Close the deal

Warner Bros. Discovery’s plan to distribute Westworld and other key shows via FAST channels has materialized. Deals have been struck with Roku and Tubi to launch branded channels this year, bringing more than 2,000 hours of programs in total to each service. Deadline had reported WBD was likely to sell Westworld and other key titles to FAST channel providers in December, when it was pulled from HBO Max. That came amid a financial review of the HBO portfolio. Other shows, including The Nevers , Raised By Wolves and F-Boy Island were pulled at the same time, as WBD CEO David Zaslav eyed new ways to monetize his catalog. Tubi noted The Nevers is included in its agreement. Following the deals, Westworld , The Bachelor , Cake Boss , Say Yes to the Dress and F-Boy Island will all join The Roku Channel in the spring through Warner Bros-branded channels, while Fox Corp-owned Tubi will launch 14 WB-branded channels and 225 titles on its … [Read more...] about ‘Westworld’ Gets New Home As Warner Bros. Discovery Strikes Roku & Tubi FAST Channel Deals

The long-running The Phantom of the Opera was once again Broadway’s highest grossing show last week, taking in a mighty $2,483,532 for the week ending Jan. 29, outpacing runners-up Funny Girl ($1,872,862) and Hamilton ($1,871,921) by a noticeable margin. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical at the Majestic has experienced a remarkable resurgence in interest (and box office) since announcing a closing date last year (the final performance, after a 35-year run, is April 16). Earlier this month, Phantom reported its 20 millionth audience member since opening in 1988. Overall, the 23 Broadway shows on the boards last week held steady with the previous week, grossing $25,705,039, with attendance of 206,578 at about 94% of capacity. The average ticket price for all the shows was $124.43, reflecting the discount pricing of some shows during the annual NYC Broadway Week promotion (which continues through Feb. 12). In its final week of performances, August Wilson’s The … [Read more...] about ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Tops Broadway Box Office; ‘The Piano Lesson’ Closes On High Note

MLB Network was pulled off the YouTube TV platform Tuesday as talks broke down over a new carriage agreement, the news coming as the league put the finishing touches on its 2023 regular-season schedule that begins March 30. YouTube TV wrote in a message to its subscribers today that the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract, and “starting today, January 31, 2023, MLB Network content will no longer be available on YouTube TV.” As part of the move, subscribers will also lose access to previous library recordings from the channel. MLB Network, which covered the Baseball Hall of Fame election results live just last week, said in a statement that “With Spring Training about to start, we regret that YouTube TV has been unwilling to negotiate a fair carriage agreement. MLB Network has offered terms consistent with what close to 300 other U.S. providers have agreed to for distribution.” Both sides say they are committed to continuing talks on a … [Read more...] about MLB Network Yanked From YouTube TV Lineup As Contract Talks Break Down

EXCLUSIVE : As Trevor Noah puts The Daily Show behind him, his production company has made a number of executive changes on the television side. Noah’s Day Zero Productions has hired Chloe Ifshin as VP of Scripted Television and Eugene Han as Head of Unscripted Development. It comes after the departures of Devon Quinn and Ashley Dizon and as its television slate is ramping up with projects such as The Turning Point for MSNBC, For All Humankind for Discovery+, and Kid of the Year for Nickelodeon. The company is also developing a scripted series adaptation of Kiese Laymon’s novel Long Division. Quinn, a former Marvel TV exec, was previously SVP, Television, overseeing live-action and animated TV development and production. Deadline understands that he has joined Amazon and is believed to be working on global spy drama Citadel . Dizon was formerly VP, Development at the company. She is joining Universal Television as a director of development and will … [Read more...] about Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions Hires Chloe Ifshin & Eugene Han As Devon Quinn & Ashley Dizon Exit

Kevin O’Neal , the younger brother of actor Ryan O’Neal who for a time built a steady, if less widely known, performing career of his own died in his sleep of natural causes in Thousand Oaks, California, on Saturday, Jan. 28. He was 77. His death was announced by his nephew Patrick O’Neal, Ryan O’Neal’s son. “Kevin had a wicked sense of humor, just like his older brother, and we have his stories to keep him in our hearts forever,” Patrick O’Neal wrote on Instagram, adding, “When Kevin walked into a room you heard him before you saw him. That energy and personality is an old O’Neal trademark. Heaven better be ready for him!” Kevin O’Neal began his television career in the early 1960s, making guest appearances on such series as The Danny Thomas Show, The Donna Reed Show, The Twilight Zone, My Tree Son and Wagon Train . His most lasting role arrived in 1964 when he starred in the one-season TV adaptation of the novel, play and film No Time For Sergeants (Andy … [Read more...] about Kevin O’Neal Dies: ‘No Time For Sergeants’ Actor, Brother Of Ryan O’Neal Was 77

