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In a huge coup for Amazon Prime Video , the streamer has scored rights to the Champions League in the UK for the first time, shared with BT. From the 2024/25 season, Amazon will show the big games on a Tuesday night through to the semi finals, amounting to around 20 games in total. BT, which has held the rights since 2015 when it took over from ITV and Sky, will continue showing both the Champions League and the smaller European football competitions, the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Amazon has been steadily increasing its footprint in the international sports rights market, showing U.S. Open Tennis and several weekends of Premier League football over the past few years. The move was described as “truly momentous” by Alex Green, MD of Prime Video Sport Europe. “Since 2018, we’ve seen millions of Prime members in the UK. enjoy live sport on Prime Video, and it’s that passion and energy that has led us to this exciting next step,” he added. “We … [Read more...] about Amazon Prime Video Scores Rights To UK Champions League Football From 2024, Shared With BT

When A League of Their Own hit theaters on July 1, 1992, it was up against a crowded slate of blockbusters, including Batman Returns , Lethal Weapon 3 , Patriot Games , and Universal Soldier , that were expected to linger around multiplexes all summer. But when Labor Day rolled around two months later, all those other movies had faded away, and A League of Their Own was still packing in crowds on its way toward a $107.5 million domestic gross. Love for the Penny Marshall-directed film about the World War II-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, staring Geena Davis , Lori Petty, Tom Hanks , Madonna , and Rosie O’Donnell, has only grown in the three decades that followed thanks to VHS rentals, DVD sales, and endless replays on cable television. It’s a rare movie that appeals to people across all age groups and demographics, and it revived interest in the half-forgotten AAGPBL. In honor of A League of Their Own ‘s 30th anniversary, we spoke with … [Read more...] about ‘There’s No Crying in Baseball!’: ‘A League of Their Own’ Turns 30

Law is supposed to be an objective discipline. We praise the “rule of law” as an immutable hallmark of the American legal system, and take solace in the ideal that justice should be dispensed fairly and evenly regardless of who is dispensing it. Our judges wear black robes because they are meant to be indistinguishable. It theoretically shouldn’t matter which one hears a case because the law, not the individual, determines the outcome. But here’s the spoiler: This is all hogwash. At least when it comes to the Supreme Court , who the judge is matters immensely, while what the law is matters very little. In fact, as the cases decided in the past few weeks make clear, the current justices are going to take almost every chance they get to issue the most politically conservative decision possible. Let’s review what the court has done just in the past week or so. First, last Thursday, it gutted one of the key protections from the Miranda rights everyone knows (“You have the right … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court Isn’t Done Carrying Water for Right-Wing Activists

As Nikki Finke reported first back in May, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences COO Ric Robertson this summer embarked on a very unusual paid leave from June through August that AMPAS called a “sabbatical”. Robertson has now decided, not surprisingly, that he’s not coming back and today officially stepped down from the post. A 32-year veteran of the Academy, he will transition to a consulting role within the organization. Robertson’s sabbatical prompted AMPAS staff to wonder whether he would be pushed out and/or look for another job. In April 2011, he was passed over for Bruce Davis’ executive directorship and reported to CEO Dawn Hudson, who was brought in over him. Insiders said Robertson was primarily responsible for this year’s online voting debacle, which Hudson dumped in his lap when the Academy finally decided to implement Oscar balloting electronically — something Robertson and Davis resisted for prior years. Sources have been predicting for some time that … [Read more...] about Ric Robertson Exits As Movie Academy COO

EXCLUSIVE: Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences COO Ric Robertson is  taking what’s being internally called a “sabbatical” from June through August. I have learned this is an unusual paid leave even though the Academy is complaining about a financial crunch. Normally, its staff are restricted to 30 days of unpaid leave (and then only with approval). “He has worked here for 31 years. Doesn’t he deserve it?” an insider told me. “He didn’t tell us what he’ll do. Maybe work on his golf game.” Robertson’s upcoming sabbatical has prompted AMPAS staff to wonder whether he will be pushed out and/or look for another job. In April 2011, he was passed over for Bruce Davis’ executive directorship and now reports to AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson , who was brought in over him. Insiders tell me that Robertson was primarily responsible for this year’s online voting debacle, which Hudson dumped in his lap when the Academy finally decided to implement Oscar balloting electronically — … [Read more...] about Ric Robertson Taking Paid Summer Hiatus From Movie Academy In Financial Crunch

