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☆ Big M&A and Bob Iger's future: 13 media executives make their anonymous 2024 predictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-20 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Executive 2: Bob Iger will, again, extend his contract as Disney CEO Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger renewed his contract through 2026. This executive predicted "fool me five times, shame on me." This executive predicted Peltz and Rasulo will win their campaign and both join the board. This person predicted Disney would purchase privately held Candle Media to acquire Moonbug Entertainment, the owner of CoComelon. This executive predicted Yaccarino would either lose patience or find her job increasingly pointless and leave the company in 2024.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, Michael M, David Zaslav, Slaven Vlasic, NBCUniversal, Brian Roberts, Roberts, Donna Langley, Bob Iger, Iger, Nelson Peltz, Jay Rasulo, Marco Bello, Peltz, Rasulo, Disney's, Dana Walden, Dana Walden Jason Laveris, Disney Entertainment Dana Walden, Walden, Bob Chapek, Andrew Wilson, Wilson, Chris Licht wouldn't, McCarthy, Andrew Wilson Michael Newberg, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Jayson Tatum, Kyle Terada, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Alec Martinez, Gray, Discovery's Max, Jeff Zucker, Lady Michelle Obama's, Michelle Obamas, Cheriss, Gerry Cardinale, Jeff Shell, RedBird, Shari Redstone's, David Ellison, Byron Trott, Zucker, Mark Thompson, Linda Yaccarino, X Linda Yaccarino, Vox, Jerod Harris, Yaccarino, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Boorstin, Elon Musk's, Jason LaVeris, Barbie, Mario, Oppenheimer, LightShed's Greenfield Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Times, Santiago, Getty, Jazz, Lincoln Center, Warner Bros ., Comcast, Warner Bros, Discovery, Disney, Trian Fund Management, Future Investment Initiative, Summit, Bloomberg, Filmmagic, Disney Entertainment, Electronic Arts, CNBC, Candle Media, Iger, Media, Moonbug Entertainment, Apple Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, USA, National Basketball Association, NBA, Apple, The College, ESPN, College, NHL, MLB, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Mobile, National Hockey League, Diamond Sports Group, Scripps, Gray Television, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Arizona Coyotes, Phoenix Suns, Street Journal, Netflix, Hulu, Max, Paramount, RedBird, Paramount Global, CNN Worldwide, CNN, NurPhoto, BDT, The Ritz, Carlton, FilmMagic, Mario Bros Locations: New York City, Disney, Miami , Florida, Las Vegas , Nevada, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point , California

NEW YORK (AP) — By airing the fourth Republican presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday — again, minus Donald Trump — the young NewsNation television network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history. A NETWORK STILL SEEKING AN AUDIENCEPolitical Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesThe debate is to air from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and will also be shown on the CW network, which like NewsNation is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. A HIGH-PROFILE DEBATE HEADLINERIn awarding the rights to televise Wednesday's debate, the Republican National Committee chose the debate moderators. Kelly's experience working debates during the 2016 Republican presidential nominating process shot her to fame through her feud with Trump.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Megyn Kelly, ”, Cherie Grzech, NewsNation's, NewsNation, Chris Cuomo, Dan Abrams, Ashleigh Banfield, Leland Vittert, Abrams, Joe Berkowitz, “, cursorily, Chris Stirewalt, Bill Shine, Grzech, haven't, I've, Elizabeth Vargas, Eliana Johnson, Kelly, It's, Kelly hasn't, hasn't, She's, Ron DeSantis, ” Kelly, Nikki Haley's, “ cringy, Chris, Christie, you've, Vivek Ramaswamy's, she's, Tom Jones, ” Jones, Grezch, Trump, ___ David Bauder Organizations: Republican, Nexstar Media Group, CW, WGN America, CNN, ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, Nielsen, Hollywood Reporter, Media, Daily, Fox, Republican National Committee, Washington Free Beacon, Trump, NBC News, Walt Disney Corp, Poynter Institute, Associated Press Locations: Florida

