☀️PAR Protects Cable TV Biz, PAR+ in CHARTER Deal
NETFLIX's latest data dump / NCAA's big move toward paying athletes / LGF Q1 shows power of Wick
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY, May 24, 2024.
Where this one is entirely for Gen Xers (Gen Z readers, just move on to the GOOGLE & META news after the gif), but in a landmark deal for anyone who grew up playing video games in the early 1980s . . . ATARI has purchased INTELLIVISION 🤯! (Oddly, no mention of a potential FTC intervention on this one.)
Yes, the two powerhouses of the 1983 gaming world are finally uniting, with the INTELLIVISION brand and more than 200 games involved in the deal. If they need to get their hands on any of the original games — my mom would probably be very happy to get them out of her basement (they’re right next to the Premiere magazines 🙌).
BTW — the INTELLIVISION merch is already avail on the ATARI website. Just in time for Father’s Day.
WELL: If you were concerned about the 2026 AMPTP / SAG-AFTRA talks having a lack of new talking points . . . I have good news! GOOGLE and META have made overtures to Hollywood studios about licensing their libraries for AI training use (i.e. a version of the recent NEWS CORP and REDDIT deals), according to Bloomberg.
Not a lot of specifics here other than the Silicon Valley titans are offering a whopping . . . “tens of millions” of dollars here 😱.
Just a reminder, 2023 net profits:
META: $39 Billion
GOOGLE: $74 Billion
AND: I hope this isn’t too shocking, but GOOGLE seemingly released a product before it was ready for safe public use 🤯! This Axios roundup of incorrect and dangerous information that GOOGLE’s new “AI Overviews” are giving people is something . . . gotta love advising to put glue on pizza. Don’t worry though — obviously a totally great environment for marketers to buy ads around! 🥴
THEN: Newly released video of the Scottie Scheffler incident/arrest at the U.S. Open ⛳️ last weekend seems to support his account of events, and refute the story of the police officer involved, whose body cam was also turned off during the situation.
PLUS: The WSJ had a good breakdown on where all of your concertgoing ticket money and other fees go (artist, venue, promoter, etc), in regards to the new DOJ / TICKETMASTER lawsuit.
OH: And this 👇 — look, TSwift doesn’t become a billionaire on her own y’all.
IN SUMMARY: The WSJ also had a pretty good progression of the events in the Scarlett Johansson / OPENAI PR fiasco. That Altman “Her” tweet still just sums it up for me personally.
A REST IN PEACE: Goes out to documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who died yesterday at age 53, after a battle with cancer.
ALSO: Here is a photo assemblage of folks at the annual amfAR gala at Cannes last night — Demi Moore & Paris Jackson anyone?
FINALLY: Just a little something for any fellow fans of inappropriate #GameShowGaffes out there, courtesy of Wheel of Fortune.
WAKEUP BOX-OFFICE POLL RESULTS
Furiosa bulls . . .
And Garfield bears . . .
IN THIS EDITION
A busy end to the week . . . NETFLIX enters the great 2024 Cannes buying spree, FREEVEE originals pullback continues, Apatow makes his move, and NETFLIX gives me a lotta homework.
Plus - new actual NBA details, a look at PAR’s deal to maintain its core (ish) and what it means for PAR+ subs, a LIONSGATE Q1 breakdown and much more.
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODE!
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
