple TV+. Apple is raising the price of a monthly subscription to its streaming platform Apple TV+, the home of "Ted Lasso" and "The Morning Show. It's not the only streaming platform that's upping its subscription price. Hulu's ad-free tier went from $14.99 per month to $17.99, and a monthly subscription to Disney+'s ad-free tier increased from $10.99 to $13.99. Before HBO Max and Discovery+ merged to become Max in May, HBO Max raised its ad-free subscription price one dollar to $15.99.

Persons: —, Ted Lasso, Apple, Mac, It's, Bob Iger, Iger, Matt Turner, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Max, HBO Max Organizations: Apple, Netflix, Service, Disney, Hulu, Street Journal, Warner Bros, Discovery, HBO Max, HBO

☆ YouTube passes Netflix as top video source for teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Teenagers in the U.S. say they watch more videos on YouTube than Netflix , according to a new survey from investment bank Piper Sandler. Teens polled by the bank said they spent 29.1% of their daily video consumption time on Google-owned YouTube, beating out Netflix for the first time at 28.7%. This fall's survey polled more than 9,000 teens across the U.S. in September who average just under 16 years old. Netflix and YouTube were the two clear leaders in terms of daily video consumption by platform. The Piper Sandler results don't compare YouTube and Netflix to TikTok.

Persons: Piper Sandler, HBO Max, TikTok, Instagram Organizations: Netflix, Teens, Google, YouTube, Hulu, Disney, HBO Locations: U.S

☆ How Texas Monthly is cashing in on Hollywood's true crime obsession
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Streamers increasingly are leaning into true crime and stories about the heartland, and Texas Monthly can check those boxes. Of the publication's 50 film and TV projects, half fall into the true crime genre. "They're trying to reach the middle of the country, and we've got things that do that," Scott Brown, Texas Monthly's president, told Insider. Texas Monthly also has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at Max (and an Austin native), told Insider Texas Monthly has an "uncanny ability" to identify not only gripping true crime but also cultural stories with unforgettable characters.

Persons: Richard Linklater, Oscar, we've, Scott Brown, Brown, Taylor Sheridan, Deborah Esquenazi, Sarah Aubrey, It's, Elizabeth Olsen, Max's, Jake Giles Netter, HBO Max, —, greenlit, James Reyos Organizations: Texas, Netflix, Hollywood, Warner Bros, HBO, HBO Max Texas, Entertainment, CAA Locations: Venice, Toronto, Houston, Scott Brown , Texas, Texas, Austin, Hollywood

☆ Opinion | The Era of Prestige TV Is Ending. We’re Going to Miss It When It’s Gone.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Roy Price | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

I left Amazon Studios in 2017 (after accusations I dispute), and five years later, the larger industry picture looks exceedingly bleak. In the last year nearly every major studio, from Warner Bros. to Paramount, has announced layoffs and write-offs. Amazon was plagued by reports that its big investment in a “Lord of the Rings” series yielded disappointing viewership numbers. Many of its key writers and producers, including Judd Apatow and Steve Levitan, went on to broadly influence TV and film comedy. It’s HBO.” summed it up: Prestige TV was trying to be, as was sometimes said, “filmovision” — as dark and true to life or shockingly violent as necessary.

Persons: Bob Iger’s, HBO Max, Max, they’ll, Larry Sanders, “ Sanders ”, Judd Apatow, Steve Levitan, Oz, ”, “, Maisel, Ted Lasso ”, Pimple Popper, ” there’s Organizations: Amazon Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount, Disney, HBO, Showtime, City, Prestige, Netflix, “, Amazon, Golden Globes

☆ You haven't been paying a fair price for your streaming services. Warner Bros. Discovery CFO says: 'I think that's in the process of being corrected'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A change may be coming to your streaming services, Warner Bros. The services have been undervalued, Gunnar Wiedenfels said, and "quality content has been given away"That could spell price hikes. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs Insider's Matt Turner summed up: "Streaming services have been underpriced in the name of attracting critical mass." In January, Warner Bros Discovery increased the price of an ad-free subscription to HBO Max for the first time since its launch in 2020. Aside from boosting prices, services are also cracking down on password sharing.

