BBC reports BBC Commercial revenue of £1.9B in 2023/24, down from £2.1B in 2022/23, and 3.8M BritBox International subscribers, with a 25% annual growth rate (Naman Ramachandran/Variety)

Mediagazer: BBC reports BBC Commercial revenue of £1.9B in 2023/24, down from £2.1B in 2022/23, and 3.8M BritBox International subscribers, with a 25% annual growth rate (Naman Ramachandran/Variety)

Top News:

Variety:

BBC reports BBC Commercial revenue of £1.9B in 2023/24, down from £2.1B in 2022/23, and 3.8M BritBox International subscribers, with a 25% annual growth rate— BBC Commercial, the revenue-generating arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation, has revealed a dip in sales and earnings for the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Discussion: Broadcast, BBC, Broadband TV News, The Hollywood Reporter, Advanced Television and The Hollywood Reporter

Discussion:

Julian Clover /
Broadband TV News: BBC Studios investing record amounts in new content

Georg Szalai /
The Hollywood Reporter: BBC Commercial CEO on ‘Bluey,’ ‘Baby Reindeer,’ Record Emmy Noms Haul and Hollywood Cuts

Georg Szalai /
The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Bluey’ Merch Sales Rise, But BBC Commercial Profit Drops on Investments, Post-Peak TV Cuts

RELATED:

Press Gazette:

Huw Edwards tops the list of BBC's highest paid journalists for 2023/24 despite being off-air since July 2023; 46 BBC journalists earned above £178K— Forty-six BBC journalists earned above £178,000 last year from their work for the corporation, according to the BBC's annual report …

Discussion:
The Independent, London Evening Standard, RTÉ, GB News and Deadline

Discussion:

Chris Blackhurst /
The Independent: Give Gary Lineker a break and end the annual BBC salary horror show

Robert Dex /
London Evening Standard: BBC's highest earners revealed: Gary Lineker nets £1.3million as Huw Edwards paid £475,000 before resignation

Olivia Gantzer /
GB News: Huw Edwards pay rise defended by BBC boss amid outrage to £40k increase: ‘Ripping off licence fee payers!’

Deadline:

BBC plans to lay off 500 more staff by March 2026 and reports a £263M operating deficit in 2023/24, up from £193M in 2022/23, projected to be £492M in 2024/25— The BBC will lay off 500 more staff by March 2026 as its annual report paints a worrying financial picture including …

Discussion:
Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, TVNewsCheck and BBC

Discussion:

Naman Ramachandran /
Variety: BBC to Cut 500 Jobs as Financial Deficit Grows

Lily Ford /
The Hollywood Reporter: BBC to Lay Off 500 Staff by 2026 as Annual Report Targets “Leaner, More Agile” Broadcaster

Max Goldbart /
TVNewsCheck: BBC To Lay Off Hundreds More Staff With Financial Deficit Projected To Nearly Double Next Year

Bloomberg:

Spotify reports Q2 revenue up 20% YoY to €3.8B, MAUs up 14% YoY to 626M, subscribers up 12% YoY to 246M, above est., and €266M operating income; SPOT jumps 14%+— Spotify Technology SA, the Swedish audio-streaming giant, reported second-quarter subscriber growth …

Discussion:
Fast Company, Billboard, Reuters, Spotify, Quartz, Music Ally, @sarafischer, Music Business Worldwide and @eldsjal, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Michael Grothaus /
Fast Company: Spotify stock price: SPOT soars ahead of price hikes; streaming giant sees double-digit growth

Elizabeth Dilts Marshall /
Billboard: Spotify's 7 Million New Subscribers Bumps Revenue Up 20%

Martin Coulter /
Reuters: Spotify slightly misses revenue prediction, falls short of user growth target

Rocio Fabbro /
Quartz: Spotify's price hikes didn't stop it from scoring more subscribers — and record profits

Stuart Dredge /
Music Ally: Spotify posts record quarterly profit... but user growth misses guidance

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: Big, big quarter for @Spotify — Company posted record gross margin, profit and cash flow for Q2 — Music & pod margins increasing (pod biz soon expected profitable) — Ad biz still growing double digits despite macro slowdown — On track to hit gross margin goal ahead of schedule [image]

Murray Stassen /
Music Business Worldwide: Spotify subscriber base grew by 7m to 246m in Q2, as streaming company posts ‘record high’ quarterly profit