☆ Florida GOP chair defies DeSantis, won’t step down as new details of sexual assault allegation emerge
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Steve Contorno | Carlos Suarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ziegler admitted to having sex with the alleged victim, but said the sex was consensual and that he recorded the encounter. In one alleged exchange on October 27, the alleged victim wrote: “I’m not okay with what happened the other day between us”. “Yeah I know but that was not cool and you didn’t bring her [Bridget] and then did that to me,” the alleged victim responded. In one call, the alleged victim allegedly told Ziegler “he sexually assault her” and Ziegler replied, “Those are big words, please don’t, no I didn’t. Christian Ziegler, 40, has also fiercely defended DeSantis’ agenda against national backlash from LGTBQ groups.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Christian Ziegler, –, ”, Ziegler, Bridget, “, Christian, Christian “, Bridget Ziegler, “ Christian, That’s, Lol, ” Ziegler, Ziegler “, Derek Byrd, ” Byrd, DeSantis, Walt Disney, ” DeSantis, I’ve, They’ve Organizations: CNN, Florida’s Republican Party, Florida Gov, GOP, Sarasota Police Department, Florida Center, Government, Christian, Police, Google, ” CNN, Sarasota County, Liberty, Walt, Washington Examiner Locations: that’s, Florida, Central Florida

☆ Exclusive: Activist investor Blackwells plans Wendy's board challenge -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blackwells, run by Jason Aintabi, plans to nominate several directors to Wendy's 12-member board, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. It made no mention of any plans to challenge the Wendy's board. Wendy's reported adjusted third-quarter earnings per share of 27 cents last month, beating analysts' average estimate of 25 cents. Yet it posted same-restaurant sales growth of 2.8% globally and 2.2% for the United States that were lower than a year ago. In third quarter of 2022, Wendy's had reported global same-restaurant sales growth of 6.9% and U.S. same-restaurant sales growth of 6.4%.

Persons: Burger, Mario Anzuoni, Wendy's, Jason Aintabi, Nelson Peltz, Peter May, Matthew Peltz, Blackwells, Trian, Bob Iger, Peltz, Matthew H, McDonald's, Aintabi, John Foley, Foley, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Chizu Nomiyama, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Trian Fund Management, Walt Disney Co, Disney, Restaurant, International Inc, Burger, Interactive, Svea, Thomson Locations: Monrovia , California, North America, Wendy's, Dublin , Ohio, New York, United States, Rhode Island

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Walmart is the latest company to join the growing flock of major advertisers to pull spending from X, Elon Musk’s beleaguered social media company, amid concerns about hate speech — as well as reaching a sizeable audience on the platform. “We aren’t advertising on X as we’ve found some other platforms better reach our customers,” Walmart said in a statement. Musk said advertisers pulling out are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away. Walmart is joining the Walt Disney Co., IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast and other companies who have decided to stop spending on X. But X's relations with advertisers don't appear to be improving.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Musk, Andrew Ross Sorkin, ”, “, ” Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Joe Benarroch Organizations: FRANCISCO, Walmart, Walt Disney Co, IBM, NBCUniversal, Comcast

☆ Opinion: ‘The Golden Bachelor’ women gave me what I needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Opinion Amy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet I was one of the millions tuning into “The Golden Bachelor” premiere because I wanted to know how they would handle aging. As an older mom, I am fascinated by the media’s portrayal of older women. Consider this: the women of “The Golden Girls” — Blanche, Dorothy and Rose — were in their 50s in 1985, when the show about old women began. “Is anyone watching ‘The Golden Bachelor’ and thinking, ‘maybe I shouldn’t be so scared to get older…. “I feel like as someone in her 20s it’s scary, like how am I going to look when I’m older?

Persons: Amy Klein, “, Amy Klein Mira Zaki, Gerry Turner —, —, it’s, Mary McNamara, Michelle Cottle, They’re, they’re, Xer, I’m, ” Cottle, John Fleenor, Vladimir ”, she’s, frailty, Alice, — Blanche, Dorothy, Rose —, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Manolo Blahnik, ” Charlotte, Galit Nimrod, ”, ” It’s, Gerry, ’, Eva Gutowski, ” Ellen Goltzer, Marina Perera Organizations: CNN, Nation, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Walt Disney Company, Max, verve Locations: Worth

