☀️ WBD Auction Sets 1st Deadline as NFLX, PSKY, COMCAST Line Up
PEACOCK axes ‘Poker Face’ / AMAZON gets Grisham / USA SPORTS sets 1st deal
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, November 14, 2025.
Where I’ll change things up and start today with a little PSA, as I’m sure the “How soon can I feasibly retire from this business?” thought is . . . well, I’m not gonna say prevalent — but perhaps more popular of late.
The IRS is bumping annual contribution limits to 401(k) and IRA retirement programs for 2026 (to $24.5k and $7.5k, respectively), and a little higher for those 50+, so they can better “catch up” on their savings.
Just a note to any twentysomething readers — start that 401(k) today if your employer offers it! It’s (typically) free money you’re turning down from your employer — and if you read this newsletter, you know that folks who make a totally deserved $30M+ a year never give you more money otherwise.
And yes — I, too, was like “Dude, I barely have $40 in my pocket” in my 20s (that was a reference to something called “cash,” kids) — but let’s just say that today I’m very happy I found a way to cut back on the early 2000s equivalent of a few DOORDASH’s a month and took the advice. #ThanksHBO.
OR: Maybe just use the new ROBINHOOD feature where you can order cash brought to your door from your account for a $7 “ATM fee” delivery price to put in that 401(k)! (Seriously, people — leave your f’in homes every once in a while! #wtf).
Just be sure to tip the GOPUFF guy who delivers it — he kinda knows you have the cash on you to do so.
Keep in mind that, according to VANGUARD, the median 401(k) balance for the 55-64 age group is only . . . $95k. To retire on. The earlier you start saving anything, the better off you’ll be.
THEN: Eminem will produce a halftime show for the LIONS Thanksgiving Day game this year (they play the PACKERS).
KUDOS 1: To the “band” Breaking Rust for hitting #1 on BILLBOARD’s Country Digital Song Sales chart with “Walk My Walk” — and yes, that band does not exist. #AImusic
KUDOS 2: To Mad Men for finally getting on HBO! Well — HBO MAX, as of Dec. 1.
NOW: I know you’ll be very surprised to read this, but apparently some Chinese hackers have manipulated ANTHROPIC’s tech-focused AI bot Claude to . . . hack big companies! 😱
Don’t worry, ANTHROPIC is totally on it and has since banned the bad actors from using Claude in the future. In retrospect, they really should have paid more attention when they put “Hacker” in the usage application.
YUP: November is coming for ya, October! VERIZON is adding 20k layoffs to this month’s jobs cuts tally.
BUT: Don’t you worry, America — Trump has totally (finally) heard your concerns on coffee prices, and cut a deal with 4 LATAM countries to lower tariffs on coffee and other items.
Those 4 countries combined provide . . . 7% of America’s coffee imports, so you should see that price come down any day now (Brazil’s high tariff policy is still fully in place).
HUH: UNDER ARMOUR and Steph Curry are parting ways after 13 years as merchandise partners. Steph will be shopping his CURRY BRAND elsewhere.
UNDER ARMOUR is currently undergoing an internal “restructuring,” with its stock around 52-week lows.
AH: Enjoy your NETFLIX Games launch this weekend, as NETFLIX makes the big shift to utilize its scale of the many millions of people who already come to its app every day versus . . . trying to build a business around downloading individual games elsewhere.
AND: If you wanna see how much the SEC dominates the business of college football . . . how’s 8 out of 10?
Well, at least 11-15 is a bit more varied with just one SEC team:
NOTRE DAME: 4.45M
MICHIGAN: 4.14M
SOUTH CAROLINA: 4.12M
MIAMI (FL): 4.02M
PENN STATE: 3.98M
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Taking the under on The Running Man, seemingly along with the majority tranche.
NEW POD
THANKS!: To YOUTUBE for the invite to check out . . . well, they called it a premiere, but it was really an Upfront kinda event for advertisers about some new creator series — including something called a weekly “late night talk show” (🤷♂️) from Julian Shapiro-Barnum (Recess Therapy) called Outside Tonight that’s launching from the streets of NYC in the spring.
Trevor Noah is also launching his next comedy special shot in South Africa on YT, and Mark Vins is launching a new adventure travel docuseries as well.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
