There is growing opposition to the rent-or-license model that has become increasingly common in pop culture, gaming, and streaming. In California, a law that took effect in 2025 requires digital stores to be clearer when consumers are buying a revocable licence rather than full ownership. - Fast Company
ITV confirmed to shareholders on Monday morning that it will sell to its pay-TV rival, meaning a crown jewel of British broadcasting becomes part of the NBCUniversal entertainment empire. - Deadline
Reuters said the fee would equate to around $650 million in cash to be paid by Paramount every three months, providing the U.K. government some leverage over Paramount if a study drags on to slow the deal’s closure. - The Street
“It is a testament to the state of the industry that trophies won’t keep the lights on. Still, the huge success of South of Midnight makes Compulsion’s potential stand out as a real head-scratcher.” - CBC
It all depends on cosplay at L.A.’s Anime Expo - and this year, many attendees showed signs of devotion to the relatively new series Witch Hat Atelier. - Variety
The actor, currently famous thanks to his project The Pitt, says he “missed out on roles in Saving Private Ryan and Good Night, and Good Luck because he couldn’t get out of filming” ER. - Variety
“I still don’t think anyone actually likes Euphoria, but it’s big and expensive and full of movie stars, and at this moment in time Hollywood needs all three of those things to remain viable.” - Vulture
But now? “More and more, the space of American cinema is defined by one word: fantasy. … The fantasy worlds where our movies increasingly take place add up, in both philosophy and sensation, to a kind of abstract no-man’s land.” - Variety
Over the last 15 years, as a filmmaker and professor of digital arts, I have seen extraordinary shorts and features made on smartphones. Many were created by early career filmmakers who would have struggled to access industry funding without a smartphone and a minimal crew. - The Conversation
The studios sued the AI image lab last year, accusing it of enabling massive infringement of their copyrighted characters. Midjourney has claimed “fair use” and has argued that the studios are engaged in the very same AI practices. - Variety
“The headline was a grabber: ‘The Ghost Paper That Ate Alabama: How a Media Startup Killed 47 Weekly Newspapers and No One Noticed.’ It was a site named The Editorial, whose name rang a vague bell for me.” - Nieman Lab
“Worldwide” is the key word here: demand for news video on third-party platforms, while certainly growing, is lowest in Europe and North America, with such usage much higher in Asia and Latin America. - Nieman Lab
L.A. soundstages surveyed by permitting office FilmLA were 93 percent occupied as of 2019. That number has fallen to 62 percent as of last year. With that turn, more complexes have retooled themselves as creator campuses. - The Hollywood Reporter
Conservative groups are preparing to urge the Federal Communications Commission to revoke Disney’s broadcast television licenses, two representatives told POLITICO — a step that would build on agency Chair Brendan Carr’s already unprecedented efforts to punish President Donald Trump’s perceived critics in the media. - Politico
