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Sutton Smith is bright spot for Arkansas offense
Arkansas doesn't have a lot of dudes on offense, but Sutton Smith is one
Early data suggests high voter turnout in Saxony-Anhalt election
High-stakes ballot sees votes cast by midday up over 50% on last election in eastern German state
Colts' X-Factor Might Be Young, New Starter
There's a lot of name recognition in the Indianapolis Colts' secondary, but one of its newest starters might be the entire team's X-factor.
Trump is running out of time as he tries to restrict mail voting
Two swing states are sending ballots, and other states plan to send theirs soon.
Election integrity is on the November ballot in key states
Trump's attempts to undermine democracy has elevated the importance of election oversight. Election deniers are on the ballot in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin and could cause mischief in 2028.
Pols & Politics: The push to defeat Massachusetts’ new abortion law
A new ballot committee has submitted a petition to suspend and repeal abortion legislation recently signed by Gov. Maura Healey, while a Labor Day rally in Boston is set for Monday morning.
Nigel Farage to be quizzed as he battles to contain growing donations scandal
The Reform UK leader is under pressure after senior aides appeared to plot how to bypass electoral laws on foreign donations
Signant Health, Lothar Medical Plan Integrated Respiratory Trial Device
Signant Health and Lothar Medical plan integrated respiratory trial device combining spirometry, oscillometry, and FeNO measurement into a single platform.
Naevis prepares for AI-powered rebirth as SM plots new portal to virtual fandoms
Studio Realive CEO Jay Kim says SM Entertainment aims to reinvent its virtual idol with AI-driven interaction and immersive live experiences as early as 2027.
Liverpool spent £670m under Richard Hughes and only got worse
IN FOCUS: Liverpool’s departing sporting director won the Premier League with Arne Slot but his task of rebuilding Jurgen Klopp’s old team remains unfinished despite spending two-thirds of a billion. By Richard Jolly
Charlotte FC match against Houston ends in scoreless draw
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Charlotte FC gained one point after a home match draw against Western Conference foe Houston Dynamo FC. The Crown returned home after a 2-nil road win over Atlanta United. Charlotte hosted Houston Dynamo FC, one of the last few home games left in the regular season. These next few […]
Bucs HC Bowles Outlines Veteran DT's Added Value
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive front has a lot of new pieces, with A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches bringing veteran presence to a young front seven.
The Surprising Thing That Motivates Men to Lose Weight More Than Health
Men in focus groups downplayed body image concerns, then described avoiding photos, hating mirrors, and wanting to fit into old clothes again.
Seahawks’ Leonard Williams Gets ‘Tough Road’ Message From NFL Legend
The Seattle Seahawks have spent an offseason hearing about how difficult it is to stay on top after winning a Super Bowl.Leonard Williams went looking for answers from people who have lived it.The veteran defensive lineman said he spoke with his father-in-law, Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, along with former Seahawks stars Richard […] The post Seahawks’ Leonard Williams Gets ‘Tough Road’ Message From NFL Legend appeared first on HEAVY.
Could Brewers Reunite With Peralta in Offseason?
Freddy Peralta has nearly lost the opportunity to command a lot of money in free agency. Should the Milwaukee Brewers pursue him?
Hornets' Charles Lee Gets Honest on Dennis Schroder's Game
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee opened up about what Dennis Schroder will bring to the team.
UConn topples Lafayette, 56-7
UConn football was incredibly impressive in Jason Candle’s debut, destroying the FCS Lafayette Leopards, 56-7, at Rentschler Field on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies were dominant on both sides of the ball as they took a 35-0 lead into halftime and got a lot of rotation players in across the second half. Starting QB Kalieb Osborne […]
Liverpool have another Hugo Ekitike and he's special
Liverpool have another exciting attacker who is special and who could be another Hugo Ekitike. It has been a disappointing transfer window for the Reds, which has put a lot of pressure on the Frenchma...