“In hindsight, I got a little carried away and over-invested relative to the uncertainty I saw in the market,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said this morning as the company reported a jump in users but wider losses, a week after announcing a reorganization of top management and hundreds of layoffs. The music streaming giant announced 489 million monthly active users in the fourth quarter of 2022 (up 20%, its largest ever quarterly bump), with 205 premium subscribers (up 14%). Both numbers beat forecasts. However, losses widened on investments in podcasting and other costs. Spotify last week laid off about 600 staffers amid a shuffle at the top that saw Dawn Ostroff exit as chief content officer and advertising business officer. The exec, a former president of entertainment at The CW, and Condé Nast Entertainment had been a key architect of Spotify’s strategy around podcasts, which have grown rapidly to about 5 million on the service, led by deals for The Joe Rogan Experience … [Read more...] about Spotify CEO Daniel Ek On “Over-Investing”, Corporate Reorg As Q4 Sees Big Jump In Users But More Red Ink

AMC Entertainment said Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) will buy out its investment in movie theater venture, Saudi Cinema Company, for $30 million. AMC said the agreement calls for it to transition from a management and investment role in SCC to “a pure licensing relationship.” Current AMC Cinemas and future locations operated by SCC will retain the AMC Cinemas name and other IP through the licensing agreement. The deal dates back to 2017 when AMC entered a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to explore bringing theatrical exhibition to the Kingdom for the first time since the 1980s. AMC hosted the country’s first movie screening in 2018 at King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh. It partnered with Saudi Entertainment Ventures to form SCC to develop and operate additional locations across the Kingdom. During the next four years, in collaboration with SEVEN, AMC opened another 12 locations with more in the … [Read more...] about AMC Entertainment Sells Stake In Saudi Arabia Theater Venture To Local Partner For $30 Million

EXCLUSIVE : British podcasting outfit Novel is hoping to helm the next generation of podcast -to-screen adaptations after securing £5M ($6.2M) of investment from  growth capital investor VGC Partners. Novel, which calls itself the UK’s fastest-growing independent podcast company, has now closed its Series A round of funding and VGC is sole investor. On the horizon for The Bellingcat Podcast and Superhero Complex outfit is a drive to establish a network of originals and adapt podcast IP into TV and film projects. Deadline revealed Universal Studio Group Acquisitions exec Neil Krishnan was joining Novel to oversee the TV and film push in October. The £5M investment will also be used to “accelerate growth with strategic partners,” according to Novel. “Now is the time to take the skills we’ve honed working with industry-leading partners and apply them to content we fully own,” said Sean Glynn, Novel Founder and CEO. “We’ve recruited a highly experienced … [Read more...] about British Podcast Outfit Novel Secures $6.2M To Push Into TV & Film Adaptations

Jenna Bush Hager ’s Thousand Voices and Universal International Studios are developing Jessica George’s debut novel Maame into a TV series. The book was released today in the U.S. and was Today with Hoda & Jenna host Bush Hager’s February pick for her monthly #ReadWithJenna. The novel centers on Maddie, whose life in London involves being primary caretaker for her father, who has advanced stage Parkinson’s, and dealing with her nightmare boss. When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, the self-acknowledged late bloomer leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and start living. George will co-adapt the TV version with Everthing I Know About Love scribe Yemi Oyefuwa. The adaptation is the second to come from Bush Hager’s deal with UIS , which was struck a year ago and has also spawned a version of Kirk Wallace Johnson’s The Feather Thief . In a separate deal with Universal Content Production , she is working on The Many Daughters … [Read more...] about Jenna Bush Hager & UIS To Adapt Jessica George Debut ‘Maame’ For TV

EXCLUSIVE: The truth is out there – and it’s headed to History in the UK and AMC Network’s European channels. The pair are among buyers of Alien Files: Reopened , an eight-part doc series from Top Secret UFO Projects Declassified maker Big Media about extra-terrestrial encounters and UFO sightings. AMC Networks International’s deal covers Spain, Portugal, Poland and Romania. Also on board are NTV in Germany, Slovakia TV and Czech TV. With the pre-buyers in place, production set to begin to Slovakia. The series will take viewers inside the process of how UFO sightings and reported encounters are analyzed by scientists, government intelligence and military experts, and then investigated to answer if any real threats are posed to national security. “ For Alien Files: Reopened we are using the same investigative techniques developed and utilized by top experts in science and military intelligence,” said Danny Wilk, President of New York-based Big Media … [Read more...] about ‘Alien Files: Reopened’: Next Series From ‘Top Secret UFO Projects Declassified’ Producer Set For History And AMC In Europe