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger says company's movies have been too focused on messaging
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, left, and Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, speak during the Times' annual DealBook Summit in New York City, Nov. 29, 2023. Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said Wednesday he will no longer tolerate his company's partners and creative team prioritizing messaging over storytelling. Iger had been in charge of "creative endeavors" in 2020 and 2021, even while Bob Chapek ran the company as CEO. Disney named two new board members on Wednesday — former Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and former Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch — as it gears up for a potential proxy fight. Current Disney board member Francis A. deSouza won't run for reelection at the annual meeting.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bob Iger, Iger, It's, Disney's, Bob Chapek, Ron DeSantis, Sen, Ted Cruz, it's, I've, Nelson Peltz's, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Jeremy Darroch —, Francis A, deSouza Organizations: New York Times, Walt Disney Company, Times, Disney, Florida Gov, Management, Wednesday, Sky Locations: New York City, New York, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ Nelson Peltz renews proxy fight against Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Activist shareholder Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management has launched a new proxy fight against Disney, just months after backing off from its earlier push after returned chief executive Bob Iger announced a vast cost-cutting plan for the media conglomerate. Trian declined to comment on how many seats it is seeking on Disney’s board, but said in the release that Disney has turned down its request for representation, including for Peltz. Trian’s reignition of its proxy fight comes a day after Disney revealed a shuffle to its board, with Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and former CEO of Sky Jeremy Darroch to join as new directors. Peltz in January launched a bid for a seat on Disney’s board after the company fired Bob Chapek in November 2022. We will be watching,” Peltz said on CNBC shortly after the conclusion of Iger’s TV interview in February, where the chief executive laid out his cost-cutting plan, addressed right-wing criticism of Disney and his decision to return to the company.

Persons: Nelson Peltz’s, Bob Iger, ” Trian, Trian, Trian’s, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Sky Jeremy Darroch, ” “, ” Disney, Peltz, Bob Chapek, Chapek, Iger’s, Iger, “, ” Peltz, Disney, ” Iger, I’ve, ” — CNN’s Oliver Darcy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Management, Disney, Peltz, Sky, Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks, CNBC Locations: New York, Florida

☆ Bob Iger says 'The Marvels' had little 'supervision' and Disney has made too many sequels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger speak during the New York Times annual DealBook summit on November 29, 2023 in New York City. One year after returning to the helm of Disney , Bob Iger said Wednesday his top priority at the company is revitalizing its film studio after a string of box office disappointments including "The Marvels" and "Wish." "The experience of accessing [the films] and watching them in the home is better than it ever was," he told Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times' DealBook Summit. In increasing its output to feed Disney+, Iger said the company "diluted" its quality, particularly when it came to its Marvel Cinematic Universe features. Iger returned as CEO a year ago as the board fired Chapek.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, Bob Iger, Iger, Covid, Bob Chapek Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Times, Disney, The New York Times, Marvel Locations: New York City

☆ After year of ‘fixing things,’ Bob Iger tells Disney employees his plans to reshape the company for the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iger has had nothing short of a full plate since retaking the throne of the Magic Kingdom last year. He’s been tasked with repositioning ESPN in a direct-to-consumer future, reversing the company’s faltering creative engine (e.g. In short, it’s been a demanding 12 months for the legendary Disney chief — something Iger was not shy about. But it is still unclear what Iger would like to do with some of the company’s declining television assets, namely ABC. “I’ve been through some difficult times and faced a lot of adversity as a company,” Iger told Disney employees, “and I know that each time we get through it.”

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger, David Muir, He’s, it’s, ” “, ” Iger, “, I’ve, he’s, Will, Muir, ”, Dana Walden, ” Walden, Jimmy Pitaro, Mickey Mouse, ” Pitaro, Pitaro Organizations: CNN, New Amsterdam Theatre, Disney, “, ABC, Magic, ESPN, Marvel Studios, Hulu, Hollywood, Walt Disney Company, ABC News, Disney Entertainment Locations: New York City, —, Israel

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger says company is ready to start building
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger attends the Nominees Luncheon for the 95th Oscars in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) CEO Bob Iger told employees that he faced a "myriad of challenges" upon returning to the company but remained upbeat about its prospects. "I feel that we’ve just emerged from a period of a lot of fixing to one of building again," Iger said. The meeting marks the one-year anniversary of Iger's first town hall since rejoining the company as chief executive in November 2022. Disney has undergone a transformation under Iger, who restructured the company and streamlined operations to make the business more cost effective.

