Apple has snared rights to a Friday-night package of Major League Baseball games, extending Silicon Valley’s reach into the world of sports. Under terms of the new pact, Apple will have exclusive rights to telecast two “Friday Night Baseball” games each week — totaling about 50 per year — in the U.S. and to eight
UPDATED: Spotify was experiencing widespread technical problems Tuesday, with users complaining of access issues across its app and website. The service appeared to be functioning normally within about an hour and a half. User complaints about Spotify began to spike at around 1:10 p.m. ET, according to monitoring site DownDetector.com. It was not immediately clear
Though the fashion industry is making efforts toward inclusivity, Gucci is one of the few major brands laying the groundwork to create an equitable world through its wide-reaching network. Case in point: Since 2013, the house’s Chime for Change campaign has worked closely with the United Nations to promote gender equality across all levels of
The New York Times, citing the safety of employees, said it will temporarily remove editorial staffers from Russia after the country outlawed the publication of news about the war in Ukraine that the Kremlin deems “false.” On Friday, Russia passed a law making it illegal to publish “false information” about Russia’s military. Violators face potential fines, forced
Showgoers arriving at the Palais Garnier in Paris for Nanushka’s fall 2022 presentation were greeted by haunting strains of Ukraine’s national anthem. The somber soundtrack was provided by a string quartet from Brussels-based classical outfit Echo Collective. They solemnly played as models took turns on revolving plinths in the venue’s colonnaded rotunda. As the show
Comcast’s NBC News Now is live on Sky U.K. this week and will launch on Virgin Media later this month, making the U.K. the first European territory to have the service on linear programming. The service will be ad-supported. “The expansion into the U.K. is a natural place for NBC News Now to begin its
The U.K. Premier League soccer tournament has suspended its agreement with its Russian broadcast partner and will donate £1 million ($1.3 million) to support the people of Ukraine. “The Premier League and its clubs today unanimously agreed to suspend our agreement with Russian broadcast partner Rambler (Okko Sport) with immediate effect and to donate £1
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, ESPN has revealed details about its month-long “Fifty/50” initiative celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June. ESPN is programming a series of short and long-form documentaries directed and produced by women to commemorate the landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution
Kate Winslet had no problem nailing her Delaware County accent for “Mare of Easttown,” a performance that landed her a second Emmy Award. Afterward, she took some much-needed time off. In honor of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Variety spoke to the London native about her journey, her successes and what she’s looking forward to
Dan Abrams’ true-crime channel Law & Crime has struck a carriage deal with Dish Network, Variety has learned exclusively. Live trial and 24/7 true-crime network Law & Crime, which recently aired national coverage of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and the trial of Brett Hankison, a former police officer charged for his role at the fatal
Zoë Kravitz said in a recent interview with The Observer that “there were a few moments where I felt a little uncomfortable” filming HBO’s “Big Little Lies” because “it is such a white area.” Kravitz starred opposite Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern for two seasons of the Emmy-winning drama series. “Big
Discovery, Inc. president and CEO David Zaslav was awarded a one-time discretionary bonus of $4.4 million by the company’s board March 1 in honor of his “exceptional leadership” ahead of Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia. Per a Monday SEC filing, “The Board approved the one-time bonus (which is in addition to the 2021 annual bonus that
We Are Moving the Needle, the nonprofit launched by Grammy-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar — which celebrates its first birthday today — has partnered with Jaxsta, the Australia-based database of music credits, to include gender identifiers in its search function. The goal: to showcase engineers, producers, mixers, and songwriters who are women or non-binary. The
Amazon has released the limited-access beta version of Amp, a new, free app that provides users with a way to DJ their own live radio shows. Creators can work from a catalog of tens of millions of licensed songs from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and a long list of independent
At first bite, Cookie Monster seems like a harmless creature whose only flaw is acting on the needs of his stomach over the recommendations of his brain. In reality, this is a battle-hardened veteran who is set to play a bigger role in one of the media industry’s most intense brawls. The furry, azure creature,
