🏃♀️ Exclusives & Breaking News
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The Vestige Of Bygone Media Glory Resurfaces In Lawsuits Against The Pending Deal; "Failing Market" Defense Faces Big Test |
The cable TV business, for so long a gusher for the media business, is inarguably past its prime.
But does that mean a single company should be allowed to own more than 50 networks and control more than one-quarter of the total revenue pie?
That question, surprisingly, has become central to 12 states’ antitrust lawsuit seeking to block Paramount‘s pending $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount's argument that the merger would not give the company more negotiating power with pay-TV operators "fails because it rests on false assumptions regarding activity in the market for licensing basic cable channels to distributors," the judge wrote in a decision that paused the deal. >>>Flagged By States
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Deadline Exclusives & Originals
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John Wells Re-Ups Overall Deal - As he marks his 40th anniversary at Warner Bros. Television, Emmy-winning TV producer John Wells has signed a new overall deal extension with the studio. >>>Through Mid-2030
New 'Spider-Man' Soars - With Spider-Man: Brand New Day, director Destin Daniel Cretton smartly takes the franchise in a more mature, much darker direction. He has expertly crafted a Spidey flick that returns the character to his roots as a New York City crimefighter focused more on the job at hand and his now somewhat altered ego in that tight red and blue suit. >>>Pete Hammond's Review
New Line Knows Horror - Jealous People Are Ugly People, a hot horror package from Greek/British filmmaker Theo James Krekis, has landed at New Line Cinema following a bidding war involving at least 10 parties. >>>Feeding Frenzy
Netflix Has 'Power' - Starz's flagship Power franchise will soon be available on Netflix in most of the world. In a big licensing deal with Lionsgate Television, the global streamer has acquired most international rights. >>>Domestic On Mothership Series
New UK TV Festival - Early-stage plans are being hatched to launch a new TV festival in Edinburgh from 2027. The UK's biggest TV festival is set to take place in Edinburgh for the last time next month before it relocates to Greater Manchester, and organizers in Edinburgh are getting ahead of the game. >>>Parking Tanks On Lawns
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Exclusive
David Oyelowo has joined the lead cast of Little Five, an indie film from Anne Hathaway’s Somewhere Pictures.
Exclusive
Regina Hall has joined Dwayne Johnson in the live-action/CGI hybrid film Lizard Music from director Benny Safdie.
It’s official: Morgan Spector (Black Rabbit) has closed a deal to lead Netflix's series adaptation of The Secret of Secrets mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown.
Michael Johnston, star of Curry Barker’s breakout horror film Obsession, is in early talks for a role in The Mummy, the next installment in the horror franchise from Universal Pictures.
Exclusive
Crystal Fox (His & Hers) has joined the series regular cast of the untitled Cable Guy pilot from Hulu and Sony Pictures Television.
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MORE NEWS
📄 A group of former FCC chairs and top agency officials of both parties are asking current chairman Brendan Carr to end the early review of broadcast licenses for ABC stations, calling it “an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process.”
🖥️ MGM+ has picked up internationally financed drama series Embassy starring Anna Kendrick, Sam Heughan and J.K. Simmons.
🏆 The Television Academy, which is behind the Emmy Awards, and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which puts together the Daytime Emmy Awards, have begun exploratory talks on a potential reunification almost 50 years after their acrimonious split.
🎬 Netflix has announced Women Like Us, a new comedy from Charles D. King’s Macro Film Studios and the Obamas’ Higher Ground. It will star Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams and Vivica A. Fox.
🦚 In a significant boost to NBCUniversal's streaming fortunes, the media giant has set an agreement to bundle Peacock with YouTube Premium.
💜 Purple Rain is coming to Broadway in 2027 as a musical adapted from Prince’s 1984 feature film and Grammy-winning album of the same name.
⚖️ A federal magistrate judge ruled that Donald Trump's trust will be compelled to provide financial documents from his businesses to the BBC, as the network defends itself from the president’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
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ON THE RADAR
Wed - Meta earnings
Thu - Amazon, Apple & Sony earnings
Fri - Spider-Man Brand New Day debuts
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Couple Goals - Tom Holland and Zendaya at the World Premiere of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' at the Dolby Theatre.
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Tim & Ted's Excellent Adventure - Tim Cook and Jason Sudeikis attend the Season 4 Premiere of Apple TV’s 'Ted Lasso' at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
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