- ViacomCBS has partnered with Sky to launch Paramount+ in Europe (Deadline)
- …Which is good timing—UK streaming subscriptions jumped by 50% in 2020 (Digital TV Europe)
- Roku had an OK Q2, though it’s total hours streamed declined by one billion hours, compared to the previous quarter (Variety)
- If Instagram wants to copy TikTok, then TikTok will copy Instagram with a new Stories function launch (Tech Crunch)
- Even being the number-one show on Netflix won’t save a series from cancellation (Forbes)
- Vodafone in Spain will integrate Disney+ into its existing service (Digital TV Europe)
- Tencent is having to crack down on screen time after the Chinese government referred to gaming as “spiritual opium” (CTV News)
- YouTube’s chief product officer is ready to give a peek behind the curtain (The Verge)
- Mattel is creating a Barbie based on the co-creator of the AstraZeneca vaccine (Irish Examiner)
- The video game industry was more prepared than most to switch to WFH…so why did it go so poorly? (Harvard Business Review)
- Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine sold to private equity firm for nearly US$1 billion (Variety)
- Discovery’s Q2 beat expectations and it hit 18 million streaming subs (Deadline)
- Edtech startup Novakid is betting it can teach kids English, and investors think so too (Tech Crunch)
- Jungle Cruise, Disney’s latest movie based on a ride, sailed into a US$90-million opening weekend (CNN)
- Eighty percent of the toy industry still isn’t working towards sustainability, according to a new industry white paper (Toy News)
- Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over Black Widow‘s streaming release—are more such lawsuits on the horizon? (Vanity Fair)
- Peacock is expanding internationally, starting with a partnership with Sky in Europe (Digital TV Europe)
- Toy prices are increasing as toycos stock up to try and avoid shipping issues at the end of the year (Wall Street Journal)
- If it passes, the COPPA update would also protect teenagers in the US (The Washington Post)
- Netflix’s film chief gears up to lead a movie industry revolution (Variety)
- Activision Blizzard is facing an historic lawsuit for its allegedly sexist culture (Los Angeles Times)
- After a big earnings day, YouTube has proven it’s one of the streaming wars’ strongest competitors (CNBC)
- …Meanwhile, Peacock reached a milestone of its own with 54 million sign-ups (The Wrap)
- Sky is overhauling its UK channels and retiring the Sky One brand (Deadline)
- It’s earnings week, and Apple had a record June, thanks to a spike in phone sales (CTV News)
- …Meanwhile, YouTube’s ad revenue is up by 83% (Forbes)
- Unfortunately, TV is lagging behind films in terms of disability representation (Variety)
- When it comes to kid screen time, rules don’t work all that well—more nuance is needed (New York Times)
- Disney+ Hotstar has unveiled its originals slate for India with 16 series and four films (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Gotta catch ’em all: Netflix is reportedly working on a live-action Pokémon show (The Verge)
- Why did big blockbusters Black Widow and Space Jam sink so quickly at the box office? (Variety)
- Mattel’s strategy for success hinges on modern products based on old brands—will it work? (Financial Times)
- Netflix is hitting middle age for an SVOD—is a midlife crisis on the horizon? (Bloomberg)
- …And while its model might not take off in Asia, the streamer is still focused on the region (Variety)
- A growing number of people want to see Marvel’s Howard the Duck return to screen…here’s why (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Next Gen: This week, The Verge is looking at the future that young people are busy building (The Verge)
- Legendary is reportedly joining the M&A fray as it seeks a sale or merger (Variety)
- The Tokyo Olympics have started, but the games might have lost their appeal amid the pandemic (The Hollywood Reporter)
- WarnerMedia could delay the HBO Max rollout in Europe as it focuses on LatAm instead (TBI Vision)
- CBS has concluded its probe into alleged racist and abusive conduct at its stations, and promises change is on the way (Deadline)
- TV networks are sick of Nielsen, and they want to yank its accreditation (Ad Age)
- AT&T’s financials were boosted in Q2 by HBO Max, which added 2.8 million US subscribers (Reuters)
- American parents are hyper-focused on their kids’ self-esteem, but it might be having the reverse effect (The Atlantic)
- How “kidult” fans saved LEGO from the brink (National Geographic)
- Still trying to promote diversity on sets, California’s governor has thrown another US$330 million at the industry (Variety)
August 5, 2021
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