It’s more than evident that awards shows need to play catch up. In a new study released by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, 2019 was a banner year for inclusion among leading characters in popular film. Across the top 100 grossing films of 2019, 31 films had a lead or co-lead from an underrepresented group […]
The social media company, led by CEO Jack Dorsey, posted its first $1 billion revenue quarter, with its stock price rising in pre-market trading. Social media giant Twitter on Thursday reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenues, underpinned by improved growth as its number of daily active users rose 21 percent to reach 152 million, against a […]
Spotify spent around $400 million in 2019 to acquire podcast companies Gimlet, Parcast and Anchor. Spotify is bulking up its podcasting business with a definitive deal to acquire Bill Simmons’ The Ringer, which will add a robust slate of sports and pop culture audio shows to its growing podcasting portfolio. Terms of the deal for […]
As the Writers Guild signals it is “ready for a battle” over streaming revenue, producers are giving early series renewals and extending episode counts in case Hollywood shuts down this summer. In C-suites and writers rooms throughout Hollywood, chatter is growing: Will the Writers Guild of America’s roughly 15,000 members walk out as they did […]
Disney wants to be Netflix, yet the new contracts for stars and producers are causing entertainment lawyers to question which platforms are better for profit participants, writes a top attorney. Profit participation in the TV industry was born in the 1960s, when studios and independent production companies dominated prime time at the three networks. The […]
Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as the joint lead underwriters for the offering. Warner Music Group on Thursday announced that it has submitted paperwork to begin an initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares of common stock to be offered and the price range […]
The studio, led by CEO Jon Feltheimer, beat an analyst forecast for revenues, but fell short on a per-share estimate with its latest financial results. Lionsgate on Thursday swung to a fiscal third-quarter loss on rising revenue, as the Hollywood studio drives into streaming saw its global subscriber base for Starz, Starzplay Arabia and Pantaya […]
“In recent years, Apple has introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience — essentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said. Streaming music giant Spotify has filed an anti-competition complaint against […]
Hundreds of pink slips are coming for “duplicative administrative functions” in AT&T’s entertainment empire, and CEO John Stankey and TV chief Bob Greenblatt risk eroding “distinctive” individual brands like HBO and Turner in the process. When President Trump passed a tax-reform bill in December that lowered the corporate rate, AT&T celebrated by issuing $1,000 bonuses […]
During the recent reality television boom, small-time producers that were once “the Rodney Dangerfields” of Hollywood sold their companies for hundreds of millions. Now many are looking for second acts, and for ‘Pawn Stars’ creator Brent Montgomery, that involves a high-stakes “VC to TV” business, Jimmy Kimmel and an invite-only L.A. “incubator” (just don’t call […]
