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☆ ‘Yellowstone,’ TV’s Hit Western, Will End Its Run After This Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The current season of “Yellowstone,” the Western starring Kevin Costner that became one of the most popular shows on television, will be its last, Paramount announced Friday. The series, which airs on the Paramount Network, will be followed by a new “Yellowstone” sequel — created, like the original, by Taylor Sheridan — that will start in December, Paramount said. The sequel will air on the Paramount Network, a cable channel, and later on the Paramount+ streaming platform. Its Season 4 finale was the most-watched scripted program in 2022, Variety reported, with more than 13 million viewers. And the Season 5 premiere last November exceeded that with more than 17 million viewers, according to Paramount.

☆ ‘Yellowjackets’: How Sophie Nélisse Managed That Harrowing Birth Scene
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kalia Richardson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Season 2 of “Yellowjackets.”Sophie Nélisse keeps a close eye on what she eats. When picking out a restaurant for her 23rd birthday dinner last month, she opted for an Italian spot in Montreal that specializes in naturally leavened pizza, pies without commercial yeast. She shops at Erewhon, the trendy health food store, when she is in Los Angeles. “I’ve been eating clean,” she said in a recent video call from her home in Montreal. In the Season 2 premiere, her character, the teenage version of Shauna, snacks on her dead best friend Jackie’s ear.

☆ Paramount Posts Earnings Loss on $1.7 Billion Charge, Cuts Dividend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Paramount and other streaming companies have been working to rein in costs. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg NewsParamount Global posted a steep loss in the first quarter, weighed down by nearly $1.7 billion in charges tied to its plan to remove certain programming as it combines its Showtime streaming service with its Paramount+ platform. The New York-based media company also slashed its dividend for the first time in over a decade as it continues to pour cash into its money-losing streaming division.

May 4 (Reuters) - Paramount Global Inc (PARA.O) missed first-quarter revenue estimates on Thursday amid a weak advertising market in its TV business and cut its dividend. The company incurred a $1.7 billion charge in connection with its plan to integrate Showtime into its Paramount+ streaming service and remove certain programming. Paramount Global said its dividend cut to 5 cents per share will result in approximately $500 million in annualized cash savings. Paramount+, the company's flagship streaming platform, added 4.1 million subscribers during the quarter, compared with 9.9 million in the preceding quarter. Sales for its TV media segment declined by 8% from a year earlier and advertising revenue fell by 11%.

☆ Paramount Global shares fall 17% premarket after revenue, earnings miss estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global fell as much as 17% premarket after it reported earnings and revenue that missed analyst estimates and cut its quarterly dividend. Paramount Global's traditional TV revenue, which consists of CBS and its cable networks such as MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, dropped 8% in the quarter to $5.2 billion. Media companies are struggling to replace traditional TV revenue, as customers cancel each quarter, with streaming revenue as they build out direct-to-consumer businesses. This year will represent peak losses for Paramount Global's streaming business, Bakish said. Streaming revenue from Paramount+ and Pluto TV, the company's free advertising-supported service, rose 39% to $1.5 billion.

☆ Tucker Carlson was ousted from Fox News after a decade-plus career with the network. Here are 7 other high-profile departures in recent years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jake Lahut | Oma Seddiq | Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Fox News has seen a cascade of departures in past years, many of which amid sexual-harassment allegations. High-profile host Tucker Carlson was abruptly ousted earlier this week after more than a decade with the network. Before Carlson was dropped from the network, several prominent hosts and executives have been terminated or left the network in recent years, with sexual misconduct a recurring theme. The 2019 movie "Bombshell" and Showtime series "The Loudest Voice" both focused on the reckoning over rampant sexual misconduct that hit the network in 2016 and 2017, leading to a slew of departures. Here are eight of the most notable departures from Fox in past years:

☆ Morgan Wallen fans upset about abrupt concert cancellation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Morgan Wallen is taking vocal rest and canceling tour dates after losing his voice. The country star, who is just 11 dates into his seven-month global tour, told fans that he spoke to his doctor and has been told he is unable to sing. “After last night’s show I started losing my voice so I spent the day resting up, talking to my doctor and working through my vocal exercises trying to get better. Instead, ticketholders were greeted with an announcement on a screen near the stage reading: “Ladies & Gentlemen, Unfortunately Morgan has lost his voice and is unable to perform tonight – therefore tonight’s show has been cancelled. Refunds for tonight’s event will be available at point of purchase.”Wallen is scheduled to perform next on April 27 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

