Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sees generative artificial intelligence tools expanding creativity when making movies and TV series beyond only cutting costs. We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper, Sarandos told financial analysts on Thursday after his company delivered its second quarter financial results. So this is real...

A tax credit program that helped fuel Broadways recovery has run out of money. Starting in 2021, NYC Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit allowed commercial productions to subsidize 25 percent of their production costs, totaling up to $3 million per Broadway production or up to $350,000 per Off-Broadway production. The $400 million program, which was expected to last through...

Imax has renewed CEO Richard Gelfonds contract through 2028. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Imax said the latest amendment to his existing employment agreement extends his contract to Dec. 31, 2028. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Gelfond will continue to receive an annual base salary of $1.2 million and be eligible to receive a target annual bonus of 100 percent...

Erin Westerman has been formally named president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, replacing Nathan Kahane after he recently announced plans to step down by the end of the year. Kahanes pending move back to film producing opened the way for Westerman, most recently president of production and development, to take over all studio production under Motion Picture Group chair...

Netflix continues to chug along, growing its revenue and profit margins even as its competitors struggle to keep their streaming services profitable. Netflix reported total revenues of $11.1 billion, operating income of $3.8 billion and a margin of 34.1 percent, all up double digits from a year ago, and all topping Wall Street estimates. Q2 is the second quarter in...

Skip Brittenham, the forthright Hollywood attorney and power broker who represented A-listers from all corners of the industry, from Kevin Feige, Harvey Weinstein and Toby Emmerich to Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Eddie Murphy, died Monday. He was 82. Everyone in our industry knew of Skips legal prowess, Ziffren Brittenham, which he founded in December 1978, said in a statement....

Amazon will not have to facea lawsuitaccusing it of misleading Prime subscribers by charging an additional fee to stream movies and TV shows without ads. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the addition of commercials dont constitute a price increase but rather a modification to the subscription package. Amazon disclosed in its terms that...

In a major deal, Fox Sports is linking up with the digital media company Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy, in what Portnoy calls a wide-ranging deal. Portnoy hosted an emergency press conference Thursday (he usually hosts them when discussing news about himself or his company), revealing that Barstool would be teaming with Fox on the effort, while pushing...

CNBC has hired an editor-in-chief, creating a new role meant to unify its TV, digital and direct-to-consumer reporting under the leadership of one person. CNBCs first EIC is David Cho, most recently the editor-in-chief of Barrons and head of editorial content for Dow Jones wealth and investing. Before that he spent two decades at The Washington Post. Cho starts next...

Veteran media executive Peter Liguori has been named CEO of the advertising technology and measurement firm VideoAmp. Liguori, who had been executive chairman of the company and a member of its board, will join presidentTony Fagan,chief product officer Josh Hudgins,CFO Paul RossandCMO Jenny Wallin leading its day-to-day operations. Liguori has held senior roles at a number of top entertainment companies,...

Substack has raised $100 million in funding as the newsletter platform continues to position itself as a place for journalists and creators to retain independence. The funding, which is the companys series C round, was led by investors at technology investment firm BOND and Peter Chernins The Chernin Group. Other participants include VC firm Andreessen Horowitz; Rich Paul, CEO and...

On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney officially opened the gates to Disneyland, turning what had been 160 acres of orange groves and farmland in Anaheim, California into a fully immersive theme park and resort, unlike anything that had existed before. The Disneyland Resort has changed a lot since then. Rides and attractions have been added and torn down. New lands...

NBCUniversal will pay $3.6 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of failing to provide users an easy mechanism to cancel automatically renewing Peacock subscriptions. As part of the deal, Peacock must give users a simple cancellation mechanisms to immediately halt all recurring charges and get their consent to convert auto-renewals and free trials to paid enrollments, among other things....