Persons: Gunnar Wiedenfels, Wiedenfels, Max —, Matt Turner, Comcast's Peacock, Max, Peacock, Mark Schilsky, HBO Max, we're, Bob Iger, Schilsky Organizations: Warner Bros, Discovery, Service, Bank of America Securities Media, Communications, Entertainment Conference, Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Paramount, Apple, Bernstein Research, Warner Bros Discovery, HBO, HBO Max, Wall Street Journal Locations: Wall, Silicon, Hollywood

☆ Live sports are headed to Max, as Warner Bros. Discovery adds a new tier to streaming app
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sports are coming to Warner Bros. CNBC previously reported Warner Bros. Warner Bros. In May, the streamer was renamed Max after the parent company blended the content of HBO Max and Discovery+ apps together. The move came more than a year after the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery.

Persons: Cody Bellinger, Louis, Tommy Edman, Max, David Zaslav, CNN Max Organizations: Los Angeles Dodgers, Louis Cardinals, Dodger, Sports, Warner Bros, TNT, TBS, Major League, NHL, NBA, CNBC, Max, HBO Max, AMC Networks, CNN, Company

Legacy media companies like Disney , Warner Bros. Netflix was the first streamer to report a loss in subscribers in 2022, sending its stock and other media companies spiraling. Media companies also have begun slashing content spending budgets. Yet streaming remains the focus for all of these companies as consumers rapidly cut the cord and opt for streaming. Legacy media companies scrambled to follow suit, unsure if the model actually worked.

Persons: Mario Tama, it's, Steven Schiffman, NBCUniversal, Bob Iger, Ken Solomon, Solomon, Marc DeBevoise, John Hodulik, hasn't, —, Hulu —, Peacock, Max —, HBO Max, — Ryan Murphy, Shonda, Kenya Barris, David Benioff, Weiss —, Jonathan Miller, Shonda Rhimes, Presley Ann, Patrick McMullan, Bart Simpson, esports, DeBevoise, Peter Csathy Organizations: Netflix, Getty, North, Georgetown University, Legacy, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount, Media, Marvel, Tennis Channel, Sinclair, Companies, UBS, CBS, HBO, Max, Hulu, Integrated Media, Trek, Universal Studios Television, Getty Images Disney, Wars, Fox, Hollywood's, Creative Media, Charter Communications, ESPN, & $, + + Locations: Los Angeles, North American, J.J, Abrams, Kenya, Beverly Hills , CA, Georgetown

NEW YORK (AP) — Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, who struggled to find a publisher for what became her acclaimed debut “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” has a 7-figure deal for her next two books. Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Thursday that it had signed up Philyaw and will publish her novel “True Confessions” in 2025. Mariner calls the book a “biting satire” of the Black church and “a deeply provocative” story about family, friendship and “sexual agency." Philyaw, who attended several different churches as a child, is centering the novel around a megachurch leader named Schar. It won the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Story Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and is being adapted for television by HBO Max.

Persons: —, Deesha Philyaw, ”, Philyaw, Schar, “, Breonna Taylor Organizations: Church Ladies, Mariner, HarperCollins Publishers, West Virginia University Press, PEN, Faulkner, Los Angeles Times, HBO Max Locations: “, York

☆ Streaming subscribers are ready for added services, new research shows, as companies like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery race to build bundles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The greatest interest was in shopping discounts (50%); 45% expressed interest in a bundle of more than one streaming service. "There's a way to differentiate yourself by tapping into those opportunities," he said of respondents' interest in other services. Of all countries surveyed, the appetite for streaming bundles was the strongest in the US, with 59% interested in streaming packages that included other streaming services or broadband/internet. Disney offers Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for one price and is in the process of migrating Hulu content into Disney+. EY also asked about recent price hikes for streaming services and found rising subscription fees haven't caused widespread cancellations.