Persons: Bob Iger, Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, “, ” Iger, I've, Iger, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D’Amaro, Nelson Peltz, Bob Chapek, Scarlett Johansson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Disney, Dawn Chmielewski, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Walt Disney Company, REUTERS, New Amsterdam Theatre, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Walt, New York Times, Disney, Florida Governor, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Iger's, Burbank , California, New York

Neither of the weekend’s top new releases — “Wish” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — could keep up with Lionsgate's “Hunger Games” prequel. With an estimated budget of $200 million, “Napoleon” may still have a long road to reach profitability for Apple, which partnered with Sony to distribute “Napoleon” theatrically. “Wish," at least, is faring better than Disney’s Thanksgiving release last year: 2022's “Strange World" bombed with a five-day $18.9 million opening. Alexander Payne's film starring Paul Giamatti as a boarding school instructor made $3.8 million over the five-day weekend. Ticket sales overall reached $172 million in U.S. and Canada theaters over the five-day holiday weekend, according to Comscore.

Persons: ”, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon ” —, Lionsgate's, Panem, Napoleon ”, Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon, Martin Scorsese’s, “ Napoleon ”, “ Ralph, Coco ”, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Critics weren't, ’, Paul Dergarabedian, We're, “, Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Bradley Cooper's, Maestro ”, Alexander Payne's, Paul Giamatti, Comscore, “ Napoleon, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Rotten, Apple Studios, Apple, Sony, Disney, Marvel, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Amazon, MGM, Netflix, it's, “ Locations: Waterloo, Oxford, Canada

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Nov 20 (Reuters) - "Wish," the new animated musical movie marking Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) 100th anniversary, reaches back to its modest beginnings to inspire future generations. Walt Disney Studios was founded in 1923 in Hollywood, California, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney, making it the world's oldest running animation studio. Disney movies are usually based on classic fairy or folk tales, mixing romance, humor, sadness, high-stakes action and self-discovery. "Not just to wish, but usually sing to their heart's desire, and so I think it's important to this movie obviously. I think it will be important to many Disney movies in the future too."

Persons: Ariana DeBose, Asha, Chris Pine, Roy, Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Walt, Jennifer Lee, Lee, King Magnifico, Roy O, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Richard Chang Organizations: Disney Animation, REUTERS, Walt Disney Co's, Walt Disney Animation, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Kingdom of Rosas, Hollywood , California

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” topped the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters with $44 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is an interesting case study for a franchise that’s been dormant for 8 years and is testing the waters for a new era. Its $44 million from 3,776 locations, including 1,610 premium screens, marks a low for films carrying “The Hunger Games” in the title. With an added $54.5 million from 87 international markets, the film has already earned $98.5 million out of the gates. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” $44 million.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Adam Fogelson, Suzanne Collins, Collins, Coriolanus Snow, Paul Dergarabedian, “, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Eli Roth, Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Michael Fassbender, Taika Waititi, Paul Giamatti, “ Priscilla, Sofia Coppola, Disney's, ” Ridley, Napoleon ”, ” Dergarabedian, Comscore, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: American, Lionsgate, Rotten, SAG, Universal, DreamWorks Animation, Marvel, TriStar Pictures, Spyglass Media, Walt Disney Co, Searchlight Pictures, Toronto Film Locations: Germany, Plymouth , Massachusetts

☆ ESPN's VP of sports betting shares his keys to success for ESPN Bet and an inside look into the partnership with Penn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In other words, ESPN Bet has arrived. The companies announced in August their collaboration, with the operator selling its stake in Barstool Sports to rebrand Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet. Screenshots from the ESPN Bet app. Providing easy transitions between the ESPN and ESPN Bet apps is a key focus to drive that metric, he added. — ESPN BET (@ESPNBet) November 10, 2023The move has given ESPN Bet an advantage on social media with 5.4 million followers on X, 2.7 million on Facebook, and 2.4 million on Instagram.

Persons: It's, Jay Snowden, Mike Morrison, Morrison, Scott Longley, DraftKings, Penn, Snowden, Jimmy Pitaro, Pitaro, I'm, cohesively we've, Keys, Fubo Sportsbook, Maxim Bet, it's Organizations: ESPN Bet, ESPN, Penn Entertainment, Sports, Business, Apple, Caesars, Penn, ESPN Penn, TheScore, Fox, Maxim, Yahoo, Walt Disney Company, ESPN BET, Facebook Locations: Penn, Las Vegas