☆ 'L Word' TV show cast visit White House to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre hugs co-creator of the Showtime's TV show The L Word Ilene Chaiken as cast member Leisha Hailey speaks about LGBTQIA rights to draw attention to Lesbian Visibility Week during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The cast of American TV show "The L Word: Generation Q" visited the White House Tuesday to mark Lesbian Visibility Week, touting the role the long-running show has played for gay women and girls across the country. Shows like "The L Word" that tell LGBTQ stories help "save precious lives," she said, adding the show made her feel less alone as she grew up. Ilene Chaiken, who created "The L Word" in 2004, said she was delighted the show had lived on and was now speaking to a new generation. We're here today at the White House, and we won't be erased," she said.

☆ I'm a full-time male stripper who makes up to $4,000 a week performing around Australia. Fans have asked me some wild things, but this really is my passion.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jaxon Human is a full-time male stripper who works for Magic Men Australia. I'm a male entertainer with Magic Men Australia. In 2012, I started my journey as a male stripper with Magic Men Australia, and I'm now a full-time stripper. I applied for Magic Men Australia when I was 18Human performing. My shifts at Magic Men Australia varyThe typical length of a shift varies because of many factors.

☆ Hollywood writers hold strike vote Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Writers Guild of America is set to hold a strike authorization vote on Tuesday. “The studios need to respond to the crisis writers face,” WGA leadership said in a message to members ahead of the vote. The last writers’ strike was in 2007 and lasted 100 days, bringing Hollywood production to a screeching halt. The WGA-AMPTP negotiation is the first of three contract negotiations with entertainment unions. The Screen Actors Guild contract also expires June 30.

☆ Blockbuster pushed HBO to start investing in original content, cable giant's ex-chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

What's less known is it was also the catalyst for HBO's pivot toward original programming, according to former HBO and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes. HBO, at the time led by Michael Fuchs, decided the answer was original programming. Source: HBO | YouTubeEven after "The Sopranos" debuted, HBO still faced a dilemma over how much to invest in original shows. HBO's TV schedule was always shifting, based on the length of feature films. Had HBO's early investments in original programming not hit, Bewkes acknowledged he's not sure what HBO would have done to fight off Blockbuster.

"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is now available to watch in theaters. How to watch 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves'"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is now playing exclusively in theaters. "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is a Paramount movie, so it's expected to stream on Paramount Plus sometime after its exclusive theatrical window. If "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" follows this release strategy, it could hit Paramount Plus on May 15 at the earliest. "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is based on the popular fantasy roleplaying game, "Dungeons & Dragons," which was first published in 1974.

☆ ‘The Big Con’ Review: The Conquering Consultants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Barton Swaim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The big management-consulting companies practically ask to be hated. They are famously awash in money paid to them by governments and giant corporations, they are staffed and run largely by graduates of elite universities, and nobody seems to know what they do. The political left, it’s fair to say, is more ambivalent about consultancies. On the one hand, the Ivy Leaguers who do so much of these firms’ work tend strongly leftward in politics. And of course consultancies frequently contract with governments to generate exactly the sort of tidy, “data driven” solutions knowledge-class liberals and progressives find persuasive.

☆ Showtime! Behind the scenes at the Oscars: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Follow on Apple, Google or Spotify. Read the episode transcript. We take you inside Tinseltown for Hollywood’s night of nights. Indie movies and Ireland’s huge haul of nominations. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" is now available to stream with a Showtime membership. The Oscar-nominated movie stars Michelle Yeoh as a laundromat owner who jumps across the multiverse. You can also buy film to watch at home from digital retailers like Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu. How to watch 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'""Everything Everywhere All at Once" is now available to watch at home with a Showtime subscription. Once you've made your digital purchase, you can stream the film as many times as you like with no restrictions.