Daniel Ek /
@eldsjal: Q2 results are out and it was a strong quarter. Lots of reasons why it's such an exciting time for us. Here's a sneak peek, but I'll share more in a few minutes on our investor call. Congrats to the team and huge thanks to all the Spotify listeners around the world. [video]

The Hollywood Reporter:

Comcast reports Peacock Q2 revenue up 28% YoY to $1B, a $348M loss, down from $651M in Q2 2023, and paying subscribers up 38% YoY to 33M— Comcast and its entertainment unit NBCUniversal report second-quarter results, including the “best year-over-year improvement” in quarterly streaming losses since launch in 2020.

Discussion:
IndieWire, The Wrap, Variety, Deadline, Bloomberg, Barron's Online, CNBC, MarketWatch and Comcast Corporation

Discussion:

Tony Maglio /
IndieWire: Peacock Lost Like a Million Subscribers This Spring

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Peacock Sheds 500,000 Subscribers, Comcast Earnings Dragged Down by Revenue Drop at Studios and Parks

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: Comcast Q2 Upset by Shortfalls at Theme Parks, Movie Studios

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: Comcast Q2 Revenue Dips On Studio And Theme Park Wobbles; Peacock Sheds 500K Subscribers But Trims Losses And Hits $1B In Revenue

RELATED:

Bloomberg:

A look at Comcast's bet on the Paris Olympics, which executives hope will greatly elevate Peacock against Netflix and Disney+; Peacock has exclusive US rights— - US viewers will be able to see every Olympic event on Peacock — Coverage of Games will promote Peacock original programming

Discussion:
Reuters, Slate, @lucas_shaw, E! Online, IndieWire, Rolling Stone and The Streamable

Discussion:

Harshita Mary Varghese /
Reuters: Comcast beats quarterly profit estimates on strength in streaming, broadband

Alex Kirshner /
Slate: The Most Mockable Streaming Service Has Transformed Itself

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: Peacock was supposed to launch out of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Then Covid happened. This summer, Peacock gets to try again with the 2024 games in Paris. @hgmiller29 and I spoke to folks at Comcast about their plans. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Brett M Malec /
E! Online: How to Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony and All Your Favorite Sports

Brian Welk /
IndieWire: Peacock Reinvents the Olympics with Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Prompts and an A.I. Al Michaels

Alan Sepinwall /
Rolling Stone: ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Is Heading to Peacock

Digiday:

Google says it won't be “deprecating third-party cookies” in Chrome and will instead keep working on “privacy-preserving alternatives” via Privacy Sandbox APIs— After much back and forth, Google has decided to keep third-party cookies in its Chrome browser.

Discussion:
Privacy Sandbox, Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, @cmagovuk, Press Gazette, @ryanbarwick, @torgo@mastodon.social, @vtoubiana, @jeffjarvis, @keithepetri, @lukolejnik, @glenngabe, @michaelmiraflor, @murakamiwood, @alextcone, @pedrodias, @paperghost, @ngriffin_uk, @simoahava, @levie, @chronotope, @jdaykin, @dalmaer, @edzitron, Information Commissioner's …, @sarafischer, @robinberjon, @ariellesgarcia, @aripap, @simonw, @samueljscott, @thezedwards, @aripap, @kendraebarnett, @mattlanza, @rowan_m, @incloud, @wolfiechristl, MediaPost, Silicon Republic, Mark McEachran on LinkedIn, The Register, The Information, Financial Times, GOV.UK, Search Engine Land, Mumbrella, Fast Company, James Rosewell on LinkedIn, Marc Majewski on LinkedIn, Mahesh Narayanan on LinkedIn, Reuters, The Verge, @mysk@mastodon.social, Inside Radio, Simo Ahava on LinkedIn, @wchr@mastodon.social, Axios, W Media Research, The Drum, The Media Leader, Angelina Eng on LinkedIn, Adweek, Matthias Cada on LinkedIn, Engadget, Oliver Klander on LinkedIn, Rio Longacre on LinkedIn, @lauren@mastodon …, 9to5Google, @jaffathecake@mastodon.social, Paul Bannister on LinkedIn, Alex Cone on LinkedIn, The Drum, AdExchanger, Ad Age, @LukaszOlejnik@mastodon.social and CBS News, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Anthony Chavez /
Privacy Sandbox: A new path for Privacy Sandbox on the web