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has hired Christine Simmons chief operating officer, the culmination of a search to find some executive backup for CEO Dawn Hudson . Simmons, currently president and COO of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, will assume her new role in January, reporting to Hudson. Deadline reported last month that the Oscar Academy had quietly engaged a search firm looking for a COO. The group hasn’t had a chief operating officer since 2013, when Ric Robertson, a longtime Academy executive who had held the COO position for about two and a half years, resigned. AMPAS’ recent growth in membership to roughly 8,000 helped spur the search for the role. Simmons is a veteran with a previous exec role at Magic Johnson Enterprises. Before that she held senior positions managing and expanding supplier diversity at Disney and NBCUniversal. At the Academy, she will be responsible for the day-to-day management and enhancement of its internal … [Read more...] about Movie Academy Hires L.A. Sparks Boss Christine Simmons As COO

After working with screenwriter Mari Okada for a number of years, producer Kenji Horikawa needed to learn to work with the artist in a different way, as she set out to make her directorial debut with Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms . An ambitious anime that conjures up a singular, fantastical world, the Oscar-shortlisted feature centers on Maquia, an immortal girl who takes a newborn baby boy out of dire circumstances, raising him as her own, and watching the relationship blossom into myriad complexities over the years. Certainly, Maquia was an ambitious project for any director to take on, and particularly for a fledgling helmer. “It was such a big project that a lot of people weren’t sure that she could do it, so there was some resistance met there, and that was also a challenge to push through,” Horikawa reflects. “A lot of really amazing talents came together for this film, so my first question was, how do we get them to all recognize her as a director, when she … [Read more...] about With ‘Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms,’ Producer Kenji Horikawa Stands Behind Talent Of Visionary Newcomer

It’s hard to think that any superhero film could qualify as a Hollywood rarity these days but Spider-Man : Into the Spider-Verse is just that. As an animated big-screen adaptation of a comic book superhero the Sony film is on a surprisingly short list. On Thursday the film’s three directors — Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman –were celebrating their shared nomination in the best animated feature film category for the 76th Golden Globe Awards. The competition in the category includes Brad Bird and his Incredibles 2 from the Pixar superhero franchise that took its inspiration from comic books but not any of its characters. The vast majority of superheroes adventures on the big-screen have been live-action films with signature successes imported from comic books, among them Superman (1978), Batman (1989), X-Men (2000), Spider-Man (2002), Iron-Man (2008), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Avengers (2012). It’s not nearly as easy to … [Read more...] about ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ And ‘Incredibles 2’ Offer Animated Argument For Super-Heroes

After releasing early in Australia last weekend , Universal / Illumination ’s Minions: The Rise Of Gru is looking groovy at the international box office , adding $14.6M in 39 new offshore market openings across Wednesday and Thursday. Coupled with Oz’s first week, the running offshore cume through yesterday is $22.5M . A further 21 markets open today including the UK and Spain. The origins story from directors Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan Del Val is already seeing strong results in several hubs with the biggest animation opening day of all time in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Cyprus, Czech Republic and Israel. Australia boogied to great mid-weeks and entered frame 2 yesterday with a $1.4M Thursday — an incredible +303% on the opening Thursday last week. The market has now cumed $7.9M, ahead of Minions (+45%), and Despicable Me 3 (+59%) at the same point. Latin America is also digging the 1970s-set take on how Gru and the crew got together with … [Read more...] about ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ Grows Offshore Cume To $22.5M In Two Days Of Expanded International Rollout

A tinge of Bollywood has been added to Ultimate Kho Kho with popular singer Badshah joining the league as co-owner of the Mumbai franchise alongside renowned film producer, developer and sports enthusiast, Punit Balan.The Mumbai-based team completes the line-up for the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho which will take off later this year. Fascinated by the pace and elegant style of the game as well as the nostalgic value that the sport has for him, Badshah believes Ultimate Kho Kho has humongous potential. He aims to inspire and build superstars in this indigenous sport through this association. "My mother used to play Kho-Kho during her college days and this ground-rooted game is very close to my heart. This nostalgic and personal connection triggered me to be part of Ultimate Kho Kho," an excited Badshah said about his first sports venture. "It's very important to adopt the right approach if you want to grow something. I have been involved in developing … [Read more...] about Businessman Punit Balan & Rapper Badshah Buy The Mumbai Team In Ultimate Kho Kho