MALONE EXITS WBD: MAX LAUNCHES IN TURKEY
Two big pieces of news in the WBD world:
1) Media billionaire John Malone is exiting his seat on Warner Bros. Discovery’s board of directors and will become chair emeritus. The company said Friday in an SEC filing that Malone, 84, notified the board on Tuesday that he did not intend to stand for re-election at WBD‘s next annual shareholder meeting.
2) Warner Bros. Discovery‘s transition of its streaming service BluTV to Max in Turkey is official and live as of today Tuesday, as the Hollywood giant underlined its “commitment to increasing its investment in local content” and “bringing a compelling slate of new local stories” to its streamer in the country.
CBS LOSES DISTRIBUTION OF WHEEL OF FORTUNE + JEOPARDY
Sony will take over distribution of syndicated game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from CBS, a court has ruled. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile, in a tentative ruling issued on Thursday, denied CBS’ bid for a court order that would’ve temporarily blocked Sony’s efforts from assuming distribution. “Sony can begin distributing the Shows and need not deliver episodes to CBS,” the order stated.
SONY PICTURES NAMES NEW CSO & EVP
Sony Pictures Entertainment has named Jay Levine executive VP, chief strategy officer and head of business operations, overseeing the company’s M&A activities, as well as corporate development and investments. Levine joins Sony from Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat productions, where he had been CEO. Levine joined Hartbeat only a year ago from Warner Bros. He had previously overseen Warners’ corporate development team, and will now do so for another studio, reporting to SPE president and CEO Ravi Ahuja.
EXTRA NEWS
Jimmy Fallon is bringing his love for marketing to a new unscripted series at NBC. The network has given a green light to On Brand with Jimmy Fallon. On Brand follows the Tonight Show host as he starts a premiere marketing agency “and fills it with the most creative, clever, and competitive go-getters he can find.”
Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know, the podcast from the popular comedian, is moving over to Lemonada Media.
Acast, an independent podcast company, will work with The Athletic’s in-house commercial team as the exclusive external sales partner, with rights to audio ads, podcast sponsorships, podcast video and branded content in The Athletic podcast network.
The online ticketing giant StubHub has put its planned IPO on pause, a source says, just a few weeks after first filing to go public. The company is said to be waiting for the markets to quiet down and clarity to resume, at which point it would be ready to resume its IPO planning.
Redbox‘s signature DVD kiosks will soon light up again, at least in a legal sense. The video retailer went bankrupt last year along with the rest of its parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.
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