I Went Shopping for My Ultimate Smart Home of the Future at IFA 2026
Turns out I need a lot more money than I actually have.
White Sox Have Munetaka Murakami Problem
Munetaka Murakami had a lot of doubters.Coming over from Japan as a free agent in the offseason, many were concerned about his ability to make contact. The Chicago White Sox got him for a relative discount because of that.Murakami’s raw power was never in question. The question was whether he’d put together good enough at […] The post White Sox Have Munetaka Murakami Problem appeared first on HEAVY.
Ex-Panthers WR Suddenly Cut Loose by Another NFL Team
With certain NFL players, it’s fascinating to look back on where they spent time earlier in their careers, before they become a more established contributor. That’s certainly the case with Ray-Ray McCloud, who has played for a lot of teams, including the Carolina Panthers. McCloud is in the news on the eve of the 2026 […] The post Ex-Panthers WR Suddenly Cut Loose by Another NFL Team appeared first on HEAVY.
'Winning the lottery': Preserved fossil tissue reveals shocking cause of death for largest T. Rex ever found
It got Tyrannosaurus wrecked.
Green Bay Packers receive low defensive ranking from PFF prior to Week 1 of 2026 NFL season
The Green Bay Packers defense has a lot to prove in 2026. Unfortunately, one of those things is that they can play well without All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. He, of course, is out for at least the first four games of the season as he works his way back from a torn ACL. With [...]
Warrior Defined: Men’s mental health event in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Warrior Defined is a men’s mental health event that gives back to local nonprofits. The event is taking place on September 25 to talk about issues theyR…
Liverpool hunt fifth sporting director since 2022
It has been almost public knowledge over the last year that Richard Hughes would be leaving for Al-Hilal and the announcement of his departure marks another moment of massive change at Anfield this summer. Liverpool replaced Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola at the end of last season before Michael Edwards, FSG's then CEO of football, resigned in July. Last month FSG confirmed it sold a minority stake in the club to Amit Bhatia's 1892 Holdings - a consortium that includes Jeff Bezos - and now the club are on the hunt for their fifth sporting director since 2022.
Five questions for UCLA heading into Week 1 versus Cal
It will take a lot to go right for UCLA to move to 1-0 on the season. Here are five questions ahead of the Bruins' Week 1 meeting with Cal.
Signant Health and Lothar Medical Sign Letter of Intent to Commercialize ALDS PRO for Clinical Trials
Signant Health, a leading provider of evidence generation solutions for clinical trials, and Lothar Medical today announced that they have signed a letter of intent outlining a planned strategic collaboration to bring Lothar Medical's next-generation pulmonary function technology to the global clinical trial market.
Richard Hughes leaves Liverpool after overseeing £670m transfer spend
Hughes was Liverpool’s sporting director as they spent £450m under Arne Slot last summer in an effort to rebuild Jurgen Klopp’s old side
Immigrant input not welcome in Oakland school board races, despite law
An Oakland leader’s removal from a ballot statement drives home how immigrants are excluded from school board politics, despite a measure allowing them to vote, columnist Joe Garofoli writes.
‘It’s over’ – Rob Gronkowski drops brutal Kansas City Chiefs prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot to prove during the 2026 season after their dismal 6-11 record from last year. There is cause for optimism, though, with Patrick Mahomes making a strong recovery from his knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
Positives and negatives from Real Madrid’s frustrating loss to Betis
Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Betis proved that José Mourinho, his coaching staff and the players still have a lot of work to do if they want to consistently earn wins against elite opponents, even though it’s fair to acknowledge the fact that they should’ve won this game. Positives Negatives
Treg Taylor is back in Alaska’s race for governor after election officials reverse decision
The former Alaska attorney general had previously been removed from the ballot for failing to follow the state’s financial disclosure laws.
Argument filed for Chino business license tax
Chino’s reformed business license tax structure is slated as “Measure F” on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.