Patience Haggin /
Wall Street Journal: Google Is Keeping Cookies in Chrome After All

Matt Novak /
Gizmodo: Google Won't Kill Third-Party Cookies After All @cmagovuk: #Google has confirmed a new approach to third-party cookies. Instead of removing them from #Chrome, it will introduce a user-choice prompt. We're considering the impact of this announcement and welcome views until 12 August. Read more: https://www.gov.uk/... [image]

Dominic Ponsford /
Press Gazette: Google scraps plan to ditch cookies on Chrome

Ryan Barwick /
@ryanbarwick: 🚨NEW: Google says third-party-cookies are here to stay. “Instead of deprecating cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing” https://privacysandbox.com/...

Daniel Appelquist /
@torgo@mastodon.social: This is a disappointing (though hardly surprising) climb-down for Google Chrome. However, it reinforces what I've been saying for ages: don't use Chrome. Use a browser that respects your #privacy. There are many Chromium-based options that respect privacy out of the box, such as Brave and Vivaldi. …

Vincent Toubiana /
@vtoubiana: Let's call that the “DoNotTrack” setting? https://privacysandbox.com/... [image] @jeffjarvis: Google kills everything *except* cookies. Publishers and regulators demanded that cookies die ... until they didn't. Google Is Keeping Cookies in Chrome After All https://www.wsj.com/...

Keith Petri /
@keithepetri: This is insane because by Google's own accord, they met the CMA requirements: “Early testing from ad tech companies, including Google, has indicated that the Privacy Sandbox APIs have the potential to achieve these outcomes. And we expect that overall performance using Privacy

Lukasz Olejnik /
@lukolejnik: After four years of attempts, Google is backtracking from plans to phase out third-party cookies? https://privacysandbox.com/... [image]

Lukasz Olejnik /
@lukolejnik: So after @ICOnews detailed study and criticism of Privacy Sandbox they're going to assess if retaining third-party cookies is really a better alternative for online privacy? :-) #GDPR. Competition regulator won't accept nothing in place ...

Glenn Gabe /
@glenngabe: Whoa, big reversal -> Google says it won't be “deprecating third-party cookies” in Chrome and will instead keep working on “privacy-preserving alternatives” “In an ‘updated approach’ announced in a blog post today, Google revealed it won't be “deprecating third-party cookies.” [image]

Michael J. Miraflor /
@michaelmiraflor: What a turn of events. Huge news for everyone that spends digital ad dollars, big brands and small, who care about customer acquisition costs and data fidelity (and privacy) moving forward. @murakamiwood: #Google has reversed its decision to eliminate #thirdpartycookies, in favour of some bullshit about user choice. #Privacy clearly not as important to them as #surveillance #advertising revenue, as if we didn't know that.

Alex Cone /
@alextcone: Today is a big day for the Privacy Sandbox team. https://privacysandbox.com/... We announced that we're proposing a new approach to Sandbox on the web that we believe works for the entire industry (publishers, devs, advertisers, etc.). We plan to prioritize user choice in order to

Pedro Dias /
@pedrodias: Google seems to be losing the “charm” that once “dazzled” so many smaller companies. No wonder, given the frustrations that they've fostered and eroded trust on their users

Chris Boyd /
@paperghost: every few months it felt like i had to write yet another blog about how google's cookie sunsetting plan was being pushed back a little bit more but it was definitely happening honest, and now

Nicholas Griffin /
@ngriffin_uk: @jaffathecake Good, their solution was bad overall and was a complete land grab, and, in reality just made ads much, much worse. In the long term, this could have most certainly ended up with Google sneaking in advantages for their own products, with a bunch of lawyers backing them up.

Simo Ahava /
@simoahava: Third-party cookie deprecation in Chrome moved from a perpetual “in two years' time” to an effective “never”.

Aaron Levie /
@levie: Every time I tried to understand how the web was supposed to work after this, I got more confused.