[1/2] JioCinema and Pokemon logos are pictured in this illustration taken November 15, 2023. Pokemon has spawned a global multi-billion dollar media franchise spanning trading cards, games, TV shows and movies. In total, JioCinema will add around 3,000 hours of children's content, including movies and shows from Entertainment One, Animaccord, Cartoon Network Studios and DreamWorks, the sources said. Some Pokemon content was earlier on Voot, but the new JioCinema deal is a "much larger partnership", one of the sources said. NBCUniversal told Reuters that "kids and family programming", including DreamWorks content, was part of a multi-year partnership with JioCinema announced in May.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mukesh Ambani, Mukesh Ambani's, Ambani, Viacom18, NBCUniversal, JioCinema, Aditya Kalra, Munsif, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Disney, Netflix, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, Pokemon Company, Walt Disney Co, Nintendo, Media Partners, Entertainment, Cartoon Network Studios, Reuters, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ ValueAct Capital builds stake in Disney - 13D Monitor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Activist investor ValueAct Capital has taken a stake in Walt Disney (DIS.N), sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. ValueAct is the second activist investor to arrive at Disney after Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management last month signaled it would be pushing for multiple board seats after having abandoned a proxy fight earlier this year. The new position was first reported by 13D Monitor. Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York and Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, ValueAct, Nelson Peltz's, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Walt Disney, Disney, Management, 13D, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ ValueAct builds stake in Disney, adds drama at home of Mickey Mouse -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. ValueAct and Disney declined to comment. Disney's stock price could trade between $120 and $190 a share, far above its current $94.19 price, ValueAct has suggested, the people said. Unlike other activist investors who noisily push for change through public presentations, ValueAct prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. In January, ValueAct CEO Mason Morfit was invited onto Salesforce's (CRM.N) board at a time the company had at least five activist shareholders.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, ValueAct, Mickey, Nelson Peltz's, Peltz, Shaw, Trian, Mason Morfit, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Dawn Chmielewski, Arsheeya, Arun Koyyur, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, ValueAct, Walt Disney, Disney, 13D Monitor, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Fund Management, Management, Capital Partners, Microsoft, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

NEW YORK (AP) — ESPN Bet, a rebranded sports-gambling app owned by Penn Entertainment, is set to launch Tuesday. Under the agreement, Penn will operate ESPN Bet while ESPN promotes the app across its online and broadcast platforms. It's unclear when ESPN Bet will officially be available to download. In addition to the $1.5 billion licensing deal, Penn also said it would grant ESPN rights worth about $500 million to purchase shares in Penn. The upcoming launch of ESPN Bet could take Walt Disney Co.-owned ESPN into uncharted waters.

Persons: Penn, Dave Portnoy Organizations: ESPN Bet, Penn Entertainment, ESPN, Penn, Sports, Walt Disney Co Locations: — Arizona, Colorado , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky, Louisiana , Maryland , Massachusetts, Michigan , New Jersey , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Penn

☆ Disney’s franchise fatigue taints M&A magic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, attends the premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Los Angeles, California, U.S. December 16, 2019. REUTERS/Phil McCarten Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney’s (DIS.N) load-bearing franchises are cracking. Disney’s Pixar studio delivered its own opening weekend dud with “Elemental.” The Star Wars universe’s latest TV expansion, “Ahsoka,” was panned. Iger’s acquisitions of Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars’ Lucasfilm seemed a master stroke of M&A. A slowdown at his most prized acquisitions raises the stakes on his next M&A decisions at a time of increased scrutiny.

Persons: Robert Iger, Phil McCarten, Walt Disney’s, ”, Bob Iger’s, Iger, Nelson Peltz, Jennifer Saba, Orsted’s, Cameron, Jonathan Guilford, Streisand Neto Organizations: Walt Disney Company, REUTERS, Reuters, Marvel, Variety, Pixar, Disney, Star Wars, Lucasfilm, X, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was also the rare Marvel movie led by three women — Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani. After numerous strike-related delays, the only Marvel movie currently on the studio’s 2024 calendar is “Deadpool 3,” opening July 26. While quite low for a $200 million movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is primarily an awards-season statement by Apple of its growing moviemaking ambitions. "The Marvels,” $47 million.

