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☆ 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

☆ Desperate for streaming profits, media giants look to a soft ad market for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(AP Photo/Universal Pictures) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures/Tippett StudioAfter spending years amassing streaming subscribers at great cost, media companies now need to make some profits. Look no further for proof of that than the most recent annual Upfronts, the events where media companies like Fox Corp ., Warner Bros. During Disney's earnings call earlier this month, CEO Bob Iger put new emphasis on ad-supported streaming. 'We need ads'There's been an uptick of consumers signing up for ad-supported streaming subscriptions. But media companies are struggling with the question of whether ad-tier subscriptions make up for other losses.

☆ Americans are sharing their paychecks on TikTok and the Chinese are sharing their savings accounts on Weibo, but their point is the same: Everyone's broke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lina Batarags | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's Gen Z is broke. And America's Gen Z is in rough shape financially too, though not as bad as US millennials. They're sharing photos of savings accounts on Weibo and paychecks on TikTok, respectively, to prove it. Rather than sharing screenshots of their bank accounts, TikTok users in the US are dishing on details of their weekly paychecks, including itemized breakdowns of where every dollar goes. And unemployment rates among China's Gen Z are at a record high; the generation has been dubbed China's "unluckiest generation."

☆ When will an RSV vaccine be available?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for adults 60 and older. Could the vaccine be available this winter, and how can people access it? The RSV vaccine specifically targets RSV. However, there is an RSV vaccine being developed by the drug company Pfizer that is being tested in pregnant women for the purpose of conveying protection to the infant. However, the FDA may not make a decision on when to make the vaccine available for pregnant people until this summer.

☆ 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.

☆ Fact Check- Image does not show ‘last Neanderthal giant’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A fabricated image of a giant man towering above a crowd of people is being shared alongside false claims that it shows the “last Neanderthal giant”, but the image was likely generated using artificial intelligence, experts said. A Facebook post sharing the image states: “This is the last know human Giant Neanderthal!” and adds that Neanderthals “died out” thousands of years ago, so “no Neanderthal's DNA is found in modern times” (here). Contrary to the online claims, Neanderthal DNA has been extracted from these skeletal remains and analysed extensively. The earliest version of the image of a purported “Neanderthal giant” that Reuters could find appears on the official subreddit for Midjourney, an AI-based system that generates images based on text prompts entered by users (bit.ly/423OozQ). The image does not show the last Neanderthal giant, it is likely AI-generated.

☆ 'Succession' fans are reading into which characters use an iPhone or an Android, and think it could hint at how the show will end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Fans are looking for easter eggs in "Succession" protagonists' clothing and accessories. Apple has been said to not want on-screen villains using iPhones, sparking theories about Tom's Android. Fans are dissecting the tiniest details from the show for hints about how the series will end. On the HBO show "Succession," where the fortunes of protagonists can shift every episode, fans are looking everywhere — in wardrobe choices and in accessories — for clues about their favorite characters' ultimate fates. Fans have also been reading into Kendall's moments in water — in a bathtub, pool, or the open water — for signs of what's next for Logan's "number one boy."

☆ Napoli’s Serie A title win: From Maradona and financial bankruptcy to Scudetto
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Diego Maradona battles dribbles against Ruud Gullit of AC Milan in the Serie A in 1988. With Maradona’s arrival came a level of success Napoli had previously never seen, culminating in a 1987 title victory; the club’s first ever Scudetto. When Napoli won its first Serie A title in 1987, the Gentleman Ultra website notes: “In the city, mock funerals were held for Juventus. The dark yearsA year after the 1990 title success, the Napoli team began to unwind with players departing, leading to a drop in performances. Napoli fans celebrate the team's Serie A title victory on the streets of Naples.

☆ Russia's National Bank Trust sues commodity traders for over $1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Russian bank National Bank Trust said it had filed a lawsuit in the British Virgin Islands against a number of major commodity traders and was seeking over $1 billion in relation to what it said was fraud. The case is linked to the central bank's 2017 bailout of two private banks - Rost Bank and B&N Bank (Binbank). National Bank Trust is the legal successor to Rost Bank, which it says was defrauded by employees working for the commodity traders. A Bank Trust spokesperson said its international legal teams had carried out a large-scale investigation and it had extensive evidence to support its case. The central bank aims to liquidate Bank Trust in 2027.