Aram Zucker-Scharff /
@chronotope: Assuming regulators are insane enough to approve this incredibly baffling plan, not a thing that I would say will for-sure happen, it is a mistake to frame this as 3p being “here to stay”. It looks like the proposal is a consent wall for 3p at the browser level. Assume mostly NOs

Jerry Daykin /
@jdaykin: Cookies might strictly be here to stay in Chrome... but consumers and Safari are still kicking them to the curb in many situations. Quite the switcharoo though 😂 🫣

Dion Almaer /
@dalmaer: Wow. So. Much. Time. “In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and

Ed Zitron /
@edzitron: so google just gave up on what was meant to be the big move away from tracking cookies after all. Ah! Nevertheless, Information Commissioner's Office: ICO statement in response to Google announcing it will no longer block third party cookies in Chrome

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: Ad tech stocks tick up on news that Google pulled the plug on cookie phaseout [image]

Robin Berjon /
@robinberjon: Five years ago when the Chrome team announced the Privacy Sandbox, I called a “delaying tactic.” Not getting rid of cookies as the first step was never going to work. Today they announced that they won't be deprecating third-party cookies. That's five years wasted. [image]

Arielle Garcia /
@ariellesgarcia: Yeah, this. They will effectively kill cookies under the guise of consumer choice, when they're good and ready. This is just a marginally more convincing “privacy” cover.

Ari Paparo /
@aripap: My guess is they're going to slowly move from opt out of third-party cookies, to recommending blocking to users, then eventually to opt in only.

Simon Willison /
@simonw: @jaffathecake I honestly can't decipher that blog post, I would love it if someone could write a translation of that including HTTP-protocol-level examples of what would work / not work and what their proposed alternative path would look like

Samuel Scott /
@samueljscott: And your reminder: Attribution is useless. No one buys something because of one ad they saw one time. For years, ad tech companies have brainwashed marketers who should know better that cookie-based attribution means something.

Zach Edwards /
@thezedwards: Google's decision not to deprecate 3rd party cookies is further proof they can't be trusted with the responsibilities they have as a global data controller via Chrome. From bait and switches on their competitors to broken privacy promises to regulators. Absolute clown show.⛈️⚖️⛈️

Ari Paparo /
@aripap: Google has been trying to remove third-party cookies for longer than Biden has been in office, but at least Biden has a back-up plan.

Kendra Barnett /
@kendraebarnett: BREAKING: @Google scraps years-long plans to eliminate 3rd party cookies on Chrome. They'll remain running for those who don't disable them, but Google plans to debut a new prompt that “elevates user choice.” My story for @TheDrum: https://www.thedrum.com/...

Matt Lanza /
@mattlanza: Any plan to eliminate cookies is a terrible business idea. Why on earth would you deprive people of cookies during this time of upheaval?

Rowan Merewood /
@rowan_m: We'll update the developer docs soon, but this doesn't change the core implementation work to move away from third-party cookies. The APIs and cookie feature changes you need to make your site more private and more secure are ready *right now* - do it for your users.

Mike O'Neill /
@incloud: After a decade of regulators failure to enforce #ePrivacy, W3C failure to let #DoNotTrack become a standard, Google finally admits its addiction to surveillance marketing.

Wolfie Christl /
@wolfiechristl: Third-party cookie are staying in Chrome, I cannot f*cking believe it. Google has been misleading everyone for years, making regulators, policymakers and an entire industry think they will soon go away. Year-long deception at its finest, I take off my hat. https://privacysandbox.com/... [image]

Laurie Sullivan /
MediaPost: Google Alternate Third-Party Cookie Strategy: Reactions From Anger To Relief

Mark McEachran /
Mark McEachran on LinkedIn: The cookie lives. — While the outlook maintains some uncertainty now that there will be a new privacy roadmap Chrome, I'm encouraged by the bold move here. …

Thomas Claburn /
The Register: Google's plan to drop third-party cookies in Chrome crumbles

Martin Peers /
The Information: What Verizon's Numbers Mean for Apple

Stephen Morris /
Financial Times: Google abandons plan to remove cookies from Chrome browser

Nathan Jolly /
Mumbrella: ‘We are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice’: Google backflips on crushing cookies

Chris Morris /
Fast Company: Google reverses course on privacy, opting to keep targeting cookies in Chrome

James Rosewell /
James Rosewell on LinkedIn: 🚨 Whilst Google's announcement concerning their Privacy Sandbox is a welcome development, it is not yet competition on the merits. …

Marc Majewski /
Marc Majewski on LinkedIn: Prediction arrived - Google (Chrome) will NOT kill third-party cookies! 👈 — A good choice in my opinion, but a final decision after years of uncertainty and endless discussions? …

