SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Holly " 1,228 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Executives from EA and Tencent to speak alongside Netflix, Sony, and Disney at FT Business of Entertainment summit
Leadership summit takes place in West Hollywood in September, with discount for GamesIndustry.biz readers
Executives from EA and Tencent to speak alongside Netflix, Sony, and Disney at FT Business of Entertainment summit
Leadership summit takes place in West Hollywood in September, with discount for GamesIndustry.biz readers
Entertainment News: August 25, 2026
Get caught up on the latest in Hollywood, technology, and more with FOX 17 Morning Mix's Entertainment News.
'Stamptown’s' Jack Tucker turns late-night clown carnage into Netflix special
Stamptown’s debut Netflix special out on Tuesday captures a chaotic mash-up of vaudeville, circus and clowning, filmed at Hollywood’s Montalbán Theatre during Netflix Is a Joke Fest.
Disney Tightens Spousal Health Benefits as Industry Costs Surge
The entertainment giant joins a growing list of major employers scaling back coverage amid a projected 11 percent rise in 2027 healthcare costs.
Why Sunderland Is the Perfect Premier League Club for Americans
Forget the glory hunters and Hollywood underdogs - if you want to experience the pain, passion and triumph of supporting a proper football club, choose Sunderland.
Bunny Levine, ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Jury Duty’ actress, dies at 97
‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Shameless’ actress Bunny Levine, who retired early from her career as a school librarian to pursue her Hollywood dreams, has died. She was 97.
Melissa Gilbert calls for protections for child stars after Hayden Panettiere’s death: ‘Something is very, very wrong’
Melissa Gilbert called for Hollywood to start ‘mitigating exploitation’ of child actors in the wake of Hayden Panettiere’s death: ‘Something is very, very wrong.’
Could another Hollywood mega-merger cost California thousands of jobs?
Former studio execs warn industry uncertainty could pause production and already cost Hollywood jobs
Anna Paquin slams Hollywood for its treatment of ‘pre-sexualized’ child stars after Hayden Panettiere’s death
Anna Paquin criticized Hollywood’s treatment of ‘pre-sexualized’ child stars after Hayden Panettiere died at 36: ‘We were not as protected...as we are supposed to be.’
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
From a $330 million ranch purchase and a royal return to romantic escapes and bikini-clad vacations, see how closely you followed this week's biggest entertainment headlines.
Sports Media Pod: From tennis star to movie villian, Andy Roddick’s Hollywood adventure
On this week’s Sports Media Podcast, SBJ’s Rob Schaefer draws out a side of Andy Roddick that fans rarely get to see. He shares stories from filming The Dink, working with actor Jake Johnson, and hearing his kids’ reactions to his over-the-top villain role.
Child stars have been speaking their truth for some time. Why isn’t Hollywood listening?
Some of Hayden Panettiere’s peers are speaking out after her death, reminding us, like others have before, that finding fame young is only half the battle.
Michelle Rodriguez says Hollywood felt like the 'devil's world' after religious upbringing
Michelle Rodriguez says her Jehovah's Witness background left her unfazed by her "Fast and the Furious" casting, as she was already in the "devil's world."
Is PENN Entertainment (PENN) A Bargain Following Its $195 Million New Orleans Casino Move?
PENN Entertainment (PENN) has announced plans to invest about US$195 million to shift its Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans operations to a new landside site and rebrand the venue as Hollywood Casino New Orleans. See our latest analysis for PENN Entertainment. The New Orleans project comes after a busy period for PENN Entertainment, with the stock showing an 11.14% 90 day share price return and a 24.98% year to date share price return, although the 1 year total shareholder return is...
How Lin Shaye, 82, is fighting Hollywood ageism with 'Insidious' role
Getting killed off in the first installment of a film series would traditionally prevent an actor from playing that role five more times in the next 15 years. But not
Charlamagne tha God on Podcast, Being a Girl Dad, Mental Health
Radio royalty and New York Times bestselling author Charlamagne tha God joins TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones to discuss his No.1 video podcast on Netflix, “The Breakfast Club” and share a story of working with Craig Melvin early in their careers. He also talks about the importance of reading, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, being a dad to four girls and his advocacy for mental health. Then, they play a game of “Charlamagne Sounds Off,” where he gives his hot takes to pop culture news.
14 Black-owned media companies that are taking over entertainment one film (or TV series) at a time
Black-owned media companies are driving film and TV hits. See which studios are behind major projects in Hollywood and streaming.
Chris Hansen questions 'motive' behind Robert Pattinson film about him
Chris Hansen has some questions about "Hollywood's motive" behind a new film about him.
Did Politics Almost Kill the OG Kennedy Love Story?
15 years ago, History Channel’s ‘The Kennedys’ earned 10 Emmy nominations, although it barely made it to air.
Hollywood strikes first AI copyright truce with ByteDance
The Motion Picture Assn. has struck its first agreement with an artificial intelligence company, saying Monday that ByteDance has strengthened copyright guardrails into its AI video and image tools that
Hayden Panettiere Was Early Home Entertainment Video Star
Actress Hayden Panettiere, who died unexpectately Aug. 16 at the age of 36 in Greenville, S.C., leaves behind a film and TV career that got its start in the nascent home entertainment video industry in the early 2000s. Panettiere’s Hollywood star rose following memorable runs on NBC’s “Heroes” (2006 – 2010), and ABC/CMT’s music drama … Continue reading "Hayden Panettiere Was Early Home Entertainment Video Star"
Video Entertainment reporter Aunyea Lachelle on Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death
ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with entertainment reporter Aunyea Lachelle about the public response to Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death and the challenges that child stars can face in Hollywood.