☆ Paramount Global considers selling majority stake of BET Media Group, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount Global is considering selling a majority stake of BET Media Group, the owner of the BET cable network and studio, VH1, and the streaming service BET+, according to people familiar with the matter. While other assets at Paramount Global are closely intertwined with its flagship streaming service Paramount+, BET has its own streaming service, its own ad sales team, and an investment from actor and producer Tyler Perry. Selling a majority stake in BET Group would allow Paramount Global to get added capital to spend on programming for Paramount+ and Pluto TV, its free ad-supported streaming service. Paramount moved VH1 into BET Media Group in October. BET Media Group is run by BET CEO Scott Mills.

☆ Paramount Turned Down $3 Billion-Plus Offer for Showtime From Former Executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Paramount Global executive David Nevins offered to buy Showtime for more than $3 billion in recent weeks but was turned down by Paramount executives, according to people familiar with the situation. Mr. Nevins’s approach, which was backed by private-equity firm General Atlantic, was the latest in a number of offers Paramount has received over the past few years for Showtime, people familiar with the matter said. Other suitors included Mark Greenberg, another former Showtime executive who most recently ran the premium network Epix, and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., some of the people said.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount over 'South Park' streaming rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros. Discovery sued Paramount Global looking to enforce the streaming rights of "South Park," setting the stage for a legal battle between two media behemoths as the streaming wars intensify. Discovery filed a lawsuit against Paramount, South Park Digital Studios and MTV Entertainment seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for what it believes was a breach of contract. During the bidding process for the "South Park" rights, the filing said, Paramount allegedly asked whether Warner Bros. Discovery plans to launch a combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service this spring.

☆ Paramount to Raise Paramount+ Prices as It Combines With Showtime
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Will Feuer | Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Paramount Global said it would raise the price of its Paramount+ streaming service later this year, as mounting losses from its streaming business ate into the entertainment company’s quarterly profits. Paramount+ gained 9.9 million subscribers in the fourth quarter, boosting its customer base to nearly 56 million, the company said Thursday. Paramount credited the National Football League, the expansion of franchises like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “1923,” a spinoff of “Yellowstone,” and new shows like “Tulsa King” for driving subscriber growth.

☆ Paramount takes a knock from ad slump as streaming shines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in the media company fell about 8% before the bell. TV advertising revenue fell 7% in the three months to December, despite a lift from political advertising on the back of U.S. mid-term elections in November. The company last month said it would integrate Showtime, known for popular shows, including "Billions," "Yellowjackets" and "Dexter", with Paramount+ across platforms later this year as it prioritizes streaming services. Operating losses in the company's direct-to-consumer unit, which houses its streaming services like Paramount+ and PlutoTV, rose to $575 million from $502 million. Investors have focused on the service as the company has outlined plans to spend aggressively on content to fend off competition.

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☆ Paramount+ plans price increases as it hits 56 million subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Paramount+ streaming service is now available in Germany. Paramount Global said it saw its streaming business grow during the fourth quarter, and announced plans to increase prices for Paramount+ this year. Paramount+ added 9.9 million subscribers during the fourth quarter. In total, Paramount+ reached nearly 56 million customers during the fourth quarter. Overall, Paramount fourth quarter revenue declined 7% compared with last year, to roughly $5.9 billion, due to the drop in advertising.

☆ A High-Five Sent ‘Your Honor’ Star Michael Stuhlbarg on to Juilliard and an Acting Career
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Michael Stuhlbarg, 54, is an actor who starred in the films “A Serious Man,” “Call Me by Your Name” and “The Shape of Water,” and in TV’s “Dopesick.” He currently co-stars in the Showtime series “Your Honor.” He spoke with Marc Myers. If my parents were unsure about my passion for acting when I was growing up, they kept it to themselves. I only learned about their mild apprehension years later, in an anecdote told to their friends.

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☆ How Paramount+ is punching above its weight with Stallone, Showtime, and reinvented library shows like CBS' 'Criminal Minds' and MTV's 'Teen Wolf'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold. "The shows with rich, deep libraries are the ones that get a lot of consumption," said Paramount+ streaming chief Tanya Giles. But Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold — rebranding both the Showtime cable network and the streamer as Paramount+ With Showtime. Paramount+ is also building upon its library with originals: The streamer recently revived "Criminal Minds," which aired on CBS for 15 seasons. In anticipation of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," viewership of the original CBS "Criminal Minds" jumped 46%, a Paramount+ spokeperson shared with Insider.

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