The Hollywood Reporter April 7, 2021

Lil Nas X The artist’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 46.9 million streams in the U.S. in the week ending April 1, per MRC Data. Gabrielle Carteris The SAG-AFTRA CEO sees the union’s televised SAG Awards fall 52 percent year-over-year, reaching 957,000 viewers on TNT and TBS on April 4. Guy Fieri Discovery’s Food Network signs the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host and reality TV chef — on the air since 2006 — to a new, exclusive three-year deal. Mark Zuckerberg The Facebook CEO grapples with a new disclosure from a cyber intelligence firm of a data breach of 533 million accounts in 2019, exposing users’ phone numbers. Showbiz Stocks $1.50 (+4.9%) CINEWORLD (CNNWF) Godzilla vs. Kong’s bow sparked the…

A Casablanca quote crossed WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar’s lips during AT&T’s March 12 investor day when touting the benefits of vertical integration, or housing content and distribution businesses under the same corporate roof: “It reminds me of that classic Warner Bros. line,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” AT&T had closed the $85 billion takeover of Time Warner in June 2018, promising cost reductions — which deals typically bring — but also revenue synergies. That vision brought forth HBO Max in May 2020, a streaming service that, together with HBO, boasts 41 million domestic subscribers but trails Disney+ in rapid growth and Netflix in total scale. “Approximately 25 percent of HBO Max’s subscribers in the United States are via AT&T,” Kilar pointed out, adding: “HBO Max is…

When Endeavor filed to go public March 31, nearly two years after its first try, it made a subtle but notable change in its pitch to investors. In its first filing on May 23, 2019, the opening line in its prospectus read, “Endeavor is a global entertainment, sports and content company.” In its second attempt, on March 31, the opening line in its prospectus read, “Endeavor is a premium intellectual property, content, events and experiences company.” In 2019, the company’s talent representation business was front and center, but, in 2021, Endeavor pitches itself as an intellectual property owner. The profound impact of the pandemic on Endeavor’s business has led to a reorganizing of its focus, with sports and events now at the forefront, and with fighting league UFC and Professional…

The debut of Legendary and Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max on March 31, the same day the big-budget pic opened in theaters, became an afterthought when the monster showdown roared to a $48.1 million opening at the domestic box office, by far a pandemic best and providing a huge jolt of confidence for the theatrical business. HBO Max doesn’t divulge viewership figures, so it’s unclear the extent to which the MonsterVerse tentpole drove subscribers to the $15-a-month service. But the consensus among industry insiders is that a simultaneous debut will not become the industry norm for big tentpoles post-pandemic, out of fear of hurting a movie’s box office chances. There were unique circumstances surrounding Godzilla. “It was alone in the marketplace,” says a rival studio executive. “What…

During Hollywood’s pandemic shutdowns in 2020, one market stayed bustling: media rights sales. That has been a boon to some authors and agents who were able to get book-to-film or TV packages sold during a quieter time for the industry. “We felt like we had to make the most of opportunities during this period — otherwise, it would be very shortsighted of us,” says CAA books agent Michelle Kroes of the uptick in interest in the rights market. The top four agencies’ divisions that handle media rights have been doing more business since the start of the pandemic as compared to the same time period the previous year, with CAA and UTA each pegging their deal totals at more than 250. The growth in streaming deals and interest in diverse…

Before Hollywood’s workforce was temporarily sidelined by the pandemic, it was California’s AB 5 law that was a hot topic among studio executives worrying about their bottom lines. The bill, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in September 2019, reclassified many independent contractors as employees — or, at least, it aimed to do so before waves of litigation and lobbying caused the state to dole out exemptions as if they were Ugg boots on a TV segment of “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” Now, worker classification legislation has gone national. In California, AB 5 codified a test used by the state’s supreme court in a dispute involving trucking company Dynamex. Under that ABC test, a worker is presumed to be an employee unless they meet three criteria — one of which…