Hollywood duo underline Premier League ambition for Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Hollywood owners of English second-tier side Wrexham, have restated their ambition for the club to win the Championship title and so complete a remarkable journey from National League to the Premier League.Deadpool star Reynolds said he felt "obscene pride" at Wrexham's league finish and co-owner McElhenney has underlined their determination to reach the top flight after playing in the fifth tier of English football as recently as 2023.
Hollywood Scrambles to Address California’s Business Tax Credit Law
A new bill, signed into law on June 29, could persuade film and TV projects to take their business elsewhere. Legislators with ties to entertainment are scrambling for a solution.
Netflix plans to close two gaming studios, including one in Hollywood
Netflix said has closed Hollywood-based Night School and plans to close Helsinki-based Moonloot.
UNC Health Rex Holly Springs Adds New Patient Beds to Meet Demand for Care
Expansion Increases Capacity, Reducing Patient Wait Times
‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper’s Unwell beverage business is shutting down
On Wednesday, Unwell raised money from Hollywood super agent Patrick Whitesell that valued the entire business at $500 million. It will go somewhere else.
Octavia Spencer Talks Giving 'Visibility' to Missing Indigenous Women
The narrator and executive producer of the ID series talks about the "duty" she feels to amplify the stories of missing and murdered native women and the current efforts toward seeking justice.
Jennifer Garner cofounded a $732 million business at 45, and says her age came with perks: ‘I’m blissfully not motivated by needing to be in charge’
Millionaire actress Jennifer Garner became a cofounder after two decades in Hollywood success, and says she had one big advantage over younger founders.
Entertainment News: August 13, 2026
Get caught up on the latest in Hollywood, technology, and more with FOX 17 Morning Mix's Entertainment News.
How Broadcasting Helped Orel Hershiser Become a Bulldog in Business
The move into broadcasting has opened doors in business for Dodger great Orel Hershiser, who receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Aug. 13.
In Paramount merger, law and politics collide
David Ellison is threatening to pull Paramount out of Hollywood if the state continues its lawsuit against his merger. Is that a real threat?
Neighbors complain about noise from Universal’s ‘Fast & Furious’ ride
Universal Studios Hollywood plans new sound barriers around its “Fast & Furious” coaster after neighbors complained about screaming during ride testing.
Brands Are Devouring Hollywood. Are Studios Ready?
Studios may be strapped, but big brands are rolling in dough. How companies from Gap to General Mills are luring A-list talent and keeping an ailing industry afloat.
The Hollywood Merger Won’t Kill Entertainment Jobs. Blocking It Might
Something besides industry consolidation is clearly to blame for Hollywood’s current contraction.
Hollywood goes quiet as stars rethink speaking out on politics
As the midterm elections are heating up, more and more Hollywood stars say they’re putting a freeze on speaking out about politics, perhaps feeling burned by the 2024 White House race. …
Ari Emanuel's Mari Acquires Theater Owner ATG Entertainment For $6B
The deal size has been estimated at $6 billion, as the live events company establishes a bigger foothold in the theater industry.
Hollywood Bowl Show Canceled Due to ’80s Rock Legend’s Serious Health Issue
The drummer was forced to sit out a tour last year for the same reason.
News | Why Nicole Mihalka sees LA's entertainment industry overcoming challenges
The CBRE executive has spent decades navigating Hollywood
Spotify's New Ad-Skipping Feature Is Not Scaring Off Podcast Advertisers Yet
The platform is testing out a feature that allows paid users to skip ads on podcasts, but experts say this will likely not have any immediate impact.
Saber's newest game trailer takes a shot at Gearbox's CEO, if you look closely
The first hint that something might be up with the recent debut trailer for Saber Interactive’s Rideshare Stimulator is an unusual choice of words—aside from that second one in the game’s title. “Don’t take your passengers too seriously,” the trailer’s narrator says, as he describes this upcoming game. It a car game about the gig work of driving eccentric people to their destinations, a riff on Crazy Taxi. And then, he says: “When I think I’ve met the randiest of passengers, someone even stranger gets in.” “Randiest”? That suggests “randy,” which usually means having strong sexual desire. Yet none of the oddball backseat occupants featured in the trailer seem particularly lustful. One is an old man who considers his grandson a failure, another shares the theory that birds might control traffic lights, another says he’s banned from an aquarium. A little later, there’s a license plate, shown 63 seconds into the trailer, on the front of an SUV: USB DRV It’s a Texas plate. The symbol between those letters is a cog wheel. If you know, you know. That’s a reference to Texas-based Borderlands game development studio Gearbox Software (their logo features a cog wheel). More specifically, it’s a reference to Gearbox’s CEO Randy Pitchford, who in 2018 found himself explaining the nature of video he’d saved on a USB drive that was found at a Medieval Times restaurant before being returned to the studio: “It was ‘barely legal’ porn. This girl’s handle was ‘Only 18.’” The “girl” in the video had committed a solo sex act that Pitchford, an avid practitioner of magic, found remarkable. “I realized, this is not a sex worker…This is a fucking magician.” Back then, the USB drive was central to competing lawsuits against Gearbox by the studio’s former lawyer and by Gearbox against him. A settlement