Persons: Brie Larson, Captain Marvel, ”, aren’t, Marvel ”, David A, Gross, Sony’s, Morbius, Nia DaCosta, — Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Bob Iger, ” Gross, “ Barbie, Larson, Taylor Swift’s, Swift, Sofia Coppola's “ Priscilla, Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla Presley, Jacob Elordi, Martin Scorsese's, Alexander Payne's, Paul Giamatti, Comscore, “ Taylor Swift, “ Priscilla, Jake Coyle Organizations: Marvel, Research Entertainment, Walt Disney Co, Disney, Rotten, Warner Bros, “, Universal Pictures, AMC Theatres, Apple Studios, Paramount Pictures, Apple, Sony's Locations: Bethlehem

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares retreated Friday after rising bond market yields once again weighed on Wall Street, ending a lull in wider swings in prices during a brief respite from market moving data releases. A financial services business of China’s biggest bank, ICBC, said it was it by a ransomware attack that reportedly disrupted trading in the U.S. Treasury market. It was unclear how much of an impact the attack had on Treasury market trading. But it quickly sagged as Treasury yields rose following a report that suggested the U.S. job market remains remarkably solid. Topgolf Callaway Brands was another weight on the market and sank 16.9% despite beating analysts’ expectations for profit during the summer.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Australia’s, Taiwan’s Taiex, Stocks, sagged, Becton Dickinson, Brent Organizations: Investors, U.S . Federal, U.S . Treasury, Commercial Bank of China Financial Services, Treasury, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal, Walt Disney Co, Wall, Topgolf Callaway Brands, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Shanghai, China’s, U.S, York, Bangkok

NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood’s months of labor unrest are coming to an end, but the post-strike landscape that awaits actors and writers may be far from happy-ever-after. That helter-skelter transition threw much of the economics of entertainment out of whack. “Going through that with a streaming service that’s losing billions of dollars is really, really difficult to go on offense.”Cancellations have grown more commonplace as streamers get more selective. Due in part to the strikes, series production will dip for the first time in years in 2023 after reaching an all-time high last year, when 599 original series were made. “And so I think really we will see over the coming days, weeks and months what the industry’s real intentions are.

Persons: —, HBO Max, Max ”, ”, Jonathan Taplin, Crypto, Taplin, Puck’s Matt Belloni, Walt, Bob Iger, ” Iger, I’ve, it’s, Peacock, David Zaslav, Max, ” Zaslav, “, Martin Scorsese’s, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon, ” Duncan Crabtree, Krysta Fauria Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, HBO, Netflix, USC, Innovation Lab, International Alliance, Walt Disney Co, Disney, Comcast, Warner Bros . Discovery, Apple Studios, Associated Press Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles

Hollywood jumped into planning mode Thursday at the news of a tentative agreement between striking actors and the major entertainment companies. Just hours after the tentative agreement was announced, “The Marvels” star Iman Vellani was already being offered to press for interviews. The Walt Disney Co. movie, which cost over $200 million to produce, opens this weekend with showtimes starting as early as Thursday afternoon. Searchlight Pictures also started actively planning things for Michael Fassbender, who stars in Taika Waititi's “Next Goal Wins,” out next week. Brunson’s writing team had already been back in the room, but the strike’s suspension clears the way for filming.

Persons: Hollywood, what's, Iman Vellani, Michael Fassbender, ”, Timothée Chalamet, Wonka ”, Jason Momoa, publicists, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, they’ve, Gavin Newsom, Simu Liu, “ Barbie, ” Lui, “ Bravo, ” Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner, “ Albert Brooks, Max, ” Brooks, ” Octavia Spencer, ” “ Abbott, Quinta Brunson, “ we’re, Justine Bateman, Priscilla ”, “ Ferrari, Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein, “ Maestro, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Jeffrey Wright, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Scorsese’s, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert DeNiro, Alexander Payne’s “, Paul Giamatti, Annette Bening, Jodie Foster Organizations: Walt Disney Co, showtimes, Searchlight Pictures, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, “ SAG, SAG, HBO Locations: California, Venice

☆ Disney Adds 5 Million Streaming Subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Robert A. Iger approaches the first anniversary of his return as chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, he delivered a strong earnings report on Wednesday, telling investors that the company added roughly five million subscribers to its streaming services in the last three months. In a statement, Mr. Iger acknowledged that Disney still had “work to do,” but highlighted the company’s “significant progress” over the last year in reorganizing itself. “These efforts have allowed us to move beyond this period of fixing and begin building our businesses again,” Mr. Iger said. The results, for services including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, could help Disney stave off Nelson Peltz, an activist investor who has been pushing the company to come up with a plan to replace Mr. Iger, improve the profitability of the streaming services and reinstate the company’s dividend. Disney’s stock was up about 4 percent in after-hours trading.

Persons: Robert A, Iger, ” Mr, Nelson Peltz Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Disney, ESPN

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