"The artists cut out the middleman by producing their own films and working directly with theatres to release them. It's a savvy move that benefits the artists and the theatrical industry, experts say." - CBC
Sports betting company Penn Entertainment will pay Disney $1.5 billion in cash while ESPN will receive warrants worth about $500 million to purchase shares in the gambling company. Penn will operate the app and Disney will help market it. - The Wall Street Journal
The stores will sell merchandise based on hit Netflix shows, so you can finally snag that Lincoln Lawyer coffee mug you’ve always dreamed of. - Engadget
"An audit showing unpaid bills. More than half of CapRadio’s board later resigned. Potential conflicts of interest came to light. News from competitors ... was how staff members said they often first learned about each instance. ... Sadness, worry and exhaustion poured out from employees." - MSN (The Sacramento Bee)
"In fact, according to PBS’s chief programming executive, … just one program on its fall lineup was impacted by the strikes: John Leguizamo’s American História: The Untold History of Latinos. PBS replaced it with another docuseries, Becoming Frida Kahlo." How'd they manage that? Separate union contracts. - Variety
Comparing the number of unique listeners of Aftenposten’s podcasts with those who have used the AI-generated listen-to option on its text articles, the publisher found there was little difference between the two – with younger audiences in particular being drawn in by the audio option. - Press-Gazette
A feature-length film, according to the Academy, is anything over 40 minutes. But that has little to do with the length attributed to most movies. It’s vanishingly rare for any feature film to be less than around 82 minutes. - Vox
"On Wednesday night, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers declared that negotiations with SAG-AFTRA are suspended, given that the gap between the parties is 'too great.'" In response, the actors' union accused the studios of "bully tactics." - The Hollywood Reporter
"Utah became the latest state to file a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the company is 'baiting' children into addictive and unhealthy social media habits. … Arkansas and Indiana have filed similar lawsuits while the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to decide whether state attempts to regulate social media platforms violate the Constitution." - AP
"A memo circulated to NPR staff says traffic has dropped by only a single percentage point as a result of leaving Twitter, now officially renamed X, though traffic from the platform was small already and accounted for just under two percent of traffic before the posting stopped." - Nieman Reports
The UK now has 1,500 volunteer-run venues, according to Jaq Chell, CEO of the charity Cinema for All, which supports them with everything from licensing and insurance to equipment. Some are just pop-ups in pubs or community halls. - The Guardian
"This is the world of internet-famous tough guys and celebrities clinging to relevance, of manufactured beefs and emotional arcs plotted via training videos and podcast appearances. … What’s more entertaining: an eight-round heavyweight qualifier or watching family vlogger Austin McBroom knock out TikTok frat bro Bryce Hall?" - The New York Times Magazine