“No It Ain’t, Yelling at Clouds Guy”: Fans React As Geno Auriemma Claims “College Basketball Is Dying”
College sports have been in turmoil for quite some time now. There has been a lot of discourse about the NCAA’s eligibility, transfer portal, and NIL rules.
First midterm ballots mailed, federal roundups of wild horses
Watch the full episode here.
Federal judge extends block on Trump order seeking to limit mail voting in the midterms
A federal judge on Friday extended her prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit mail voting during the midterms, putting another major obstacle in the way of the administration as the first states begin sending out mail ballots.
Postal Service Internal Watchdog Opens Inquiry After Whistle-Blower’s Complaint
The Trump administration’s effort to screen mail-in ballots for the midterms is facing numerous challenges.
Mets’ Outfielder Played HS Football With Bears QB Caleb Williams
It’s not a surprise that many of the world’s top professional athletes were once good at multiple sports.After all, that’s how it works when someone is so much more gifted than anyone else around them. So there are lots of fun stories about guys who once crossed over, in other sports, with other athletes who […] The post Mets’ Outfielder Played HS Football With Bears QB Caleb Williams appeared first on HEAVY.
Judge again halts USPS mail ballot plan
A federal judge again Friday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from enacting President Trump's sweeping new mail ballot rules for the November election.
Lancaster County judge hears challenge to Nebraska K-12, collegiate sports ballot measure
A Lincoln voter refiled a challenge to a ballot measure seeking to cement limits on public school sports to student-athletes’ sex at birth.
Judge again blocks Trump’s effort to restrict voting by mail as ballots start going out
The move comes as the Trump administration is appealing a related order to the Supreme Court.
Judge Once Again Blocks Trump Administration’s Plans to Restrict Mail-In Ballots
The ruling arrived before the Supreme Court could decide whether to intervene but appeared certain to set off yet another round of appeals.
Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Still Likely to Be Missing These Five Features
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," is expected to launch without at least four features that will be present on the iPhone 18 Pro models, despite a price tag of at least $2,000. The iPhone Air lacks Ultra Wide and Telephoto rear cameras, a SIM card slot, and stereo speakers.
Federal judge extends block on mail ballot change for midterms
It's another major obstacle for the administration as the first states begin sending out mail ballots
Carlo Ancelotti heads to stadium for Brasileirão match this weekend
Coach Carlo Ancelotti will be at Nilton Santos Stadium to watch the match between Botafogo and Palmeiras next Sunday (6) in the Brasileirão.The match takes place on the eve of the Italian’s first s...
Federal judge extends block on mail ballot change for midterms
It's another major obstacle for the administration as the first states begin sending out mail ballots
Tickets for São Paulo v Internacional in the Brasileirão
SÃO PAULO x INTERNACIONALBRASILEIRÃO09/19/2026, at 9PMMORUMBISSÃO PAULOTICKETSFREE ADMISSION: As provided in Article 1 of State Law 18,159 of June 27, 2025, “Children in arms, up to 2 (two) years...
Homeland Security Dept. Asks for Inquiries Into Voting Machines
Critics of ballot-marking devices have claimed that hackers could manipulate digital codes on ballots. Election experts say the systems are safe to use.
Mecklenburg County warns of West Nile virus uptick after 3 test positive in Charlotte
West Nile typically surges in September.
Cowboys' biggest X-factor could solve their main offensive problem
This guy could help Dak Precott and company a lot.
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
Preview & Prediction: Boston College Football vs Cincinnati
We’re back! The long and boring offseason is finally over. After the Boston College football team finished 2-10 last season, we’ve seen a lot of turnover and changes come to the program. They hired a GM, hit the transfer portal like never before, and have brand new staff under Bill O’Brien to bring the Eagles […]
Blood Of Dawnwalker's Most Popular Mod Changes The Story Timer As Players Try To Remove Friction From The RPG
A lot of PC players want more time and more storage in the new open world RPG
This Hiking Exoskeleton May Actually Help Your Bad Knees, Finally
Hypershell Halo is doing a lot more than lifting your legs for you.
Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message
Todd Monken has a hard job ahead of the 2026 NFL season. He has to lead the Cleveland Browns, a team that had a very poor 2025 campaign. There is a lot of expectations on both him and the team for the coming games. Despite this being his first head coaching role in the league, […] The post Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
Chiefs ‘X-Factor’ Predicted to Make Significant Impact in 2026
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of impressive young talent on their roster.That is especially true on the defensive side of the ball. Players such as Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, Jeffrey Bassa, Mansoor Delane, and Nohl Williams are all either rookies or second-year guys who should have big roles within the unit this […] The post Chiefs ‘X-Factor’ Predicted to Make Significant Impact in 2026 appeared first on HEAVY.
Fact check: Would 'money out of politics' proposal live up to its name?
Opponents contend Michigan ballot Proposal 2 to get ‘money out of politics’ would do little to curb spending by out-of-state and dark money groups. Here are the facts.
How AI can improve patient access – beyond simply filling the next open slot
More precise navigation can improve provider matching, shorten time to intervention and help health systems measure whether digital access actually works.
PDS Health and United Concordia Launch Saliva Screening Pilot
United Concordia Dental and PDS Health®, leaders in oral health and dental-medical integration, respectively, launched a saliva screening pilot in Southern California earlier this week that aims to improve oral health and overall health by investigating the screening’s impact on periodontal (gum) disease management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40% of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease. Left untreated, this condition can lead to tooth loss and infections and is associated with systemic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “Gum disease is not just an oral health issue. It’s closely connected to a person’s well-being,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO of United Concordia. “This partnership with PDS Health underscores our shared commitment to dental-medical integration and allows us to empower patients with on-the-spot data about the current status of their gum health.”…
Midterm mail ballots start to go to voters
North Carolina on Friday is scheduled to become the first state to widely distribute mail ballots for this year’s elections
Midterm mail ballots start to go to voters
North Carolina on Friday is scheduled to become the first state to widely distribute mail ballots for this year’s elections
Midterm mail ballots start to go to voters
North Carolina on Friday is scheduled to become the first state to widely distribute mail ballots for this year’s elections
Exodus Narrative Director Explains Romance, Relationships, and Mass Effect Comparisons in New Sci-fi RPG
The upcoming space opera RPG Exodus has drawn a lot Mass Effect comparisons, and its narrative director worked on both. He explains their differences and more.
Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90
Sony’s PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90 Sony won’t license disc pressing to anyone else, Microsoft does, and a former PlayStation boss thinks that’s the whole problem. When Sony DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer spoke with an Austrian broadcaster in July about PlayStation disc production at the Thalgau plant, a number of press outlets misunderstood the report, writing that production would fall to a tenth of current levels. It won’t. Sony DADC confirmed to Game this week that the figure is a 10 percent decline, not a decline to 10 percent. “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent,” a spokesperson with Sony DADC told Game. That figure covers 2028. Tanzer didn’t put a number on the years after, and the spokesperson declined to comment further. What we do know is that on July 1, PlayStation announced that physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028 and that the transition has no impact on games that have already released in disc format or will be releasing in disc format prior to that month. “So, there will be reorders going to the market after January 2028,” the Sony DADC spokesperson said. “For details around that I would ask you to liaise with the PR team from PlayStation, as we can’t speak or comment on their behalf.” PlayStation officials did not respond to questions about reorders or other disc-related matters. But I did recently speak with Shawn Layden, Game Industry Strategic Advisor and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, who called a future without physical PlayStation discs “depressing, but solvable.” then added, “I think.” The chief hurdle to third-party manufacturing of collector’s editions or any other version of a PlayStation game disc is that Sony owns the proprietary process to press those discs, Layden said. “And unless they decide or determine a way to license that to some of these bespoke disc manufacturers, there’s no way to make it happen,” he said. Layden was careful to add that he understands the concept but doesn’t have “line of sight on the particulars.” “Depressing but solvable, I think.” — Shawn Layden Microsoft already licenses replication to outside plants. Xbox discs are pressed by manufacturers Microsoft certifies as Authorized Replicators, a term defined in its publisher agreements, with the approved list set at the company’s sole discretion and Microsoft retaining the right to halt manufacture. The structure is still in place today: publishers select an Authorized Replicator in Partner Center and submit a bill of materials created with a Microsoft representative. Sony, by contrast, presses PlayStation discs through Sony DADC, its own manufacturing subsidiary. No one I spoke with said they were in discussions with Sony about doing that, and PlayStation hasn’t responded to questions about whether it would be open to a licensing deal. There is an obvious reason Sony might not want to. