media industry

Judge freezes Paramount’s $111B Warner Bros. merger

A federal judge on Monday froze Paramount Skydance's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, granting a temporary restraining order that prevents the companies from closing the deal for at least 14 days.

Judge temporarily blocks Paramount’s $110B Warner Bros. deal

A federal judge has temporarily halted Paramount Skydance's approximately $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, issuing a temporary restraining order after a coalition of 12 state attorneys general argued the deal would substantially reduce competition in the entertainment industry.

UK signals intervention in Paramount’s $110B Warner Bros. deal

British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said on Tuesday she is "minded to intervene" in Paramount Skydance Corp's proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, raising the prospect of a formal regulatory review that could delay one of the largest…

Banijay and All3Media merge to form $6.6B production giant

French media giant Banijay Group announced Monday it will merge its television production business with UK-based All3Media, creating one of the world's largest independent content companies with combined annual revenues exceeding $6.6 billion. The deal unites the makers of Big…

Warner Bros. CEO Zaslav pitches Netflix deal to European regulators

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav embarked on a regulatory charm offensive across Europe this week, meeting with officials in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom to address concerns about the media company's pending $83 billion acquisition by Netflix…

Apple TV hits 45 million subscribers despite price hikes

Apple TV has "significantly more" than 45 million subscribers, the company's services chief revealed this week, marking a major milestone for the tech giant's streaming service despite three price increases in six years.

Apple drops ‘Plus’ from TV+ streaming service name

Apple quietly announced Monday that its Apple TV+ streaming service is being rebranded as simply "Apple TV," marking the platform's first name change since launching in November 2019. The tech giant buried the announcement in a press release about "F1:…

Fifth Season co-CEO Rice to step down after Emmy record

Chris Rice announced his departure as co-CEO of Fifth Season, ending a 15-year partnership that transformed a small talent agency division into one of television's most celebrated independent studios. Rice will step down at year's end when his contract expires,…

MSNBC partners with Sky News ahead of split from NBC

MSNBC announced a multi-year distribution agreement with Sky News today, positioning the cable network to expand its international coverage as it prepares to operate independently from NBC News and rebrand as MS NOW. The partnership, set to begin October 1,…

Netflix hires BBC’s Irtizaali to lead UK unscripted series

Netflix has recruited Syeda Irtizaali, the former interim director of unscripted programming at the BBC, to spearhead its UK and Ireland unscripted series slate. Irtizaali will join Vice President of Content Anne Mensah's commissioning team, filling a crucial role that…

Paramount’s new CEO explores plan to revive MTV

David Ellison PSKY, the newly installed CEO of Paramount following his company's $8.4 billion merger with the entertainment conglomerate, is actively exploring strategies to revive MTV and restore the network's cultural influence as a music tastemaker, according to industry sources…

New book reveals Condé Nast’s excessive golden age

A new book chronicles the rise and fall of one of America's most influential media empires, arriving at a moment when Condé Nast faces continued upheaval in the digital age. Michael M. Grynbaum's "Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast,…