Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LINKEDIN here if ya like, or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Where I’ll start today with some housekeeping — some readers told me that my COMCAST Q2 earnings intel column yesterday afternoon was in their spam filter, so here’s the link for those who didn’t get it.
COMCAST stock ended the day -7%, hitting a new 10-year low. Go inside the numbers that explain why.
Also understand the larger PEACOCK picture that was missing elsewhere yesterday amid a plethora of “PEACOCK made money!” coverage that . . . pretty much stopped there. No mention that PEACOCK still lost 2x more money in Q1 than it made in Q2; also no mention of the huge drop in avg. revenue per subscriber (ARPU) YoY that came with its subscriber gains. 👀
OH LOOK: It’s Christmas in July at Comic-Con. Way to get those butts in seats, Johnny. Always be hustlin’.
HUH: Yeah, for all of the AI doomsday employment proclamations over the past 12 months . . . June new unemployment application numbers hitting a low not seen since 1969 is something (although the June employment report was also anemic so . . . yeah, quite an economy we got here).
THEN: California judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin extended the TRO another 14 days on the WARNAMOUNT deal so that it can’t close until Aug. 18, with the next hearing still set for Aug. 3. That is the maximum TRO extension period possible before a permanent injunction would need to be imposed.
YEAH: Jeff Bezos really wants the PRIME VIDEO folks to put AI wherever the tech team can stuff it in the UI — gotta amortize all that data center spending, yo! I’m sure users will love it.
PLUS: A24 is holding screenings of its new Anthony Bourdain pic Tony on Mon. Aug. 3 in 25 cities for folks who work in the hospitality business, hosted by a variety of chefs and hospitality/restauranteur folks.
ALSO: PATREON is laying off 20% of its staff, or 93 folks, with 4 months’ severance being given.
MY WAY ‘TIL PAYDAY: AMC THEATRES made its annual executive pay disclosures, and here’s what we have for 2025:
- CEO Adam Aron: $15M ($7.4M in stock), up from $11.3M last year, but below his, uh, mid-$20M paydays in 2022 and 2023.
- CFO Sean Goodman: $4.9M, roughly the same as last year.
- CMO Daniel Ellis: $2.5M, up from $2.2M last year.
- Head of Europe, Mark Way: $2.6M (no 2024 comp)
- Chief HR Officer Carla Chavarria: $2M, up from $1.7M the prior year.
AND NOW:
A note from Elaine Low of the Series Business column, who would love to hear your thoughts, readers!
I think about the intersection of age and ambition often, and I bet a lot of you do too. If you work at a studio, streamer, agency, production company, or on crews — how much does appearance matter at work? Do you feel pressure to look a certain age? How do you think it impacts your job, salary and career trajectory? What wellness, beauty and fitness measures do you engage in to maintain or change your appearance?
I’d love to hear your thoughts here in this Google Form through Monday, July 27 — anonymity guaranteed.
MY NOTE FOR ELAINE: This one’s for you, and a huge thank you to Colman Domingo for this speech on behalf of Gen X’ers everywhere last night.
NEW POD
Audio:
Video:
📉 Earnings Season
CHARTER looks to #pricehikes to boost broadband fortunes
Yes, if you have SPECTRUM broadband, expect a #pricehike . . . I mean, “cost passthru” as CHARTER management calls it, over the next month.
Given the challenging numbers here in Q2 . . . yes, it’s time to go back to that classic “raise prices” cable company lever.
Video TV bundle subscriber losses are at least significantly minimized — the problem is, Video revenue is still declining.
Plus, some AI comments that were both familiar and surprising.
Here are the numbers trends to know, what CHARTER has in common with COMCAST in long-term issues — and the causes of those issues — plus the differing tactics that lie ahead for America’s largest TV bundle provider.
Don’t stop here
Unlock the full story — and the no-spin reporting Hollywood trusts
Already a subscriber?