Treatment toward women in the music industry has shown some improvement but has a long way to go, according to the inaugural “Women in the Mix” study from the Recording Academy, Arizona State University and Berklee College of Music Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship. According to the announcement, the report is designed to examine and better
Government-back industry training body ScreenSkills is set to invest £10 million ($13 million) in up-skilling high-end TV crew. The money, which is earmarked for use from 2022-23 will come from the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund, made up of contributions from U.K. producers, broadcasters and inward investors. It is almost double the amount spent during
Paramount Plus’ “Halo,” a makeover of the massive video game hit by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV and 343 Industries, will open this year’s Canneseries. In other potential highlights, Gillian Anderson will be on hand to receive the Variety Icon Award. Canneseries Artistic Director Albin Lewi praised Gillian Anderson for delivering 10 “edgy” and iconic roles
Hollywood franchise movies “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” have both secured April theatrical release dates in mainland China. “Transylvania” will open in Chinese cinemas on Sunday April 3, 2022, a couple of days ahead of the Qingming or Tomb Sweeping holiday on April 5. “Beasts” will open, more conventionally, on
The Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon was a happy occasion full of hugs between stars, but also a sense of trepidation as the first Academy luncheon since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. With a live, in-person event held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, with remarks from Oscars producer Will Packer
Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to country legend Dolly Parton at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards with a scorching performance of “I Will Always Love You.” Hosted by Parton and taking place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the ACM Awards are streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in a two-hour format with
Morgan Wallen took home album of the year at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards for “Dangerous: The Double Album,” marking his first major country music award since his 2021 N-word scandal. In his speech, Wallen said, “When I started this album, I was a kid. By the time I put it out, I
Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to distribute “The Walk,” which tells the story of the court-ordered forced integration of the Boston School System in the 1970s. The film, starring Justin Chatwin and Terrence Howard, will be released in theaters and digitally on June 10. “The Walk” follows Bill Coughlin (Chatwin, pictured above), a
Aida Takla O’Reilly, the longest-serving member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who served two times as the organization’s president, died Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 90. Born in Egypt, she joined the HFPA in 1956 and served as president of the organization that hands out the Golden Globes in 1994-96 and in 2011-13.
“Bel Air” is about to feature a “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reunion — of sorts. Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played Will’s aunt on later seasons of “Fresh Prince,” and Vernee Watson-Johnson, who recurred as Will’s mom on the show, are returning to Bel Air — in guest starring roles for Episode 9 of Peacock’s
The Academy of Country Music Awards are underway in Las Vegas, for the show’s first streaming-only webcast, via Amazon Prime Video, its first at the cavernous Allegiant Stadium, and its first compacted into a two-hour, commercial-free format. Dolly Parton is hosting, with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett in co-host roles. As the end of the
Red Nose Day, the BBC’s annual televized fund-raising event, is set to return on March 18. Featuring comedy sketches and specials, live performances and a host of celebrity names, the live show will be broadcast from the broadcaster’s Manchester headquarters on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. Sir Lenny Henry will return to
Recent months have seen several top pop artists make big management changes. While not uncommon in the music industry, it’s rarer to see such shifts align with the acts reaching career highs. What gives? “Artists have a short memory,” says one music biz insider. “They convince themselves that the grass is greener.” Artist: Miley Cyrus
As the Walt Disney Co. takes heat for a report detailing how the company has financially backed all of the sponsors of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, employees and artists associated with Disney have taken to social media to criticize its response to the bill. Particularly upsetting many staffers is CEO Bob Chapek’s memo expressing
Disney CFO Christine McCarthy insisted that media giant’s move to introduce a cheaper, ad-supported version of Disney Plus later this year is not a “hail Mary” to try to hit aggressive streaming-acquisition goals with a lower entry price. The goal of Disney Plus with ads is to provide consumers an additional choice for how they