in late 2019 “exonerated” Pitchford, per the Hollywood Reporter. The USB story has resurfaced at times, now in a trailer from a company that not long ago was corporate brethren with Gearbox. Saber vs. Gearbox The head of Saber told Game File that the reference is payback. “The dig is because Randy took shots at Embracer in Borderlands 4,” Saber CEO Matt Karch told me when I asked him about the license plate. “Without Embracer, Randy is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living.” Having interviewed Karch during a cross-country flight in late 2024, I can confirm that Karch was unimpressed with Pitchford during their time both working in the Embracer group. I’d approached him not out of surprise that there was animosity but that it was manifesting publicly now. Gearbox was founded in 1999, worked on a port of Halo early on, and developed hit series such as the loot-based sci-fi shooter Borderlands before it was purchased by The Embracer Group in early 2021 for $363 million (with a possible earn-out of over $1 billion, if certain targets were hit by 2027). Saber was founded in 2001, worked on a remaster of Halo early on, had a big hit with zombie shooter World War Z and was purchased by Embracer in early 2020 for $150 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $375 million. For a few years, the Embracer group was a voracious acquirer of game studios. Then, as investment dried up, it choked. In March 2024, Embracer sold Saber to an investment company controlled by Saber CEO Matt Karch, and it sold Gearbox in an all-stock deal to long-time Borderlands publisher Take Two Interactive. Other studios were shut down. Hundreds of developers were laid off. Gearbox didn’t say much about their Embracer experience, nothing too direct, at least. In the summer 2024, Pitchford told reporter and occasional Game File contributor Nicole Carpenter that Borderlands 4’s story was in some way thematically connected to Gearbox’s experience at Embracer: “There’s this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?” When Borderlands 4 came out, there was something stranger: the matter of “Embracer’s Bluff,” a location in the game featuring an AI-powered toilet and a large trash dump, according to a detailed Kotaku account of the place. Gearbox never commented on it; Take Two never got back to me about it when I asked them last year. By contrast, since Saber exited Embracer, Karch has been one of Embracer’s biggest defenders, casting their management as well-meaning and supportive despite the layoffs and studio closures that resulted from their excessive expansion. Like others, Saber’s Karch saw Embracer’s as a shot. With Rideshare Stimulator’s trailer, he’s returned fire. “It’s amazing to me how fast people forget those who went above and beyond for them,” Karch told Game File. A rep for Gearbox did not comment by press time. Game File is a reader-supported publication. Your backing makes my reporting—including any coverage of trailer-based beefs—possible. Good news! I’m currently running Game File’s first big sale of 2026. You can get a one-year subscription for 23% off. Click here to take advantage of the limited-time offer. And thank you for your support! Item 2: In brief… 🚫 Wal-Mart has laid off the staff of Restart, a games media outlet launched in 2024, Aftermath reports. 🟥 A GTA VI preview is on the way, at last, via an “extended look” that will premiere, unusually, on Netflix at 3pm ET on August 27, then officially go live elsewhere six hours later. Last week, Game File noted that Take Two label Rockstar Games is overdue for showing off GTA VI, based on the timing of the initial hands-off previews of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. During a call with investors, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders for GTA VI were “unprecedented and astonishing,” but added the company can’t predict how many of those pre-orders represent bonus sales vs. sales that otherwise would have been made at launch. During the same call, Zelnick was noticeably bullish on the future of playing games over streaming cloud connections (predicting wider adoption in three or so years). He sounded unbothered by Sony’s plans to stop making discs for new games (he said the business is 90% digital already and predicted that there could still be limited edition physical editions of games “in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business.”) 👀 Take Two wrote off $43 million in their spring quarter after deciding “not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.” 🤔 Some rare age-demographics from a big publisher: Capcom recently told investors that “users in their 20s account for approximately half of the users of both Pragamata and Resident Evil Requiem.” Item 3: The week ahead Tuesday, August 11 Game releases: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2; already out for PC, PS5, Xbox) continues the Bethesda strategy of putting Elder Scrolls games on everything; Royalty Free-For-All is a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring public domain characters such as Mother Goose brawling with Oliver Twist in a stage based on the original Little Shop of Horrors movie. Wednesday, August 12 Game release: Pro Jank Footy (PC, console) is an arcade-style Australian Rules Football game with increasingly ridiculous rules, the more you play (I enjoyed the Steam demo) Thursday, August 13 Game release: Super Mario Sunshine (Switch 2, originally released in 2002 on the GameCube) is released for Switch 2’s Nintendo Switch Online service. This game is the black sheep of 3D Mario games. It’s the successor to the breakthrough Super Mario 64 and the rare Mario game built around a single (vacation resort) theme. Mario’s got a water-spraying backpack, a Yoshi pal and a lot of blue coins to collect.
Someone Made a Terrific Deal in the Peacock/YouTube Premium Partnership…But Who?