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed it out on the day of the announcement: it’s a platform-led decision, he wrote, designed to cut costs, eliminate the resale market, and drive all revenue through the PlayStation Store. The math is not subtle. On a $70 third-party game sold through the PlayStation Store, Sony keeps $21. Sold at retail, Ahmad says, it earns about half that. Licensing disc replication to an outside manufacturer might not be worth it. And even if it were, it seems unlikely that such a deal would come from boutique companies like iam8bit, which sells collector’s editions of video games. “We would absolutely love to find a way forward to continue making physical PlayStation games,” said Jon Gibson, co-owner and co-creative director of the company. “We are big believers in giving humans the option to truly own media. If we can play a role in helping make that a reality for the future of PlayStation games, count iam8bit in!” If it were to happen, it would most likely be with a company like Conectiv Supply Chain Solutions, a Memphis-based manufacturer of optical discs and vinyl records that also runs third-party logistics, fulfillment and distribution for packaged media. The company, which was formed in 2025 when Los Angeles private equity firm Variant Equity Advisors purchased Vantiva’s Supply Chain Solutions division, traces its lineage back to Technicolor. When it sold the division, Vantiva described the business as having served video game creators for more than 25 years. Conectiv is also buying, not shrinking. Last month it acquired SDS, the distributor for Universal and Warner Bros. home entertainment, consolidating those studios’ packaged-media pipeline from pressing plant to retail shelf. I reached out to Conectiv and its CEO, but haven’t heard back. Layden pointed to music and books in our discussion about the ongoing value of physical media. “No one ever saw the comeback of cassette tape,” he said. “And vinyl didn’t so much come back. The flame went down, the fire’s dying, but the ember was always there, and it just kind of came back. Much like the book business. We thought we’d all be on Kindles right now. “I believe that physical media is crucial and important. One of the things that makes us gamers, one of the core game mechanics, going back to the beginning of time, is collecting stuff. “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? And we like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf. And we put all our boxes up there. And if you’re super hardcore, when you buy a game, you buy two copies, right? One stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other one. What happens to that important cultural part of the gaming world? You know, we buy the steelbook and the three-disc Final Fantasy set and the figurine and, you know, you can’t download any of that. “What happens to that?” And Layden believes it shouldn’t have been a revenue question for PlayStation. “This was a core thing to the experience of our most devoted fans,” he said. “Yeah, it’s fan service. Why would we take that away? Well, we can’t afford to. It’s already 120 bucks, you know, limited edition special purchase onyx box version of whatever, and those sell at a higher rate than the box selling at $69.99 does. So yeah, the market has said they will continue to buy them. You’re just saying you just don’t want to make them anymore.” Layden said he was recently talking with someone about these sorts of business decisions and how they’re made. Too often, he said, it’s all about the financials and nothing else. “OK, we can do this and save this much money, or we can invest this to look at that outcome, or we can do this and have this happen over there, or move this team to Sri Lanka,” he said. “But each one of those, someone also has to have a ledger there saying, ‘OK, what is the brand impact from that move?’ “Iif you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” — Shawn Layden “If we do that, dollars and cents work out. I get it. That’s just math. But what’s the brand impact? Are people going to say, ‘Good move, you guys?’ Or are they going to say, ‘We hate you guys. Quit doing that.’ And sometimes they say, ‘We hate you.’ Then you take a note and say, OK, how much of that can we live with? How much ‘we hate you’ is OK. And when does it go over the line? “I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it.” Of course, shifting to a digital-only model for games raises other issues beyond simply wanting to collect. The biggest is ownership. Layden pointed out that once you go to a streaming-only or download-only model, it’s just a digital footprint on a hard drive. “What does ownership mean anymore?” he said. “It’s a genuine question. Well, in fact, it’s not even a question anymore. It’s like you are shifting the model from ownership to accessibility. “And what’s always been true, which people forget, is you’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” The touching tribute found in the credits for Star Wars Zero Company. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Interview and Hands-On with a Minoan Masterpiece Star Wars Zero Company hands-on: Attack Astromechs, permadeath, and delightfully fatal Rube Goldberg tactics Control Resonant opens up as you get stronger — and as characters start trusting you
Live updates: First mail ballots being sent amid challenge to Trump’s restrictions
Live updates and the latest news as the first mail ballots being sent amid challenge to Trump’s restrictions and Missouri and Maryland Democrats scored wins in state redistricting challenges.
