A new trade group — the Streaming Innovation Alliance — brings together Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and other players to promote their interests to politicians and government entities. It marks the first time competing streaming-video providers have banded together in a unified lobbying front.
Source: Netflix, Disney, Max and More Team to Form Streaming Innovation Alliance Lobbying Group
While “Barbie” may have been a huge opening salvo in Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz‘s plan to turn toy brands into media IP, it’s just the beginning of a versatile long-term strategy that will extend far beyond the cinema to TV and gaming for the likes of “Monster High” and “Hot Wheels.” Looking beyond movies, where Mattel has as many as 15 projects in active development, Kreiz pointed to 12 TV shows that Mattel is putting on TV and streaming platforms this year,
Source: Barbie, Shmarbie: Mattel CEO’s Media Strategy Is Far More Than One Movie
What took so long? That was the prevailing sentiment among many book business members upon hearing the news that the FTC had filed an antitrust lawsuit against the nation’s largest e-tailer and dominant bookseller. Independent booksellers, which were the first physical retailers impacted by Amazon and the steep discounting on books it employed to attract customers, praised the FTC’s long-awaited action.
Source: Book Business Applauds Government Lawsuit Against Amazon
The WGA emerges from the long slog of a strike and difficult contract talks with a deal that is far richer and more comprehensive than most industry observers would have predicted last spring when the fitful negotiations began. Here’s a rundown of the key issues that have been settled in the tentative agreement that the Writers Guild of America reached Sept. 24 with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Source: New WGA Contract Explained: AI Is Not a Writer, Solo Scribe Shows Don’t Need Minimum Staff and More
Net neutrality is back on the menu, citizens. After a long, long battle ending in eventual defeat during Trump’s presidency, the FCC is set to reinstate rules that broadband providers must treat all traffic equally, giving no sweetheart deals to business partners or their own services. The effort to revive this popular rule was announced in a speech at the National Press Club by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who was one of the original rule’s champions over a decade ago.
Source: FCC announces plans to reinstate net neutrality | TechCrunch
On the heels of some positive strike-related news for Hollywood entertainment writers, the actors union is going in another direction: SAG-AFTRA has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against ten major video game companies. Union officials say many of the same issues that actors are focused on for that strike — higher wages and artificial intelligence — are also issues they want to address in a new video-game contract.
Source: MediaDailyNews: SAG-AFTRA Votes To Authorize Strike Against Video-Game Producers
The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. Among the accusations, the lawsuit alleges that Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices; degrade quality for shoppers; overcharge sellers; stifle innovation; and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon.
Source: FTC Sues Amazon, Alleging Company Illegally Maintains ‘Monopoly Power’
Hollywood heaves a sigh of relief. The WGA and major studios and streamers have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract that promises to end the 146-day strike that has taken a heavy toll across the content industry. The nitty-gritty details of language around the use of generative AI in content production was one of the last items that the sides worked on before closing the pact.
Music streaming service Deezer has published a statement on its website announcing its decision to raise its subscription prices for the second time in a year. The France-based company’s website explained the rise in costs, attributing it to a need to provide “valuable support for artists and enhance fan experiences.” Beginning September 21, Deezer will increase prices for all new premium and family subscriptions in key territories, including France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and the UK.
Source: Subscriber-Strapped Deezer Raises Prices Again In 2023
Residuals, which are key to Hollywood strikes, are an imperfect answer to the threat posed by recording technology. Every advance in the mechanisms of recording or distribution poses a both threat and an opportunity to artists. Residuals are a solvent that allows technology to proceed. Artists capture whatever upside they can find, while the residuals compensate for the threat.
Source: Residuals Are Key to Nearly Every Strike in Hollywood History — Here’s Why