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone around the world suffering from record heat waves is doing okay. The temperature is already up in Southern California, but obviously not nearly as bad as parts of Europe. With a super El Nińo coming this year, I worry it will get even worse. Yes, we know what’s causing this heat—it’s the carbon, duh—but we really aren’t making enough progress. I’m not “environmental strategy guy”, but if I were, I’d have some ideas of what I’d try. Honestly, for years I’ve been intrigued by the work of the folks at MEER—whose plan, super simply, is to put up mirrors to reflect heat (while continuing the important work of decarbonization)—but I’m frustrated this idea hasn’t made more progress. (Other geo-engineering groups seem to get better press.) With heat like this—cancelling events, hurting economies and, most importantly, killing people—it seems like the time to push solutions! The “mirrors on the ground” solution has barely been tried.1 While entertainment companies may not “feel the heat”, lots of outdoors/experiential industries—concerts, theme parks and so on—will. Even movie theaters could benefit, since mirrors could help lower AC costs, which I imagine is not an insignificant expense, especially in the hotter areas of the country. So I do think the entertainment industry should prioritize this issue. Anyways, let’s get back into the entertainment strategy. I was about to write, “Hey, this week we don’t have any mergers and entertainment news to dive into,” but that’s not really true, since we had more updates on Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. But the big story of the week involves a streamer and a Big Tech platform bundling their respective streamers. So I’ll write about the updates on Paramount buying Warner Bros., Versant making some moves, and a whole lot more. But we start with a surprising deal: Peacock licensing their content to YouTube Premium. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Peacock’s Pricey Premium Partnership The story of the week is Comcast’s2 NBC-Universal’s Peacock making a deal with Google’s YouTube’s YouTube Premium subscription product to embed their content. And I’ll say this up front: Someone made a terrific deal. The question is who. And I’ll be honest: I don’t know. Let me explain why, including why this deal exists, the pros and cons for each side, the biggest unknown, and what that says about the streaming wars. Customers Love Bundles (But YouTube Has Its Own Issues) 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… Why customers love bundles… But why I’m worried about YouTube’s integration... How Peacock is trading scale for control… And the reason they likely made this deal... The odd budget math for this deal... Whether or not I think the Paramount-Skydance/WBD deal is more likely after the latest settlement... Versant making moves and why that’s good for Hollywood… Another distributor going out of business… ...and a whole lot more! ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
The Future Of Young Hollywood Is Bright, Thanks To These Rising Stars
Variety's Young Power of Hollywood event celebrated the next generation of rising stars, honoring Tyriq Withers, Tate McRae, Sombr, and Malachi Barton, proving that the future of the industry is in good hands.
How savvy is the Iranian regime about U.S. politics?
NPR's A Martinez speaks to Holly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, about how the Iranian regime's understanding of U.S. politics informs its war strategy.
How savvy is the Iranian regime about U.S. politics?
NPR's A Martinez speaks to Holly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, about how the Iranian regime's understanding of U.S. politics informs its war strategy.
Cynopsis 8/10/2026: The Media And Entertainment Industry Is Creating Jobs
Monday, August 10, 2026 Happy Monday, readers! Today’s newsletter includes: A Hollywood-Shaped Silver Lining In July’s Jobs Report So Much
Robert Redford’s Final Film, Which He Came Out of Retirement For, Has A Near-Perfect Score on Rotten Tomatoes
Robert Redford became one of Hollywood's top actors during the 1960s and 1970s, spending over six decades in the entertainment business. From his Broadway career in the late 1950s to his later years i...
Joan Jett cancels remaining 2026 concerts after undergoing surgery for 'fractured vertebrae'
Joan Jett underwent orthopedic surgery on a fractured vertebrae, forcing cancellation of her September shows including Bourbon & Beyond festival.
Man living inside 'The Last House' billboard in daring Netflix stunt
With Hollywood billboards everywhere you look, Angelenos know it takes a lot for an advertisement to leave an impression, and so Netflix got to work.
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
From Mediterranean bikini getaways to major career moves, see how well you know the stars making entertainment headlines this week.
Disney Topps Cards and Lorcana Drive Big Business for Company
From collectible card sets by Topps to card games by Hasbro and Ravensburger, the entertainment giant has found a growth business in a mature consumer products world.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Release Date, T-Mobile Free Phone Deals, Price
Fresh off its silver screen debut and record-breaking pre-order numbers, the buzzy new device is coming to T-Mobile customers at no cost. Here's how to claim the carrier's best phone deal to date.
Measles exposure warning issued at Universal Studios Hollywood after confirmed case in visitor
Public health officials said there was a confirmed case of measles in a person who was infectious while they visited the theme park on July 26.
'Boyhood' child actor lives 'in the middle of nowhere' after leaving Hollywood behind
Ellar Coltrane, now 31, says he lives in the middle of nowhere doing manual labor and firefighting, but misses collaborating on independent films.
Measles exposure reported at Universal Studios Hollywood
Health officials in Los Angeles County said a person infected with measles visited Universal Studios Hollywood and potentially exposed others to the virus.
Isabella Rossellini Explains Why She Lives in US Despite Bad Politics
The Italian-American actress, model and filmmaker also explained why "I don’t like TV shows" after being honored with the Swiss fest's Excellence Award the night before.
Celebrity culture is one thing. For TMZ, Congress is the new 'reality show'
TMZ is trading Hollywood gossip for Capitol Hill scoops with a new D.C. bureau, launched in April. The online tabloid's two-man crew has brought an unconventional reporting style to the Congress beat.
Media Mogul Tom Rogers sees trouble in Disney's ad business
Tom Rogers, Versant Media senior advisor, joins 'Fast Money' to talk Disney earnings and AI usage in Hollywood.
Chris Wallace: States Are Playing Politics to Block Paramount
"I don’t believe government should use its powers to determine who owns a news platform or to control how that outlet reports the news," writes the former Fox and CNN anchor, who is now a paid advisor at a firm that has a large stake in Paramount.
