Writers, actors and producers across Hollywood could be forgiven for thinking they got an early Christmas present in November. After all, Paramount, now under the ownership of David Ellison, committed to upping its content spend by some $1.5 billion next year. Disney followed in short order, revealing Nov.13 plans to pump an extra $1 billion into its content pipeline in...

As video podcasts explode in popularity, two major players are vying for a big stake in the space. In October, Netflix inked a deal with Spotify to feature select podcasts from The Ringer on the platform starting in early 2026. Behind the scenes, the streamer has sent out dozens of requests to agents at WME, UTA and CAA in an...

Production assistants and assistants on Netflixs The Four Seasons are looking to unionize. The group is filing for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board with the goal of joining a union aligned with LiUNA Local 724, the Hollywood laborers group. Production Assistants United, a grassroots organizing movement, is helping organize the group and received a supermajority of...

The Walt Disney Company and ESPN revealed a multiyear deal Tuesday to bring live NBA games to Disney+ in the Philippines, where basketball is widely regarded as the countrys most popular sport. Under the deal, Filipino basketball fans will be able to stream select live NBA games on Disney+, alongside ESPNs acclaimed sports documentaries and live broadcasts of NBA Countdown....

Another major deal for local TV stations may be brewing, with Sinclair Broadcast Group (and its 185 or so local stations) revealing Monday that it is pursuing a deal for E.W. Scripps, which owns some 61 local stations across the country. Sinclair disclosed the talks in an SEC filing, in which it noted that it has acquired more than 8%...

After nearly two weeks, Disneys linear channels will finally return to YouTube TV, after the entertainment giant and the tech giant cut a new carriage deal. This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch, said Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro in...

George Bloom, a former marketing executive at Fox and Disney who spent the past 22 years as a producer and visual effects leader at CBS, has died. He was 68. Bloom suffered a heart attack and died Tuesday at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California, Craig Weiss, his longtime colleague at CBS, announced. He and his...

Streaming momentum, but challenges in other parts of the business that was one of the big-picture takeaways from the latest earnings update from Disney on Nov. 13. The Hollywood conglomerate, led by CEO Bob Iger, also unveiled that it would increase its spending on content next year by $1 billion to a total of $24 billion amid a competitive marketplace....

Amid a split of Warner Bros. Discovery and chatter its fielding bids from would-be buyers, David Zaslavs pay package has been altered to ensure his stock options vest regardless of what happens to the company. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery and Zaslav agreed to amend his stock option agreement, originally entered into in June during a period the company...

Having split from Lionsgate,Starzreleased its third quarter financials on Thursday, with revenue down on a widened net loss. Starz saw overall revenue fall to $321 million, down from a year-earlier revenue at $347 million. The standalone company recorded a widened operating loss at $34.8 million, against a year-earlier operating loss of $17 million. The net loss for the latest quarter...

Hugh Johnston is ready to go 12 rounds maybe 15. The Disney CFO said on CNBC Thursday morning that his company, in the midst of a carriage battle with YouTube TV, is ready to go as long as they want to. Ding, ding. Were in the middle of negotiations right now, Johnston said on the cable business network shortly after...

The Walt Disney Co. plans to increase its spending on content next year by $1 billion to a total of $24 billion, underscoring how the competition for consumer attention remains fierce and expensive. We expect to invest approximately $24 billion in content across Entertainment and Sports in fiscal 2026, an increase of $1 billion compared to the prior year, as...

Streaming continues to become a more potent force on The Walt Disney Co.s balance sheet, as the companys fiscal Q4 earnings report demonstrates. Disney released its latest quarterly earnings early Thursday morning, reporting revenues of $22.5 billion, essentially flat from last year, and segment operating income of $3.5 billion, down 5 percent from a year ago. While Disney is still...