Persons: EY, Tom Loozen, Peacock, HBO Max, David Zaslav, They're, Bob Iger, Loozen Organizations: EY Global Telecommunications Leader, Media, Comcast, Warner Bros, Discovery, AMC, Paramount, Walmart, Sky . Disney, Disney, ESPN, HBO, Apple, Hulu, Star, Paramount Global, Showtime Locations: Canada, EU, Asia, Hulu

You can connect your iPhone to a TV using an AV cable, AirPlay, or screen mirroring. To AirPlay or screen mirror your iPhone, you also need to have an Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV. Connect an iPhone to any TV with an AV cable To connect your iPhone to a TV, you'll need an adapter cable that matches the style of input on your TV or monitor. Be sure your TV is on and displaying your Apple TV screen. Be sure your TV is on and displaying your Apple TV screen.

Persons: HBO Max, Dave Johnson, you've, Grace Eliza Goodwin Organizations: Apple, Hulu, HBO, Control, iPhone's, Amazon Prime, Netflix Locations: Hulu

☆ Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +88 min

Iger told Chapek that he lived for those "two-shower days," according to people familiar with the conversation. In January 2020, Iger told Chapek the plan was back on. During his 27 years at the company, Chapek had only attended one annual meeting — as a guest in the audience. Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during a CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. WATCH: Disney CEO Bob Iger's exclusive July 2023 CNBC interviewTake the 'A'During Chapek's tenure as CEO, Disney lost more than a quarter of its market value.

Persons: Elham, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, wasn't, Chapek, Michael Eisner, —, who's, he's, Clint Eastwood, Eastwood, Arthur Bochner, Jackie Hart, Kareem Daniel, Chapek —, Eisner, Michael Ovitz, Ovitz, Bob, Disney's, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, he'd, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Staggs —, Steve Jobs, cajoled Ike Perlmutter, George Lucas, Rupert Murdoch, Iger's, Susan Arnold, Arnold, Peter Rice, David Paul Morris, Rice, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Mark Parker, Mary Barra, Michael Froman, Willow, Parker, John Donahoe, Roy Disney, Walt Disney, Stanley Gold, David A, CNBC Eisner, Big Bob, Little Bob, Christine McCarthy, Patrick T, He'd, McCarthy, Iger —, Coronavirus, Gavin Newsom, Michael Kovac, curtly, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Smith, Smith, Disney, Randy Shropshire, Agnes Chu, Ricky Strauss, Chu, Strauss, Kevin Feige, Kathleen Kennedy, Who's, Alan Bergman, Bergman, Bob Kyncl, Daniel —, Iger didn't, Daniel rankled, Daniel, Chapek didn't, James Pitaro, Jesse Grant, CNBC Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Zenia Mucha, didn't, Mucha, Barbara Walters, Charles Eshelman, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Johansson —, Florence Pugh, Natasha, Yelena, " Johansson, Bryan Lourd, Johansson, Lourd, Steven Spielberg, Al Michaels, David Muir, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Spielberg, Geoff Morrell, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Bochner, Claire Lee, Paul Richardson, Josh D'Amaro, Ron DeSantis, Morrell, Disney Animation —, George Floyd, Reba Saldanha, Reuters Chapek, DeSantis, Nicholas Maldonado, Octavio Jones, Chapek she'd, we're, " Morrell, CNN's Chris Wallace, Kristina Schake, John Skipper, Daniel steamrolled, Latondra Newton, Newton, Charles Krupa, Pitaro, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Dana Walden, Thomas Murphy, Josh Kushner, Privately, Schake, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's, David Dee Delgado, Kara Swisher, hadn't, Netflix's, overhiring, McCarthy hadn't, Safra Catz, Kareem, DMED, Horacio Gutierrez, Justin Warbrooke, Alexia Quadrani, Bryan Castellani, Michael Buckner, Quadrani, Lindsay Lohan, Winnie, Nelson Peltz, Catz, Donald Trump's, they'd, Walden, Gutierrez, D'Amaro, Rich Polk, Walden he'd, Iger she'd, Mickey Mouse, Mark Rightmire, haven't, Indiana Jones, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Hamilton Faber, Rich Greenfield, Bob Iger's, — Mayer, McCarthy —, doesn't, they'll Organizations: Disney, Marvel, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Shanghai Disney, Man, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Pixar, Fox, Chapek, Nike, General, Mastercard, Foreign Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Grogan, Disney's, Fallon, ABC, ESPN, ABC News, California Gov, New York Times, Disney confidants, Hollywood, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Studios, Hulu, HBO Max, Walt Disney Company, YouTube, Companies, Netflix, Apple, Disney Media, Entertainment, Stanford, Rights, Junior, petulant, Filmmagic, Brunswick Group, Covid, CAA, onetime Defense Department, Century Fox, Human, Florida Gov, Republican, Disney Animation, Reuters, Human Rights, HRC, Walt Disney World, Employees, American Foundation for Equal Rights, AP, Amazon Prime, Paramount, South Pacific, Capital Cities, Dow Jones, CVS, Kingdom, Variety, Trian Partners, Charter Communications, U.S, Comcast, Charter's, MediaNews, Orange, Allen, Co, Candle Media, Advisors Locations: Burbank , California, Midwestern, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Iger, Hammond , Indiana, Shanghai, China, Hong, Fox, Willow Bay, Raleigh , North Carolina, Orlando, U.S, Hulu, Iger's Brentwood, coronavirus, Brunswick, Hollywood, Hawaii, Disney's, Marvel's, Anaheim , California, Montana, Florida, Rye , New Hampshire, Chapek, Hong Kong, California, missteps, South, DMED, Burbank, New York, India, Atlantic, Sun Valley , Idaho, America

