☀️Breaking down the ENDEAVOR / WWE deal, as PAR'S DRAGONS tops expectations
IMAGINE leaves APPLE for AMAZON / Movie Biz still down despite strong March / NY AMPAS head is out
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY April 3, 2023.
Where sure, the Men’s MARCH MADNESS Final Four games were great (ok one of them was)… but a big 🙌 to the Women’s College 🏀 tournament (including to LSU on a well-deserved Championship win) for an amazing weekend of College hoops.
While she didn’t win the big prize, I’ll say it again Hollywood - get to know the name Caitlin Clark from IOWA, who set the record for most points scored in the Women’s tournament ever, and gives off Jordan-esque team-carrying vibes from the late 80s. And she’ll be back next year.
WME - get on those NIL rights right after the WWE thing is done.
MTV - an invite to the Movie Awards in May should be on your to do list… assuming it doesn’t conflict with finals.
NUMBERS: The Women’s FINAL FOUR also got some record-setting numbers on Saturday for ESPN: 5.5 Million for the IOWA-SC game, and 3.4 Million for the early game LSU-VIRGINIA TECH. The most watched Women’s Final Four ever. Oh right - the guys play for their Championship tonight at 9p (UCONN vs. SAN DIEGO STATE).
ALSO: LIONSGATE did indeed file paperwork with the SEC during the day on Friday to separate the LIONSGATE Studio and STARZ… with really no public specifics other than it looks like it’s the LIONSGATE Studio that’s technically being spun-off in… well, whatever’s happening here.
So - few details, and filed at the last minute. Just like my term papers in college, which likely instilled about the same amount of confidence. Although LGF stock was up +4% in after hours trading on Friday (it’s down 2% this morning) - so at least the Street still seems somewhat optimistic here, even though this was the entire extent of the company’s public statement on the future of the company.
AND: Get your proxy votes ready… the DISNEY Annual Meeting is at 1p. And if someone votes with a 💩, my $’s on Nelson’s ballot.
PLUS: File this in your everyone’s a genius folder - shares of the bank REPUBLIC FIRST BANCORP were -40% in March. No, their business is fine thank you… but yeah that name bears an unfortunate resemblance to the very much in trouble FIRST REPUBLIC BANK 🤦♂️. Wall Street’s just fine everybody, nothing to see here.
PT 2: NY YANKEES hat sales are booming in BRAZIL… with sales doubling over the last 2 years - but apparently no one has any idea who the YANKEES are or what sport they play.
OH: Hope you’re all enjoying your un-Blue Checked lifestyles… er - except apparently for the top 500 TWITTER advertisers and the 10,000 most-followed organizations that have been previously Blue Check-verified and will remain so, per the NY Times… who now apparently lost their Blue Check.
GOOD NEWS: Well, for fellow cheapskates economy streaming customers - NETFLIX’s Ad-tier is finally available to watch via APPLE TV+ boxes.
KUDOS #1: To Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey who welcomed daughter Matilda into the world.
KUDOS #2: Goes out to the Wakeup Box Office crew, or at least the 54% of you who took the over $35 Million on Dungeons & Dragons this weekend.
IN TODAY’S EDITION:
ENDEAVOR sets their deal for WWE which… I’m sure made for an interesting 2nd night of Wrestlemania as the news broke last night.
I spoke with WWE CEO Nick Khan this morning about the deal, and he also additionally revealed that Wrestlemania in LA set new Revenue records for the company… pretty much across the board (as expected).
A look at the WWE-UFC numbers & valuations released, what this indicates for Sports rights, and the Sponsorship opportunity they see.
Christianity returns to the Box Office Top 5, as Shazam falls out of it in week 3, and the full breakdown of the numbers.
A look at comps in terms of what all of the big March Theatrical tentpoles did (or didn’t do) to restore Box Office $$ luster.
James Gray sets next pic at FOCUS, as IFC Films head departs.
CINEWORLD reaches an agreement (pending approval) with their creditors.
2022 revenue numbers at TIKTOK’s parent company, and much more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
