Max is returning to the name it had when it launched in 2020: HBO Max. The rebrand will take place this summer, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed Wednesday at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. Also WBD is rolling out an initiative called WBD Storyverse, which aims to “recapture the magic of the original IP through a branded lends.” Ad sales execs described it as an effort to “unlock” the company’s “vault,” which includes the more than century-old Warner Bros. studio.

Amy Powell, a veteran TV and marketing exec known for her stints at Paramount and most recently Amazon, has joined Vice Media to lead its studio operation. As President of Vice Studios, Powell will oversee the studio’s creative and commercial strategy, steering global development, production, and partnerships.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is advancing efforts to streamline film and television production in Los Angeles amid cries for further policymaker intervention on the issue of runaway production. Bass calls for a reduction of city staffers on shoots and improved access for crews to iconic Los Angeles locations like the Griffith Observatory, the Central Public Library and the Port of Los Angeles in an executive order that was signed Tuesday at the L.A. headquarters of performers’ union SAG-AFTRA. The directive further enlists city departments to cut red tape and help ease basic production headaches in a bid to improve the city’s friendliness to filmmakers.

Netflix says that its advertising tier has now topped 94 million monthly users, as it touted new engagement metrics and announced the expansion of its in house ad tech suite.

IATSE said Friday that visual effects workers at Disney‘s Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures and the Avatar franchise have voted to approve their first collective bargaining agreements since unionizing in 2023.

Wendy McMahon has announced her resignation as the president and CEO of CBS News and Stations, the latest departure from the network amid the pending acquisition by Skydance.

The AI entertainment studio Promise has secured new investment from a number of high-profile backers, including Google, Michael Ovitz’s Crossbeam Venture Partners, Kivu Ventures and Saga Ventures. Promise launched last year with backing from Peter Chernin’s North Road and Andreessen Horowitz, and was founded by George Strompolos, who was the CEO and founder of creator-centric software and media company Fullscreen; as well as Jamie Byrne, who most recently led creator partnerships for YouTube; and Dave Clark, a filmmaker who uses AI in his work

Beehiiv is an all-in-one creator friendly platform for newsletters and blogs that makes it easy to design, write, send, promote, monetize, and track the ROI of your newsletter. Created by former employees at the famous newsletter company Morning Brew, Beehiiv aims to help creators launch and monetize their own newsletter.

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