☆ CNN news is coming to Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service Max
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Discovery announced Thursday that CNN Max will be added to its Max streaming service on Sept. 27, and will serve as a 24/7 live news hub. Discovery relaunched its flagship streaming service HBO Max as Max, combining content from Warner Bros. and Discovery+ under one roof. As for including sports on Max, Warner Bros. Discovery is targeting the start of MLB playoffs this fall to introduce sports on the streaming app, CNBC previously reported.

Persons: CNN Max, Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker, Fredricka Whitfield, Jim Sciutto —, Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, HBO Max, Max, Jeff Zucker, Chris Licht, Semafor, Mark Thompson, David Zaslav, we'll, We've, Zaslav, Warner, It's, Jim Sciutto Organizations: Cable News Network, CNN, Warner Bros . Discovery, Max, HBO, Warner Bros, Discovery, BBC, New York Times, MLB, CNBC Locations: Atlanta , Georgia

☆ 'Dune: Part Two' departs the 2023 movie calendar amid Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Dune: Part Two" has departed the 2023 box office slate amid dual Hollywood labor strikes that threaten its ability to market to the public. Box office analysts have long anticipated that the "Dune" sequel would ditch its 2023 release date amid the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes. Postponing "Dune: Part Two" might help bolster its box office gains in 2024, but will bite a chunk out of Warner Bros. After the stunning success of "Barbie," and with doubts growing about December's "Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom," "Dune: Part Two" was an important 2023 release for the studio and expected to perform well with audiences. Its predecessor excelled at the box office during the pandemic despite being a day-and-date release on streaming service HBO Max (now just called Max).

