Tech

Twitch said that, starting next month, it will ban the streaming of certain gambling websites that aren’t licensed in the U.S. or “other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection.” The move by the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform, most popular among game creators, comes after reports that a streamer called ItsSliker had scammed fellow Twitch creators out of

The Emmy Awards dominated Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of Sept. 12 – 18, pulling in more than 18 million engagements — less than the Oscars (33 million engagements) and Grammys (57 million engagements), but more than the SAG Awards (4 million), which were all tracked for a shorter length of time. “Succession,”

YouTube has spent two years building up YouTube Shorts, its TikTok-style feature for short form video clips. Now it’s about to throw the switch to monetize that content — and share the revenue with creators. Starting in early 2023, YouTube Shorts-focused creators can apply to be part of the platform’s revenue-sharing program if they have

Adnan Syed has been released from prison after serving 23 years for the murder of Hae Min Lee, after a Baltimore judge overturned the case Monday. As his story continues, so does the true crime podcast “Serial,” which popularized the case and made Syed a household name in its record-setting first season, which investigated the

Ryan Spicer, after more than 14 years with WarnerMedia and Turner Broadcasting, is joining Atmosphere, which operates a national out-of-home streaming news and entertainment network, to lead ad sales in the role of chief revenue officer. Most recently, Spicer served as VP of sales and partnerships for WarnerMedia Digital, which is now part of Warner

Italian producer Andrea Iervolino (“Waiting for the Barbarians”) has acquired a controlling stake in central London’s Mercato Metropolitano food market and teamed with British music producer David Tickle’s Tickle Entertainment on a doc series set there about global food culture. Iervolino, whose Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment (ILBE) company produces feature films including Bobby Moresco’s

Courtney Coupe, most recently SVP of content strategy and operations for CNN Digital, is joining LinkedIn as the company’s first head of original programming. In the new role, Coupe reports to LinkedIn editor in chief Dan Roth. She will oversee the strategy, development and production of all original video and audio content at the business-oriented

Spotify wants to give Audible, Amazon’s market-leading audiobook marketplace, a run for its money. Starting Tuesday, Spotify users in the U.S. are able to purchase and listen to more than 300,000 audiobook titles, from major publishers like Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group and Simon & Schuster as well as individual authors. The streamer is

A judge has overturned the murder conviction of Adnan Syed — whose case was the focus of the viral “Serial” podcast back in 2014 — and the Baltimore man has been released from prison after serving more than 22 years behind bars. The ruling Monday by Judge Melissa Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court vacated

Over the weekend, a hacker illegally obtained and leaked unreleased footage from “Grand Theft Auto VI,” the upcoming installment in Rockstar Games’ hit franchise, the studio acknowledged Monday. A user on the GTA Forums posted a 3-gigabyte file — which included 90 videos with “GTA VI” footage, PC Gamer reported. According to the report, the

When YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl announced late last month that he’ll be leaving the company after 12 years in the job, many observers quickly moved him to the front of the line to replace outgoing Warner Music CEO Steve Cooper, who’d announced just two months earlier that he’ll be stepping down after 11

At the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests in June of 2020, Sony, along with several other music companies, announced a major commitment to help fight racial and social injustice worldwide — in its case, $100 million. The company has issued an extensive update on its progress with the Sony Group Global Social Justice Impact Report.,

Chrissy Teigen expected vicious online attacks after she announced that she had an abortion to save her life two years ago — and had a message for the trolls: “I’ve already seen you do your worst.” The model, TV personality and influencer on Thursday revealed that the loss of her unborn son in September 2020

Yara Shahidi will kick it with celebrity peers in a new show premiering on Facebook Watch later this month. The actor, model, activist and self-proclaimed “music nerd” — best known for starring on “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish” — stars in and executive produces Facebook Watch original series “Yara Shahidi’s Day Off.” In each episode, Shahidi will

An anime series based on popular open-world role-playing game “Genshin Impact” is officially in the works. HoYoverse, the Shanghai-based game developer behind “Genshin Impact,” announced a partnership with Japanese animation studio Ufotable to develop an anime based on the RPG. It also released a three-minute “concept trailer” in announcing the project (watch below). “Let’s step