State Board of Elections weighing rules as absentee ballots set to go out
Absentee ballots in this year's midterm elections are set to start going out in the mail Friday to overseas and military voters.
Decisions needed with five players currently set to leave
Liverpool are good at a lot of things.The Reds are good at playing their part in summer-long transfer sagas - see Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola for more details. The 2024/25 Premier League champi...
The NBA let Kawhi Leonard off embarrassingly easy
Kawhi Leonard's deserves a lot more of the blame than he's getting.
Is Six Flags (FUN) Recalibrating Its Investment Story With an Arlington Move and 2027 Ride Push?
Six Flags Entertainment recently announced that it will continue investing in Carowinds and Carolina Harbor, with new attractions such as Rip Roarin' Falls set to open in 2027, alongside an ambitious slate of rides including Bakunawa and Werewolf Gorge across several flagship parks. The company also plans to move its corporate headquarters in 2027 from Charlotte to Arlington, Texas, consolidating leadership closer to its five Texas properties while maintaining a regional presence and ongoing...
Sutton's predictions: Ipswich v Liverpool
My daughter's old maths teacher, Mr Fields, is an Ipswich fan and he is very excited about how ambitious the club has been since getting promoted. Ipswich have spent almost £200m on a stack of new signings to try to stay in the Premier League and, watching them, it is clear they are not just planning to park the bus. It will be interesting to see if new signing Bradley Barcola starts for the Reds, who seem to have a lot of attacking players who like to play off the left.
🗞️ Champions buzz in Seville, Barça shielded... Friday's front pages
This Friday, September 4, the sports press comes packed with major football headlines: Carlo Ancelotti’s star visit to Real Madrid’s training camp before facing Betis, Barcelona’s moves to secur...
Fall Events Preview: A look at what's happening in northeast Indiana
With Labor Day weekend comes the transition from summer to the fall events season. But just because the days are shorter doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of fun to
Matt Campbell is Perfectly Buying Into Penn State's History
Penn State football history is perhaps the biggest part of the program. Penn State, from top to bottom, has done a lot of good throughout its existence. The program has been among the top in college football year in and year out, and that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon, given how much money the school is allocating to the program.
Howie Roseman Reveals Why Eagles Made Polarizing Roster Decision
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Rutgers football suffers embarrassing loss to UMass
If you drew up the worst-case scenario for how Rutgers football’s 2026 season would begin, it would look a lot like this.
Michigan Supreme Court clears ballot measure restricting business political giving
The court said it was not persuaded to grant injunctive relief sought by a coalition of business groups and companies and Jim Holcomb of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
Michigan Supreme Court clears ballot measure restricting business political giving
The court said it was not persuaded to grant injunctive relief sought by a coalition of business groups and companies and Jim Holcomb of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
Trump again appeals to Supreme Court on mail voting restrictions as midterms loom
The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject an order by a federal judge that halts it from implementing a new rule regulating mail ballots, hours after being unable to tell that judge whether the computer system that would govern the entire project was operational yet.