Persons: Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Barbie, HBO Max Organizations: Warner Bros ., Legendary Entertainment, Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Twitter, Warner Bros, HBO, Comcast, CNBC Locations: TikTok, NBCUniversal

☆ 'Dune: Part Two' is supposed to come out this year. The strikes could change that
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As two Hollywood strikes rage on, movie writers and stars aren't permitted to hype their projects, due to strike rules. The longer the work stoppages keep going, the more likely it is studios will delay releases as production shutdowns choke the movie release pipeline. "Dune: Part Two," a science fiction epic based on Frank Herbert's seminal novel, could end up the biggest title to move. Warner Bros. didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. While the Writers Guild of America has returned to the bargaining table with producers, negotiations are moving slowly.

Persons: aren't, Ethan Coen's, Emma Stone, Frank Herbert's, Barbie, HBO Max, Paul Dergarabedian, didn't, haven't, AFTRA, Steven Schiffman Organizations: ANGELES, Warner Bros, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, HBO, Comscore, Writers Guild of America, SAG, WGA, Georgetown University, National Geographic Locations: U.S

☆ 13 Hollywood production companies making brand films that streamers like Netflix and Apple want to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

said Marc Gilbar, who runs the brand division at Imagine Entertainment. Some are also looking to brand films to offset some of the revenue they're losing in the dual Hollywood strikes. (Brand films are often unscripted and thus aren't governed by the Hollywood unions.) They also see brand work being a positive for below-the-line workers who are idled by the work stoppage. Led by EVP Kate Oppenheim, Tribeca Studios' projects have included "We Could be King" (ESPN2) for Dick's Sporting Goods and P&G's Queen Collective series (BET).

Persons: Ben Silverman, Issa Rae's Hoorae, Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, Julian Jacobs, we've, Marc Gilbar, Samuel L, Jackson, Emma Stone, Zac Ryder, Olivia Wilde, Laurene Powell Jobs, Caitlin McGinty, It's, James Gay, Rees, Paul Martin, Kevin Hart's, Hart, Hartbeat, Brian Price, Chase Sapphire, Procter, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Fairbourn, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Ron Howard's, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gilbar, Rocco DiSpirito, General Mills, Rupert Maconik's Saville, Werner Herzog, Barry Levinson, Sugar23, Oscar, Michael Sugar, Trevor Noah's, he's, Kennedy, Matt Rotondo helms, Sugar, Mike Beck, Alexa Conway, Trevor Noah, Kate Oppenheim, HBO Max, Paul McCartney, Mary McCartney Ventureland, Kerstin Emhoff, Paul Hunter, John Battsek, Stacy's Pita Chips, Will, Jada Pinkett, REI, Gargi Organizations: Hollywood, Brands, Mattel, Netflix, Apple, UTA, Imagine Entertainment, Producers, Adobe, IBM, Anonymous, HP, Afghan Girls National Soccer Team, Showtime, Pepsi Boardwalk Pictures, Relativity Media, Super, Pepsi, REI, Unilever, Marriott, Surf League, Major League Soccer, Sam's, Gamble, Weinstein Co, Hulu, Imagine, Paramount, Saville Productions, Disney, Time Studios, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser, Busch, InBev, CAA, Studios, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, Tribeca Studios, Dick's Sporting Goods, HBO, CNN, Mobile, Stacy's, Everest, Vice Studios, Westbrook Media, Meta, Logitech, Samsung Locations: Hollywood, Subway, Magnolia

☆ AI Scams, Spam, Hacking, Are Ruining the Internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

A report from Europol expects a mind-blowing 90% of internet content to be AI-generated in a few years. A report from Europol, the European Union's law-enforcement agency, expects a mind-blowing 90% of internet content to be AI-generated in a few years. And while AI bots have telltale signs now, experts indicate that they will soon get better at mimicking humans and evading the detection systems developed by Menczer and social networks. While misinformation has long been a problem with the internet, AI is going to blow our old problems out of the water. But security researchers have discovered that the AI bots in your apps and devices might steal sensitive information for the hackers.

