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 Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
Where come on, Hollywood — there’s gotta be a TV series in here somewhere.
YUP: The DGA has set a tentative deal with the AMPTP to round out guild negotiations this year. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a 4-year deal. The AI bot negotiators will see you in 2030.
AH: KALSHI is going to require bettors users in some prediction markets to disclose their employers, which is great news for the startup NUNYABIZNESS Inc.
YEAH: The corrupt clown car that is FIFA is once again showing what an adept organization it is, now having to give away thousands of unsold tickets for men’s World Cup matches to corporate partners right before the tournament begins because it woefully misjudged pricing demand.
OH: NETFLIX’s next comedy talk show “video podcast” is a weekly show with comedian Adam Ray launching on Friday, featuring celebrity interviews — many of which are done with Ray playing other characters.
BTW: One of those advertiser brand partners that YOUTUBE appears to have hooked up to one of its hottest creators is TOYOTA and Subway Takes star Kareem Rahma, who is now hosting a branded NASCAR driver interview digital series for the carmaker (featuring the drivers it sponsors).
WOW: Obsession once again went back to the top of the box office on Monday, as the movie now in its 5th week of release topped not only Backrooms but the new entries this past weekend (Scary Movie, Masters of the Universe).
WELL: Inflation is back up over 4% for the first time since early 2023 at 4.2% #ThanksBiden, so, yes — I’m sure we’re totally getting an interest rate cut this year. And by this year, I mean 2027.
- The Trump administration is spinning this as delivering “meaningful results for the American people.” Oh, they’re meaningful alright — especially if you enjoy activities like leaving your house, turning on your lights or eating meat:
- Gas: +40.5% YoY
- Meat: +7.6% (although egg fans — #winning at -35.2% YoY)
- Electricity: +5.6%
- Airline fares: +26.7%
- Oh and, uh, don’t hurt yourself at home in the dark eating eggs either — hospital services are +5.7% YoY.
BUT: Take solace in the fact that higher jet fuel prices (+58.9% YoY) from Trump’s Iran war that is totally over have not dampened the private jet #PJ🛩️ market whatsoever, according to a new look at the business from Reuters.
- As one PJ aviation exec wisely put it, “If you fly in a private jet, I don’t think you’re bothered by an increase of 1,000 or 2,000 euros.” #Preach🙌
SPEAKING OF: If you’re taking your PJ🛩️ to Sun Valley next month (I mistakenly booked my travel to the Sun Valley just outside of Reno, but I’m sure it’ll be just as classy), you’ll finally be able to ask someone new at APPLE what the business reason is for APPLE TV and what exactly the plan is for APPLE Films going forward, as future CEO John Ternus will be there (alongside Tim Cook).
- Variety has your rundown of the guest list, including Bari & David (sorry, Tom — someone’s gotta run the news division back at the home office), Ted & Greg, Rupert & Lachlan and a reunion of the cast from The DISNEY CEO Saga limited series of Bob, Josh, Jimmy and Dana (plus several other folks who I’m sure were fans of that show, all noted in the piece).
THEN: WARNER MUSIC bought SUREEL AI, a company that tracks how AI uses musicians’ work in its training and output, to which the WARNER MUSIC legal department responded 🤤.
AND: ESPN is in talks with Pat McAfee to set a new deal around $60M a year, according to The Athletic.
- That’s about 2x his current deal, although this new deal would see him having an even greater presence on the network.
- It’s also actually a dual-component deal: one part ESPN talent deal, one part licensing of his Pat McAfee Show, which he owns and produces/pays to make (so there are some net costs to subtract from the payday on Pat’s end).
- Ari and Shapiro are handling McAfee’s negotiations, so if Ari’s on the phone courtside at MSG tonight mouthing “65” in Shapiro’s direction — you’ll know they got the latest bump they wanted.
THEN: NETFLIX’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow will call it a day on Broadway and the West End at the end of the year.
HMM: It’s great that META is spending $115M — or 0.4% of the profit META made in just Q1 alone this year — on an “America’s Workforce Academy” initiative to train workers across fields like welding, plumbing and electrician work . . . and yes, the academy effort is centered in states where META is building data centers.
- Tuition, airfare, lodging and a daily stipend are all covered in the 5-week program, with graduates guaranteed a job building a META data center.
- ALTHOUGH 👀: Given that plumbers and electricians require years of apprenticeship work to become certified, and welders take at least several months of training — yeah, how exactly does 5 weeks of training create a ready-to-go new pool of talent in these areas? 🤔
FINALLY: 2 videos to watch that will drive conversation today.
1. See what my fellow CINEMACON cohort was buzzing about in April with Jeremy Strong as Zuck. See you at the multiplex in October.
2. Here’s Madonna’s new 10-minute, uh, short film/music video montage of songs from her new album dropping on Friday . . . and I’m pretty sure the only thing missing here is a Stefon cameo.
Enjoy the bathroom rave scene with Kate Moss, Richard E. Grant, Julia Garner, Benedict Cumberbatch and more.
💻 The Media Biz
Armies staffing up in WARNAMOUNT final regulatory showdown
Yes, Hollywood — we’re finally nearing the big battle sequence in the 3rd act on the WARNAMOUNT deal.
After a period of relative quiet since the big WBD auction stage of the proceedings shook out in late Q1 (at least on the business side — not the culture side, per se) . . . we’ve had more notable executive moves in the past 24 hours as the EU, U.K. and U.S. state AGs crack their collective knuckles on deal scrutiny.
Oh, and the, uh, FCC and DOJ too, of course. 😉 Here’s what’s afoot, as well as some new developments overseas.
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Correction: MGM released Creed III (with Warner Bros. handling its int’l distribution).