Variety names Joyce Choi ’19 among Hollywood’s rising entertainment leaders
Elon alumna Joyce Choi ’19, vice president of film at Imagine Entertainment, has been named to Variety's
TikTok Videos Coming to Disney+ in Deal Between Companies
Creators on TikTok will get access to Disney photo and video assets if they opt-in to the program, with their videos living on both platforms.
ESPN announces commentator teams for 2026 college football season
ESPN has revealed its commentator lineup for the upcoming college football season with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe leading the way.
Deadline Approaching for the 2026 IAM Safety & Health Conference
The IAM Safety and Health Department is accepting registrations for the 2026 IAM Safety & Health Conference, taking place Sept. 27 to Oct. 2, 2026, at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md. This annual conference provides IAM members with the knowledge and tools needed to address today's workplace safety and health
MrBeast Sales Slow, Angel Stock Falls, MUBI and Neon Look for Hits, and Will an NBA Franchise Set a Sales Record?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) You probably remember egg prices spiking a few years ago. This led to a lot of debate between the pro-market/pro-competition/antitrust/Neo-Brandesian crowd and the center/center-right/center-left/abundance/libertarian crowd over the cause, whether it was the avian flu outbreak or whether industry consolidation led to price fixing, using avian flu as a convenient cover. Basel Musharbash wrote a whole investigation at BIG looking at it. Well, two years later, we have our answer: it was price fixing. The Justice Department found proof, via emails, of price fixing. Indeed, just the threat of an investigation brought prices down two years ago: I bring this up because at least half a dozen of my favorite political writers and pundits, who were skeptical about price fixing at the time, haven’t written any mea culpas on this issue. It’s really dispiriting and makes it much, much harder to trust their work on other issues. If you take a hard stand on an issue, then you get it wrong, you need to explain how and why you got it wrong. Or update your priors. This is how epistemological bubbles are formed! All of which is to say, it’s time for another installment of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. Last issue, I mostly focused on the “wrong” side of the equation, so today’s is a bit more balanced, but with one big mea culpa (though I still stand by my original concerns). Let’s dive right in! Subscribe CORRECTION: UFC Didn’t Release Subscriber Data (But Seems to Have Bragged About It Internally) In my analysis of the viewership of UFC Freedom 250, I wrote... “Paramount has also released datecdotes bragging about their subscriber numbers. Earlier this year, they claimed that the first UFC fight on Paramount+ brought in 1 million subscribers.” Well, that datecdote did not come from a PR rep, but from great reporting from James Faris at Business Insider. The actual quote was this: “Paramount’s flagship streaming service generated about a million new subscribers on the day of its first-ever UFC event, Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow told employees in a town hall on Tuesday morning, three staffers who attended the meeting told Business Insider.“ This wasn’t the biggest goof in the world; even Faris emphasized to me that this is more a “clarification” than a correction. Still, it sounds like, internally, the folks at Paramount were very happy about this result—and I’m guessing they were happy with this news getting out—even though the gains didn’t last through the quarter, dropping to 700K adds. RIGHT: MrBeast’s Struggles Continue... I’m very skeptical about MrBeast’s burgeoning media “empire” and, in particular, its $5 billion valuation, as I wrote earlier this year and last year. Sure enough, according to Business Insider, regarding its “booming” consumer products division_:_ “US sales volume grew 13% year-over-year in 2025, following a 33% leap the previous year, according to a presentation deck dated May 2026....A February 2025 investor deck viewed by Business Insider showed Feastables’ net revenue more than doubled in 2024 from 2023, to $215 million, and was forecast to grow 74% in 2025, to $375 million.” [Emphasis mine.] If you told investors that you projected 74% growth but delivered 13%,1 that’s not ideal. But it’s not just MrBeast. Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime had sales drop in half for their energy drinks. It’s one thing to build a successful entertainment company and an entirely different thing to succeed in the heavily-consolidated-but-also-very-competitive consumer packaged goods space! CPGs are dominated by a few firms with very wide moats compared to YouTube, which has few barriers to entry. These businesses require different skill sets and have completely different business environments. WRONG: Does the NBA Have an $8 Billion Bidder? Almost as soon as I published my article about the NBA’s finances, casting skepticism on NBA expansion, I saw this Front Office Sports headline: One group “claims to have already raised $8 billion” for the Vegas expansion team. I mean, wow. That’s just $2 billion less than what the Los Angeles Lakers were valued at when they were sold just last year. And they’re arguably the most popular team in the NBA. (Side note: the new owner is now under an investigation for fraud in how he went about financing the Lakers and the Dodgers purchases.) So much for the “dried up” language I used in that article. (This is why I usually stick to my “Entertainment Nuance Guy” tone in articles...) I went off old information—from April, when I read/heard about the NBA downplaying expansion efforts—instead of doing a quick double-check for new news. That said...if you read the article, the market for Seattle is “slow”, with just one reported bidder. So I wasn’t entirely off. This goof has annoyed me since I first published it, mainly because it undercut that article’s real point, which I stand by: NBA franchises are really overvalued right now. Now, I get why NBA teams are overvalued. When it comes to owning sports teams, it’s basically never wrong to assume that some rich person somewhere will care more about owning a team (or just being part of a group since they’re so expensive) than the actual financials. There are only so many teams to own, and opportunities to buy in preferred markets don’t come along very often. This explains why the teams sell for such high multiples (usually above a 10 to 12.5 revenue multiple, which is very high). You only need one person to overpay! Beyond the ultra-wealthy luxury good explanation, I worry NBA teams are becoming speculative assets. More and more private equity investors are buying into NBA teams. But the value, in owning a team, comes from selling it later, not any meaningful relationship to revenue or