Persons: HBO Max, haven't, ChatGPT, Christian Selig, Reddit, Martijn Pieters, He'd, NewsGuard, Gordon Crovitz, NewsGuard's, Filippo Menczer, NewsGuard's Crovitz, Christopher Cowell, Cowell, John Licato, Bing, Florian Tramèr, Toby Walsh, Walsh, Shubham Agarwal Organizations: HBO, Europol, Market, Indiana University's Observatory, Social Media, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, University of South, ETH Zürich, University of New, University of Oxford, Wired, Company Locations: Cambridge, Europol, Portland , Oregon, Etsy, University of South Florida, University of New South Wales, Ahmedabad, India

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) posted a smaller loss for the second quarter on Thursday as the media conglomerate benefited from cost cuts, sending its shares up nearly 4% in premarket trading. Under Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business, which includes the Max streaming service, more efficiently. Net loss for the quarter came in at $1.24 billion, compared with a loss of $3.42 billion a year earlier. It lost 1.8 million subscribers, more than analysts' estimates of 1.1 million, reporting 95.8 million total global subscribers for its HBO, Max and Discovery+ services.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, David Zaslav, Max, Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Shounak Dasgupta, Mark Porter Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Media, Warner Bros, Consumer, HBO, Discovery Inc, Max, HBO Max, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery trims costs, losses, but misses forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Discovery reported a larger-than-forecast loss in the second quarter, but the loss was narrower than a year ago. The smaller loss came as the company cut costs by $2.2 billion, or 16% compared to a year ago. The results did not include the strong box office from the movie “Barbie,” which was released in the third quarter. The company’s closely watched streaming business reported a narrow $3 million loss on an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) basis. The company launched its Max streaming service, rebranding what had been HBO Max and rolling in content from Discovery+.

Persons: Refinitiv, Barbie, ”, David Zaslav, Zaslav, “ Barbie ”, tentpole, “, It’s, Gunnar Wiedenfels, AFTRA, Wiedenfels, “ I’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNN, HBO, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Warner Bros . Locations: New York, Europe

☆ Remember when Marissa Cooper wore fake Chanel on ‘The O.C’?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Before Blair Waldorf wore Oscar de la Renta to her high school prom, Marissa Cooper — the sun-kissed It Girl of “The O.C.,” which turns 20 on August 5 — was wearing Chanel to second period. Some fans have counted that she debuted six different Chanel bags in the first season alone. In an interview with Page Six in 2018, Welker said she resorted to buying fake Chanel bags to keep up appearances. Michael Yarish/Fox/Alamy Stock PhotoToday, the genre of high school TV drama has undergone a sartorial shift. “Those Chanel bags that (Cooper) carried, those weren’t something I could have on my budget,” she reportedly said.

Persons: Blair Waldorf, Oscar de la Renta, Marissa Cooper, —, Chanel, Cooper, Mischa Barton, Ryan Atwood’s, Imogen Heap, Julie Cooper, Alexandra Welker, Welker, ”, Michael Yarish, Heidi Bivans —, HBO Max, Miu Miu, Jean Paul Gaultier, “, ” Welker, Page Organizations: CNN, Fox, Alamy, HBO, Warner Media Discovery, “ Locations: Newport Beach , Orange County, Coperni, Downtown LA

☆ A top Warner Bros. Discovery ad sales exec has exited, and insiders say rumors are flying of layoffs and changes as early as next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insiders are speculating more layoffs and organizational changes are on the way. The media giant is wrapping its ad sales upfront period, where sales have been soft across the industry. Discovery has parted ways with another top ad sales exec, and insiders are speculating that more layoffs and changes are on the way. He's also a vet of Hulu ad sales and active in digital advertising, serving on the board of trade group the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Keller's exit is the second big WBD ad sales departure this year; John Dailey stepped down from his position as SVP of ad sales in March.