Mahesh Narayanan /
Mahesh Narayanan on LinkedIn: Privacy Sandbox, as we knew/thought of it, is changing. — Key Takeaway seems to be: 3PC stays 🙂 …

Richard Lawler /
The Verge: Google's plan to turn off third-party cookies in Chrome is dying @mysk@mastodon.social: Google's blog about introducing a new experience in Chrome that “lets people make an informed choice” regarding browser cookies has one button on its cookie banner. It's labeled “Hide.” — https://privacysandbox.com/... #Privacy — #Google — [image]

Simo Ahava /
Simo Ahava on LinkedIn: Third-party cookie deprecation in Chrome pushed back to “never”. — https://lnkd.in/...

Wolfie Christl /
@wchr@mastodon.social: Third-party cookie are staying in Chrome, I cannot f*cking believe it. I mean, sure I can believe it, but. — Google has been misleading everyone for years, making regulators, policymakers, civil society advocates and an entire industry think third-party cookies will soon go away. …

Kendra Barnett /
The Drum: UK data privacy regulators ‘disappointed’ in Google's decision to keep third-party cookies

Sabrina Quagliozzi /
The Media Leader: Google backtracks on killing third-party cookies, focuses on user choice

Angelina Eng /
Angelina Eng on LinkedIn: 🚨 Big News from Google on Privacy! 🚨 — Google is shifting its approach to online privacy by prioritizing user control …

Matthias Cada /
Matthias Cada on LinkedIn: That's a news to all #cookieless fans - — Chrome keeps the #3Pcookie and we all think, what the...? One could think, why all these efforts?!? …

Pranav Dixit /
Engadget: Google isn't killing third-party cookies in Chrome after all

Oliver Klander /
Oliver Klander on LinkedIn: Ooooo... Be honest... we saw it coming. — “After years of uncertainty, Google says it won't be ‘deprecating third-party cookies’ in Chrome.” …

Rio Longacre /
Rio Longacre on LinkedIn: Rug pull of the century by our friends at Google: 3P cookies will NOT be deprecated next year as planned. …

Lauren Weinstein /
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org: After years of work, #Google decides NOT to abandon third-party cookies. — My take on this is that the regulatory issues surrounding the replacement (Privacy Sandbox) and the technical challenges of actually eliminating third-party cookies everywhere without breaking significant parts of the Web, have just been too much. …

Jake Archibald /
@jaffathecake@mastodon.social: Chrome's dropping their plans to fully deprecate third party cookies. https://privacysandbox.com/...

Paul Bannister /
Paul Bannister on LinkedIn: Huge news from Google today that they won't be deprecating 3PC, or at least not without users deciding when they want to do it themselves. …

Alex Cone /
Alex Cone on LinkedIn: Today is a big day for the Privacy Sandbox team. https://lnkd.in/... We announced that we're proposing a new approach to Sandbox on the web …

Allison Schiff /
AdExchanger: Google Says It Won't Deprecate Cookies In Chrome After All (?!)

Lukasz Olejnik /
@LukaszOlejnik@mastodon.social: After four years of attempts, Google is backtracking from plans to phase out third-party cookies? https://privacysandbox.com/... [image]

Reuters:

The US calls on Russia to free Russian-American RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was jailed last week in what RFE/RL said was “a mockery of justice”— The U.S. Embassy in Moscow on Tuesday called on Russia to free Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist …

Discussion:
Semafor, Reporters Without Borders and European Federation …

Discussion:
Reporters Without Borders: RSF outraged by arbitrary sentencing of Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva in Russia

RELATED:

Sky News:
A Russian court sentences Russian-American RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to six and a half years in prison for spreading “false info” about the Russian army

Discussion:
Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, TVNewsCheck, @freedomofpress, @samberkhead, @bentavener, @reidstan, @rebecca_vincent, @janlipavsky, @samagreene, @pressgazette, CNN, @bbcstever, @hadas_gold, New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, Voice of America, Reuters, Committee to Protect …, CNN, CBS News and USAGM

Discussion:

Dasha Litvinova /
Associated Press: US-Russian journalist convicted in a rapid, secret trial, gets 6 1/2 years in prison, court says

Rowan Humphries /
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: American RFE/RL Reporter Alsu Kurmasheva Tried & Convicted in Russian Court

Ivan Nechepurenko /
TVNewsCheck: Russia Sentences Alsu Kurmasheva, American Editor, To A Penal Colony @freedomofpress: U.S.-Russian reporter Alsu Kurmasheva's only “crime” is doing her work as a journalist, but Russia is proving once again its intolerance to reporting about the war in Ukraine that doesn't toe the Kremlin's line. Russia should #FreeAlsu immediately because #JournalismIsNotACrime.