profit growth. In other words, the newer NBA owners are increasingly expecting someone later to buy their inflated asset. That’s not sound economics; that’s the “greater fool” theory at work.2 At some point, actually making money has to matter. Especially since revenue growth is now below the growth of the stock market. (And this matters because the NBA doesn’t have easy levers to pull to drastically lower their costs—half of their revenue has to go to players and then you actually have to run a team, including coaching, training, travel, media expenses, and more—or raise revenues aside from one-off expansions in America and overseas.) I just don’t see how investors make their money back buying NBA teams, except for selling at a higher price later on down the line. But if revenue/profit growth continues to slow, at some point, someone will be left holding the bag. RIGHT: Baseball and Basketball are about equally popular. Related to the above, I wanted to cite two quick pieces of evidence for one of my other theories: that the NBA and MLB are about as popular as each other, but the NBA gets much, much better media coverage. One YouGov survey has that fans prefer basketball to baseball by 52% to 48%, which I’m guessing is within the margin of error for that poll. That’s virtually even, meaning they’re about the same popularity. Over on NBC, a recent Red Sox-Yankees game averaged 4 million viewers, higher than Sunday Night Basketball’s average of 3.4 million on the same network. A Yankees-Dodgers game averaged 3.9 million two weeks ago. Not every game averages this much, but it shows you that baseball isn’t far off from basketball, depending on the matchup. Altogether, the NBA is just slightly more popular than baseball, but NBC is paying MLB a fraction of what they pay the NBA, a point I’ve made before. RIGHT: Angel, MUBI and Neon Updates... I’ve long been skeptical about many of Hollywood’s buzziest startups/smaller indie studios. It’s not that they don’t make great movies—films like Anora and Everything Everywhere All at Once are amazing—or that they’re not (rightfully) pushing the majors to make better films, but...they get a ton of hype, and that hype often doesn’t live up to the reality or difficulty in scaling up. Starting with MUBI, well, The Wall Street Journal wrote a feature on MUBI’s struggles last April, best summarized by the subheader “After Sequoia valued Mubi at $1 billion, a left-wing revolt sent the indie film company into a tailspin”. MUBI lost $7.3 million on $200 million in revenue in Q4 2025, but reportedly hit a record 1.7 million subscribers at the end of Q1. As for Neon, Department M purchased a “significant stake” in the company earlier this year. How much is that “stake” worth? According to Deadline, “No financial figures for the Neon-Department M deal were disclosed.” So...that’s not great! If it was a big valuation, we’d hear about. Also, I found this curious: “Both Neon and Department M already have separate partnerships with Qatar. The Qatar Film Committee has a slate deal in place with the former, and a biopic production pact with the latter.” Color me skeptical about much Middle Eastern investment dollars. See: LIV Golf. Finally, as for Angel (formerly Angel Studios), their stock very, very slightly popped last month after Young Washington ($20 million budget) which made $45 million in the US, but their stock is still way down from its opening. Smaller Updates RIGHT: The WGA should focus on antitrust concerns! I’ve been on this for years. Post-WGA/AMTPT deal in 2023, I wrote an article for the Ankler calling on the WGA to focus and organize against industry consolidation. Sure enough, the WGA filed a lawsuit against the Paramount-WBD merger, and people are organizing around this issue now. I wish this energy had coalesced earlier (specifically to lobby Washington much earlier), but better late than never! WRONG: Actually, the chip shortage might be due to market manipulation. In my last “Long Reads for the Long Summer” article, I shared an article about how LLMs are causing memory chip prices to spike, which will make all electronics more expensive. Well, turns out, three RAM manufacturers control 90% of the market, and now a private lawsuit accuses them of price-fixing. So yeah. WRONG/UPDATE: The Odyssey will hold! Two weeks ago, I wrote, “As of this moment, we haven’t had a super-blockbuster, though The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday could all cross the $500 million mark. (At this point, The Odyssey would need a very strong hold to get there.)” Well, it’s safe to say it’s going to have that hold! It only dropped 30% in weekend two and IMAX screenings are sold out all month. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is also off to a great start. RIGHT: People are rushing to get shows out yearly. I’ve long been bullish on yearly, weekly-released shows, and Leslie Goldberg at The Ankler wrote about how many people in town are now listening. WRONG: Mark Carney reverses Canada’s stance on homegrown production. After writing about Canada installing domestic production quotas, Canada has backed off. WRONG: I don’t trust Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s online “views”. When I originally wrote about the latest Spider-Man film’s record-breaking trailer, I thought this was just YouTube views, but after watching this Corridor Crew video and doing more research, well, it’s all social views of the trailer globally. Really? That stat includes TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts views. Basically, I don’t trust it anymore. (This film will probably set record, but I trust the pre-sales data more.) RIGHT: Celebrity Production companies are still struggling. I’ve written about this for years, but the company that I didn’t track was Kevin Hart’s HartBeat, which was valued at $650 million but is struggling now and might just end soon, especially after Kevin Hart pulled his endorsement deals. And Bad Robot is moving to NYC. CORRECTION: SpongeBob is a “second run” title. In my 2025 recap article, I had _SpongeBob SquarePants_labelled as a “library” title, when it is still a “second run” show, with new episodes still coming out on Nickelodeon. CORRECTION: In my last “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong” update, I offered a correction from Doug Creutz and misspelled TD Cowen. Thanks, Grammarly! 1 Though he could have increased prices to make up for the gap, he couldn’t have increased them that much. 2 There’s a theory, which I think that Daryl Morey created and Bill Simmons popularized, that, to be successful building your team, you only need a handful of bad GMs in the league to take advantage of. To be clear, Daryl Morey’s theory was also for signing bad contracts, that you could always get out of bad contracts. Basically, there’s always someone who will make a bad trade. It’s not the same exact thing, but similar enough to the Greater Fool Theory that I really like it.