Persons: Discovery's, salespeople, Jim Keller, Jon Steinlauf —, Keller, He's, WBD, Keller didn't, Chris Licht, Steinlauf, David Zaslav, John Dailey Organizations: Warner Bros, Insiders, HBO Max, Hulu, Interactive, CNN, Discovery Locations: Discovery

☆ ‘Barbenheimer’ Is a Huge Hollywood Moment and Maybe the Last for a While
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | More About Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Already, some upcoming films have had their release plans modified as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Sanders said the studio has assured him that, so far, no discussions have been had about bumping “The Color Purple” into 2024. And without the usual influx of year-end prestige films, this year’s awards season could look very different — and, in another way, all-too-familiar. “Worst-case scenario, every studio on the planet decides to move their fourth-quarter movies into next year,” Sanders mused. “Suddenly, the last contenders for awards are ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’ Then what happens?”

Persons: Helen Mirren, Julio Torres, Problemista ”, Zendaya, Emma Stone, ”, “ Barbenheimer, ‘ Oppenheimer, Tony Angelotti, Scott Sanders, ” Sanders, Sanders, HBO Max, Pepto, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, moviegoing, Barbie ’, ’ Organizations: SAG, “, ”, Venice Film, Toronto, Warner Bros, HBO Locations: Venice, Toronto

☆ Review: ‘Minx’ Returns, Confident and Fully Exposed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( James Poniewozik | More About James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But this was almost the end of something for “Minx.” HBO Max, which ran the first season in 2022, canceled the show as the second was finishing production, leaving fans holding an empty brown wrapper. Season 1, in which Joyce started Minx with the low-rent pornographer Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson), was a rough ride; its raunchy pop history and sitcommy odd-couple high jinks didn’t completely mesh. But I’d rather watch a show that does an exciting thing inconsistently than one that does a dull thing well. The eight new episodes don’t entirely clean up its freewheeling mess, but they make up for it in verve and enthusiasm. “Minx” is a racy, smart snapshot, and you just have to accept certain blemishes unretouched.

Persons: ” Joyce Prigger, Ophelia Lovibond, “, HBO Max, Joyce, Minx, Doug Renetti, Jake Johnson Organizations: HBO, Starz, verve Locations: America

☆ Goldman Sachs thinks its favorite media stock can rally more than 60% despite Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs sees big gains ahead for Warner Bros. Analyst Brett Feldman said Warner Bros. Companies will likely continue keeping focus on profitability in streaming with subscriber growth likely nonexistent or minimal. He said those execution catalysts are largely within the company's hands, pointing specifically to the fact that Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Brett Feldman, Feldman, Barbie, HBO Max, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Guild of America, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Hollywood, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNN, HBO

☆ The media industry is in turmoil, and that's not changing anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

All of this turmoil will be on investors' minds as the media industry kicks off its earnings season this week, with Netflix up first on Wednesday. Netflix, with a new advertising model and push to stop password sharing, looks the best positioned compared with legacy media giants. At the top of the list is contending with Disney's TV networks, as that part of the business appears to be in a worse state than Iger had imagined. The labor fight blew up just as the industry has moved away from streaming growth at all costs. Last week's ruling from a federal judge that Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard should move forward serves as a rare piece of good news for the media industry.

Persons: Mike Blake, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob Iger's, Michael Nathanson, SVB, CNBC's David Faber, Nathanson, Producers –, Mark Boidman, Ross Benes, Benes, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Solomon, Boidman, Random, Paramount's Simon, Schuster, Tegna, Jason Anderson, Peter Liguori, Anderson, HBO Max, Homer, Marge Getty Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Reuters, Disney, Disney's, Paramount Global, Comcast, Warner Bros, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Media, Solomon Partners, CNBC, Hollywood, Intelligence, ABC, Paramount, BET, NBC Sports, USA, Discovery, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, dealmaking, Microsoft, Tribune Media, Max, HBO, Amazon, MGM, Sky, Fox Corp, FOX Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, MoffettNathanson, Hulu

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