☆ Analysis: Napoli revive memories of Maradona with Serie A title win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tommy Lund | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Napoli clinched the Serie A title on Thursday with five games to spare as they ended a 33-year drought stretching back to when Diego Maradona led them to the Scudetto in 1990. At the start of the season it would have been difficult to envisage Napoli becoming champions ahead of heavyweights such as Juventus and the two Milan clubs not to mention AS Roma. But after an exceptional transfer window and with Luciano Spalletti at the helm, Napoli dominated the title race while their main rivals all suffered slumps during the season. CONTENDERS FALTERAs Napoli surged ahead, suffering just one loss by the end of February, the other title contenders withered away as injuries plagued their squads. But Maurizio Sarri's side could only watch as Napoli became the fourth different team to win Serie A in as many years.

In Shanghai, over seven million tourists arrived in the city for the weekend, according to Shanghai Travel Data. Also known as the May Day holiday, the Labor Day break is one of three major annual holidays in China. Tourists visit Nanjing Confucius Temple ahead of the May Day holiday on April 27, 2023 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. Visitors walk past the Casino Lisboa, operated by SJM Holdings, during Labour Day holiday in Macau, China, April 30, 2023. “The unscrupulous practice of these bed-and-breakfasts is ugly,” said an opinion piece posted on the social media platform by state media People’s Daily.

☆ How a writers’ strike might affect your favorite TV shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

If production does come to a halt due to a writers’ strike, here’s where audiences may see an impact. Likewise, for variety shows such as “Saturday Night Live.”If past is precedent, you will see reruns in place of live shows. Programs like “Big Brother,” and “Celebrity Apprentice” helped to fill the gap of scripted shows whose productions paused during the strike. Andrew Cooper/NetflixMany shows on both linear and streaming platforms work far enough ahead that new episodes are already written. Some platforms, like Netflix, have promised they’ll be able to offer new TV shows and movies for quite some time.

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies Reliance's JioCinema to lock horns with Netflix, DisneyWarner deal to boost English content, local content in focus tooExecutives say Warner deal will boost Reliance streaming plansJioCinema content quality key to beat rivals, analyst saysMUMBAI, April 28 (Reuters) - The video streaming business of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest person, is likely to focus on pricing and local content following a deal with Warner Bros as it seeks to challenge the likes of Disney and Netflix, industry sources said. While Netflix and other rivals boast of content specially created for the India audience, JioCinema's current free offerings largely include old Hindi and local language movies. The big challenge is lack of fresh local and global content on JioCinema, something that will be become even more critical as the IPL season ends next month. They have also diversified into regional local language content. The only way to scale up is to really differentiate your content and make sure execution is right," he said.

Peter Pan & Wendy, the newest live action spin on the classic story of Never Land, is now streaming on Disney Plus. Barrie, Peter Pan & Wendy follows the three Darling children on a journey to the magical Never Land with the help of Peter Pan. Lowery also serves as co-writer of the screenplay for Peter Pan & Wendy, alongside Toby Halbrooks. How to watch Peter Pan & WendyYou can watch Peter Pan & Wendy at home worldwide with a Disney Plus subscription. Watch the trailer for Peter Pan & WendyWhat other Peter Pan movies can I watch?

☆ How HBO and Netflix have evolved away from each other in the past decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Discovery decided to remove HBO from the name of its flagship Max streaming service to protect the HBO brand from becoming ... Netflix. "HBO is HBO. In a not-so-subtle shot at Netflix, HBO CEO Casey Bloys touted Max by highlighting its brand strength. Under the ownership of AT&T, then-WarnerMedia CEO (and now AT&T CEO) John Stankey appeared comfortable leaning on the HBO brand to challenge Netflix. This was the driving force behind making HBO Max — combining HBO's programming with other original content and library programming from the WarnerMedia catalog.

☆ Why Michael Bloomberg is the keeper of the keys on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bloomberg deals in data — via its ubiquitous terminal — which serves as the lifeblood of Wall Street. (A funny nugget from the FT story: Bloomberg is not part of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In many ways, the Bloomberg terminal is the cockroach of Wall Street. Tiger Global's down bad. Here's more on Tiger Global's unique approach to investing in startups and why it backfired.

