Hollywood Buzz: September 2024
*To look up unfamiliar terms, check out our Hollywood Glossary.
By Natalie Lifson, Agent Trainee at Buchwald and your co-Editor-in-Chief at THA
Everything you may have missed in the trades last month...
Unions
SAG-AFTRA’s strike against video game companies continues. Read our strike updates HERE.
The Animation Guild’s negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) continues. Read our negotiation updates HERE.
Casting Professionals reached an agreement with the AMPTP to renew their 3 year contract, which expired September 30th. Read our timeline HERE.
SAG-AFTRA Moves To Officially Organize Intimacy Coordinators -Deadline, 9/25
WGA East President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen Marks One Year Since Writers Strike Ended: We’re ‘Fighting Back Against the Scourge of Unpaid Development’ -Variety, 9/23
Lawsuits & Disputes
Ongoing
In August, Fubo brought an antitrust lawsuit against Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox for their upcoming massive sports streaming service, Venu, which was set to launch this fall. The trial begins this week. Check out our timeline HERE.
Sony and Warner Bros. are preparing for a heavyweight fight in Las Vegas, as both studios seek state funding to build rival production facilities. -Variety, 9/13
Comcast Sues Warner Bros. Discovery Over Refusal to Partner on Harry Potter Series -THR, 9/27
Nielsen, TV Networks Continue Clash Over Upgrade That Might Give Early Favor to Amazon -Variety, 9/27
“The measurement giant hopes to gain industry backing for its efforts to combine data from digital devices with panel data from actual people.”
Paramount, Nielsen Without TV Ratings Contract in Dispute Over Costs -Variety, 9/30
“With just hours to go before its CBS television network televises what is certain to be a heavily watched debate between two candidates for Vice President of the United States, Paramount Global said late Monday night that its contract with Nielsen for audience measurement has expired — part of a broader dispute between the company and the data giant.”
“A Scottish woman accused of stalking “Baby Reindeer” creator and star Richard Gadd can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Netflix, after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss all of the claims.” -CNN, 9/30
CAA Accuses Range Media Partners of Stealing Confidential Information to Launch Rival Firm -Variety, 10/1
Resolved
Last month, we reported on Disney and DirecTV’s dispute over the renewal of their carriage deal, which allows DirecTV to carry Disney-owned networks, including ESPN, ABC, FX, Disney Channel and others, in exchange for a fee. After weeks of blackouts of Disney-owned content on DirecTV, the two companies finally reached an agreement on September 14th, just in time for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards and Saturday college football on ABC and ESPN. Read our timeline HERE.
UFC Reaches Revised, Sweetened Settlement In Class Action Antitrust Lawsuit -Deadline, 9/26
Layoffs
U.S. Job Growth Picks Up To 254,000 In September, But Employment Falls In Entertainment Industry -Deadline, 10/4
“Paramount Hit With Potential Class Action Over Last Month’s Layoffs” -Deadline, 10/3
September layoffs include: Microsoft Gaming, Paramount (CBS News, Communications, and Advertising), E.W. Scripps, Atlantic Music Group, Disney (ABC News, Corporate), Lionsgate (kind of? Lionsgate is offering employees voluntary severance), and more.
New Initiatives
Mergers & Acquisitions
DirecTV to Acquire Dish and Sling TV, Creating Largest U.S. TV Provider -THR, 9/30
Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global: “The months-long sale process finally wrapped last month. Skydance prevailed with its proposal to invest $8 billion in buying out NAI and then merging with Paramount. The pact is starting regulatory review and is expected to close in the first half of 2025.” -Deadline
Who’s Really Going to Run Paramount? David Ellison will soon take over as the entertainment giant’s CEO — but his mogul father, Larry, put in the $6 billion to buy it. So which Ellison will be boss? -THR, 9/19
Partnerships
Warner Bros. Discovery will give Max, its enhanced streaming service, its first outing in the Asia-Pacific region beginning next week in a partnership with Japan’s U-Next. -Variety, 9/18
Paramount’s Pluto TV, France’s M6+ Strike Streaming Partnership. The strategic commercial and editorial partnership is designed to “scale and expand their free streaming and digital businesses in France.” -THR, 9/24
Peacock Will Be Free With Charter’s Spectrum TV Select Under Multiyear NBCUniversal Deal Renewal -Variety, 9/2
AI
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs AI Bills That Give Performers Greater Protections & Control Over Their Likenesses, Limit Use Of Election Deepfakes -Deadline, 9/17
Lionsgate Inks Deal With AI Firm to Mine Its Massive Film and TV Library -THR, 9/18
OpenAI is considering transitioning from a nonprofit to a for-profit company. -The Guardian, 9/26
AI Startup Runway Says It’s Giving Filmmakers up to $1 Million If They Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Their Movies -Variety, 9/26
Industry Trends
‘Business of Television’ Author Updates Book to Reflect a Very Different Hollywood Era -Variety, 9/11
Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Says the Streamer Can’t Have Too Much Content: ‘People Have Such Eclectic Taste … You Have to Love It All’ -Variety, 9/17
UTA’s Jeremy Zimmer Urges Hollywood Creators To Be “More Daring”, Says Audience Is “Weary” Of Repetition -Deadline, 9/19
Fremantle Execs on Growth in Their Film Business, AI, and the Trend of “Mainstream” TV -THR, 10/2
Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood Is Battling Fans Who Are ‘Just Out for Blood’ — From Social Media Boot Camps to Superfan Focus Groups -Variety, 10/3
Other News
Disney is combining its ABC and Hulu scripted drama and comedy teams -Cynopsis, 10/2
Bundling Is Back: Disney Eyes More Deals As Max Partnership Is “Working Really Well” -Deadline, 9/17
“The Motion Picture Association has added Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video as its newest member.” -Deadline, 9/19
“The Amazon outlets will officially join on Oct. 1 as the seventh member of the industry trade and lobbying organization.
Netflix joined the association in 2019, a move that reflected the shift of the industry toward streaming, and the influence of tech giants on the business. The other members of the MPA include Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery.”
Who Will Replace Bob Iger? Here’s Where the Disney CEO Candidates Stand -Variety, 9/19
Awards
Emmys Viewership Up 60% To Show’s Largest Audience In 3 Years -Deadline, 9/16
“BAFTA to Add Three New Awards Categories Celebrating Children’s TV Programming” -THR, 9/22
Comments