Facebook said it saw “a significant reduction in the demand for advertising” over the last three weeks of the first quarter of 2020, although the social giant said that had stabilized in the first part of April. Even so, the social giant reported a robust 18% increase in Q1 revenue, to $17.74 billion, and net
Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav received $45.8 million in compensation last year, which amounts to less than half of the value of his 2018 haul. Zaslav made headlines last year when Discovery disclosed that his compensation for 2018 reached $129.4 million, including the value of stock options that amounted to more than $100 million after
We are hunkered down, collectively, for god knows how long. Out of the physical “real world” for the most part. Forced into a largely virtual online digital one as a result of circumstances beyond our control. So here’s a suggestion, especially now when you likely have more time and are in need for some good
The long-tail effect of “This Is Us” — the only network drama launch in recent memory to achieve its particular alchemical blend of popular and critical acclaim along with awards attention — remains very much in effect, as evidenced by “Council of Dads.” This new NBC drama would seem to take its network-mate as a
Greg Berlanti, one of TV’s busiest producers who had 17 series in the works before the coronavirus lockdown, has donated $1 million to support production staffers on his shows and other coronavirus relief efforts. Berlanti, who is based at Warner Bros., told his team of showrunners in a message sent Wednesday that a $600,000 fund
Actor Vin Diesel has been mired in a years-long struggle for an illustrious credit from the Producers Guild of America for his contributions to the billion-dollar “Fast and Furious” movie franchise, numerous sources tell Variety. A cryptic Sunday night Instagram post from Diesel about “mitigating a war” with the PGA, a trade association representing film
In a heavy-hearted statement, organizers of the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival, scheduled for this summer in Rhode Island, announced that the 2020 events have been canceled due to “the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to evolve unpredictably and in accordance with state guidance on large gatherings.” The lineup for the Folk fest included Brittany
Upright Citizens Brigade permanently shuttered its New York City theater and training center April 21, another economic victim of the ongoing coronavirus crisis that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and put millions of Americans in unemployment lines as businesses keep their doors closed. From New York to Florida to Los Angeles, comedy clubs
WarnerMedia has clinched another big digital distribution deal for HBO Max: Under a pact with Google, the streaming service will be available across Google platforms and devices — including Android and Google Play — when it launches on May 27. At launch, current HBO Now subscribers billed through Google Play will be automatically upgraded to
As part of the ongoing integration of Viacom and CBS, more staffers were laid off Wednesday at divisions across ViacomCBS, including at MTV News and elsewhere. As Variety has previously reported, the media conglomerate had been planning to enact several rounds of layoffs as early as late February, just months after the closing of Viacom’s
Spanish-language broadcaster Univision will make a streaming-video presentation to advertisers on May 12, the latest of the traditional media companies to announce a formal business presentation to Madison Avenue in the wake of the disruption spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. Univision executives plan to discuss the advertising marketplace and the effects of the contagion on
On a Sunday night last November, as part of the traditional awards-season ritual, around 100 people drove up Mount Olympus Drive to a gathering at the home of sound engineer John Ross and his wife Nancy for a screening of “Joker.” The evening included pre-screening cocktails in addition to a 10-minute Q&A with director Todd
Is watching a movie in a theater a different experience from watching it at home? There are two answers to that, and both of them are correct. The answers are: 1) Yes, of course it is! and 2) It’s sort of different, but not really. It’s a different experience for all the reasons you know
“Music is so over-saturated and competitive now — you have to take it back to basics and the organic style of A&R,” says Jenna Andrews. The songwriter credited on the viral hit “Supalonely” would know: Andrews has seen every corner of the business as a major label artist, a producer, an A&R consultant and a
When “The Bachelor” franchise launched in 2002, the very first season aired in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The original idea was to shoot the final rose ceremony in front of the Eiffel Tower, but due to safety precautions in the wake of 9/11, production was limited to domestic locations, so plans
CBS announced Wednesday that it is delaying the planned premiere of “The Amazing Race” Season 32, while also announcing the premieres of new unscripted series “Game On!” and “Tough as Nails.” “Amazing Race” was originally set to debut on May 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, taking over “Survivor’s” time slot after that show’s season finale.
Imagine a world in which technology has become so advanced the wealthy all have self-driving cars, 3D-printed food, wrist holograms with which to speak to each other from afar and the option of living posthumously in a digital afterlife. That kind of future may feel like sheer fantasy even as some of it feels like
and the lede: British actor Jill Gascoine, known for starring in 1980s TV drama “The Gentle Touch,” has died after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 83. Gascoine played Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in ITV’s “The Gentle Touch,” the first British police drama with a woman in the main role. She continued playing
By now, the waves of event cancellations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have become so routine that they almost don’t merit mention. But it was scarcely a month and a half ago that the cancellation of SXSX — the first major domino in the festival calendar to fall — really brought the reality
“Big Bang Theory” star Kaley Cuoco has found her first major movie role following the end of her popular series, signing on for the female lead opposite Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in Sony’s action-comedy “Man From Toronto.” Harrelson recently replaced Jason Statham in the pic. The film revolves around a case of mistaken identity
Cineworld, owner of the Regal Entertainment exhibition chain, is joining AMC Theatres in refusing to play Universal Pictures films in the wake of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell’s promise to open titles on premium VOD and in theaters concurrently. “Universal’s move is completely inappropriate and certainly has nothing to do with good faith business practice, partnership
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 says it will have to operate “a mixed economy” when commissioning new shows, as a result of plunging ad revenue during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking as part of an online Q&A organized by the Edinburgh International TV Festival, Channel 4 director of programs Ian Katz said the broadcaster will have to
The 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards will carry on without an in-person ceremony this year, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences confirmed on Wednesday. Instead, the org is moving forward with at-home remote video productions for various Emmy awards in 2020, including Daytime, Sports, News & Documentary, and Technology & Engineering. Originally scheduled
The Grand Theatre is one of those civic treasures that always seems to need saving. It was built as an opera house in the tiny sawmill town of New London, Wis., in 1895. A century later, it was a run-down movie theater, desperate for a renovation. The town’s voters agreed to tax themselves to restore
The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) has said the lucrative PVOD release of “Trolls World Tour” should not be used a reference point to “redesign” the business model around releasing. The Brussels-based organization, which represents European cinema operators, spoke out in response to growing tensions between exhibitors and Universal over the straight-to-VOD release of “Trolls
Sony/ATV Music Publishing has announced the establishment of a new office and studios in Atlanta, a city that has become the hub of hip-hop and R&B over the past 25 years. Located in Buckhead, the Sony/ATV Atlanta office and studios will occupy the former RedZone Entertainment (RZE) production complex, which has served as a creative
As expected, Record Store Day, which was already postponed from its original April 18 date because of the coronavirus crisis, will not be happening on the announced makeup date, June 20, either. Instead, the 400-some exclusive releases planned for RSD are being pushed back and parceled out to three dates this fall — Aug. 29,
Exclusive New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been a true hero in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which is why it’s especially stunning he’s being sued over something that did NOT happen at his daily briefings. A group of deaf New York residents, along with the Disability Rights New York group, are suing Governor Cuomo claiming
The Locarno Film Festival has announced the cancellation of its 73rd edition due to Swiss government restrictions. In its place, the festival has set up an initiative to support independent cinema. The prominent Swiss summer fest, which was scheduled to run August 5-15, is known as a champion of international indie cinema and the industry
As the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the touring industry, it is not surprising that Live Nation, the world’s largest live-entertainment company, has been impacted on a scale arguably greater than that of any other company. Not only has it seen more than 8,000 concerts and festivals impacted since March (with 6,500 events postponed and 1,500