What the Tech: Road trip entertainment
if you're one of the millions who'll be hitting the highways over the Labor Day weekend, you probably have a lot on your mind. Keeping people in the backseat entertained
City of Charlotte working to help small businesses after state budget change: What we know
Local governments can no longer identify a minority or women owned businesses for targeted opportunities like construction projects or other infrastructure work.
Ballot initiative would base Nebraska school sports participation on biological sex
Nebraska voters will decide in November whether state law should determine who can play on sports teams in the state.
Another Chiefs Starter Held out of Practice Thursday
Injuries are piling up for the Kansas City Chiefs. That is especially true for guys who are in the trenches. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons has missed several weeks of practice with a back injury, also missing Kansas City’s final two preseason games. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte missed most of camp and all of preseason with […] The post Another Chiefs Starter Held out of Practice Thursday appeared first on HEAVY.
Maryland Supreme Court puts redistricting question back on ballot
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Missouri Supreme Court rules new GOP-drawn map can’t be used for November election
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Missouri Supreme Court puts referendum to overturn new congressional map on ballot
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state's voters will decide the fate of a plan aimed at ousting Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II.
Dr. Reidy talks The Lotus Fund and women’s health
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Missouri Supreme Court puts referendum to overturn new congressional map on ballot
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state’s voters will decide the fate of a plan aimed at ousting Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver.
Jays Beat Guardians
Blue Jays 6 Guardians 3 That was an interesting game in a lot of ways: We had nine hits, but only one extra-base hit, Lukes’ double and six walks. Bateman had 3 hits, Lukes 2. Vlad was 0 for 3 with a walk and the sac fly. Smith was 0 for 2 with 3 walks. […]
Olympia Kids Clothing Business Grows Online
Olympia kids clothing business Evergreen Kids Co. tops $70,000 as teacher Ali Daugherty sells budget-friendly kids clothes online.
DOJ asks Supreme Court to allow Trump’s USPS action on mail-in ballots to proceed ahead of midterm elections
The appeal came shortly before a federal judge was set to decide whether to issue an injunction blocking requirements dictating how mail-in ballots are sent.
Becky Sauerbrunn returns to the Thorns as a technical director
Women's World Cup winner and former Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn is rejoining her former team as a technical consultant for the rest of the season. Sauerbrunn had a lengthy career as a player in the National Women's Soccer League, winning Defender of the Year honors four times to go with three league championships. “As a player, I loved watching film, talking tactics and details, working with a backline, and this opportunity affords me all those things with a lot less running," Sauerbrunn said in a statement Thursday.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow mail-in ballot restrictions
The question of whether President Donald Trump’s restrictions can move forward in time for November’s midterm elections has been the subject of a dizzying legal battle in recent weeks.
Trump asks Supreme Court to OK sweeping changes for mail ballots
President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to give the US Postal Service sweeping power to withhold delivery of mail ballots, setting up an extraordinary showdown over voting at the high court less than two months before the November midterm election.
Two Republican nominees for Kansas House withdraw from ballot due to health complications
A pair of Kansas House Republicans — Clarke Sanders and Cody Ward — decide not to seek election on the November ballot due to significant health challenges.
Republicans ask the Supreme Court to give them a huge discount on ad spending
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How to Clean a Reusable Water Bottle
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Federal judge considers whether to extend ban against U.S. Postal Service mail voting changes
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani is deciding whether to extend her prohibition on the proposed regulation of mail ballots, an effort undertaken as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker Devs Offer Workarounds For PC Issues
The RPG from CD Projekt alumni has landed a lot more smoothly on console
Scientists Planted 2,000 Pairs of Underwear in the Dirt. It Revealed a Lot About the Health of Our Planet.
Adding a whole new meaning to the phrase “soiled underwear.”