Brooke Shields is coming soon to a pair of earbuds near you with her first podcast — in which the actor, model and author explores pivotal moments in people’s lives. “Now What? With Brooke Shields,” produced by iHeartMedia, is set to launch Oct. 11, to be available on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast

Leading web novel platform Wattpad will launch a series of podcasts created by popular Wattpad authors, exclusively on Spotify. Some of the biggest names in web novels in Indonesia and the Philippines will bring their stories to life through a range of podcasts, with 20 titles available to Spotify listeners. Authors include Pit Sandi, whose

“America’s Dead,” a new 10-episode podcast about the enduring legacy of the Grateful Dead and the band’s profound effect on American consciousness, was released today.  The limited series, produced by Sonos Radio, is hosted by Grammy-winning filmmaker and producer Emmett Malloy and takes listeners on an improvisational journey through a diverse range of conversations, with

The Los Angeles LGBT Center has announced the hire of Phillip Picardi as the organization’s chief marketing and communications officer. “I am so excited to be joining The Los Angeles LGBT Center at this urgent moment in our community’s history,” Picardi said in a statement Thursday morning. “After working for over a decade in the

Larry Jackson is leaving his role as Apple Music’s global creative director, Variety has confirmed. The executive’s last day is Monday, Sept. 19. He joined the tech giant in 2014 following its acquisition of Beats Music and Beats Electronics in May of that year for $3 billion, alongside Beats cofounders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.

In today’s podcast news roundup, Katy Perry’s retrospective about Elizabeth Taylor as “the original influencer” is set to hit next month; Remi Adeleke gets a two-series podcast deal with Tenderfoot TV; John Allen (aka MrBallen) hires Nick Witters as CEO of Ballen Studios and signs with UTA; and more. DATES “Elizabeth the First,” a 10-episode

Lil Nas X is adding a new line to his résumé: president of “League of Legends.” Riot Games announced that the Grammy-winning, genre-busting rapper/singer/songwriter has come on board with the honorary title of president of the “League of Legends” multiplayer battle game. In this role, starting with the 2022 League of Legends World Championship esports

Software giant Adobe will pay $20 billion to buy Figma, a web-based collaborative design platform, in a deal worth about $20 billion. It would be Adobe’s biggest-ever acquisition. The $20 billion price tag is about half cash and half stock. Adobe expects the deal to close in 2023, subject to the regulatory approvals and the

Disney+ was first launched three years ago with the “pretty absurd” low price point of $6.99 per month, CEO Bob Chapek admitted. Now the company is gearing up to raise prices again on the flagship streamer — but Disney+ still offers a better price/value equation than competitors, he said. “I think we’re way underpriced relative

Funko is hard at work on its first-ever console game, which the CEO of the fan-collectibles company says will feature the “mixing” of characters from multiple popular IPs transformed into the brand’s iconic Pop! format. “You will know them. And we are excited because we think the interaction between these IPs will speak to who Funko

Prosecutors have asked a court to vacate the 2000 murder conviction of Adnan Syed — who was found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend — recommending he be released from prison and granted a new trial. Syed’s case was the focus of the groundbreaking “Serial” podcast back in 2014 and became a widely followed

Paramount+ launched in Italy Wednesday evening with a star-studded gala at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The streaming service unveiled a rich slate of Italian originals featuring top local talents Roberto Benigni and Carlo Verdone alongside Hollywood titles such as Sylvester Stallone crime drama “Tulsa King.” “Italy is a country that has proved very receptive to streaming services,”

Patreon said it laid off 80 employees, or about 17% of its workforce, with CEO Jack Conte citing an economic slowdown coming on the heels of a COVID-driven expansion by the creator-monetization company. Conte announced the cutbacks in a memo to staff Tuesday. As part of the cost-cutting steps, Patreon is closing its offices in

HBO Max is bringing DC’s “Batman: The Audio Adventures” back for a second run next month, with actor Jeffrey Wright again lending his rumbling baritone to the iconic superhero. The 10-episode “Batman: The Audio Adventures” Season 2 will premiere in its entirety exclusively on HBO Max on Friday, Oct. 7. (All episodes of season 1,

WhatApp, the popular messaging app owned by tech giant Meta, is bowing its first original entertainment project later this month — a short film featuring NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo, born in Greece to Nigerian parents, was named the 2021 NBA All-Star MVP and led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Finals title that year.