Inside The Heartthrob Industrial Complex
Streaming, social media, and luxury brands have changed how Hollywood creates heartthrobs. Inside the formula behind today's biggest internet crushes.
Risky Business: Patent Term Adjustment in the Post- Forest Era
What value is a patent that expires before it issues? Until recently, that question seemed wholly academic. In In re Forest, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit answered it directly.
Gavin Newsom Reportedly Concerned About Paramount, WB Merger State Suit
In a Friday report, sources told The Wall Street Journal that California's governor has said if the merger is blocked due to the lawsuit, state employment will suffer, and that "Newsom’s office has encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which has independent authority to file such suits, to find a resolution out of court."
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
Test your knowledge of entertainment with this quiz on celebrities, trends and headline-making moments. Featured this week: bikini-clad vacations, an unbelievable survival story, a post-divorce splurge and a romance decades in the making.
John Oliver Staying With 'Last Week Tonight' Amid Merger "Denial"
Late-night's Emmy heavyweight is sticking with 'Last Week Tonight' for at least another year as he tries his best to ignore his parent company's future and follow a favorite motto: "You always want to be exactly as much trouble as you are worth."
The Streaming Bubble Keeps Popping
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) One of my rules is “never bet against PE [private equity]”. This isn’t to say that I agree with their methods or tactics or strategies or financial innovations (aka shenanigans). Just that in the long arc of financial history, they’ve tended to return very good returns to their shareholders. That said, their forays into entertainment have left me...skeptical. I’ve written before about PE’s production company/celebrity production company roll ups, and those haven’t really worked out. Some PE groups tried to “roll up” an industry that isn’t “roll-up-able” for lack of a better term—since the barrier to entry for starting a production company is very low—often paying top dollar for celebrity production companies at the height of streaming valuations. So yeah maybe we can bet against PE when they venture into filmed entertainment. I’ve also noted that studio lots seemed to be a bubble back in 2022. Sure enough… Yikes! That sure sounds like some private equity guys lost some money. The only caveat being that holding a lot of land in Los Angeles is always valuable. But that wasn’t the pitch and likely real estate investment companies overpaid for said land. I mean, Goldman Sachs had to repossess it after all. (Technically, I’m not sure these buyers were traditional private equity, but PE was buying LA studio lots earlier this decade.) All to say: I call out bubbles when I see them, and they often pop. Anywho, my most famous bubble call was the “streaming bubble”, specifically that the major streamers were making too many shows and films. And that it could all come crashing down. Notably, I made this call before the strikes of 2023, but those strikes potentially accelerated the popping. And now it has indeed popped. One of my most popular articles of last year made that exact case. A year later, it’s time to update that analysis. The bottom line is that the streaming contraction continues. Credit where credit is due, Luminate—an analytics company whose data I use weekly in my streaming ratings report—called this out in a recent report I saw highlighted in both Bloomberg and The Hollywood Reporter. But I’m adding my data to their look, including streaming films and kids TV shows. I’ll also provide some other data that all tells the same picture. Let’s dive in! Subscribe The Number of Streaming TV Shows, Films and Specials Is Declining AGAIN in 2026 Let’s get right to the data, starting with my dataset. Specifically, each week I track every “notable” title to come out on streaming. I try to grab every title on every major streamer, meaning if it’s a first run or original or exclusive, I track it. This helps me call out the “dogs not barking” and the misses/flops each week. So that will be our first series of charts, my weekly collection data. Let’s start with the raw TV show, film and special data, by week. Note: As the years have gone by, I have actually added more sources (going from just one source to five sources) to find new titles, meaning that this data collection is, likely, more accurate now than in the past. Which means my team and I are more likely to have undercounted titles in the past rather than today. I like to cut the data several different ways. Here’s that same look, by quarter, to more sharply show the trends: And here’s the data just looking at the first half of each year. That’s the same data, just cut three different ways with three different time periods. Note that films, TV shows, and specials are all down by 25%, 42% and 17%, respectively, from 2022. The good news is that the number of films and specials actually increased year-over-year from 2025 to 2026, but not enough to offset the 25% decline in TV shows. Now, I also look at kids shows, and here they are pulled out on their own: And here’s that by quarter: This really seems to be a notable area of pullback by the streamers. Kids shows are down 80% from 2022. This reflects some formerly Disney+ shows going to cable TV first, but also pullbacks from HBO Max, Prime Video and Netflix. I also categorize the TV shows by English language and non-English language, and that also reveals a lot of where the drop comes from: And here is by the half-year: In this look, the good news is the drop for English language shows seems to have stabilized in the last year. But the bad news is the long term decline from the 2022 peak. Other Data So I wasn’t the only person to notice this decline in the number of shows. I have a few other data sources for this, though most only go through the end of 2025. As I said, Luminate beat me to the punch, so let’s look at their data. 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… What TV loss streaming didn’t make up for... How Netflix has changed their programming slate over time… Ten more images charting the decline of production... What type of films aren’t being made anymore... The good news (for movie theaters)… And more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
UC San Diego expert available: The business of Hollywood—from Toy Story to the Paramount-Warner merger
As Hollywood continues to reshape itself through blockbuster franchises and industry consolidation, UC San Diego associate professor of communication Shawna Kidman is available to provide context on the forces transforming the entertainment business. Kidman studies media industries, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, and the business strategies behind Hollywood's biggest successes. Her research examines how companies build enduring franchises, why media consolidation matters to co
Ryan Gosling's family-first philosophy reshaped his Hollywood career: experts
From "Barbie" to "Ghost Rider," Ryan Gosling's pivot toward blockbuster franchises traces back to a deliberate family-first philosophy he embraced as a dad.