Samantha Berkhead /
@samberkhead: ⚡ U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was secretly sentenced to 6.5 years in prison on Friday for spreading “fake news” about the Russian army, AP reports. The U.S., where she holds citizenship, has yet to declare her “wrongfully detained.” https://apnews.com/...

Ben Tavener /
@bentavener: In a statement to the BBC Alsu Kurmasheva's husband Pavel Butorin & his two daughters wrote: “The girls & I know Alsu has done nothing wrong. And the world knows it too. We need her home.”

Reid Standish /
@reidstan: My colleague Alsu Kurmasheva was just sentenced in a secret trial to 6 1/2 years in a Russian prison on baseless charges. DC journalists, her husband @PashaButorin will be in Washington this week and is available to talk. https://x.com/...

Rebecca Vincent /
@rebecca_vincent: Just three days after the outrageous sentencing of Evan Gershkovich, there's been another shameful verdict against an American journalist in Russia. Alsu Kurmasheva should be immediately released - and the US government must up the ante NOW to better support her. #FreeAlsu

Jan Lipavský /
@janlipavsky: Day after day, Russia confirms that basic human rights mean nothing to it. The trial and the sentence of @RFERL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva is a mockery of the law. Czech diplomacy will continue to fight for her release and for justice for other political prisoners. #FreeAlsu

Sam Greene /
@samagreene: The news that a Russian court sentenced Alsu Kurmasheva on the same day as Evan Gershkovich suggests—but does not prove—that the Kremlin is preparing a deal. More likely, they are preparing to offer up a negotiating table that Washington will find it difficult to ignore. /1 @pressgazette: Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for US govt-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, sentenced to 6.5 yrs in jail in Russia accused of spreading false information- as WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 yrs in a penal colony https://www.bbc.com/... CNN: US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva given 6.5 years in Russian jail in swift and secret trial

Steve Rosenberg /
@bbcstever: Turns out that last Friday, while we were witnessing one Russian court sentencing Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison, another Russian court (in Kazan) was sentencing US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to 6 ½ years behind bars for allegedly spreading “false information”

Hadas Gold /
@hadas_gold: A Russian court has sentenced Alsu Kurmasheva, a longtime American-Russian journalist for US-backed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), to six and a half years to be served in a general regime colony https://cnn.com/...

Ivan Nechepurenko /
New York Times: Russia Sentences Alsu Kurmasheva, American Editor, to a Penal Colony

Robert Greenall /
BBC: Russian-US journalist jailed for ‘false information’ Committee to Protect Journalists: US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva sentenced to 6.5 years in secret trial

Jennifer Hansler /
CNN: Family of another American journalist held in Russia calls on Biden administration to do more to help CBS News: Russia sentences U.S. dual national journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to prison for reporting amid Ukraine war

The Hollywood Reporter:

TelevisaUnivision reports Q2 revenue up 3% YoY to $1.3B, ad revenue up 6% YoY to $785M, and operating expenses up 6% YoY to $896M— The Spanish-language media giant, led by CEO Wade Davis, reports its second-quarter financials. … The company also reemphasized that its streaming business …

Discussion:
Variety, Next TV, TelevisaUnivision and TVNewsCheck

Discussion:

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: Ad Sales Help Drive Q2 Profit for TelevisaUnivision

Jon Lafayette /
Next TV: TelevisaUnivision Turns a $14 Million Profit in Q2

Georg Szalai /
TVNewsCheck: TelevisaUnivision Posts Q2 U.S. Ad Gain

Reuters:

A US judge rules that Nina Jankowicz, a former Biden anti-disinformation official, could not back up her defamation claims against Fox News and parent Fox Corp— Fox News Media and its parent Fox Corp (FOXA.O) won a ruling on Monday dismissing a lawsuit by a former Biden administration official …

Discussion:
The Hill, Mediaite, NPR and Los Angeles Times

Discussion:

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Judge dismisses Nina Jankowicz lawsuit against Fox News

Jamie Frevele /
Mediaite: Fox News Scores Court Victory as Defamation Lawsuit Tossed

David Folkenflik /
NPR: Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Fox, while network scores separate court victory

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Fox News over mock trial show

The Hollywood Reporter:

WBD says it intends to match one of the offers for NBA rights; a source says it is targeting the package from Amazon, which is for about $1.8B per year— TNT has held NBA rights for 35 years. What happens next will determine if the network keeps them.