☆ We mapped out the 113 most powerful people at Warner Bros. Discovery after a blockbuster merger and a tumultuous year of layoffs and cuts under CEO David Zaslav
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | Taylor Tyson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is focused on rebuilding but faces economic headwinds and an advertising 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.

☆ In renaming 'HBO Max,' Warner Bros. Discovery hedges its bets in streaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled its new streaming service Wednesday, featuring a combination of programming from HBO Max and Discovery+. Discovery logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and in the background, the HBO Max and Discovery Plus logos. Those who want HBO already know where to find it, and HBO Max will simply morph into Max on most platforms. Warner Bros.

☆ They dated as teenagers. 40 years later, she decided to go on vacation with him
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Our hallways in this school, they were outside, and so there’s this beam of sunlight shining down on her,” recalls Bo. “I’d say, ‘Come to my window and I’ll talk to you through the window,’” recalls Beverly. The former flames, now both 60, received invites to their 40th high school reunion, taking place at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. A high school reunionBo and Beverly reunited at a high school reunion and got to know one another on a subsequent sailing vacation. It was “literally a shack of driftwood and washed up lumber slapped together haphazardly on a remote beach,” recalls Bo.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery reveals pricing, promotion, and content details of its new streamer, Max, as it aims to take on Netflix and fire up Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Called Max, the app will feature content from HBO Max and Discovery+. Discovery announced the details of its new streaming app on Wednesday, after much anticipation from Hollywood and Madison Avenue. The prices will stay the same for HBO Max subscribers, who will begin to be automatically ported over to the new service. Presenting the entire WBD content catalog on the combined streamer without diluting HBO's prestige factor was another challenge. HBO Max has greater recognition with younger consumers, according to a new Samba TV/HarrisX poll, which could help grow awareness for Discovery+.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

"It cannot be that financial institutions are doing well because they treat their customers badly," Chan-Jae Yoo, a BaFin official, said in an interview. Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft, an umbrella organisation that lobbies for German finance, said German banks are "extremely stable and robust" and confidence remains "high" and "unaffected" by recent turmoil stemming from the collapse of lenders in the United States and Switzerland. "The mere fact that consumers are increasingly asking us and seeking our advice is proof enough that they do not fully trust financial institutions," he said. Protections and rights for customers of financial institutions have come under increased scrutiny from regulators and the German courts. "We want services to establish themselves in the marketplace that meet consumer needs, not feed the financial industry," he said.

☆ Expedia Group launches in-app feature powered by ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - Online travel booking company Expedia Group Inc (EXPE.O) said on Tuesday it launched an in-app feature powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT for users to start conversations and receive hotel, flight and destination recommendations. Expedia and Booking Holdings Inc's (BKNG.O) Kayak are among the first travel companies to integrate generative artificial intelligence with travel search as the industry seeks ways to make travel planning easier. The Vrbo and Hotels.com operator said the feature will also automatically save recommendations. “We can now offer travelers an even more intuitive way to build their perfect trip,” said Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern. Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New YorkOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oscar Pistorius: from 'Blade Runner' hero to convicted murderer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JOHANNESBURG, March 31 (Reuters) - Oscar Pistorius, known as the "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, went from public hero as a Paralympic champion to a convicted murderer in hearings that drew worldwide attention nearly a decade ago. 2004 - Running on carbon-fibre prosthetics which earn him the nickname "Blade Runner", Pistorius becomes a Paralympic gold medallist when he wins the 200 metres in Athens. 2008 - Pistorius wins three golds at the Paralympics in Beijing. 2014 - Sept. 12 - A high court judge convicts Pistorius of culpable homicide, letting him off the more serious charge of murder. Aug. 19 - South Africa's justice minister blocks Pistorius' expected release on parole after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence.

[1/5] A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - Britain and Japan are set to dominate a three-nation project with Italy to build an advanced jet fighter, with Rome set to pay around only a fifth of the overall development cost, two sources said. "The cost of the project will likely be around 40% each for Japan and Britain," one of the people with knowledge of discussions told Reuters. Japan's defence ministry said that discussions were ongoing and declined to comment on the cost sharing ratios. Details of which companies will build what components are being hammered out in regular talks between more junior government officials and contractors in Britain, Japan and Italy, the sources said.

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