Netflix Sued For $105 Million After Hard Drive of Unreleased Nicolas Cage Movie Was Stolen From Its Office
The lawsuit faults Netflix for losing a drive that contained a copy of World War II thriller 'Fortitude.' The company maintains it's not responsible for the loss of the movie, which it says was delive...
Central Casting's Extras Business Is Expanding Nationwide
In a reflection of the increasingly mobile nature of production, the company’s casting and payroll services will now be available across the nation instead of in just a handful of states.
American Summer: Steve Guttenberg, Christie Brinkley Film Gets Release
Mia Talerico also stars in Michael W. Gray's coming-of-age feature that hits theaters later this year from Blue Harbor Entertainment.
Banijay Entertainment H1 Revenue Drops in Update After All3Media Deal
The company's live events business posted a 49.8 percent revenue gain, driven by the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics.
Entertainment News: July 28, 2026
Get caught up on the latest in Hollywood, technology, and more with FOX 17 Morning Mix's Entertainment News.
News | Sony revives iconic Hollywood theater as it bets on creative entertainment venues
Alamo Drafthouse to restore Cinerama Dome and ArcLight theaters
DoorDash Hires WME As Entertainment Agency of Record
The digital commerce brand will leverage WME's Hollywood relationships.
'Jay and Silent Bob' Weed Farming Video Game in the Works
The newly launched indie company Nitrate Games is backing the project, described as an "adult cozy farm sim."
Healthcare Triangle Creates "Purpose Health" to Monetize AI Demand and Accelerate Shareholder Returns
Healthcare Triangle, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCTI), a healthcare and life sciences technology company enabling digital transformation through cloud, data, artificial intelligence, and security solutions, today announced that proven industry executive Sumit Ganguli has been appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Purpose Health, Inc., HCTI's wholly owned, AI-led healthcare technology services subsidiary.
Hollywood's biggest directors are pushing back against AI. Here's why.
Christopher Nolan called AI "a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside." Guillermo del Toro said it could prevent future filmmakers from mastering their craft.
50 Cent and Planet Hollywood Launch $100 Million Entertainment Venture in New York City
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is expanding his business empire with a new $100 million partnership that aims to transform Planet Hollywood’s flagship Times Square location into a celebrity-driven entertainment destination. Jackson and Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl announced the launch of PH Live, a new venue that will combine live music, film premieres, sporting events, […]
Universal Responds to 'The Odyssey' Leaks on Social Media
Following the Christopher Nolan-directed film's release on July 17, pirated films have been circulating across X.
Gambling becomes America’s favorite pastime as Americans spend more on sports bets than movies, arts, museums, and music combined
Americans wagered $166 billion on sports last year, more than Hollywood, the music industry, books, and museums combined.
Local Spotlight: The All-New Hollywood Casino & Hotel Aurora
The all-new Hollywood Casino & Hotel Aurora is now open.
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
Test your knowledge of entertainment with this quiz on celebrities, trends and headline-making moments. Featured this week: on-set drama, bikini photos and wardrobe malfunctions.
Theater producer’s Des Peres home filled with entertainment collectibles
Stepping into the Des Peres home of theater producer Jack Lane is like taking a trip through the history of Hollywood, Broadway and the wonderful world of Disney all in
Kuwait Oil Company Signs US$ 16.0 Billion Infrastructure Partnership Involving Its Crude Oil Pipeline Network With a Consortium Comprising Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation ("KPC"), the state-owned corporation overseeing Kuwait's oil and gas sector, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, K...
John Cusack makes rare comment about why he pivoted away from film career
Actor John Cusack explains why he’s not working as much in Hollywood these days
Ex 60 Minutes Correspondent Claims CBS Execs Encouraged Political Bias
Cecilia Vega alleged that higher-ups requested changes to three of her segments from this year that she could did find evidence for, per the Times.
Top entertainment headlines with Studio 13 Live
Bender dives into the top entertainment headlines for Friday, July 24, beginning with Chris Brown pleading guilty to a fight in a London nightclub, KJ Apa opening up about his road to sobriety, the announcement of the "Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2027" and more.
Facebook Testing Immersive Video Feed as Home Page
The social platform says it will test a video-first look for users when they open the app in select countries, potentially bringing it to the U.S. next year.
Why Hollywood's biggest stars keep saying yes to Christopher Nolan
"The Odyssey" director Christopher Nolan is famous for reuniting with the same actors. Here's what keeps stars like Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, and Anne Hathaway coming back.