☀️APPLE Buys Out ‘Severance’; SONY Snares Momoa
#Cordcutting gets next boost / PROPAGATE gets $50M injection / AMC NETS stagnant Q4
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 Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Where I’ll start the day with a #freeidea for my impending Central Jersey neighbors, NETFLIX (yeah, that’s right, I said Central).
If you’re looking for good ways to ingratiate yourself with the local community when the big soundstage facility opens up in a couple years — consider sponsoring our local wooden boat ice yachting regatta!
Granted, this competition on Red Bank, NJ’s Navesink River between 2 clubs founded in the 1880s has now only happened . . . 3 times since 1890 — but our frigid winter this year finally made conditions possible for a 4th duel to compete for the vaunted Van Nostrand cup (I hear he was a prominent doctor on NBC in the ’90s).
Unfortunately, those Hudson River Ice Yacht Club interlopers from way up north won the cup for the first time . . . so, uh, NETFLIX — how about chipping in for some Jersey boat upgrades for the next go around?
YEAH: The LA28 Olympic Games board voted to keep Casey Wasserman in the leadership position for the games. Eh, I’m sure that’ll tie all this up and be done with it.
YUP: Turns out dogs were much stronger competition for Bad Bunny than Kid Rock on Sunday — the Puppy Bowl got 15.3M viewers across 4 WBD TV networks, plus HBO MAX and DISCO+ (although it aired at 2 p.m., not during the game).
That’s its biggest number since 2018.
Although I’d be curious to see a viewership breakdown here . . . as TBS had the largest audience of the linear TV networks at, uh, 1.03M.
WELL: GALLUP may no longer be tracking U.S. presidential approval ratings, but that’s not stopping other pollsters — a few of whom have found more folks now saying Biden was a better president than Trump (yes, I mean Joe Biden).
Also of interest in one poll — independent voter approval of Trump’s handling of the economy fell 53 points YoY.
Granted, it’s just a poll . . . but in the end #ItsTheEconomyStupid.
PLUS: A broadcast evening news TV audience check-in from last week (Mon-Thu averages, per NIELSEN):
ABC: 9M
NBC: 7.2M
CBS: 4.4M
The NY Post reports that about 25% of CBS Evening News staffers eligible for newly-offered buyouts took the packages (they were offered to non-union employees only), including 6 out of 20 producers.
ALSO: X revealed that its TTM (trailing 12 months) subscription revenue hit $1B — i.e. if X had made the same amount from subscriptions last month in the 11 months prior as well, it would have made $1B. But X did not actually make $1B from this in 2025.
COMP: PEACOCK made just over $1B in actual dollars in Q4 alone.
GOOD NEWS!: The Hamptons median residential real estate price was +34% YoY in Q4, thanks mainly to a good season for Wall Street bonuses! #MoneyWellEarned
The average sale price also hit $3.76M.
AND: If you’re thinking of renting in the Hamptons this summer . . . sounds like inventory is already moving, so best to get a jump now (thankfully, I know you won’t come to Jersey instead).
EVEN BETTER!: When you’re staying late at the GOLDMAN SACHS offices past 8 p.m. searching for summer Hamptons rentals working hard on not being replaced by AI — you can now order a $35 dinner into the office instead of being capped at $30. Inflation hits everyone, folks.
OH: In great news for folks in the uh, lower payroll tiers at GOLDMAN — price cuts that MCDONALD’S instituted going into Q4 helped boost U.S. revenues at established locations by 6.8%, its highest quarterly revenue increase in 2 years. Yes, Hollywood — you see, prices can also go down. It’s a thing! And it can work wonders!
But MCDONALD’S thanks you for the Q4 assist, Hollywood — its Grinch-themed meal helped drive sales in the quarter, including the company’s best sales day ever. Take that, creators!
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
WB’s Wuthering Heights is finally going to kick off the 2026 box office season! In mid-February.
Seems like around $40M is on the conservative side, with some thinking $50M is within sight, or higher if you think this is really gonna take off with the Saturday night Valentine’s Day placement. Note this is for the 4-day period/including Presidents’ Day.
AND: As the European Film Market begins today in Berlin, fully kicking off the 2026 independent movie packaging sales season — down below today, I take a look back at what packages moved forward last year, and what is still looking to get into production.
FINALLY: Always tough when someone goes way before their time, especially from your own generation. Rest in peace, James.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
