☀️Chernin’s NORTH ROAD Sold as MEDIAWAN Spree Continues
AMAZON gets Diaz pic / CHARTER adds video subs 🤯 / AMC THEATRES still bleeding cash
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, January 30, 2026.
Where sure, this Q4 earnings season is fine, I guess (Rushfield told me he’s seen better) . . . but next Q4 is where the real action’s gonna be!
Yes, our 2 favorite lawsuit recipients AI companies, OPENAI and ANTHROPIC, are seemingly in a duel to see who’s gonna go public first in Q4 of 2026. But, at least Industry has its season 5 plot line lined up on HBO!
MEANWHILE: AMAZON is in talks to invest up to $50B in OPENAI (someone see if Ratner’s available to document) to further cover its AI bets — it’s already a significant backer of ANTHROPIC, as our intricate, highly connected AI money web gets further entangled into itself. 🐍
BUT: At least AMAZON seems to be the only one keeping an eye on its AI data sets, flagging hundreds of thousands of pieces of content that it thought included child sex abuse material, generally found in 3rd party training data sets.
No one else in the AI building industry has come anywhere close to flagging that kind of problematic volume, and I’m gonna put $20 on it not just being present in datasets AMAZON is accessing.
YUP: Don Lemon was arrested by the feds this morning, seemingly for reporting on an ICE protest in a church. I’m only 60% sure I won’t have the U.S. government’s secret police force at my door for writing about it. #ThisIsAmerica2026
👋 Hollywood next generation — a viewing reco this weekend for some perspective on the history of journalism and the U.S. government with the very good Cover-Up doc on NETFLIX, released at the end of December.
OH: PENSKE’s SXSW is trimming the number of days for the fest this year, has cut ticket prices and ditched its Innovators Awards.
ALSO: Trump’s latest quote on the NETFLIX BROS. deal from the carpet of Melania in D.C. last night (where alas, WaPo was not allowed — man, if only they had a connection!): “It looks to me like one of them is very much a monopoly, if they are able to do this deal.”
SEPARATE BUT RELATED: Groups of doc filmmakers, indie movie theater owners and non-profit groups have sent letters to the state A.G. group, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL, to urge them to block the NETFLIX / WBD deal.
AND: If you want to know the names that will be leading the charge for PSKY, NETFLIX and WBD in this saga in the likely next phase of this deal in D.C. (sorry $34 a share-stans) — Claire Atkinson laid out all the names you need to know here in the “hired advisors”/soothsayers class for the PR and regulatory process that eveeryone has assembled.
AND: The burgeoning 3 ARTS SPORTS group scored a nice signing — WNBA star Sophie Cunningham of the INDIANA FEVER.
YAH: Your latest U.S. economy watch — CHILI’S is outperforming its rivals by offering cheaper prices. Its per-person checkout cost is $4+, less than the entire casual dining industry.
THEN: The latest awesome move by the Trump admin that no one was asking for — new legislation being proposed by Republicans that would outlaw Americans from having citizenship in 2 countries. Something I’m sure their wealthy U.S. donors with passports in other countries are totally going to get behind.
PLUS: For those who say there’s no truth in advertising, a NYT investigation found ICE using a key phrase and song embraced by white supremacist culture in its recruitment ads.
NEW POD
BTW: Enjoy your new NY Times Josh D’Amaro Friday profile (neither Josh nor Bob participated in it) — the last business day before DISNEY’s unusually timed Monday morning Q4 earnings call on Monday (I can’t recall DISNEY’s last earnings call put on a Monday).
AND: Gotta love DISNEY hiring a Wall Street analyst as its new Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Strategy — congrats to Ben Swinburne of MORGAN STANLEY! Does that mean there’s a job open there?
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Here’s how much help you’re sending to Send Help. I thought the marketing creative on this was great, so I’m gonna hop in with the optimists.
AND: The stock you’re taking in YOUTUBERs at the movies — I’m keeping my GenX skepticism sharp here, but it would be nice if this hits $10M.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