Discussion:
@tntsportsus, Deadline, Variety, New York Times, CNBC, @mattbelloni, @benjstrauss, @sherman4949, @mgsiegler, @alexweprin, Front Office Sports, @ourand_puck, Sports Media Watch, MediaPost, Adweek, Awful Announcing, USA Today, Cord Cutters News, Sportico, The Information, The Streamable, Media Play News, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Wrap, Next TV and Sports Business Journal

Discussion:

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: Comcast President Mike Cavanagh Hails Return Of NBA To NBCUniversal, Calling Deal A “Testament To Our Breadth And Reach”

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: Warner Aims to Match Amazon's $1.8 Billion Per Year NBA Package in Sports-Rights Showdown

Andrew Marchand /
New York Times: TNT Sports plans to match Amazon's media rights package, forcing NBA staredown

Alex Sherman /
CNBC: Warner Bros. Discovery tells NBA it intends to match Amazon's media rights package

Matthew Belloni /
@mattbelloni: lol Warner Discovery is gonna try to match an NBA rights bid. Game on! [image]

Ben Strauss /
@benjstrauss: Turner says it delivered paperwork to NBA to match one of its rights deals. A person familiar says it's Amazon's deal. NBA will now review the match and can accept or contest. If accepted, Turner would take over Amazon's deal. If contested, Turner can choose to sue the league.

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: I'm told a fourth package game is extremely unlikely at this point. The league looked into it and media partners weren't willing to cede games. Plus, the NBA doesn't really want four partners. https://www.cnbc.com/...

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: The NBA responds to Warner Bros. Discovery: “We've received WBD's proposal and are in the process of reviewing it.” https://www.cnbc.com/...

Alex Weprin /
@alexweprin: In this story: Amazon agreed to pay 3 years of rights fees up front. Sources say WBD has lined up a letter of credit that would allow it to do the same.

John Ourand /
@ourand_puck: NBA: “We've received WBD's proposal and are in the process of reviewing it.”

Wayne Friedman /
MediaPost: Warner Bros. Discovery Matches Amazon's NBA Deal: Sources

Bill Bradley /
Adweek: Warner Bros. Discovery Sends NBA Rights Deal Into Overtime

Brendon Kleen /
Awful Announcing: Warner Bros. Discovery officially matches Amazon's NBA broadcast rights bid

Mike D. Sykes /
USA Today: TNT is matching Amazon's $1.8 billion per year contract with the NBA and now things could get messy

Raymond McCain /
Cord Cutters News: Warner Bros. Notifies NBA That It Will Match Amazon's $1.8B TV Rights Package

Matt Tamanini /
The Streamable: Warner Bros. Discovery Matches NBA Rights Offer; Is This Just a Ploy to Get Settlement From League?

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: WBD Says It Will Match Prime Video's $1.8 Billion Annual NBA Media Rights Offer

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: WarnerBros. Discovery makes last-ditch effort for NBA rights

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: Warner Bros. Discovery says it will match Amazon's bid for NBA rights

Liam Reilly /
CNN: Warner Bros. Discovery notifies NBA it will match Amazon's $1.8 billion offer to carry league games

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Warner Bros. Discovery Files to Match Amazon's $1.8 Billion NBA Deal

Jon Lafayette /
Next TV: Warner Bros. Discovery Says It Matched NBA Rights Offer

The Guardian:

Vivendi plans to list its French TV business Canal+ in London and advertising company Havas in Amsterdam, as part of a drive to break up the media conglomerate— Media group controlled by Vincent Bolloré to break up, with advertising company Havas to list in Amsterdam

Discussion:
Reuters, Financial Times, The Media Leader, Broadband TV News, Advanced Television and Bloomberg

Discussion:

Julian Clover /
Broadband TV News: Vivendi confirms plans to list Canal+ in London

Benoit Berthelot /