In a surprise move, The Walt Disney Co. and the cable giant Charter have inked a new deal that expands their landmark 2023 carriage agreement to bring Hulu to Spectrum TV customers, while returning eight linear cable channels that had been pulled from its lineup. Back in 2023, Disneys channels (including ESPN and ABC) went dark for Spectrum customers as...

In the original 1996 Happy Gilmore film, Adam Sandlers title character learns to love the sub. In a memorable scene that begins inside a Subway restaurant and ends with Gilmore in a TV commercial teeing a sub into a fans mouth, the food brand was front and center. So it is fitting that Subway is returning for Happy Gilmore 2,...

In a wide-ranging conversation at the APOS summit in Bali on Wednesday, senior regional executives from Amazon laid out their vision for the companys twin-pronged streaming strategy in India, where the tech giant operates both the subscription-based Prime Video platform and the ad-supported service Amazon MX Player. The dual-service approach, they argued, is key to capturing Indias vast and varied...

Follow the money and follow the audience and its needs in the streaming age. That was one point that television industry leaders agreed on in Central and Eastern Europe at this weeks NATPE Budapest, even if their specific strategies may differ. We are following people wherever they watch whether its linear, paid streaming or free streaming, Levente Mlnay, the Hungary-based...

In most circumstances, its illegal for companies to use copyright-protected material to train their AI systems without permission or payment, a court said, while finding that a lawsuit from Sarah Silverman against Meta doesnt present one of those cases. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria on Wednesday sided with Meta on the novel legal question of whether AI companies are covered...

Media businessman Byron Allen recalled a childhood spent wandering studios at NBC. The 64-year-old shared the anecdote recently at the CAA Amplify 2025 Summit, diving into his childhood. My mother got pregnant with me when she was 16 years old and she had me 17 days after her 17th birthday, Allen told the crowd. [It was] April of 61, so...

Matt Damon and David Beckham are bringing back their Super Bowl characters David Dave for a new extension of Stella Artois brand campaign. The new campaign is called The Collection, with the beer brand releasing limited edition beer chalices, one based on each state (50 States of Stella). In the new spot, Dave Beckham (played by Matt Damon) shows off...

CAA has signed business analyst, writer and podcast host Ed Elson. Elson is the co-host of the Prof G Markets podcast with Scott Galloway, in which the pair dissect the news impacting global capital markets and break it down for the average listener. Elson won the best co-host honoree award at the 2024 Webby Awards for his role on the...

BET is cutting jobs as part of a streamlining of its organization under a recently unveiled 3.5 percent reduction of the domestic workforce at its parent company Paramount Global as the conglomerate awaits FCC approval ofSkydance Medias dealto acquire it. BET is not immune to the conditions necessitatingthese actions, so we too must reduce staff within our organization, BET Media...

Candle Media CEO Kevin Mayer addressed the news that globally popular animated series Cocomelon will be leaving Netflix for Disney+ at the APOS media and entertainment conference in Bali, Indonesia. In May, The Hollywood Reporter learned that Disney+ had picked up Cocomelon after Netflix declined to renew its license. Starting in 2027, Disney+ will have every season of the hit...

Transformative. Thats how a federal court characterized Amazon-backed Anthropics use of millions of books across the web to teach its artificial intelligence system. Its the first decision to consider the issue and will serve as a template for other courts overseeing similar cases. And studios, now that some have entered the fight over the industry-defining technology, should be uneasy about...

Verve, the literary and talent agency, is the latest Hollywood company to undergo belt-tightening as the industry weathers whats shaping up to be a year of economizing. Verve agents and employees who have earnings that hit a certain threshold will now see salary adjustments on a temporary basis, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Additionally, the agency is cutting overtime expenses...

Netflix has rejected independent director Jay Hoags resignation from the board and also appointed Ellie Mertz, chief financial officer at Airbnb, as a new member. Hoag, a venture capitalist and founding General Partner at Technology Crossover Ventures, had served on Netflixs board since 1999, and serves as the boards lead independent director and chair of its nominating and governance committee....